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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Banking: [Interview] How Does a Used Galaxy Device Become a Key Part of a New One? Inside Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain

    Source: Samsung

    What if a used smartphone could become part of a brand-new device?
     
    Previously confined to the imagination, this idea is now a reality with Samsung Electronics’ Circular Battery Supply Chain — an initiative that recovers and reuses key materials from the batteries of used Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy S25 marks the first time this closed-loop battery recycling system has been applied to Samsung’s flagship lineup.
     
    Samsung Newsroom spoke with Youngmin Kim from the Circular Economy Lab in the Global Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Office and Sangcheul Lee from the Battery Group in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics to learn more about the development and impact of this project.
     
    ▲ (From left) Sangcheul Lee and Youngmin Kim
     
     
    Used Galaxy Devices Reborn as Valuable Resources
    Each year, approximately 200 tons of waste battery material were collected at Samsung’s production facilities in Vietnam. Countries with proper recycling infrastructure can repurpose used batteries for applications like electric vehicle batteries. Vietnam, however, lacked the means to do so. Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, the company decided to address the issue.
     
    “Samsung’s Vietnam facilities are among those that generate the highest volume of waste batteries, including defective units from the manufacturing process and batteries recovered from a factory that repairs Galaxy phones traded in from the United States,” said Youngmin Kim. “Our goal was to create a system that would allow us to recycle these resources and reintegrate them into our products.”
     
    ▲ Youngmin Kim explains the Circular Battery Supply Chain while showcasing cobalt and cathode materials.
     
    To develop an efficient recycling process for Vietnam’s waste batteries, Samsung partnered with multiple companies to build an optimized resource circularity system that connected cobalt extraction plants with battery production lines in neighboring countries.
     
    “For the Galaxy S24 series, we sourced recycled cobalt externally,” he explained. “However, with the Galaxy S25, we implemented a fully closed-loop recycling system that extracts cobalt directly from discarded Galaxy batteries.”
     
    The collected waste batteries are processed into high-purity cobalt, then shipped to the battery production line where it is integrated into Galaxy S25 batteries. This process transforms electronic waste from used Galaxy devices into a valuable resource, supporting Samsung’s vision for a sustainable circular economy.
     
    ▲ Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain in action
     
    More specifically, the Circular Battery Supply Chain begins with collecting used Galaxy smartphones, followed by dismantling and discharging their batteries. These batteries are then shredded and processed into a fine powder known as “black mass.” This material is subsequently refined to extract cobalt — which is used to produce cathode materials, a key component of the Galaxy S25 battery.
     
     
    The Endless Recyclability of Cobalt
    Cobalt is essential for maintaining the stability and performance of lithium-ion batteries in smartphones. While lithium carries electrons within the battery, cobalt facilitates lithium’s movement to ensure optimal battery operation.
     
    ▲ Cobalt ore samples
     
    “Cobalt does not degrade with battery use, meaning it can theoretically be recycled indefinitely,” said Lee. “Recycled cobalt and newly mined cobalt are virtually identical — so much so that the difference is indistinguishable in the manufacturing process.”
     
    In essence, Galaxy devices containing cobalt can be recycled and repurposed regardless of their manufacturing date.
     

     
    ▲ Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain on display at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona
     
    “The key to extracting high-purity cobalt lies in technology,” said Kim. “Through our Circular Battery Supply Chain, we have successfully recovered and utilized over 90% of the cobalt from the discarded batteries that have been collected.”
     
    Half of the cobalt used in the Galaxy S25 batteries comes from recycled sources — a strong testament to Samsung’s environmental strategy and commitment to reducing its environmental impact while maintaining premium product quality.
     
     
    The Road to a Reliable and Efficient Circular Supply Chain
    Nonetheless, establishing the Circular Battery Supply Chain was no easy feat as the batteries were required to meet stringent global safety and environmental regulations.
     
    ▲ Sangcheul Lee explains the certification management process.
     
    “We had to engage with numerous partner companies, navigating complex and rigorous procedures,” recalled Lee. “To prevent fire hazards during transport, the batteries had to be crushed and obtaining the necessary certifications to comply with relevant environmental regulations took considerable time.”
     
    “With constantly evolving regulations and Samsung’s exceptionally high internal standards, we underwent multiple rounds of reviews and certifications,” he added. “Despite the challenges, we persisted as a team and successfully implemented the system in the Galaxy S25.”
     
     
    Samsung’s Evolving Vision for a Circular Economy
    “I felt a great sense of pride when our Circular Battery Supply Chain was showcased at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event,” said Lee, reflecting on the achievement. “I hope to continue developing sustainable batteries by expanding our recycling efforts to include lithium and other materials.”
     
    “With the Galaxy S25, we’ve also reached another significant milestone in resource circularity — wafer trays discarded after semiconductor manufacturing have been repurposed into a plastic used in the side and volume keys,” shared Kim. “We are working on various projects to expand resource circularity across other product lines as well, and we hope our users will continue to join us on our journey.”
     
    Samsung has successfully established a closed-loop battery recycling system through the Circular Battery Supply Chain — turning a vision launched under its 2022 environmental strategy into reality with the Galaxy S25. This milestone has sparked growing anticipation for the next innovations that will emerge from Samsung’s pursuit of a more sustainable future.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Diopsys, Inc. Agrees To Pay Up To $14.25 Million To Resolve Alleged Federal False Claims Act And State Law Violations Relating To Vision Testing

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Newark, N.J. – Diopsys, Inc., a medical device company based in Middletown, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay up to $14.25 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act and various state laws by knowingly submitting or causing others to submit false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid in connection with certain vision testing services, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced today.

    The settlement resolves allegations relating to Diopsys’ NOVA device, an electrophysiological device that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for visual evoked potential (VEP) testing.  The United States alleged that, during the period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2021, Diopsys caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services in which the NOVA device was utilized for medically unnecessary uses, specifically electroretinography (ERG) vision testing, a substantially different vision test for which the NOVA device lacked FDA clearance.  The government further contended that Diopsys made substantial changes to the NOVA device that it never submitted to FDA for clearance or approval despite knowing that such a submission was required.

    “Today’s resolution reaffirms our commitment to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Health care companies must not encourage doctors to submit claims for payment for medically unnecessary tests.” 

    U.S. Attorney John Giordano

    Under the terms of the settlement, Diopsys will make guaranteed payments of $1,225,000 and contingent payments of up to $13,025,000. The settlement is based on Diopsys’ financial condition.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Atul Jain, a California ophthalmologist. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  Approximately $1,120,000 of the guaranteed payment and up to approximately $11,900,000 of the contingent payments constitute the federal portion of the recovery. Dr. Jain will receive at least approximately $207,000 as his share of the federal recovery in this case.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.

    The case is captioned United States ex rel. Jain v. Diopsys, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 21-18151 (D.N.J.).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only.  There has been no determination of liability.

                                                   ###

    Counsel for Diopsys, Inc: Paul Fishman, Newark, NJ

    Counsel for Relator Dr. Atul Jain: Justin Berger, Esq., San Mateo, CA

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Father and son rescued from Pipe Clay Lagoon

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Father and son rescued from Pipe Clay Lagoon

    Friday, 28 March 2025 – 10:55 am.

    A father and son from Risdon Vale have been rescued while fishing in Pipe Clay Lagoon in southern Tasmania overnight.
    About 11pm Thursday 27 March, the 43-year-old man and his 14-year-old son were flounder fishing in Pipe Clay Lagoon.
    They called emergency services for assistance after becoming disoriented and entering deep water several hundred metres from land.
    Senior Constable Callum Herbert from police search and rescue said the pair were located by uniform officers and at about 12.45am after support from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
    “They were pulled from the water by members from Marine and Rescue Services in a specialised shallow draught vessel.
    “They were then taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia.
    “The rescue of these two individuals is a timely reminder for any members of the public who undertake activities on the water.
    “If the response had been delayed, the outcome in this case could have been disastrous.
    “We urge you to be prepared, even in waters that seem calm or you are familiar with, always plan ahead by checking the weather forecast, ensuring you have appropriate safety equipment, including a working charged mobile phone.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UniSA-led study tackles medication risks in aged care homes

    Source:

    28 March 2025

    As Australia undertakes major aged care reforms to improve medication management and resident safety, a new University of South Australia initiative will trial medication safety rounds in aged care homes to prevent medication-induced harm and improve resident care.

    Funded by a near $1 million MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission Grant, the new study will equip pharmacists, nurses, and aged care workers with the tools to identify medication issues early and develop safe action plans for residents.

    Conducted in partnership with six aged care providers, and supported by a diverse team of experts in pharmacy, medicine, nursing, aged care, consumer engagement, and health economics, the project directly responds to recommendations in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to implement pharmacist models of care in aged care homes.

    Medication management problems are the most frequent reason for residential care complaints to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

    Chief Investigator, UniSA’s Associate Professor Janet Sluggett says the new medication safety rounds will lead to improvements in medication use, health, and wellbeing among residents.

    “Aged care residents take multiple medications, and this can increase the likelihood of medication errors and adverse events,” Assoc Prof Sluggett says.

    “Now, as a result of the Royal Commission in Aged Care Quality and Safety, pharmacists are working onsite in aged care homes to help address this issue, but we need to provide them with new tools to proactively address medication safety issues.”

    “The new medication safety rounds draw on the evidence-based principles of nurse-led ‘palliative care needs rounds’, where patients are regularly monitored by a multidisciplinary team of experts to assess and cater for their changing needs.

    “Our rounds will work in a similar way where pharmacists, nurses and other aged care team members engage in monthly meetings to ensure medications are being used safely and effectively.”

    “This pharmacist-led approach will help to identify and address potential problems with medication use, such as drug interactions, inappropriate prescriptions, and opportunities for deprescribing, with any changes identified actioned to ensure optimal resident care.”

    The multisite, two-year project will work collaboratively with health professionals, aged care staff, residents and families to adapt the existing palliative care need rounds model, and codesign implementation processes and resources to inform the delivery of medication safety needs rounds.

    “Australia is one of the first countries to implement onsite pharmacists in aged care homes. Our new, pharmacist-led medication safety rounds initiative will deliver a robust mechanism to address medication safety needs in aged care homes,” Assoc Prof Sluggett says.

    “Working with our partners in aged care homes, we will implement and evaluate the processes and outcomes of medication safety needs rounds and conduct an intervention scalability assessment to inform future testing or scale up.

    “With Australia’s aged care system undergoing major reforms, including the introduction of onsite pharmacists, this project leverages a critical window of opportunity to develop a new care model focused on reducing medication-induced harm and improving resident’s health and wellbeing.”

    Results from the project will be assessed and in time, expanded more widely.

    The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Chief Investigators for this MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission initiative include: UniSA’s Assoc Prof Janet Sluggett, Dr Sara Javanparast, Prof Marion Eckert, Prof Debra Rowett, Prof Ian Gwilt, Dr Aaron Davis, and Dr Daria Gutteridge).
    • This project is one of five research grants awarded by the MRFF, with a total value of more than $7 million.

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

    Contact for interview:  Assoc Prof Janet Sluggett E: Janet.Sluggett@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New bootcamp upskills Whitehall coders into AI specialists

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    New bootcamp upskills Whitehall coders into AI specialists

    AI Accelerator Programme will enable participants to work on projects across several government departments, including justice, health, and transport, to improve public services, drive efficiencies, and support the Government’s broader Plan for Change.

    • New programme to upskill droves of data scientists across the public sector into in-demand machine learning engineers, building tech across departments.
    • AI experts will build tech to make the justice system more efficient, enhance DVLA systems, strengthen services and drive growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.  
    • Follows Prime Minister announcing plans to double digital workforce to tackle “flabby” state, in bid to grasp £45 billion in productivity savings offered by tech.

    Data scientists will be upskilled into AI specialists by a new scheme starting today, as the government looks to use the technology to fix public services, save the taxpayer money and drive growth as part of its Plan for Change. 

    Across 12-weeks, the first run of the AI Accelerator Programme will train up 25 Machine Learning Engineers through hackathons, where the coders will help tackle live government challenges.

    Technical experts from justice, health and transport authorities will join the programme before returning to their departments with new skills to build AI tools that can help reduce backlogs, save money, and stop officials and the public from wasting time on bulky processes.

    Today’s news follows the Prime Minister announcing plans to double the number of digital experts in government departments, as the government seeks to transform public services and find £45 billion in productivity savings from AI and digital technology.

    AI and Digital Government Minister Feryal Clark said:

    We have started to build generative AI chatbots to change how people interact with the state, AI helpers to put an end to the mindless hours we spend on hold waiting for someone to pick up the phone, and tools to help get the views of citizens on policy proposals much more quickly – but AI can help with so much more.

    There is no reason people shouldn’t expect the same experience from public services, as they get from the most innovative businesses. By building AI skills across government, we’ll be able to deliver just that – all while finding efficiencies and transforming services to deliver our Plan for Change.

    A Data Scientist from the UK Health Security Agency starting the AI Accelerator Programme today said:

    I am very excited for the opportunity to develop and utilise skills in AI. There is so much potential to use AI to improve how we work in my agency and in healthcare more widely. 

    The programme will help me understand what we need to think about when building AI in the public sector, including how to manage data safely and be transparent in our work.

    A Data Scientist from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) who is also starting the programme today said:

    I am very excited for the opportunity to take part in the AI Accelerator Programme. It will be fantastic to collaborate with other data scientists across the civil service to produce machine learning models that are streamlined, responsible, effective, and explainable.

    After completing the programme, I’m looking forward to being able to deploy models into production as this will be a huge benefit to the organisation.

    Participants from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Welsh Government, Scottish Government, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), DVLA, and more will join the programme, which will include a major component focused on the ethics of AI.

    Here, learners will explore the frameworks needed to ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly and ethically within public services. This includes tackling issues like transparency, accountability, and bias to ensure AI works fairly for everyone.

    Notes to editors

    The AI Accelerator Programme is being delivered with Decoded, a training company that specialises in building AI skills. Richard Peters, CEO of Decoded, added:

    At Decoded, we are proud to partner with the government to launch the AI Accelerator Programme. This initiative will empower civil servants with the skills to effectively implement AI solutions, helping government departments unlock the power of data to improve services, decision-making, and security.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM: North will no longer be held to ransom by broken transport system

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    PM: North will no longer be held to ransom by broken transport system

    The Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.

    • Major package of investment to revive Victorian-era transport system in the North, which comes as government spends more than double as much money per head on local transport in North than the South, including London

    • Nearly £1.7 billion boost for local buses, roads and trams in the North this year, and supported with further £415 million to reboot key railways across the Pennines, £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North

    • Prime Minister backs regional mayors to accelerate growth plans in their area through radical devolution agenda – bringing a new tram network to West Yorkshire, a new station to Merseyside and an improved transport hub to Bury

    • Through its Plan for Change, this government is investing in the North after years of broken promises and delivering on manifesto to boost growth for everyone, everywhere 

    People across the North will no longer be held back by a broken transport system and empty promises, the Prime Minister has said as he announces more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.

    For far too long, working people have been hamstrung by a transport system that no longer works for them. Doctors’ appointments are missed, children late to school, work meetings missed thanks to delays or cancellations. These are the real-world impacts which lead to an insecurity and instability for working people. The Prime Minister will make clear today that his government will not stand by and watch while this blight continues to disrupt the lives of working people.

    After years of false promises and under delivery, the government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering change working families will feel. The Prime Minister will today set out plans to make the Liverpool-Hull corridor an economic superpower – rivalling the Oxford-Cambridge arc – kickstarted with £1.7 billion this year.

    This transformatory package to reboot the North’s creaking transport system means government more than double on local transport in the North compared to the South and London, delivering on its Plan for Change to boost living standards and provide security and certainty for working people across the country.

    This comes on top of funding announced today:

    • For the key rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, which has been plagued by disruptions and delays for years without a plan to fix it. The route will now be supported with £415 million in funding from government to restore its failing services.

    • For local leaders to unleash their areas’ untapped potential with over £1 billion for the North to improve the transport services people use every day – backing regional mayors and ensuring decisions about the North sit with those who call it home. This comes alongside £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North.

    The funding, delivered working hand in hand with local leaders, will have a transformative impact on people’s lives, connecting the great towns and cities of the North that have been cut off from each other for far too long, holding back its potential.

    The Prime Minister will make clear that these measures will better connect the North to support its thriving industries, unlocking growth in key sectors like Sheffield’s nuclear industry, booming fintech in Leeds, and cutting-edge life sciences in Liverpool. It will also support leading universities left hamstrung by poor connectivity while commuter towns and cities near London benefit from world-leading transport infrastructure.

    On a visit to a factory in the North of England today, the Prime Minister is expected to say that today’s funding boost must see local leaders speed up delivery of key projects in their areas, which will transform the lives of working families.

    This includes:

    • A Mass Transit system for West Yorkshire progressing, with the next stage of the business case expected in the Autumn – bringing growth to the largest city in Europe without a metro transport system.

    • A new Merseyrail station in the Baltic Triangle – better connecting the city to ‘Britain’s coolest neighbourhood’ – starting works this Autumn and complete by Spring 2028.

    • The Bury Interchange redevelopment fast-tracked with £80 million to improve bus and tram connectivity across Greater Manchester.

    Today’s announcement will provide stability for the North following years of uncertainty and broken promises. This administration is choosing a new way of governing, empowering local leaders who have skin in the game to make the changes that working people want to see in their area.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    The North is home to a wealth of talent and ingenuity. But for too long, it has been held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system which has stifled its potential. I lived in Leeds for years, I get that this has real-world impacts – missed appointments, children late to school, work meetings rescheduled – all leading to insecurity and instability for working people.

    My government won’t stand by and watch. We are rolling up our sleeves, and today’s downpayment for growth is a vote of confidence in the North’s world-beating industries. The film studios in Bradford, life sciences in Liverpool, the fintech industry in Leeds – it is time they had a government on their side to get the North motoring again.

    After years of false promises and under delivery, this government is delivering real change for the North. We are spending double as much on local transport in the North than the South, all done hand-in-hand with our mayors and local leaders. Through our Plan for Change, we are upgrading transport in the North, we are correcting years of unfairness that has gone before, and we are better linking our historic towns and cities. That means boosting living standards, putting more money in the pockets of working people, and restoring pride to communities.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    The transport system outside of London and the South East has been plagued by delays and cancellations, frustrated by strikes and failing infrastructure because upgrades that were promised were never delivered. 

    That ends with our Plan for Change, because reliable and affordable public transport links are essential for kickstarting economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets across the Midlands and the North.

    Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

    For too long, the North has been left behind and relied on a crumbling transport system that’s not fit to serve the great towns and cities it’s home to.

    The Government’s Plan for Change will end that and schemes like the TransPennine Route Upgrade will bolster the region’s neglected potential and make travelling between these historic Northern towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.

    Once the TransPennine Route Upgrade is completed, journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds will be slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour, while journey times from Manchester to York will be reduced by ten minutes.

    The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements are already supporting major transport schemes in city regions across England, including the Wednesbury Brierly Hill Metro expansion in the West Midlands and the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram.

    Today’s announcement builds on the government’s pro-growth agenda for the North, including more funding to fix potholes, landmark planning changes to turbocharge house building, and Government backing for major regeneration around Old Trafford.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Government funds mental health support to help steelworkers

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK Government funds mental health support to help steelworkers

    £3.27 million to boost mental health provision in the local community and help steelworkers into work.

    £3 million for mental health support to help affected steelworkers secure and stay in employment.

    • £3.27 million from the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board committed to boost mental health provision in the local community
    • Support will help steelworkers affected by the transition to secure and stay in employment
    • Funding to services includes community and schools mental health support.
    • Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board has already announced more than £50 million to support workers and businesses.

    A fund of more than £3 million will be created by the UK Government in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Council to support the mental health and wellbeing of Tata Steel workers and their families in Port Talbot and the wider community.

    Chairing the latest meeting of the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board today (27 March) Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27 million to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking.

    The funding, which is flexible and may be increased depending on demand, is planned to cover services including:

    • hiring more counsellors to work directly with affected steelworkers, and providing extra resources and grants to support existing mental health provision
    • expanding availability of community and peer support such as through Men’s Sheds, She Sheds and other community groups
    • funding mental health support in schools where children are affected by the Tata Steel transition
    • Providing specialist advice for steelworkers and their families navigating the welfare system or struggling with debt
    • training council and trade union support workers in suicide awareness and prevention

    The latest funding comes from the UK Government’s £80m Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund which, since last July, has announced more than £50 million to help individual steelworkers and businesses in Tata Steel’s supply chain to protect jobs and grow the local economy.

    The latest announcement is the first project to support workers’ mental health and wellbeing. In the coming months, there will be tens of millions more in funding allocated to growth and regeneration projects in Port Talbot, ensuring that secure well-paid jobs are available in the local area.    

    Wellbeing is key to securing and staying in good employment. So this funding will contribute to UK Government’s mission to boost economic growth and raise living standards in Wales, as part of its Plan for Change.

    Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:  

    The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, their families and for the wider community but we said we would back them in whatever ways were needed. We are helping people learn new skills but we also need to help protect people’s mental health, because well-being is crucial to getting back into work and staying in work. 

    By boosting direct support services, we are investing in the people of the area and supporting growth in the local economy.

    Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans MS said:

    Working alongside our Transition Board partners, we will continue to make sure that the right assistance and support is in place for those impacted by the Tata changes as well as providing opportunities for growth, investment and employment wherever they arise.

    Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Cllr Steve Hunt said:

    Neath Port Talbot Council welcomes the announcement of this funding and the commitment to support the wellbeing of our local communities through this difficult time. We know the impact of change at the steelworks is being felt deeply across the area, and particularly within Port Talbot itself, where every household will know many others directly or indirectly affected.

    This is a vital addition to the support the council is delivering alongside our Transition Board partners, as we adapt to the future of steelmaking in the town and prepare for the new opportunities offered by future investment and developments such as the Celtic Freeport.

    Martyn Wagstaff, Mental Health Advisor said:

    It’s really important that anyone who is struggling with their mental health asks for help. There is support available and talking to someone is the best way to get better.

    This funding from the Transition Board means that people in Neath Port Talbot will be able to access more help when needed.

    ENDS

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Youth charged over West Launceston incident

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Youth charged over West Launceston incident

    Friday, 28 March 2025 – 10:21 am.

    A youth has been charged following an incident at West Launceston overnight where a woman received non-life-threatening injuries. 
    Police were called about 6.15pm after an off-duty police officer had apprehended the youth who had allegedly assaulted a woman with a stick. 
    The woman was taken to the Launceston General Hospital for treatment. 
    The youth – a 15 year old boy – was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with wounding. 
    He was detained to appear in the Youth Justice Division of the Launceston Magistrates Court later today.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppers.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT welcomes moves to take ideology out of healthcare, recognise overseas qualifications

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT Health spokesperson Todd Stephenson is welcoming a review of health workforce regulations, including 1) a review of complex cultural requirements, and 2) the progress of an ACT coalition commitment to better recognise people with overseas medical qualifications and experience for accreditation in New Zealand.

    On cultural requirements:

    “In recent weeks I’ve raised a number of examples of complex, bureaucratic and ideological competency standards centred around the Treaty and indigenous knowledge. Pharmacists, midwives, psychologists, nurses, and even acupuncturists are being asked to demonstrate commitment to Treaty principles and mātauranga Māori.

    “Complicated cultural requirements only serve to distract from patients’ clinical needs, while also making it harder to attract and retain skilled health professionals from overseas. My inbox has blown up with messages from health workers frustrated with these rules, and I’m glad the Minister is now swinging into action.”

    On overseas qualifications:

    “Health and medical professionals are doing their best to provide Kiwis the care they need when they need it, but they’re overworked and understaffed.

    “It seems ridiculous to have patients languishing on waitlists to see a health professional when there are fantastically qualified people from overseas who would happily provide their skills here. Currently, even a top Harvard doctor would have to be supervised for 6-18 months before being allowed to independently practise.”

    The Health Minister today announced the Government is considering the establishment of an Occupations Tribunal which would consider appeals about decisions relating to overseas qualifications.

    “For people to be able to see a health professional in a timely way, we need all hands on deck. ACT has long argued for better recognition of overseas qualifications. We campaigned on it, and now we are seeing the kind of change we campaigned on,” says Stephenson.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW REPORT: Trump Leaves Over 46 Million Students Without Protection from Discrimination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, March 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released a new report finding that the Trump administration has left more than 46 million students in 27 states and territories without dedicated investigators to protect their educational civil rights. Due to President Trump’s efforts to abolish the Department of Education and fire half of its workforce, millions of students who face antisemitism and Islamophobia, students with disabilities, students who are sexually harassed and LGBTQ+ students who are bullied have been left without recourse or protection. Staffers who were abruptly fired were actively investigating over 6,800 civil rights cases throughout the country – including cases of antisemitism and many other forms of hate and discrimination. The report comes on the heels of a Republican-led hearing on antisemitism on college campuses. 

    The department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) receives thousands of complaints alleging civil rights violations annually – including a record of nearly 22,700 complaints last year. Trump’s reckless layoffs have impacted at least 43 percent of OCR’s staff, including the entire staff at seven out of 12 of OCR’s regional offices. These firings subject thousands of students to potentially unsafe learning environments – or leave them out of school entirely. The department has not communicated any plan to schools, students or families to ensure continued civil rights enforcement. 

    “If we are serious about reducing the unacceptable rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism on college campuses, we should not be defunding and dismantling the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights,” said Sanders. “Unfortunately and unacceptably, that is precisely what President Trump, Elon Musk and his minions at DOGE are doing. 46 million students in 27 states and territories have been left without dedicated staff to investigate their discrimination complaints. The staffers who were abruptly fired were investigating over 6,800 civil rights cases throughout the country – including cases of antisemitism and many other forms of hate and discrimination. These cases are still pending. They have not been resolved. That is unacceptable.” 

    Here are some of the key findings from the report: 

    • Over 46 million students in 27 states and territories have been left without dedicated civil rights investigators to protect their rights and investigate their complaints.
    • Staff investigating over 6,800 cases of discrimination have been fired – including staff investigating 74 percent of the nation’s open cases regarding national origin discrimination involving religion, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
    • OCR investigators caseloads will explode by over 200 percent and may rise from 42 cases per investigator to 86 cases.

    Even before Trump’s layoffs, caseloads for OCR staff were far too high. Now, fewer staff will lead to fewer investigations conducted and completed and to more students facing harassment, abuse, and discrimination. This undermines the department’s ability to protect students’ civil rights and compromises its ability to deliver a high-quality education to 26 million children living in high-poverty school districts, 7 million students receiving Pell Grants, and 9.5 million students with disabilities, no matter their race, ethnicity, income, zip code or disability status.

    Sanders concluded: “We are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We should have the best education system of any country in the world and ensure all of our kids can get a decent education no matter what their race, creed, color or gender may be.”

    Read the full report here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DEMAND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMMEDIATELY REVERSE CRUEL & CALLOUS DECISION TO CUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR NEW YORK’S ADDICTION RECOVERY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND HEALTHCARE…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Trump Administration Suddenly Cut Billions In Fed Funding For State Health Services Yesterday Which Will Reduce Disease Preparedness For Everything From Measles To HIV, Cut Support For Addiction Programs, Slash Mental Health Services, Jeopardizing Jobs And Risking a Public Health Crisis
    Schumer, Gillibrand: Stopping The Spread Of Measles And Cutting Off Help For Addiction Recovery Is Not Government Waste
    After Trump abruptly cut billions of dollars from state health services, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the Trump administration to reverse this harmful decision which would rip away $300 million for New York State’s health services. The senators said these cuts will impact New Yorkers in every corner of the state because they will reduce New York State’s preparedness for infectious diseases and ability to provide mental health services.
    “Stopping the spread of measles is not government waste. Cutting off funding for addiction recovery programs in the middle of a fentanyl crisis and slashing mental health support is just plain cruel. Ripping away this $300 million in federal support for New York State’s health services with no warning or explanation while these programs are ongoing will risk people’s lives,” said Senator Schumer. “If these cuts are implemented, taxpayer-funded research projects will be abandoned, jobs lost, and – worst of all – it could create a healthcare crisis. ‘DOGE’ claims to eliminate government waste, but this newest announcement will only create more waste because we have already invested so much funding into this and now they will need to be abandoned. I’m calling on Secretary Kennedy to immediately reverse these cuts to protect New Yorkers’ and all Americans’ healthcare.”
    “This previously awarded federal funding is incredibly important for infectious disease preparedness, and for providing mental health and substance use recovery services for vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Canceling this funding will devastate our communities, making people more vulnerable to disease, mental health challenges and substance use disorders. Now is the time to invest in these important initiatives, not cut them, and I demand that this funding be reinstated immediately.”
    Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy,
    We are writing to denounce and demand reversal of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) cancellation of previously awarded funding for public health and mental health services to New York State. We are greatly concerned by the reckless and rash cancellation of funds spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which clearly failed to gauge the detrimental impact that these cuts will have on the entire country.
    The funding that HHS plans to cancel, which includes over $300 million in funding for the New York State Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services, and Office of Mental Health, is a lifeline for New Yorkers. Retracting this funding would mean weakening infectious disease preparedness, as well as mental health and substance use recovery services, provided by hundreds of entities across the state of New York, including county health departments and school systems. New Yorkers are greatly deserving of this federal support and we reiterate our demand for HHS to reinstate these funds.
    This federal funding is being used to defend against infectious disease at a time when threats are growing, most imminently with the rapid rise of measles cases which have already exceeded the 2024 national case count. As of March 26th, there were three measles cases detected in New York State. Measles is a highly infectious disease that requires robust state and local public health coordination to ensure that cases and exposures are tracked appropriately. It is especially reckless to reduce infectious disease funding to New York during a time of concern over measles spread, especially considering New York City welcomes over 50 million Americans in tourism each year. Cutting funds to this extent is putting the health and well-being of all Americans at risk, especially children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems. These cuts threaten one of the largest sources of funding for state and local health departments nationwide. Funding supports statewide laboratory capacity, community health workers, tribal nations, and 51 local health departments. Now is the time to invest further in the entities doing this important work, not to pull back on previously awarded funding.
    These resources also provide tools to community members in the fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic. Municipalities of all sizes are working with the state to pursue evidence-based solutions to minimize the scourge of substance use disorder in New York. Grants are also used to support statewide response to the mental health crisis, and rescinding this funding puts meaningful progress in jeopardy.
    Clawing back federal funding that was awarded before the grant end date puts the health of New Yorkers at risk, and jeopardizes hundreds of jobs at organizations and agencies. There is still a lack of information about what funding is at risk, what organizations and agencies will lose funding, and what research and services will be ended as a result. Despite this uncertainty, it is clear that cutting funding will unnecessarily put the lives of New Yorkers at risk.
    We demand that you reinstate this important funding immediately. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on Senior DoD Nominations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today chaired a hearing examining several senior nominations for the Department of Defense, including those dealing with the Department of the Air Force, research and engineering, acquisition and sustainment, and health affairs.
    During his opening statement submitted for the record by Senator Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Chairman Wicker covered the waterfront of responsibilities that each nominee would be tasked with if confirmed.
    For the Department of the Air Force, the Chairman emphasized that the service needs to do more to boost space superiority and air dominance through better maintenance cycles, a focus on space control, and support for service personnel. For defense acquisition, Chairman Wicker referenced his “Freedom’s Forge” report and noted that there is much work to do in industrial base analysis and reforming defense procurement.
    In a discussion about engineering and research at the Pentagon, the Chairman emphasized maintaining a technological edge over our adversaries by stewarding the Pentagon’s innovation ecosystem. And for health affairs, Chairman Wicker highlighted the need for the DoD to ensure the military health system is adequately resourced not only to support daily peacetime operations but also to meet the potential demands of large-scale combat operations in the future.
    Dr. Troy E. Meink, nominee for Secretary of the Air Force, Mr. Michael P. Duffey nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Mr. Emil G. Michael, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and Mr. Keith M. Bass, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Appear before the committee.
    Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as submitted for the record below.
    I welcome all of our witnesses and their families, and I thank them for being here this morning.  Their presence is timely.  We are at a crossroads in American history.  We face the most dangerous environment since World War II, and I am grateful that these individuals have stepped up to serve.
    Dr. Troy Meink has been nominated to be the Secretary of the Air Force. More than ever before, our success as a joint force rests upon our Airmen and Guardians.  We cannot deter or defeat the Chinese Communist Party without space superiority and air dominance.  I was very glad to hear that the administration is moving forward with the Next-Generation Air Dominance program.  With that announcement, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have taken the first step to maintain our mastery of the skies. 
    Today, our Air Force is suffering through a death spiral.  We have billions of dollars of unpaid aircraft maintenance bills, a shrinking combat fleet, and a munitions shortage we need to fix.
    We created the Space Force just five years ago, and it has grown rapidly.  But we have numerous opportunities to accelerate our space control efforts and support the joint force from orbit.  Dr. Meink’s experience at the National Reconnaissance Office renders him uniquely qualified to ensure the Space Force continues its growth. 
    Managing weapons programs is only one aspect of the job for which Dr. Meink has been nominated.  He will need to take care of our Airmen and Guardians.  All the aircraft and satellites in the world are pointless unless we have the right support system for the people who develop, maintain, and operate those weapons systems. 
    I look forward to hearing Dr. Meink’s plan to maintain space superiority and air dominance in the years to come. 
    Mr. Michael Duffey has been nominated to become the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.  If confirmed, he will face three major challenges.
    First, he will encounter our current acquisition system, which is slow, outdated, and ill-suited to meet the urgent demands of modern warfare.  In my Restoring Freedom’s Forge plan, I outlined a game-changing approach to overhaul this system.  We must streamline processes, embrace innovation, and deliver capabilities at the speed of relevance.  It will take bold leadership to shift the culture of the acquisition workforce.  We must encourage that workforce to leverage its authorities effectively and break free from its risk-averse habits.
    Second, the Department of Defense does not possess the capacity and capability to perform serious industrial base analysis at scale.  If confirmed, Mr. Duffey will need to expand and re-focus existing organizations.  They must improve our ability to answer fundamental questions about industrial policy, re-industrialization, and defense mobilization.
    Third, Mr. Duffey would chair the Nuclear Weapons Council.  His leadership will be critical as we modernize and adapt our long-neglected nuclear forces so they can meet the threat of the rapidly growing Chinese, Russian, and North Korean arsenals.
    I look forward to hearing Mr. Duffey’s views on these three challenges.
    Mr. Emil Michael has been nominated to serve as the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.  In other words, he would be the Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Defense.  If confirmed, Mr. Michael must ensure that the bright minds within our innovation ecosystem regain technological superiority against our adversaries, starting with China.  Mr. Michael has worked with Secretary Gates on Iraq and Afghanistan and has been a part of a very small company called Uber.  I believe his diverse experience gives him a unique appreciation for the challenges he will encounter if confirmed to this role.
    We must all ensure that the department has an aggressive vision for innovation.  That vision must resonate throughout the services and result in production at scale.  I look forward to hearing from Mr. Michael about his vision for research and development and innovation.
    Mr. Keith Bass has been tapped to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.  This role oversees all Department of Defense health policies and programs.  If confirmed, Mr. Bass would assume the role at a crucial time.  The military health system faces persistent challenges in its structure, staffing, and the delivery of healthcare services.  Mr. Bass has extensive leadership experience as White House Medical Director, as the Director of Medical Services at the CIA, and as the Medical Center Director at the West Texas Health Care System for the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He is well-equipped to address these challenges within the military health system.
    This system must provide routine, peacetime healthcare and simultaneously maintain a state of preparedness for large-scale combat.  The Pentagon faces considerable challenges in recruiting and retaining both civilian and military medical personnel.  This staffing problem directly affects the quality of care provided to service members and their families.   
    I am eager to learn how Mr. Bass intends to tackle these issues and how he plans to equip the military health system so it can deliver top-notch care in peace-time and in potential future conflict.
    With that, I turn to my colleague, Ranking Member Reed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Welch Lead Colleagues in Spotlighting Devastating Trump Cuts Jeopardizing Cures for Alzheimer’s Disease, Cancers 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Witnesses, including Former NIH Director, highlight how deep cuts, staffing layoffs, and delayed funding at NIH hurt life-saving research 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) hosted a forum on Capitol Hill titled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer’s, & Other Diseases.”
    The forum featured former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., two Alzheimer’s disease researchers, and two patients who have benefitted from NIH clinical trials. The forum was hosted by Sens. Baldwin and Welch and attended by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 15 Democratic Senators.
    Senator Welch and Senator Baldwin lead the Senate’s health care strike team in the Senate, which pushes back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on patients, providers, and medical research across the United States. 
    Watch a livestream of the forum here and view photos from the event below:  
    “The Trump Administration has taken a wrecking ball to the National Institutes of Health without a care about who gets hurt in the process. The first to feel the impact of these cuts will be American patients who rely on NIH’s cutting-edge research to get new therapies and cure diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. DOGE’s mass firing spree has also left our nation’s top scientists on the chopping block, stifling American innovation and weakening our leadership in biomedical science for years to come. These cuts and layoffs mean the difference between life and death for communities in both red and blue states,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join Senator Baldwin and our colleagues today to defend our commitment to science, research, and care across America.” 
    “I truly wish I didn’t need to host this forum but Elon Musk’s Doge and Donald Trump are quite literally on a path to rip away cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease – all to make room in their budget for tax breaks for the richest of the rich. Today, we heard from the people who will be paying the price – and I hope my Republican colleagues and the President were listening,” said Senator Baldwin. “Right now, we are wasting precious time that we cannot get back for American families hoping that their loved one has a chance to get better.” 
    “I resigned my post as NIH Director in January of this year. Since then, I have had no insight into how decisions are being made by our current leaders at HHS. I can speak, however, about the downstream effects of their decisions, and some irreparable damage that their policies are producing. To date more than 300 grants terminated; and about $1.5 billion in funding delays and barriers that are preventing NIH’s role of ensuring that funding is delivered to outstanding researchers across the nation,” said Dr. Bertagnolli, former Director of the NIH. “Today, we are just beginning to see progress against devastating diseases which have long been hopeless – Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, even pancreatic cancer – all because of NIH funding. And this has proven to be a great investment for American taxpayers – producing both extraordinary improvements in health, and significant profits for our nation’s economy. How can we afford to see this progress stalled? Overall, the loss to our nation on so many levels will be too great.” 
    “I’m here to emphasize the critical importance of NIH funding in the fight against Alzheimer’s—a disease that is one of our greatest public health and economic challenges. While deaths from heart disease and cancer have leveled off or declined thanks to decades of NIH investment, deaths from Alzheimer’s and related dementias have increased. Over 6.9 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s today—a number projected to double by 2050 without effective solutions,” said Dr. Sterling Johnson, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Associate Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “Our patients who have this progressive disease don’t have the luxury of time to shoulder the unnecessary delays and uncertainty that we are currently experiencing. The clock is ticking for them and their families. Now more than ever we need the continued full resolve and commitment of the federal government to meet their need.”  
    “I am here today as a scientist who has had 2 NIH grants abruptly terminated in the past month. On February 28th my first NIH grant was terminated, which had only 6 months remaining on a 4-year award… While these terminations are devastating for me and my team, particularly junior faculty and students, my primary concern is for the patients, research participants and the families who are already being impacted by the NIH’s recent radical shift in funding priorities,” said Dr. Whitney Wharton, PhD, Emory University Associate Professor and Alzheimer’s Disease researcher. “Termination of my peer reviewed grants, and hundreds of others, which were awarded based on merit, has potentially devastating implications for all Americans. It sets a concerning precedent where scientific inquiry and peer reviewed and awarded projects are turned off and on based on a set of changing priorities. Not only can this cause confusion, but it could also impact the pipeline of new and talented young investigators, and erase entire communities of patients, who are the most impacted by diseases like Alzheimer’s, from research entirely.” 
    “I speak here today not only for myself, but for every patient who has ever held out hope that research would buy them another year — or another decade. Without robust, sustained, and predictable funding from the NIH, those bridges to the next treatment won’t be there when patients need them. The bridge that saved me was built through decades of investment, innovation, and relentless commitment from our nation’s scientific community. But those bridges don’t build themselves,” said Dr. Larry Saltzman, M.D., retired physician living with leukemia and former Executive Research Director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I am living proof of what NIH research can do, and I don’t think I would be here today without the commitment that Congress has shown by prioritizing NIH funding over the past many decades. I ask you to protect this funding — so that more people can outlive their expiration dates.” 
    “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies have been critical in funding groundbreaking research that offers hope to thousands of individuals like me, including by providing access to experimental treatments for ALS. The experimental drug I am taking could not only extend my life but could also lead to a cure. Access to this drug could mean seeing my son and grandson graduate high school and college, something I did not think was possible when I was diagnosed,” said Mr. Jessy Ybarra, veteran living with ALS and Board of Trustees member for the ALS Association. “But now funding cuts and reductions to funding at NIH and other research agencies threaten to derail decades of progress right when we are at the tipping point of finally finding a cure. But to be clear, this isn’t just about me, and everyone else impacted by ALS now and in the future. ALS costs our nation over one-billion dollars a year. Investing in finding a cure is not only fiscally responsible, but very simply, good public policy. I urge Congress to reject these harmful cuts to NIH and support the funding necessary.” 
    Joining Senators Baldwin, Welch, and Schumer at the forum were Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass).  
    Over the last two months, the Trump Administration has attacked, compromised, and gutted research at the NIH for lifesaving cures and treatments, including: 
    Cutting Funding for Research Facilities: NIH announced last month that it was planning to arbitrarily cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would slash billions of dollars in funding that helps research institutions, like the University of Wisconsin, operate their facilities and labs, pay staff, and buy equipment needed for groundbreaking work to find cures for diseases and treatments for patients. 
    Stopping Funding for Alzheimer’s Disease: The Trump Administration is jeopardizing $65 million in funding for Alzheimer’s disease research at 14 research institutions across the country. 14 of the 35 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) have had their funding halted because the Trump Administration continues to cancel NIH Advisory Council meetings, which are the final required step in the grant approval process. 
    Terminating Grants for Lifesaving Research: The Trump Administration stopped all grant funding at NIH for ten days in February and is continuing to block funding for lifesaving disease research, like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This halt in funding is despite two court orders directing the Trump Administration to end its unlawful efforts to freeze all federal grants. This is in addition to Elon Musk indiscriminately terminating hundreds of active NIH grants every week, in direct defiance of federal court orders to stop NIH funding changes amid ongoing litigation. 
    Gutting Critical Staff: Mass layoffs at HHS under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s direction are impacting everything from research to clinical trials, including scientists, nurses, pharmacists, and experts tracking disease spread. Reports show the NIH is expected to cut between 3,400 and 5,000 positions from its workforce of 20,000.  
    NIH funding contributed to research for roughly 99% of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, including heart medications, according to the Center for American Progress. The advocacy group United for Medical Research found that in fiscal year 2023, funding from the agency supported more than 410,000 jobs, with 10,000 NIH-supported jobs in some states. In that same year, NIH-funded research fueled nearly $93 billion in economic spending. Overall, the economic benefit of NIH funding is more than twice the investment made through NIH appropriations.  
    For a breakdown of how much funding each state receives from the NIH, click here. A one-pager on President Donald Trump’s actions to gut the NIH and its impacts is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Blasts Radical Leftists for Supporting Domestic Terrorists Over the Safety of Jewish Students: ‘Lying on a visa is not speech’

    US Senate News:

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

    Thursday, March 27, 2025

    Today in a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on antisemitism, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blasted radical Democrats for putting domestic terrorists over the safety of Jewish students on college campuses. He reminded the Committee that American law expressly empowers the Trump administration to revoke the visa of any individual that espouses or supports terrorist activity in the United States.
    He made this point to a witness defending the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil. “Lying on a visa application is not speech. Seeking to assault Columbia university employees and Jewish students is not speech,” argued Senator Hawley. “You are defending an individual who has espoused the destruction of this country, the destruction of the state of Israel, the destruction of Jews, and has taken action in furtherance of the same.”
    [embedded content]
    “I want to say for the record, I’m glad [Mahmoud Khalil] is gone, and I hope he never comes back,” said Senator Hawley, after reminding the committee that Khalil has been sued by victims of the October 7th terrorist attack in Israel.
    Senator Hawley has long pushed for the removal of any individual that targets Jewish students on college campuses by actively supporting terrorist groups.
    Watch the full exchange here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Questions Defense Nominees on Modernization, Protecting Innovators, Access to Rural Mental Health Care Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to consider four nominations for key positions within the U.S. Department of Defense. During the hearing, members heard testimony from Secretary of the U.S. Air Force nominee Troy Meink, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment nominee Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering nominee Emil Michael, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs nominee Keith Bass.

    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer questioned the nominees about the importance of keeping pace with adversaries, protecting innovators, and legislation he championed and was signed into law to increase access to rural mental health care services.

    [embedded content]

    Cramer said he has been told the U.S. Air Force is considering cancelling solicitations for Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Transport satellite layers on Tranches 2 and 3, and instead using Starshield, an existing SpaceX capability.  

    He said one of the specific purposes of SDA in its founding document was to “expand our space warfighting capability and foster growth in the U.S. space industrial base.” However, cutting the bids for these transport layers means eight or more small and mid-sized companies would not be allowed to bid, he said.

    Cramer asked Dr. Meink whether he thinks cutting opportunities like this could hurt innovators in the industrial base and the potential going forward.

    “One of the things that I’ve pushed for, particularly over the last 10 years, is expand competition and expand the industry base,” said Dr. Meink. “That ends up almost always with the best result, both from a capability and cost to the government. I’m not familiar with those discussions going on within the Pentagon. If confirmed, I look forward to diving into that.”

    The founding document for SDA, written in March 2019, warned “we cannot match the pace our adversaries are setting if we remain bound by legacy methods and culture.” Cramer asked Dr. Meink if he thought the statement was needed in 2019, and whether he thinks the statement is relevant today. Dr. Meink replied he believes that sort of thinking is always required. 

    “We always have to look at how we’re operating, how we’re executing as technology changes, as different threats change, we have to be flexible and adaptable enough,” said Dr. Meink. “We have made, I believe, significant improvements in how we are acquiring systems. I would argue that at that point in time, there were probably no programs that were moving faster than the Chinese. That is not the case now, but we still have a long way to go, Senator. And I think you pointed a couple of those out.”

    The conversation then shifted towards legislation tragically inspired by the loss of two airmen at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Cramer championed the legislation in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ensuring access to crucial mental health services for military members and their dependents in rural areas across the country.

    If access to behavioral health care in a state fails to meet current TRICARE Prime standards for more than 12 consecutive months, the Secretary is tasked with expanding accreditation standards to ensure military members and their dependents receive timely and effective care despite the ongoing shortage of behavioral health providers.

    “I’m going to switch it over to you, Mr. Bass, and talk about something that’s really near and dear to my heart, coming from a rural state, very rural area, with some really important bases in our country, in our world, and certainly to me,” said Cramer. “The reason this became important to me is because I know of two airmen, who sought mental health care at Grand Forks and were denied by TRICARE, who are no longer with us because they ultimately chose to take their own lives. All because of this one accreditation. I don’t know what would’ve happened had they been able to get the care that was available to them.”

    Cramer asked Bass if he would commit to the men and women of the military that he will take this law seriously and watch this yearlong study closely. Cramer said the last thing he wants is to follow up after 12 months to see what the outcome is and then wait another four months for the answer to his question.

    “The mental health access for our service members in our total force has to be a priority, and I will commit to working with you on that,” stated Bass.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Gallego Introduce Legislation to Combat Urban Heat Islands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill comes after record-breaking spring temperatures in Phoenix and across the West this week

    Washington (March 28, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act which would create a competitive grant program to provide funding to combat the causes and consequences of urban heat islands. Heat islands occur when urban areas experience higher temperatures due to factors such as increased population density; a lack of shading; and pavement infrastructure such as parking lots, sidewalks, and roadways. 34 million Americans currently live in areas where manmade factors are pushing up temperatures by 8 degrees Fahrenheit or more.   

    “Extreme heat has become a near universal experience for families across the country, and its effects are particularly dangerous for marginalized communities who often lack proper cooling infrastructure,” said Senator Markey. “The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act would address years of underinvestment in these communities by directing federal resources toward life-saving solutions – such as increased tree canopy, shaded bus stops, and community cooling centers. As record-breaking heat strikes year after year, neighborhoods in every corner of America deserve to stay healthy and cool while commuting, working, and playing outside.” 

    “As summers in Arizona and across the country get longer and hotter, they also get deadlier – especially in cities where a lack of shade and miles of concrete push temperatures even higher,” said Senator Gallego. “I’ve long been a champion of doing more to address extreme heat, and I am proud to continue that effort by introducing this bill in the Senate.”

    The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act would create a $30 million grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for entities such as local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, Tribal governments, and nonprofits to implement efforts that prevent and offset the effects of excess urban heat including: cool pavements, cool roofs, tree planting and maintenance, green roofs, bus stop covers, cooling centers, and local heat mitigation education efforts.

    “This week, Phoenix broke our own record when Sky Harbor hit 99 degrees on March 25. The climate crisis is the most pressing issue for our generation,” said Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), the House sponsor of the bill. “I came to Congress to take bold action and secure federal investments because lives are at stake. I’m proud to stand with Senator Ruben Gallego in introducing the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act—Arizonans can’t afford to wait.”

    “With extreme heat driven by the climate crisis a growing threat to the well-being of Oregonians and everybody in our country, it’s a must for federal investment to help local communities respond to this life-and-death risk,” Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said. “This bill would provide those resources for locally driven responses that could provide relief for farmworkers, construction workers and everybody working outdoors as well as for people living indoors and lacking affordable cooling options.”

    “In places like East Portland, where a lack of tree canopy already leaves neighborhoods dangerously exposed to extreme heat, the Trump Administration’s illegal funding freeze and grant contract cancellations will only deepen this heat crisis,” said Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore). “The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act provides much-needed resources for tree planting, cooling centers, and other solutions to fight climate chaos and keep our communities safe.” 

    “New Jersey is one of the fastest-warming states in the nation, and in Newark where I live, residents experience temperatures that are 8 degrees higher because of the urban heat island effect,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.). “I am proud to cosponsor this legislation that will empower our communities to combat the rise in urban heat due to climate change, both by tackling the underlying causes and by enabling communities to adapt.”

    “Extreme heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense in the face of the climate crisis, threatening the health and safety of communities in California and across the country,” said Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). “These health impacts are even more severe in lower-income, urban areas, where residents struggle to find shaded spaces in higher temperatures. Our legislation would help groups on the ground lead urban heat reduction efforts in their communities, while addressing both the long-term causes and consequences of excess urban heat.” 

    “Extreme heat is a growing public health emergency that kills more Americans every year than any other weather-related causes—and breaks down American infrastructure. Senator Ruben Gallego’s Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act offers a smart, scalable response by supporting proven landscape-based strategies like tree planting, bus and transit shelters, green roofs, and park development. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) strongly supports this legislation, which affirms the vital role of landscape architects in building healthier, cooler, and fairer communities through design that works with nature,” said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen.

    “Extreme heat is the deadliest natural disaster, killing more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. Trees decrease this threat, reducing street temperatures by up to 20°F compared to neighborhoods without trees,” said Joel Pannell, American Forests Vice President of Urban Forests Policy. “Trees are life-saving infrastructure. This urgently needed legislation will give HUD a prominent role in protecting communities from the increasing threats of extreme heat while empowering local decision-making and creating jobs.”

    The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act is also supported by Climate Mayors, Smart Surfaces Coalition, Federation of American Scientists, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Union of Concerned Scientists, GreenLatinos, Center for Biological Diversity, National Coalition for the Homeless, American Lung Association, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Climate Resolve, and TreePeople.

    The bill text is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Mullin, Padilla Reintroduce Bill Strengthening Cybersecurity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Mullin, Padilla Reintroduce Bill Strengthening Cybersecurity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act to strengthen the cybersecurity protocols for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, also known as the 988 Lifeline, in response to previous outages that resulted in a day-long outage for those in crisis.

    “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.”

    “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.”

    The cyberattack on the 988 Lifeline in December of 2022 exposed vulnerabilities in the system and individuals who tried to call the suicide prevention hotline were instead greeted with a recorded message informing them of the service outage. Since its launch in July of 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has received 10.8 million contacts, with 1.4 million of those being within the Veteran’s Crisis Line. The lifeline’s services are critically important.

    Mullin and Padilla’s legislation 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.

    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.

    The 988 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. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Press Conference on HHS Cuts, Senator Murray Slams Trump Plans to Push Out Thousands of Health Workers, Gut Essential Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Plans to Hollow Out HHS, Risking Americans’ Health and Safety
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – 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), held a press conference with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ed Markey (D-MA) slamming the Trump administration’s plans, announced today, to push out roughly 20,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and hollow out the Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services. Senator Murray released a statement responding immediately to the news earlier today.
    Today’s announcement follows weeks of mass firings across HHS, creating chaos at the Department that has prevented it from executing its mission to protect people’s health, and an onslaught of detrimental policies that are halting lifesaving biomedical research and more. HHS announced that it plans to cut its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 (a 25 percent reduction) through a combination of mass firings and buy-outs and remake HHS without thoughtful consideration and partnership with Congress. Among others, Trump, RFK Jr., and Musk plan to cut:
    3,500 employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with protecting Americans’ health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medicines, biologics (including vaccines), and medical devices–and regulating food safety, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
    2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with protecting the American people from health threats, including infectious diseases. 
    1,200 employees at NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency, which propels biomedical research that produces life-changing and, in many cases, lifesaving treatments and cures. These cuts come as the Trump administration has already systematically decimated ongoing work at NIH to advance new cures and treatments.
    300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which has long been understaffed and is charged with helping to ensure over 100 million Americans have access to health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. 
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered at today’s press conference, are below and HERE:
    “We are here today to raise the alarm—because the Measles President, and Secretary Kennedy, are trying to turn the Department of Health, into the Department of Disease. 
    “Seriously, do you know what Trump and RFK Jr. are doing about the measles outbreak? They are ripping away funding Congress already provided to respond to the outbreaks—they’re stopping public health work in its tracks, even as this outbreak is threatening to spiral out of control.
    “What are they doing about the opioid crisis, or maternal death rates, or bird flu for that matter? More cuts, and don’t forget—mass firings!
    “What are they doing about vaccine hesitancy? Unsurprisingly, these anti-vaxxers are slashing vaccine research. And at the very same time, dedicating resources to launch vaccine conspiracy investigations and resurrect debunked science.
    “And now, RFK Jr. announces he is pushing out some 20,000 workers at HHS? That is about as good for the public health as a cough in your face.
    “Looking for new ways to make government more efficient and responsive is important. But Trump and RFK Jr. are doing anything but that!
    “It does not take a genius to understand that pushing out 20,000 workers at a preeminent health agency, choking off funding for cancer research, and eliminating funding that prevents infectious diseases like measles will not make Americans healthier!
    “It will just mean fewer health services for our communities, more opportunities for disease to spread, and longer waits for lifesaving treatments and cures.
    “These cuts will not reduce the deficit in any way. Not at all! Instead, they threaten to incur massive costs down the road when we are caught flat-footed by the next health care crisis.
    “Consider how much bipartisan spending Congress had to push out the door—why? Because Trump failed to get the COVID pandemic under control when it first hit.
    “It costs something to prevent pandemics, and it costs a whole lot more when we fail to stop them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—but Trump and RFK Jr. are picking neither. They are picking chaos, plague, and pandemonium. That may as well be their official policy—because that is what is coming down the tracks if they don’t change course.
    “And I will tell you right now, when our health agencies are unprepared for a deadly pandemic…
    “When our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick kids because our local public health officials can’t track a worsening measles outbreak…
    “When people start getting E. coli and we cannot figure out where it came from…
    “Or whooping cough starts spreading—and we can’t do basic tracing to stop it…
    “Or flu season sweeps through nursing homes like never before, because no one bothered to help people get vaccinated…
    “Or a vaccine doesn’t even exist because HHS stopped funding seasonal flu vaccine development…
    “Or our mental health centers close because federal grants were axed, and opioid deaths rise again, because prevention and treatment work was cut off…
    “The American people won’t forget it was Trump and RFK Jr. who gutted essential services and put their lives at risk.
    “Today may be a great day for snake oil, it may be a great day for conspiracies, it may be a great day for measles, but it is an incredibly alarming day for America.
    “It’s an incredibly scary time for moms and dads who just want to keep their kids healthy, and just want to know there are competent people on the job keeping us safe from diseases.
    “I have warned my colleagues from the start, this is not some political game. The work HHS does—or in this case, stops doing—has life and death consequences.
    “Well, my colleagues better get used to hearing that warning, because for as long as Trump and RFK Jr. continue down this absolutely reckless path, I will echo that warning over, and over, and over again, because it is an important one.
    “Given the stakes here, given the serious threats to our families—I don’t see how any of us can do anything less.
    “We need to speak up about how dangerous this is—we are speaking up.
    “We need to push back and fight for our families, and we need our families to stand up and fight with us.
    “I know I will be. And I am proud to be here with two of my great colleagues who feel the same.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, In Response To Trump Admin Cuts To NIH: People Are Going to Die If We Don’t Fund Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    March 27, 2025
    During a forum on the consequences of cutting federal funding to NIH, Durbin called on his Republican colleagues to stand up to Trump, Elon Musk as they slash federal funding for medical research that saves lives
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a roundtable forum, entitled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer’s, & Other Diseases,” which was hosted by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT).  The forum underscored the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s decision to lay off researchers and freeze funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Durbin began his speaking time by stressing the importance of medical research conducted at NIH and by sharing his admiration for former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.  Durbin recalled his conversation with Dr. Collins about working on a bipartisan basis to increase federal funding for NIH annually.
    “It was about 10 years ago when I went out to NIH and met with Francis Collins… We recalled a time… when Senator Harkin and Senator Specter and a fellow named John Porter, a congressman from Illinois, decided to set out to double the NIH budget.  And they did it,” Durbin said. 
    “I said to Dr. Collins, ‘I wish I could promise the same thing. What can I do?’” Durbin said.  “He [Dr. Collins] said, ‘Give us five percent real growth every year.’”
    Durbin continued, describing how he convinced two Republicans, former U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), as well as Democratic Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), to work with him to secure annual five percent increases in NIH funding.
    “We went from $30 billion a year to NIH, and ten years later, we were at $48 million, [a] 60 percent increase.  How did we do it?  A bipartisan team of Senators,” Durbin said.  “The four of us, two Democrats, two Republicans, put that kind of investment and made a difference in the lives of millions of people… What we’re lacking now, frankly, is support from the other side of the aisle.”
    “We need a few Republicans who will stand up and say, ‘Enough.  Enough, Mr. Musk.  Enough, DOGE,’” Durbin said.  “People are going to die if we don’t fund medical research. Period.”
    Durbin then asked Mr. Jessy Ybarra, a veteran with ALS and a board member of the ALS Association, about the future of ALS research.
    “Mr. Ybarra, thank you for your service to our country.  What do you see in terms of research for ALS?” Durbin asked.
    Mr. Ybarra replied that while progress has been made in treating the disease, funding for research must continue. If not, people with ALS will never see a new treatment or eventual cure.
    Durbin then asked Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former NIH Director, if Dr. Collins’ challenge to Members of Congress to increase NIH funding annually made a difference in medical research.
    Dr. Bertagnolli replied, “Both Dr. Collins and I share the sentiment that everything we did at NIH was understanding how precious that support [federal funding] was.”
    Durbin concluded by remarking on how funding NIH is critical in the treatment of diseases that are impacting American families.
    “I think about that moment, which many of us have faced… when the doctor says, ‘Here’s the diagnosis.’  And you say, ‘is there anything we can do?  Is there a medicine?  Is there a surgery?  Is there a treatment?’  And you pray to God that some researcher at NIH found a breakthrough that’s going to give you or someone you love a chance,” Durbin concluded.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    This year, Durbin has twice asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH.  The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress.  The first UC request was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and the second was blocked by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research.  His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program.  Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Putting Patients First: Modernising health workforce regulation

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

    The Government is reviewing health workforce regulation to improve New Zealanders’ timely, quality access to healthcare.

    We have an opportunity to put patients at the centre, modernise and streamline the system, and improve efficiency.

    The Government is inviting New Zealanders to share their views on health workforce regulation through the Ministry of Health’s online consultation portal.

    Feedback on the options outlined in the discussion document will inform the Ministry’s advice to the Government on possible changes to health workforce regulation.

    Submissions close Wednesday, 30 April 2025 11:59pm.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Wright Acts to Remove Red Tape, Accelerate Mission Execution at America’s National Weapons and Science Labs

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced new actions to ease burdensome permitting rules and regulations for construction projects at the Department’s 17 National Labs. These reforms will accelerate much-needed critical infrastructure improvement projects at DOE’s National Labs, enabling the Department to move faster on important projects while saving hundreds of millions of dollars for the American taxpayer.

    “With President Trump’s leadership, we have a unique opportunity to advance energy abundance, lead the world in scientific and technological innovation, and modernize our weapons stockpiles,” Secretary Wright said. “Unfortunately, over the years, burdensome regulations delayed the important work being done at our National Labs. Currently, many of our nation’s most critical weapons development sites rely on aging facilities, some even dating back to the Manhattan Project.

    “By reforming DOE’s permitting rules and regulations for our National Labs, we can speed up critical infrastructure improvements and make the Energy Department a better steward of taxpayer dollars. President Trump pledged to bring common sense back to our energy policymaking, and that’s exactly what we’re doing today.”

    In Secretary Wright’s Day One Secretarial Order, he highlighted the need to streamline permitting, remove undue burdens on American energy and modernize America’s nuclear stockpile as top priorities for the Department. Today’s action is an important step in fulfilling these priorities for the American people.

    SECRETARIAL ORDER

    FROM: CHRIS WRIGHT, U.S. SECRETARY OF ENERGY

    SUBJECT: Strengthening National Laboratory Efficiency and Mission Execution

    The Department of Energy’s National Laboratory system serves as the backbone of the Nation’s scientific enterprise. Founded as part of a strategic national investment in science during and following World War II, the National Laboratories form the most comprehensive research network of its kind. While most of the National Laboratories’ work is driven by the Department’s primary missions in energy innovation, science discovery, nuclear security, and environmental cleanup, they are a national resource and serve the national interest by addressing challenges extending beyond energy and catalyzing research that spans across sectors.

    As Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) managed through Management and Operating (M&O) contracts, it is imperative that we continually evaluate existing requirements and processes to ensure that the National Laboratories have the necessary authority and flexibility to successfully execute critical missions on behalf of the Department of Energy and the Nation. To that end, I am directing the following actions to be implemented immediately:

    • Revise delegated project authority within DOE Order 413.3B from $50 million to $300 million specific to the National Laboratories managed under M&O contracts. Tailor DOE Order 413.3B to only require DOE independent project reviews at specific critical decision points on projects between $300 million – $1 billion, subject to sustained successful project execution. Capital asset projects with a total project cost of more than $1 billion shall continue to follow the full scope of requirements established in DOE Order 413.3B.
    • Expand the use of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s successful “OSHA-Plus” framework for subcontracted construction projects at the National Laboratories. The framework uses a tailored, graded approach to meet Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 851, Worker Safety and Health Program, which increases competition and reduces costs while maintaining a safe work environment.
    • Assess the benefits and risks of removing construction labor agreement provisions from National Laboratory contracts. Risks to be evaluated include increased potential for labor strikes and local community concerns.
    • Revise National Laboratory contract clauses on Employee Compensation: Pay and Benefits to eliminate requirements that are not mandated by statute/regulation or are not necessary to monitor DOE’s financial liabilities related to defined benefit plans. The National Laboratories must continue to comply with FAR 31.205-6, DEAR 970.5216-7, and DEAR 970.3102-05-6, and will be accountable for pay and benefits decisions subject to annual audits.

    In addition to the above actions for immediate implementation, the Laboratory Operations Board Director shall establish a working group to identify opportunities to streamline and, as necessary, develop new procedures and timelines to ensure greater efficiency and accountability for Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP) and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA). Proposed improvements or streamlining initiatives shall be provided to the Office of the Secretary within 30 days.

    These measures are representative of focused and purposeful actions to prudently streamline our processes, place decision-making authority at the appropriate level, and reduce unnecessary administrative burden on both the laboratories and federal stewards to more efficiently and effectively enable critical mission objectives. It is critical that we implement new delegations and flexibilities as intended, working collaboratively to ensure streamlining efforts have the intended outcome. The Laboratory Operations Board will be responsible for coordinating the necessary actions outlined in this memorandum and tracking implementation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Other Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Dominican National, residing in Leominster, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges related to passport fraud and other offenses.

    Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 44, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. In December 2023, Arias Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury.

    Arias Mejia, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, applied for a United States passport and a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Real ID using the name and other biographical information of a resident of Puerto Rico. In support of his application, Aris Mejia submitted a Massachusetts driver’s license in the citizen’s identity (with Arias Mejia’s photo on it), a Social Security card with the name of the citizen and a birth certificate issued in Puerto Rico in the citizen’s name.

    On February 25, 2020 Arias Mejia, again using the citizen’s identity, applied for a United States Passport at the Fall River post office. In support of the passport application, Arias Mejia submitted the Real ID he obtained in the citizen’s name and the birth certificate in the citizen’s name. The passport was issued.

    Law enforcement became aware of Arias Mejia fraudulent acts when it investigated individuals who simultaneously received government benefits in Boston and Puerto Rico. When it was revealed that the same individual was receiving benefits in both places, the individual in Puerto Rico was interviewed and it was determined that he was lawfully receiving benefits. Further investigation revealed that the person receiving benefits under the same name in Boston was Arias Mejia, a Dominican national. Aris Mejia had been using the Puerto Rico citizen’s identity since at least 2011.

    The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s embrace of independent political candidates shows there’s no such thing as a safe seat

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University

    At the last federal election, Australia elected the largest lower house crossbench in its post-war federal history.

    In addition to four Greens MPs, Rebekah Sharkie from the Centre Alliance and Bob Katter (with his own micro-party), there were ten independent MPs, seven of them new to parliament. These MPs have the freedom and flexibility to vote on every piece of legislation without having to adhere to any party-room pledge.

    Micro-parties and independents also fared well in the Senate in 2022, thanks in part to the fact that we use proportional representation to elect our senators. In a half-Senate election with 40 vacancies, six went to the Greens, one to Independent ACT candidate David Pocock, one to United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet and one to Pauline Hanson in Queensland.

    Defections during the 47th parliament grew the crossbench even further. Five former Coalition MPs and Senators have moved to the crossbench, one over allegations of sexual harassment, one over the Voice to Parliament referendum and three over bruising preselection defeats.

    Senator Fatima Payman defected from the Labor Party last year, citing problems with the party’s stance on Palestine, and has now set up the Australia’s Voice party.

    Getting elected

    Independents hardly enjoy a level playing field in federal elections. Brian Costar and Jennifer Curtin pointed out in their book, Rebels with a Cause, that independent candidates lack equal access to the electoral roll, do not initially benefit from the public funding that flows consistently to the major parties, and cannot be listed above the line on the Senate ballot paper unless they form a group or party.

    Unless they are party defectors with a seat in parliament already, independent candidates also lack the advantages of incumbency. Previous research from the Australia Institute has shown the dollar value of an incumbent MP’s entitlements (in terms of their salary and those of staff, printing and travel allowances, public exposure), is about $2.9 million per term.

    Once elected, though, Independents have shown the major parties that they can be very hard to beat. Helen Haines and her predecessor as Member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, have won four consecutive elections between them. Zali Steggall, who famously beat former prime minister Tony Abbott in the electorate of Warringah in 2019, has been re-elected once, and the people of metropolitan Hobart have returned former public servant and whistleblower Andrew Wilkie to Canberra five times in a row.

    No safe seats

    Political parties and journalists have conventionally treated certain seats as “safe” (if the winning party’s vote two-party preferred margin was 60% or higher), others as “fairly safe” (if the winning party’s 2PP margin was between 56% and 60%) and others as “marginal” (those won by less than 56% at the previous election).

    But the days of safe and marginal seats are over. These terms belong to an age of two-party contests and more predictable preference flows. As Bill Browne and Richard Denniss of the Australia Institute have pointed out, the major party vote share has now “crossed a threshold” below which the idea of “safe seats” becomes redundant.

    Independent candidates can win with a relatively low share of the primary vote. In 2022, community independent Kylea Tink won the electorate of North Sydney with 25% of the primary vote, having ranked favourably, but not first, on many voters’ ballots.

    Holding on?

    Several contests involving current crossbenchers may prove nationally influential in the event of a hung parliament. Tink, whose electorate has been abolished in a routine redistribution, will not be among the incumbents hoping to hold their seat.

    The Liberal Party, by some accounts, perceives the Perth seat of Curtin, won by community independent Kate Chaney in 2022, as an important litmus test for the future. January saw a “surge in volunteers and donations” for Liberal candidate Tom White’s campaign, according to media reports.

    Elsewhere, the Liberals are attempting to meet incumbent community independents with candidates that more closely resemble them. The Liberal candidate for Warringah, Jaimee Rogers, is, like the sitting member Zali Steggall, a former athlete with a public profile. Wentworth candidate Ro Knox, a former Deloitte consultant, will run against Allegra Spender, whose own pitch for re-election has emphasised tax reform and productivity.

    In Victoria, Monique Ryan, who won the seat of Kooyong from then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg, will this time face Amelia Hamer, a local woman, professional and grand-niece of former Victorian premier Rupert Hamer.

    There are exceptions to that pattern. Former RSL President James Brown was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Mackellar, currently held by community independent Sophie Scamps. And in Goldstein, there will be a rerun of the previous contest between community independent Zoe Daniel and her Liberal predecessor Tim Wilson.

    At least three of the major party defectors in both houses are hoping to keep their seats, too. Gerard Rennick, formerly a Coalition senator who was denied a winnable spot on the Liberal National Party ticket, has registered the Gerard Rennick People First Party ahead of his bid for re-election this year. Rennick has pointed out that this will get his name “above the line” on the Senate ballot paper.

    Former Liberals Ian Goodenough and Russell Broadbent have both indicated they will run as independents to defend their seats – Moore and Monash respectively – from their erstwhile colleagues.

    Room for growth?

    Despite the watershed result in 2022, the crossbench may grow yet. Fundraising group Climate 200 is reported to be backing up to 35 candidates across the country, and an army of volunteers has already begun to mobilise in support.

    Health professional Carolyn Heise will hope that, with the support of the new campaign fundraiser the Regional Voices Fund, her second campaign in the regional electorate of Cowper may land her in parliament alongside Indi MP Helen Haines.

    The retirement of shadow minister Paul Fletcher as member for Bradfield in inner-Sydney makes for a particularly interesting contest in that electorate. Gisele Kapterian, who won Liberal preselection against Warren Mundine, will campaign against community independent Nicolette Boele, who would need a swing of only 5% in her favour to win on her second attempt.

    In Victoria’s western district, community independent Alex Dyson will attempt for the third time to win the seat of Wannon from shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan. Dyson came close in 2022 and would need only a 4% swing (two-candidate preferred) to win this time.

    In 2022, community groups supported independent candidate Penny Ackery in her campaign against then-minister and now shadow treasurer Angus Taylor. The two-candidate preferred vote left the seat “relatively safe” (in old terms), but declining support for the Coalition saw the state electorate of Wollondilly (within Hume’s borders) elect community independent Judy Hannan in a “surprise win” at the 2023 state election.

    There is plenty of potential for surprise victories and shock defeats at the forthcoming election. Community independents are running in at least four Labor-held seats. What should surprise nobody is that every vote in every seat will count on election day.

    Joshua Black is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australia Institute.

    – ref. Australia’s embrace of independent political candidates shows there’s no such thing as a safe seat – https://theconversation.com/australias-embrace-of-independent-political-candidates-shows-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-safe-seat-250751

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Pāti Māori Call for Mandatory Police Body Cameras

    Source: Te Pati Maori

    In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger strike after being beaten by prison guards, and Sam Matue who was tasered and pepper-sprayed before becoming unresponsive and being pronounced dead at the scene.

    This is what Crown violence looks like in 2025.

    This violence could have been prevented with mandatory police body cameras.

    “Māori are being subjected to abuse, and pushed into silence,” said Te Pāti Māori Spokesperson for Mental Health, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.

    “This is not justice; this is a systemic issue.

    “We are concerned for the welfare of not just the individual victims, but for all the whānau who have been impacted by state violence.

    “The ongoing lack of accountability for abuse and the failure to implement practical solutions will cause further harm to whānau and communities.”

    “Māori are overrepresented in every stage of the justice system, making up 38% of those proceeded against by police, 42% of those convicted, and 50% of those imprisoned,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and Spokesperson for Justice, Rawiri Waititi.

    “From tamariki, mokopuna, to kaumātua, our people are being subjected to unjust and violent treatment by the state.

    “Outgoing Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has admitted that our justice system requires transformational change to prevent the further victimisation of Māori.

    “Te Pāti Māori is insisting on body cameras for police officers to ensure the safety of all those who come into contact with law enforcement. We can no longer stand by and allow this violence to continue unchecked,” concluded Waititi.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: UN humanitarians flag impact on children of return to war

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a warning on Thursday over the terrible impact on youngsters of renewed Israeli bombardment and the total aid blockade.

    UNICEF’s Rosalia Bollen, who’s on the ground there, said that hundreds of children had been killed and injured – some with severe burns, shrapnel lodged in their bodies, fractures and amputations.

    “Even on 18 March with that very heavy, intense bombing, children still kept hope because they thought maybe it’s a one-off, but it’s not,” she told UN News.

    “The attacks continue, the airstrikes continue, tank shelling, shooting and displacement orders continue…people keep being pushed around with very few belongings.”

    ‘Inhumane ordeal’

    The head of the UN’s Palestine refugee relief agency, now outlawed by Israeli although continuing to operate inside the shattered enclave, said everyone feared the worst is yet to come in Gaza.

    “For nearly three weeks now, the Israeli authorities continue to ban the entry of any humanitarian aid or basic commercial supplies,” Philippe Lazzarini said in a social media post.

    “Under our daily watch, people in Gaza are again and again going through their worst nightmare. An endless unleashing of the most inhumane ordeals.”

    Also on Thursday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that hundreds of thousands of Gazans risk severe hunger and malnutrition as food stocks dwindle and borders remain closed.

    WFP now has approximately 5,700 tons of food stocks left in Gaza, which is enough to support operations “for a maximum of two weeks”, the agency said.

    The agency has decided with the deteriorating security situation, rapid displacement of people, and growing needs, to distribute as much food as possible, as quickly as possible in Gaza:

    • Food parcels: WFP plans to distribute food parcels to half a million people; the reduced size parcel will feed a family for roughly one week.
      • Bakeries: Wheat flour supplies are sufficient to support bread production for 800,000 people for five days only. Currently 19 of 25 WFP-supported bakeries remain operational, and many struggle with severe crowd control issues as fear of bread shortages spreads throughout the Strip.
      • Hot meals: WFP has supplies to support 37 kitchens across Gaza cooking 500,000 hot meals per day for the next two weeks.
      • Fortified biscuits: WFP has emergency stocks of fortified biscuits – enough  for 415,000 people – which can be used as a last resort if all other food stocks are exhausted.   

    WFP and partners have positioned more than 85,000 tons of food commodities outside Gaza, ready to be brought in if border crossings are opened.

    © UNRWA/Mohammed Hinnawi

    UNRWA continues to provide healthcare and medical services in its health centers in Gaza.

    Clear and present danger

    Intensified hostilities continue across the Strip, killing and injuring people and severely constraining the ability of humanitarian workers to provide life-saving support, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists in New York.

    Since Israel’s ground operation commenced in Rafah on Sunday, several ambulances belonging to the Palestinian Civil Defense – as well as the Palestine Red Crescent Society – were hit trying to rescue the wounded and their crews became trapped in the area.

    “Contact with the teams was lost, but several casualties have been reported,” he added.

    Yesterday, a UN humanitarian and Red Crescent team attempted to extract any casualties and recover the ambulances, but they were unable to reach the area.

    Soundcloud

    “Health workers, including first responders, should never be targeted,” Mr. Dujarric said. “Civilians fleeing fighting must be allowed to do so safely, and they must be allowed to return voluntarily when the situation allows it.”

    More people in Gaza are being forced to flee, and displacement orders now cover 18 per cent of Gaza’s territory again.

    “The UN and our partners are responding to people’s deepening needs as the situation allows it, but the complete closure of the crossings for the entry of cargo, which includes humanitarian aid – coupled with the ongoing hostilities – is making all of this increasingly challenging,” the UN Spokesperson underscored.

    Waiting at the border

    Tens of thousands of tents and hundreds of thousands of shelter items are waiting to enter Gaza, and many families forced to flee are unable to bring any of their belongings, further intensifying the shelter crisis.

    “Dwindling shelter stocks in Gaza are completely insufficient to meet the immense needs,” said Mr. Dujarric.

    Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the health system in Gaza is in freefall.

    Health partners report that essential supplies for mass casualty incidents need to be restocked due to the sharp increase in trauma cases and the severity of injuries.

    WHO reports there are fewer than 500 units of blood available, when 8,000 are needed every month.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Raises Alarms on Trump Gutting Health Department and Making Americans Less Safe, Healthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Trump Administration and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced their plans to significantly reduce the workforce at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by 25 percent – including at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes for Health (NIH), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

    “With this move, Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. are getting rid of the very people who help ensure our food and drugs are safe, support our loved ones on Medicaid and Medicare, protect communities from infectious diseases like bird flu and measles, and find cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The Trump Administration is endangering your family’s health to make more room in the budget for their billionaire tax breaks and rig the system for themselves. If Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. were interested in making Wisconsin families healthy, they’d join me in fighting to bring down the price of prescription drugs and lower health care costs – but everything they are doing shows they are not.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Trump’s Firing of 10,000 HHS Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, March 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after Elon Musk and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced they would gut the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by recklessly firing 10,000 employees who work to improve the health of American families:

    Let’s be clear: Arbitrarily firing over 10,000 workers at the Department of Health and Human Services will not make Americans healthier. It will make Americans sicker and less secure.

    At a time when the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs is soaring, these outrageous cuts will make it more difficult for seniors to receive the health care they desperately need. At a time when over 60,000 Americans die because they can’t afford to go to a doctor, these cuts will make it more difficult for 32 million Americans to get the primary care they need at community health centers all over our country. At a time when the cost of child care is out of reach for millions of American families, these cuts will make a bad situation even worse. All of us want to make the government more efficient. But you don’t do that by slashing the agency in charge of the health and well-being of tens of millions of seniors, children, working families, and the most vulnerable people in America down to less than half the size of Tesla.

    As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I will do everything I can to reverse these disastrous cuts and finally make health care in America a human right for all, not a privilege.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Now Registered to Treat Certain Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Biliary Tract Carcinoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma1

    Source: Merck & Co

    Auckland, New Zealand, March 28th, 2025 – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK) announced today that KEYTRUDA is now registered to treat patients with the following cancers:

     

    KEYTRUDA is not publicly funded for the treatment of patients with these cancers.

    Vanessa Gascoigne, Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand) Limited (MSD) Director, says, “We are excited about these new registrations as mesothelioma, Merkel cell carcinoma and biliary tract cancer are rare forms of cancer.”.3, 4, 5

    Dr Terri-Ann Berry, Mesothelioma Support & Asbestos Awareness Trust Board Chair, says “Mesothelioma is a cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos causes harm when a person is exposed to the tiny asbestos fibres. 3 It is most likely to be found in buildings built before the 2000s and mesothelioma usually develops 15-60 years after exposure. 6,3

    “Pleural mesothelioma is a type of mesothelioma which affects the tissue lining around the lungs (pleura) and is the most common form of this cancer. The symptoms of mesothelioma may include – a cough that doesn’t go away, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, sweating at night, and fevers.” 3

    Bile tract cancer affects the bile ducts and gallbladder. Symptoms may include yellowing of the skin and eyes, nausea and vomiting, weakness or tiredness, loss of appetite and weight, fever, right-side abdominal pain, dark urine, pale stools, and itchy skin. 2, 7

    Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer which tends to grow quickly. Merkel cell carcinomas most often start on skin that’s exposed to the sun, like the face, neck, and arms, but it can occur anywhere. Merkel cell carcinomas typically appear as solid lumps or bumps on the skin, which can be pink, red, or purple in color. They are generally painless. 4 

     

    Vanessa Gascoigne, MSD New Zealand Director, adds, “KEYTRUDA is now registered for 31 indications including for the treatment of patients with certain types of advanced and early-stage cancers.1 

     

    ““Thanks to the Government’s increase in the medicines budget last year, eligible patients may access funded KEYTRUDA for 11 of those indications. Patients with any of the other 20 indications may access KEYTRUDA at their own expense through a private cancer center across New Zealand. 8,9 We recommend speaking to your doctor if you would like more information about these cancers. 

     

    “MSD will continue to work with the funding agency, Pharmac, in an effort to obtain funded access for more patients with cancer, including those with early-stage high-risk triple-negative breast cancer and stage III melanoma. 10 

     

    “We know people across New Zealand would benefit from faster funded access to cancer treatment. The sadness is that while KEYTRUDA is currently publicly funded for 11 indications, it is not funded for all patients in which it is indicated for.” 9

     

    Please see accompanying Prescribing Information and Patient Information for KEYTRUDA. 

     

    KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) is available as a 100 mg/4 mL concentrate for solution for infusion.

    The KEYTRUDA Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is available at www.medsafe.govt.nz. 

     

    KEYTRUDA is a Prescription Medicine and may be used in adults:

     

    KEYTRUDA may be used in children with MPM, cHL, MCC, MSI-H or dMMR cancer, or after surgery to remove melanoma. It is not known if KEYTRUDA is safe and effective in children with MSI-H or dMMR cancer of the brain or spinal cord (central nervous system cancers).

     

    You should not be given KEYTRUDA if you are allergic to pembrolizumab or to any of the other ingredients listed at the end of the CMI. 

     

    KEYTRUDA can cause harm or death to unborn babies. Talk to your doctor if you are a woman who could become pregnant and use effective contraception while you are being treated with KEYTRUDA and for at least 4 months after the last dose of KEYTRUDA. Do not breastfeed while taking KEYTRUDA. 

     

    Serious immune-mediated side effects have occurred affecting the lungs, intestines, liver, kidneys, hormone glands, blood sugar levels, skin, other organs and in transplant recipients.  Some of these side effects can sometimes become life-threatening and can lead to death. These side effects may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended and you may experience more than one side effect at the same time. Serious infusion reactions have also occurred. 

     

    Very common side effects with KEYTRUDA alone include diarrhoea, nausea, itching, rash, joint pain, back pain, feeling tired, cough, patches of discoloured skin, stomach pain, decreased levels of sodium in blood and low levels of thyroid hormone. 

     

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with chemotherapy, hair loss, vomiting, decreased white-blood cell count, mouth sores, fever, decreased appetite, decreased number of red blood cells, decreased number of platelets in the blood and swelling of the lining of the digestive system (for example mouth, intestines) were also commonly reported. 

     

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with axitinib, high blood pressure, fatigue, low levels of thyroid hormone, decreased appetite, blisters or rash on palms of your hands and soles of your feet, increased liver enzyme levels, hoarseness, and constipation were also commonly reported.

     

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with lenvatinib, high blood pressure, decreased appetite, low levels of thyroid hormone, vomiting, weight loss, headache, constipation, hoarseness, urinary tract infection, stomach-area (abdominal pain), blisters or rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, protein in your urine, increased liver enzyme levels and feeling weak were also commonly reported. 

     

    The most common side effects when KEYTRUDA is given alone to children include fever, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, decreased number of red blood cells, cough, and constipation. (v54)

     

    KEYTRUDA has risks and benefits. Talk to your doctor to see if KEYTRUDA is right for you. If symptoms continue or you have side effects, tell your doctor.

     

    KEYTRUDA is funded to treat certain patients with the following types of advanced cancers: melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma – further restrictions apply.  KEYTRUDA is not funded for the treatment of all other cancers listed above. 

     

    Ask your health professional about the cost of the medicine and any other medical fees that may apply.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Frito-Lay Issues Limited Recall for Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips for Undeclared Milk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 26, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 27, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Undeclared milk

    Company Name:
    Frito-Lay
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Tostitos

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

    Company Announcement
    Frito-Lay today issued a recall of a limited number of 13 oz. bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips that could include nacho cheese tortilla chips, and therefore may contain undeclared milk. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled product.
    The product included in this recall was distributed to a mix of retailers including grocery, convenience and drug stores, as well as e-commerce distributors, in the following 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Consumers would have been able to purchase these chips as early as March 7, 2025.
    No allergic reactions related to this matter have been reported to date. No other Tostitos products, flavors, sizes or variety packs are recalled.
    Less than 1,300 bags are included in the recall. The recalled product is in a flexible bag, and the specific information is listed below:

    Product
    Description

    Size
    UPC

    Code Date & Manufacturing
    Code

    Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

    13 oz.
    (368.5
    grams)

    28400 52848

    Must have both
    “Guaranteed Fresh” date of
    20 MAY 2025
    AND
    One of the following Manufacturing Codes
    where “XX” is any number from 30 up to 55:
    471106504
    18 13:XX OR 471106505
    85 13:XX OR 471106506
    85 13:XX
    OR
    471106507
    85 13:XX

    If consumers have an allergy or sensitivity to milk, they should not consume the product and discard it immediately. Frito-Lay has informed the FDA of this action.
    Consumers with the product described above can visit the Frito-Lay Contact Us page here or call 1-800-352-4477 (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday).
    Media Statement from Frito-Lay:
    A limited number of 13 oz. bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips are being recalled as they could include nacho cheese tortilla chips, and therefore may contain an undeclared milk allergen. Less than 1,300 bags of impacted products were for sale in stores in 13 states (Ala., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Miss., N.C., Ohio, S.C., Tenn., Va., W. Va.) and across digital channels since March 7. Consumers can view the full press release on the Frito-Lay ContactUs page to see if their product is impacted by this recall. Unless a consumer has a dairy allergy or sensitivity to milk, this product is safe to consume.
    Media Contact:
    PepsiCoMediaRelations@PepsiCo.com

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Frito-Lay
    800-352-4477

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/27/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cromer Food Services, Inc. Recalls Chicken Salad on White Sandwich Due to Undeclared Milk Allergen

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    March 27, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    March 27, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Undeclared milk

    Company Name:
    Cromer Food Services, Inc.
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    CFS Cromer Food Services, Inc.

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Chicken salad on white bread sandwich

    Company Announcement
    Cromer Food Services, Inc. is recalling all lots of our CFS Cromer Food Service brand Chicken Salad on White Sandwich with UPC 31166 & UPC 13172 because it contains undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.
    The recalled products were distributed between 12/26/2024 to 03/24/2025. These products were packaged in clear plastic and sold primarily in Micro Markets and Vending Machines located in the States of Georgia and South Carolina.
    Products affected are:

    PRODUCT
    SIZE
    UPC
    USE BY DATE

    CFS Cromer Food Services, Inc. brand Chicken Salad on White Sandwich
    4.3 oz
    31166, 13172
    From 01/03/2025 (01/03) to 04/01/2025 (04/02)

    On March 25, 2025, the firm was notified by FDA during a routine inspection, that the Chicken Salad on White Sandwich label failed to include the ingredients for the bread which contains the allergen milk. For ease of identification, see product labels below. The date code can be found either to the right or left of the barcode.
    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or they may discard the product. Consumers with questions may contact Cromer Food Services, Inc. at 1-800-922-3174. The phone is in operation 24/7.
    This recall is being made with the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Cromer Food Services, Inc.
    800-922-3174

    Media:
    Mr. Chet Cromer
    (864) 224-6883

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    03/27/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –