Category: Health

MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 27, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 27, 2025.

Travelling with food allergies? These 8 tips can help you stay safer in the skies
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Koplin, Evidence and Translation Lead, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Chief Investigator, Centre of Food Allergy Research; Associate Professor and Group Leader, Childhood Allergy & Epidemiology Group, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland Anchiy/Getty Images With the school holidays approaching, many families will be

Cats at 40: a dazzling cast – stuck in an outdated show
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Cummings, Lecturer in Singing, University of Sydney The star of the 40th anniversary production of Cats – which premiered at the Theatre Royal Sydney last week – is the performing ensemble. Some ensemble scenes, such as The Jellicle Ball, offered the same joy and exhilaration as

Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast – and the rate has doubled in 20 years
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney NASA, CC BY-NC-ND How do you measure climate change? One way is by recording temperatures in different places over a long period of time. While this works well, natural variation can make it harder to

The NDIA is changing how it pays for disability supports. What does that mean for rural communities?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Johnson, Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship and Co-Founder of Umbo, University of Sydney Shutterstock Each year, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) reviews its pricing rules to ensure services funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) remain sustainable. This year’s annual pricing review outlines changes that

1 in 5 community footy umpires have been assaulted, while others cop death threats: new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Crozier, Senior Lecturer, Exercise and Sport Psychology, University of South Australia Scott Barbour/Getty Images Umpires’ decisions often upset sports fans, especially during a close contest. At most games, spectators boo loudly, coaches throw their hands up in frustration and players can yell or even physically intimidate

NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. A NATO

Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Children’s play is essential for their cognitive, physical and social development. But in cities, spaces to play are usually separated, often literally fenced off, from the rest of urban life. In our new study,

Lung cancer screening is about to start. What you need to know if you smoke or have quit
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Olver, Adjunct Professsor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide Magic mine/Shutterstock From July, eligible Australians will be screened for lung cancer as part of the nation’s first new cancer screening program for almost 20 years. The program aims to detect

The drought in southern Australia is not over – it just looks that way
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew B. Watkins, Associate research scientist, School of Earth, Atmopshere & Environment, Monash University Andrew Watkins How often do you mow your lawn in winter? That may seem like an odd way to start a conversation about drought. But the answer helps explain why our current drought

One bad rainstorm away from disaster: why proposed changes to forestry rules won’t solve the ‘slash’ problem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Bloomberg, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Te Kura Ngahere-New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury Murry Cave/Gisborne District Council, CC BY-SA The biggest environmental problems for commercial plantation forestry in New Zealand’s steep hill country are discharges of slash (woody debris left behind after logging) and sediment

Whatever happened to the Albanese government’s wellbeing agenda?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Sollis, Research Fellow, University of Tasmania DavideAngelini/Shutterstock The Albanese government devoted time and energy in its first term to developing a wellbeing agenda for the economy and society. It was a passion project of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who wanted better ways to measure national welfare beyond

What do the Bible, the Quran and the Torah say about the justification for war?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?

Brands want us to trust them. But as the SPF debacle shows, they need to earn it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted. We’ve never really

Streaming giants have helped bring Korean dramas to the world – but much is lost in translation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sung-Ae Lee, Lecturer, Macquarie University In less than a decade, Korean TV dramas (K-dramas) have transmuted from a regional industry to a global phenomenon – partly a consequence of the rise of streaming giants. But foreign audiences may not realise the K-dramas they’ve seen on Netflix don’t

‘Don’t surrender’ to Indonesian pressure over West Papua, Bomanak warns MSG
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan independence movement leader has warned the Melanesian Spearhead Group after its 23rd leaders summit in Suva, Fiji, to not give in to a “neocolonial trade in betrayal and abandonment” over West Papua. While endorsing and acknowledging the “unconditional support” of Melanesian people to the West Papuan cause for decolonisation,

Grattan on Friday: Jim Chalmers juggles expectations and ambition in pursuing tax reform
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week will be the 40th anniversary of the Hawke government’s tax summit. Dominated by then treasurer Paul Keating’s unsuccessful bid to win support for a consumption tax, it was the public centrepiece of an extraordinary political and policy story.

There’s gold trapped in your iPhone – and chemists have found a safe new way to extract it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin M. Chalker, Professor of Chemistry, Flinders University A sample of refined gold recovered from mining and e-waste recycling trials. Justin Chalker In 2022, humans produced an estimated 62 million tonnes of electronic waste – enough to fill more than 1.5 million garbage trucks. This was up

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Ken Henry on changing the tax system to give struggling workers a fairer go
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In August, the Albanese government will hold an economic “roundtable” that will discuss productivity, budget sustainability and resilience. Australia’s tax system will be one of the central issues, and stakeholders are gearing up with their varying arguments for changes. Ken

As one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays, Coriolanus is startlingly relevant under Trump 2.0
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirk Dodd, Lecturer in English and Writing, University of Sydney Brett Boardman/Bell Shakespeare Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s least performed plays; perhaps because the hero is so pugnacious and classist, impressive in his strident vehemence, but lacking the vulnerability of a Macbeth or Othello. Set in the

Magpies may not be a pesky Australian import – new research finds their ancestors thrived in NZ a long time ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanesa De Pietri, Senior Research Fellow in Palaeontology, University of Canterbury Shutterstock/Russ Jenkins For many New Zealanders, the Australian magpie is a familiar, if sometimes vexing, sight. Introduced from Australia in the 1860s, magpies are known for their territorial dive-bombing during nesting season, which has cemented their

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: New management agency responsible for American Foulbrood

Source: New Zealand Government

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has appointed a new management agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the National American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan (AFB NPMP).
The New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity Trust (NZBB) will take over management of the NPMP from 1 July 2025.
“The NZBB will bring a lot of experience. It is a new registered Charitable Trust of the current AFB Management agency board. With the resignation of Apiculture NZ, which has managed the NPMP since 2016, a new management agency designated under the Biosecurity Act was needed if the Plan was to continue.
“The former AFB Management Agency board took steps to organise themselves in such a way that they were eligible for appointment under the Act. This appointment ensures a smooth transition, without the need to stand up a completely new organisation.”
Mr Hoggard says there will be no change for beekeepers.
“There will be a different name on the levies – otherwise there are no changes. All the obligations and rules in the AFB NPMP remain the same.
“I have confidence that the NZBB will manage the plan in a way that represents the interests of all beekeepers. I expect that the expansion of their role beyond just AFB management will be an opportunity for beekeepers to come together for the long-term success of the industry.
“I support NZBB establishing Advisory Groups to provide an opportunity for beekeepers and the wider industry to provide input into decision making.
“American foulbrood is a devastating bee disease, and while elimination of AFB may seem an impossible task, it is a disease that New Zealand beekeepers have worked hard to not only control, but to achieve some real reduction in cases.“I am confident the new management agency, along with beekeepers’ continued vigilance and compliance with the NPMP, that the industry will continue to see a reduction in this disease, for the benefit of all.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work?

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kamil Zuber, Senior Industry Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia

towfiqu ahamed/Getty Images

When you buy a new electronic appliance, shoes, medicines or even some food items, you often find a small paper sachet with the warning: “silica gel, do not eat”.

What exactly is it, is it toxic, and can you use it for anything?

The importance of desiccants

That little sachet is a desiccant – a type of material that removes excess moisture from the air.

It’s important during the transport and storage of a wide range of products because we can’t always control the environment. Humid conditions can cause damage through corrosion, decay, the growth of mould and microorganisms.

This is why manufacturers include sachets with desiccants to make sure you receive the goods in pristine condition.

The most common desiccant is silica gel. The small, hard and translucent beads are made of silicon dioxide (like most sands or quartz) – a hydrophilic or water-loving material. Importantly, the beads are porous on the nano-scale, with pore sizes only 15 times larger than the radius of their atoms.

Silica gel looks somewhat like a sponge when viewed with scanning electron microscopy.
Trabelsi et al. (2009), CC BY-NC-ND

These pores have a capillary effect, meaning they condense and draw moisture into the bead similar to how trees transport water through the channelled structures in wood.

In addition, sponge-like porosity makes their surface area very large. A single gram of silica gel can have an area of up to 700 square metres – almost four tennis courts – making them exceptionally efficient at capturing and storing water.

Is silica gel toxic?

The “do not eat” warning is easily the most prominent text on silica gel sachets.

According to health professionals, most silica beads found in these sachets are non-toxic and don’t present the same risk as silica dust, for example. They mainly pose a choking hazard, which is good enough reason to keep them away from children and pets.

However, if silica gel is accidentally ingested, it’s still recommended to contact health professionals to determine the best course of action.

Some variants of silica gel contain a moisture-sensitive dye. One particular variant, based on cobalt chloride, is blue when the desiccant is dry and turns pink when saturated with moisture. While the dye is toxic, in desiccant pellets it is present only in a small amount – approximately 1% of the total weight.

Indicating silica gel with cobalt chloride – ‘fresh’ on the left, ‘used’ on the right.
Reza Rio/Shutterstock

Desiccants come in other forms, too

Apart from silica gel, a number of other materials are used as moisture absorbers and desiccants. These are zeolites, activated alumina and activated carbon – materials engineered to be highly porous.

Another desiccant type you’ll often see in moisture absorbers for larger areas like pantries or wardrobes is calcium chloride. It typically comes in a box filled with powder or crystals found in most hardware stores, and is a type of salt.

Kitchen salt – sodium chloride – attracts water and easily becomes lumpy. Calcium chloride works in the same way, but has an even stronger hygroscopic effect and “traps” the water through a hydration reaction. Once the salt is saturated, you’ll see liquid separating in the container.

Closet and pantry dehumidifiers like this one typically contain calcium chloride which binds water.
Healthy Happy/Shutterstock

I found something that doesn’t seem to be silica gel – what is it?

Some food items such as tortilla wraps, noodles, beef jerky, and some medicines and vitamins contain slightly different sachets, labelled “oxygen absorbers”.

These small packets don’t contain desiccants. Instead, they have chemical compounds that “scavenge” or bond oxygen.

Their purpose is similar to desiccants – they extend the shelf life of food products and sensitive chemicals such as medicines. But they do so by directly preventing oxidation. When some foods are exposed to oxygen, their chemical composition changes and can lead to decay (apples turning brown when cut is an example of oxidation).

There is a whole range of compounds used as oxygen absorbers. These chemicals have a stronger affinity to oxygen than the protected substance. They range from simple compounds such as iron which “rusts” by using up oxygen, to more complex such as plastic films that work when exposed to light.

Some of the sachets in your products are oxygen absorbers, not desiccants – but they may look similar.
Sergio Yoneda/Shutterstock

Can I reuse a desiccant?

Although desiccants and dehumidifiers are considered disposable, you can relatively easily reuse them.

To “recharge” or dehydrate silica gel, you can place it in an oven at approximately 115–125°C for 2–3 hours, although you shouldn’t do this if it’s in a plastic sachet that could melt in the heat.

Interestingly, due to how they bind water, some desiccants require temperatures well above the boiling point of water to dehydrate (for example, calcium chloride hydrates completely dehydrate at 200°C).

After dehydration, silica gel sachets may be useful for drying small electronic items (like your phone after you accidentally dropped it into water), keeping your camera dry, or preventing your family photos and old films from sticking to each other.

This is a good alternative to the questionable method of using uncooked rice, as silica gel doesn’t decompose and won’t leave starch residues on your things.

Kamil Zuber does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. ‘Do not eat’: what’s in those little desiccant sachets and how do they work? – https://theconversation.com/do-not-eat-whats-in-those-little-desiccant-sachets-and-how-do-they-work-258398

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Travelling with food allergies? These 8 tips can help you stay safer in the skies
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Koplin, Evidence and Translation Lead, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Chief Investigator, Centre of Food Allergy Research; Associate Professor and Group Leader, Childhood Allergy & Epidemiology Group, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland

Anchiy/Getty Images

With the school holidays approaching, many families will be travelling, including on planes interstate and overseas. But travel can pose unique challenges for people with serious food allergies.

Research shows air travel is a significant source of anxiety for people living with or caring for someone with a food allergy. In a global survey of 4,704 people with food allergies and their caregivers published in 2024, 98% said having a food allergy adds anxiety to air travel.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help keep yourself or children with food allergies safe in the skies.

What are the concerns about plane travel with allergies?

Reassuringly, documented allergic reactions during flights are very rare. A 2023 review that combined data from 17 studies estimated about seven in every 10 million passengers had an allergic reaction while flying.

While many people have more mild food allergies, some are at risk of anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) and need to carry adrenaline with them at all times in the form of an EpiPen or Anapen. The review found reports of severe reactions needing adrenaline were even rarer – about eight cases per 100 million passengers.

In fact, this study concluded people were less likely to experience an allergic reaction on a plane than in their everyday lives. However, some of this might be due to the precautions passengers with food allergies already take.

People with food allergies are sometimes worried about food particles travelling in the air of the plane cabin and causing a reaction.

Thankfully, research has shown this risk is very low. It’s difficult for food proteins (the part of the food that causes the allergic reaction) to become airborne. And if they do, air filters fitted on large commercial planes can remove any airborne food particles quickly from the cabin air.

Peanuts are one of the foods commonly associated with anaphylaxis. Studies that have tested opening and shaking containers containing peanuts and de-shelling peanuts found peanut proteins were only detected directly above the container, at a low level, and for a short period of time.

Other studies have found airborne peanut was not detected when eating peanuts in a confined space. And studies found no severe reactions among people with peanut allergy when peanut butter or peanuts were held close to their face or kept in a bowl close by in a small room.

A bigger risk for reactions is the food protein ending up on a seat or tray table. However, casual contact with food crumbs or smears is highly unlikely to cause a severe allergic reaction. This type of contact can cause mild to moderate skin reactions that can be treated with antihistamines if needed.

Staying safe on a plane with allergies

For people at risk of anaphylaxis:
1. take your adrenaline in your hand luggage (not your checked baggage). Store it under the seat in front of you or in the seat pocket so it’s in easy reach
2. carry a travel plan and action plan for anaphylaxis, completed and signed by a medical professional, or similar documentation, showing the traveller’s food allergy status and what to do in an emergency. (Templates of these plans are available via the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy)
3. let the flight crew know you have an allergy and indicate the location of your adrenaline and anaphylaxis action plan. This is particularly important for people travelling alone, since anaphylaxis can be mistaken for other non-allergic symptoms, which could lead to a delay in receiving adrenaline.
For people with food allergies generally:
1. let the airline know you have a food allergy and ask about their food and medication policies when booking or before travelling
2. take allergy-safe food from home. Airlines don’t guarantee allergy-safe food will be available, and not all food supplied on a plane will have an ingredient label (but check liquid restrictions and be aware of potential restrictions on taking fresh food across borders)
3. wipe down surfaces such as the seat, armrests and tray table with wet wipes when boarding. You can request early boarding from airlines to do this
4. wash your hands before eating (wet wipes and handwashing with soap are more effective than plain water or hand sanitiser)
5. you may choose to sit a child with food allergy away from areas where food or drink will be passed over the top of them (for example, next to a window or between family members). Tell passengers sitting next to your child about their allergy so they don’t offer to share food or drink
6. if you think you’re experiencing an allergic reaction, let the flight crew know immediately.
Most people with food allergies feel anxiety about plane travel.
joo830908/Shutterstock

What can other passengers and airlines do?

If you’re travelling, you could wipe down surfaces around you at the end of the flight. Remove rubbish from seatbacks and other areas around your seat and aisle before disembarking.

Also, ask about allergies before offering to share any food with your neighbours during the flight (and check with parents before offering anything to their children).

Airlines, meanwhile, should have clear policies relating to food allergies easily available and consistently applied by ground staff and cabin crew, such as allowing early boarding on request.

The patient support organisation Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia has a Food Allergy Travel Hub with advice on how to stay safe when travelling with food allergies.

Jennifer Koplin receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), which is supported by funding from the Australian government.

Christopher Warren receives institutional research funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Food Allergy Research and Education, Genentech Inc, and The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Desalegn Markos Shifti is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded Centre for Food Allergy Research (CFAR) Postdoctoral Funding.

– ref. Travelling with food allergies? These 8 tips can help you stay safer in the skies – https://theconversation.com/travelling-with-food-allergies-these-8-tips-can-help-you-stay-safer-in-the-skies-258387
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Politics – Government must do more to build public health system capability – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

A new report by the Auditor-General shows the Government must do more to build capacity in the public health system instead of outsourcing to the private sector, NZNO says.

The report titled Providing equitable access to planned care treatment found that despite reforms in recent years designed to end the postcode lottery in the health care system, inequities for Māori, Pacific peoples, those living rurally and disabled people continue.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) chief executive Paul Goulter says the report confirms what the public already knows – that elective services in the public system are neither equitable nor timely.

“The Auditor-General found the Coalition Government’s targets are having a perverse effect whereby some districts are not accepting referrals because they don’t have the resources they need to meet the required timeframes for assessing or treating people.

“This shows the targets for the political stunts they are. Targets won’t work without additional funding to create the capacity which will enable them to be met.

“This confirms what our nurses across the health sector are saying and echoes concerns NZNO has been raising for some time.”

Paul Goulter says the same vulnerable populations missing out on planned care are the same people who are struggling to get in to see their doctors in the first place to be referred.

“The Auditor-General is warning the Government that it’s push for even greater outsourcing to the private sector could lead to greater inequities. Outsourcing just strips capacity from the under-staffed primary health care sector and the under-funded hospital sector.

“There is only one way the Government can fix the health crisis and that’s by properly funding and staffing a quality public health system for all,” Paul Goulter says.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Bonamici, Fitzpatrick, Dingell, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Mental Health Care for Educators, School Staff
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, DC [06/26/25] – Today Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Don Bacon (R-NE 02) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to mental health care for teachers and school staff.

Educators are more likely to report symptoms of depression than other adults, but schools are often not equipped with specific resources to address staff mental health challenges. The Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will address ongoing mental health needs in public education, which have increased in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread teacher shortages, difficult working conditions, and student behavior issues.

“Our education system cannot function without the hard work of teachers and school support staff,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “Unfortunately, too many dedicated professionals are experiencing burnout and leaving the education workforce. The bipartisan Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will expand access to mental health care for educators and school staff so they can receive the support they need and continue to serve students.”

“A school is only as strong as the people who serve in it. Our educators are mentors, protectors, and community builders—and too often, silently shouldering the weight of burnout, trauma, and stress,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. “This bipartisan legislation delivers the mental health support they have long needed and deserved. When we care for those who care for our kids, we are not just protecting their well-being—we are investing in the future of every student they serve and inspire.”

“Teachers have some of the most important roles encouraging children to reach their full potential and supporting, shaping, and inspiring the next generation of leaders,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. “Too often the needs and wellbeing of teachers are overlooked, leading to burnout. We must make sure educators have the support they need and deserve to do their jobs.”

“The mental health crisis in our country requires immediate action, particularly within our education system where both students and staff are struggling,” said Representative Don Bacon. “The bipartisan Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will strengthen mental health resources for our educators while creating evidence-based approaches that destigmatize seeking help and support.”

The legislation has been endorsed by: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Psychological Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Council on Teacher Quality, Teach for America, and The Education Trust.

“Educators are frontline responders to our students’ most urgent social and emotional needs, which have only increased in recent years,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Less than half of schools reported having the resources they need to help kids. That leaves teachers with the immense responsibility of supporting kids in crisis, and it takes an emotional toll – that stress, on top of the ongoing struggle for resources, increased paperwork, overcrowded classrooms, and stagnant wages make teachers’ mental health a growing concern. Representative Bonamici’s Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act commits resources to reduce educator stress, promote teacher wellbeing, and create the foundation for teacher longevity, which is good for students, too. This is how we keep teachers in the classroom—by giving them what they need to attain the same kind of joy, fulfillment, and calm that they ensure for our kids on a daily basis. The AFT supports this legislation and calls for its swift passage.”

“Our teachers and school support staff do so much to help in the development of our children,” said National Alliance on Mental Illness’s Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski. “They serve in one of the most difficult, although often one of the most rewarding, professions and play a significant role in our kids’ lives. We must provide them with the information and resources they need to care for their own mental health. This bill is an important step in providing our educators and school staff with the tools they need to support their mental wellbeing.”

“NAESP proudly endorses the Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act,” said L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE, Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. “While school leaders dedicate themselves to supporting their students’ mental well-being, we must also prioritize the mental health of their staff too. When educators demonstrate self-care practices, they are not only taking care of their own well-being but also creating positive examples for their students to follow. We applaud Congresswoman Bonamici’s leadership on this important issue and look forward to working with her and other congressional supporters to pass this legislation.”

“School leaders urgently need comprehensive tools to support their staff’s mental health, and this act would provide exactly that foundation,” said National Association of Secondary School Principals CEO Ronn Nozoe. “When we invest in educator wellbeing, we strengthen the entire school community and ultimately improve outcomes for students. NASSP is grateful to Representative Bonamici for this critical and compassionate legislation.”

The Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will increase access to critical resources by designing and scaling up evidence-based approaches to addressing the mental health needs of the education workforce across the United States. It will:
- Require coordination between federal agencies to develop best practices for (1) preventing suicide and improving mental health and resiliency among education professionals; and (2) training education professionals in appropriate strategies to promote their mental health;
- Destigmatize mental health care among the education workforce by designing and disseminating an education and awareness initiative encouraging education professionals to use mental health and substance use disorder services;
- Provide direct support to educators and school staff members by establishing programs to promote mental health among the education professional workforce; and
- Promote accountability for federal resources for new programs.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Critical incident investigation continues in Manurewa

Source: New Zealand Police

Please attribute to Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray:

Police are continuing with a critical incident investigation surrounding the events leading up to a fatal crash in Manurewa overnight.

We are now in a position to release further information as our enquiries continue.

The driver of the Mitsubishi vehicle remains in a critical condition at Middlemore Hospital, and was due to undergo surgery today.

Police have spoken with the man taken into custody at the scene this morning.

At this stage, the 56-year-old man has been charged with driving dangerously causing death, dangerous driving causing injury and driving while forbidden.

He will appear in Manukau District Court today.

Police enquiries will continue, and further charges cannot be ruled out as we investigate further.

While matters are before the Court, we can advise that parties in both vehicles were known to each other.

Until the next of kin notifications have been carried out, further details regarding the deceased are unable to be released.

We would like to acknowledge the impact this event will have had on the community and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

There are now several investigations underway, including a critical incident investigation.

Police are still seeking information from any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time, or prior to this incident occurring.

If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.

Please use reference number 250627/8090 or cite ‘Operation Highbury’.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

Abortion-rights demonstrators holds a sign in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington as the Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case is heard on April 2, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Having the freedom to choose your own health care provider is something many Americans take for granted. But the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority ruled on June 25, 2025, in a 6-3 decision that people who rely on Medicaid for their health insurance don’t have that right.

The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, is focused on a technical legal issue: whether people covered by Medicaid have the right to sue state officials for preventing them from choosing their health care provider. In his majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that they don’t because the Medicaid statute did not “clearly and unambiguously” give individuals that right.

As law professors who teach courses about health and poverty law as well as reproductive justice, we think this ruling could restrict access to health care for the more than 78 million Americans who get their health insurance coverage through the Medicaid program.

Excluding Planned Parenthood

The case started with a predicament for South Carolina resident Julie Edwards, who is enrolled in Medicaid. After Edwards struggled to get contraceptive services, she was able to receive care from a Planned Parenthood South Atlantic clinic in Columbia, South Carolina.

Planned Parenthood, an array of nonprofits with roots that date back more than a century, is among the nation’s top providers of reproductive services. It operates two clinics in South Carolina, where patients can get physical exams, cancer screenings, contraception and other services. It also provides same-day appointments and keeps long hours.

In July 2018, however, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order that barred Medicaid reimbursement for health care providers in the state that offer abortion care.

That meant Planned Parenthood, a longtime target of conservatives’ ire, would no longer be reimbursed for any type of care for Medicaid patients, preventing Edwards from transferring all her gynecological care to that office as she had hoped to do.

Planned Parenthood and Edwards sued South Carolina. They argued that the state was violating the federal Medicare and Medicaid Act, which Congress passed in 1965, by not letting Edwards obtain care from the provider of her choice.

A ‘free-choice-of-provider’ requirement

Medicaid, which mainly covers low-income people, their children and people with disabilities, operates as a partnership between the federal government and the states. Congress passed the law that led to its creation based on its power under the Constitution’s spending clause, which allows Congress to subject federal funds to certain requirements.

Two years later, due to concerns that states were restricting which providers Medicaid recipients could choose, Congress added a “free-choice-of-provider” requirement to the program. It states that people enrolled in Medicaid “may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service or services required.”

While the Medicaid statute does not, by itself, allow people enrolled in that program to enforce this free-choice clause, the question at the core of this case was whether another federal statute, known as Section 1983, did give them a right to sue.

The Supreme Court has long recognized that Section 1983 protects an individual’s ability to sue when their rights under a federal statute have been violated. In fact, in 2023, it found such a right under the Medicaid Nursing Home Reform Act. The court held that Section 1983 confers the right to sue when a statute’s provisions “unambiguously confer individual federal rights.”

In Medina, however, the court found that there was no right to sue. Instead, the court emphasized that “the typical remedy” is for the federal government to cut off Medicaid funds to a state if a state is not complying with the Medicaid statute.

The ruling overturned lower-court decisions in favor of Edwards. It also expressly rejected the Supreme Court’s earlier rulings, which the majority criticized as taking a more “expansive view of its power to imply private causes of action to enforce federal laws.”

Planned Parenthood clinics, like this one in Los Angeles, are located across the United States.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Restricting Medicaid funds

This dispute is just one chapter in the long fight over access to abortion in the U.S. In addition to the question of whether it should be legal, proponents and opponents of abortion rights have battled over whether the government should pay for it – even if that funding happens indirectly.

Through a federal law known as the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid cannot reimburse health care providers for the cost of abortions, with a few exceptions: when a patient’s life is at risk, or her pregnancy is due to rape or incest. Some states do cover abortion when their laws allow it, without using any federal funds.

As a result, Planned Parenthood rarely gets any federal Medicaid funds for abortions.

McMaster explained that he removed “abortion clinics,” including Planned Parenthood, from the South Carolina Medicaid program because he didn’t want state funds to indirectly subsidize abortions.

After the Supreme Court ruled on this case, McMaster said he had taken “a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values – and today, we are finally victorious.”

But only about 4% of Planned Parenthood’s services nationwide were related to abortion, as of 2022. Its most common service is testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Across the nation, Planned Parenthood provides health care to more than 2 million patients per year, most of whom have low incomes.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster stands outside the Supreme Court building in Washington in April 2025 and speaks about this case.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Consequences beyond South Carolina

This ruling’s consequences are not limited to Medicaid access in South Carolina.

It may make it harder for individuals to use Section 1983 to bring claims under any federal statute. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, wrote in her dissent, the court “continues the project of stymying one of the country’s great civil rights laws.”

Enacted in 1871, the civil rights law has been invoked to challenge violations of rights by state officials against individuals. Jackson wrote that the court now limits the ability to use Section 1983 to vindicate personal rights only if the statutes use the correct “magic words.”

The dissent also criticized the majority decision as likely “to result in tangible harm to real people.” Not only will it potentially deprive “Medicaid recipients in South Carolina of their only meaningful way of enforcing a right that Congress has expressly granted to them,” Jackson wrote, but it could also “strip those South Carolinians – and countless other Medicaid recipients around the country – of a deeply personal freedom: the ‘ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable.’”

The decision could also have far-reaching consequences. Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have already barred Planned Parenthood from getting reimbursed by Medicaid for any kind of health care. More states could follow suit.

In addition, given Planned Parenthood’s role in providing contraceptive care, disqualifying it from Medicaid could restrict access to health care and increase the already-high unintended pregnancy rate in America.

States could also try to exclude providers based on other characteristics, such as whether their employees belong to unions or if they provide their patients with gender-affirming care, further restricting patients’ choices.

With this ruling, the court is allowing a patchwork of state exclusions of Planned Parenthood and other medical providers from the Medicaid program that could soon resemble the patchwork already seen with abortion access.

Portions of this article first appeared in another article published on April 2, 2025.

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

– ref. Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-rules-that-states-may-deny-people-covered-by-medicaid-the-freedom-to-choose-planned-parenthood-as-their-health-care-provider-259953

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision That Paves Way to Eliminate Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

06.26.25

Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision That Paves Way to Eliminate Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

49% of Planned Parenthood patients access care via Medicaid and/or the Title X family planning program; FACT SHEET: In WA State – Planned Parenthood serves 100,000 patients annually, about half are Medicaid recipients

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow South Carolina to end Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state’s Medicaid program – denying South Carolinians easy access to preventive health care like birth control. The ruling opens the door for any anti-abortion state in the country to take the same action. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in response to the decision:

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling means that any state can blacklist Planned Parenthood or other health care providers, taking away access for Medicaid recipients,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This decision is another troubling step toward the anti-abortion movement’s ultimate goal — deciding for themselves what reproductive care American women are allowed to get.”

The 1977 Hyde Amendment already bans the use of federal funding for abortion, with an exception for pregnancies that endanger the life of the pregnant person or that result from rape or incest. This decision paves the way for states to eliminate access for Medicaid patients to receive affordable cancer screenings, gynecological care, STD and STI screenings, and birth control services from Planned Parenthood clinics.

According to a Planned Parenthood report, from 2023-2024 the provider accounted for 364,600 Pap tests and breast exams, 2.2 million birth control services, and 5.1 million STI tests and treatments. Half of all Planned Parenthood patients (49%) access care through Medicaid and/or the Title X family planning program. Allowing states to withhold Medicaid funding also puts rural communities at risk — 76% of Planned Parenthood health centers are located in rural or medically underserved areas, meaning patients would have to travel farther to receive care.

Sen. Cantwell has been a champion for preserving Medicaid and access to reproductive health care. Earlier this week, on the three-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Sen. Cantwell released a fact sheet detailing the dire consequences for Washington state’s reproductive health care delivery system if the Republican reconciliation bill is passed that would cut billions from Medicaid.

Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell spoke on the Senate floor to urge her colleagues to vote against cuts to Medicaid that would effectively reverse the expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech is available HERE, and a transcript HERE.

On Tuesday’s Dobbs anniversary, Sen. Cantwell joined the entire Democratic Senate Caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, which would guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. Also this week, Sen. Cantwell joined nine of her Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter condemning the Trump Administration’s recent rescission of guidance that reaffirmed hospitals and providers’ obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide medically necessary emergency abortion care, regardless of where the patient lives.

A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to defend Medicaid from cuts is HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Welcomes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Louisiana Ahead of MAHA Bill Signing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

[embedded content]
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released a welcome message to the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ahead of his visit to Baton Rouge for a Make America Healthy Again bill-signing event. Cassidy and Kennedy worked together to eliminate harmful ingredients and artificial dyes, safeguard children from sex change operations, and, most recently, increase patients’ access to life-saving treatment through prior authorization reform.
“I want to welcome the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy, to Louisiana. I thank you for coming, Bobby. And thank you particularly for going to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, an LSU institution studying nutrition. And I know how passionate you are—and I am—about having good nutrition to Make America Healthy Again,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy could not be in Louisiana to greet Secretary Kennedy due to the U.S. Senate’s consideration of President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Dingell, Pallone, Whitehouse Reintroduce Legislation to Strengthen Medicaid and CHIP, Provide Continuous Coverage for Enrollees

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, reintroduced the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act to provide 12 months of continuous coverage for individuals receiving health care through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Currently, millions of Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries are at risk for losing health coverage each year due to short-term changes in income as well as burdensome paperwork or administrative requirements. These bureaucratic burdens result in significant churn of individuals on and off Medicaid and CHIP and serve as a barrier to effective coordination of care and preventative health care. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a companion bill.

“No one should lose access to health care because of bureaucratic delays,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “Especially at a time when Medicaid is facing the biggest cuts in history, it’s more important than ever that we prevent people from losing coverage and slipping through the cracks due to paperwork and red tape. This legislation will guarantee 12 months of continuous coverage for the most vulnerable Americans, improving access to consistent, quality healthcare that results in better health outcomes.”

“Republicans’ Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill will destabilize Rhode Island hospitals and entire health care systems with cruel and dangerous cuts to Medicaid, all so they can fund even more tax giveaways to big corporations and their billionaire donors,” said Senator Whitehouse. “I’m glad to join Congresswoman Dingell in introducing this bill to cut red tape and strengthen Medicaid for the Rhode Islanders who rely on it for childbirth, addiction treatment, nursing home care, and so much more.”

Nearly 80 million Americans – including 2.3 million Michiganders – are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid is the largest public health insurance program in the United States. It provides funding to states for services at nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and hospitals for low-income elderly adults, children, pregnant women, veterans, and people with disabilities. Medicaid is the single-largest payer of long-term care and provides critical home health and school-based services as well as addiction and mental health services.

The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act extends twelve months of guaranteed coverage to all individuals enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. The legislation would ensure that once enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, an individual retains their eligibility for 12 months regardless of fluctuations in income. Without this provision, beneficiaries can lose their eligibility for Medicaid because of short-term changes in income (e.g. a seasonal position) when income may briefly exceed 138% of the federal poverty level ($1,800/month for a single person). Guaranteeing a 12-month enrollment period smooths this cliff, ensuring beneficiaries do not lose their coverage until they are reevaluated at the next renewal.

Dingell introduced the legislation as congressional Republicans try to pass their reconciliation bill that would rip health coverage away from 16 million Americans, without doing anything meaningful to address health fraud, which they claim is their goal. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has found that virtually all of the health care cuts in the legislation would actually come from families that count on Medicaid losing their coverage or benefits. If the reconciliation bill passes, it would be the largest cut to American health care in history – all to fund tax breaks that would make the country’s richest people richer.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Boost to mental health services from thousands of extra staff
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

Press release

Boost to mental health services from thousands of extra staff

Latest data shows 6,700 more mental health workers have been recruited towards government’s 8,500 target.
More than 6,700 extra mental health workers have been recruited since July, latest data shows, as the government prepares to announce fundamental reforms to patient support in its 10 Year Health Plan.

The latest recruitment milestone means the government is more than halfway towards its target of hiring an extra 8,500 mental health staff by the end of this Parliament, helping get people the care they need so they can get back to work, school and doing what they love.

It comes ahead of publication of the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan, which sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country.

Under the plan, patients will get better access to support directly through the NHS App, including self-referral for talking therapies, without needing a GP appointment.

Instead of people having to turn to costly mental health apps, the NHS App offers a free service built by trusted clinicians to help give all mental health patients the care they need, continuing the government’s drive to tackle health inequalities.

By embracing the latest technology across the health service, the plan lays the foundation for patients to access mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the app.

This could include opening the door to things like AI-driven virtual support as a first port of call, or health and well-being advice only currently accessible through paid-for apps.

And alongside digital advances, 85 new dedicated mental health emergency departments will be built with £120 million secured in the recent Spending Review.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said:

Not getting the right support for your mental health isn’t just debilitating, it can hit a painful pause button on your life – stopping you working, enjoying time with family and friends, or living day-to-day life.

Patients have faced the crisis of access to mental health services for far too long, and this government is determined to change that through our Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS.

That’s why we’re putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country and harnessing technology to provide 24-hour care. And we’re creating more opportunities for support not just through the NHS App but through care in your community too.

We are already over halfway towards our target of recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers, and through our upcoming 10 Year Health Plan we will get more people back to health and back to work.

The new emergency units will be staffed by specialist doctors and nurses, providing around-the-clock support for patients experiencing a mental health crisis.

Patients can walk in or be referred by GPs to the units, which are set to be open 24/7 and designed to provide a calm environment in contrast to the noise and chaos of major hospitals

Alongside this, a Neighbourhood Mental Health Model, providing open access to specialist services and holistic support in community locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is already being piloted in six locations.

The reforms come at a time where mental health conditions are becoming more prevalent, with an adult psychiatric survey published this week showing over 22% of 16-to-64-year-olds have common mental conditions, up from 17% in 2007.

Further plans for mental health due to be set out in the 10 Year Health Plan include utilising developments in pharmacogenomics, providing patients with personalised prescriptions and treatments.

Alongside the reforms, the government is continuing its rollout of mental health support teams in schools, with almost one million more young people to benefit in education settings this year.

And plans to set up Young Futures Hubs will make it easier for young people to access mental health, career and pastoral support in their communities, with youth workers, mental health support workers and careers advisers on hand to support young people’s mental health.

Under the Plan for Change, the government is committed to working beyond the health system to tackle the drivers of mental ill health, such as homelessness and unemployment.

For example, recently announced welfare legislation is getting more people with health conditions back to work, backed by £1 billion to unlock opportunity and grow the economy.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP said:

Too often, people with mental health conditions are left without the support they need to return to work – not because they lack the will, but because the system doesn’t work for them. We’re determined to change that.

By improving access to mental health services and ensuring employment support is better tailored to individual needs, we will transform people’s lives – helping them get back to health and back to work, which is good for them, good for the country and good for the economy.

The public are also encouraged to take positive actions to look after their own mental health, including through creating their own personalised “Mind Plan” on the Every Mind Matters NHS website.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 27 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kākāpō Breeding Season 2026
Source: NZ Department of Conservation

3…2…1, Boom!

Counting down to the kākāpō breeding season

Image credit: DOC.

After a four-year wait, the Kākāpō Recovery team is thrilled that breeding will return in 2026. Together with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy, we’re preparing for what could be the biggest boom in kākāpō chicks yet!

Kākāpō advocacy lead Andie Gentle breaks down the excitement, the science, the challenges, and how the measures of success for the recovery of this taonga species are changing.

Kākāpō chicks | DOC.

Why all the hype?

Admittedly, we always get super excited about breeding seasons – and for good reason.

Kākāpō are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi of southern New Zealand. The world’s only, flightless, nocturnal parrot is critically endangered with just 242 alive today. The breeding populations are only found on three very remote, rugged predator-free islands in the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand; Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

We estimate kākāpō can live between 60-90 years. Most don’t successfully breed until their teens (males) or tweens (females). Even then, they only breed when rimu trees mast (mass fruit) once every 2-4 years. Female kākāpō, who feed their chicks rimu fruit, lay between 1-5 eggs but will usually fledge one chick per season.

Alice and chick Rupi | Jake Osborne/DOC.

Once widespread across the country, kākāpō populations plummeted after humans arrived due to hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators. Since 1995, we’ve worked to rebuild the population from just 51 birds – 31 males, 20 females; and we’ve supported them through 12 breeding seasons, reaching a top population in 2022 of 252.

Many of the earlier seasons produced fewer than a handful of chicks, but as the population has slowly grown, breeding seasons have grown too! In terms of numbers, 2019 has been our biggest breeding season yet, with management initiatives helping produce a record 73 fledglings.

So yes, we do get hyped – because the mahi is intensive and every chick is so precious!

The art of prediction

Using summer temperature patterns, we can predict rimu mast events (and therefore breeding seasons) up to two years in advance. Closer to the season, we collect sample rimu branches from the islands and count the tips to estimate fruiting levels.

Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery’s Technical Advisor Daryl Eason counting rimu tips | DOC.
Images 2 & 3: rimu fruit | DOC.

We know some kākāpō will breed if more than 10 percent of rimu tips bear fruit and that a greater number of kākāpō breed as the percentage of fruit increases.

The latest data for 2026 shows record-high predictions of around 50–60 percent fruiting across all three breeding islands. If this happens there could be potential for nearly all of the 87 breeding-age females to nest in 2026.

What the lek?

Kākāpō are the only lek-breeding parrot in the world. A lek is a mating system where males gather in a communal area, called a lek, to display to females. Male kākāpō spend months preparing ‘track and bowl’ systems (networks of cleared paths and depressions that help resonate sound) where they perform booming and chinging courtship calls. These nightly displays to attract females from across the island can last for weeks or even months on end. Once mating is done, the female takes on all parenting duties – nesting, incubating, and raising the chick’s solo.

Our mahi behind the scenes

Just like male kākāpō preparing for breeding season, we’ve been busy getting ready.

From recruiting and training staff, to ensuring island infrastructure and data networks are running smoothly, it’s all hands-on deck.

Our National Partner, Meridian Energy, plays a vital role in maintaining generators and power systems on the remote breeding islands to support the seasonal influx of people and power critical equipment like chick incubators.

testing machine – 1

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?fit=281%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?fit=580%2C619&ssl=1″ data-id=”56752″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?resize=580%2C619&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-56752″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?resize=959%2C1024&ssl=1 959w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?resize=281%2C300&ssl=1 281w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?resize=768%2C820&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C1282&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/meridian_testing-machine-1.jpg?w=1438&ssl=1 1438w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px”/>

Meridian Energy engineers Mark (left) and Joe (right), at work maintaining the power systems on the kākāpō breeding islands.

Ahead of each season, we strategically transferred some birds between islands, based on their history and genetics, to give them all the best chance of success. Around October we start providing supplementary food to help some birds reach optimal breeding condition.

Each kākāpō wears a radio transmitter that tracks their activity and location year-round. These allow us to learn remotely when matings occur (Dec-Jan), who mated with who, and when females are nesting.

During nesting and hatching (Jan–March), we locate nests, ensure their safety, and set up nearby camps to keep an eye on things. Vulnerable eggs or chicks may need incubators, hand-rearing or taken to the mainland for specialist care.

Through April and May, we continue to monitor chick growth and ensure they fledge safely.

Every breeding season is a chance to grow the kākāpō population, however success goes beyond numbers alone.

Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery Technical Advisor Daryl Eason weighing chick.
Image 2: Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe assess fertility and development of kākāpō egg.
Image 3: Kākāpō eating from feeding hopper | Jake Osborne/DOC
Redefining the measures of success

Kākāpō are among the most intensively managed species on Earth but as the population grows, the same level of on the ground management isn’t sustainable.

After 30 years of managing each bird individually, breeding season success is now less about fledging numbers, and more about working towards establishing self-sustaining populations.

When the population numbered less than 200 birds, it was essential that every single chick made it through. In recent seasons we’ve been stepping back, phasing out nightly nest checks by using genetic ranking to prioritise eggs and chicks, and trialling low-intervention on Te Kākahu / Chalky Island.

The population is still critically endangered, so we’ll keep working hard to increase numbers, but as the population grows, we need to shift the balance towards understanding and supporting a more natural level of survival.

This season, we’ll step back further with:
- Fewer egg and chick checks
- More eggs hatching in nests rather than the safety of incubators
- Allowing mothers to raise multiple chicks
- Reduced supplementary feeding in some areas
- Expanding the low-management trial to parts of Pukenui / Anchor Island
Inevitably, this reduced management approach could result in a higher, more natural number of egg and chick deaths however this move toward minimal intervention is key to a more natural, efficient, and sustainable future for kākāpō recovery.
Mother Makorea and chick Willans together in a nest cavity | Jake Osborne/DOC.

The habitat challenge

While the potential of a record-breaking season is great news, kākāpō still face big challenges. Ongoing research on genetics and disease are helping us learn as much as possible to support a healthy population, but the most pressing challenge is finding more suitable habitat. We are trialling new small islands and a fenced sanctuary site, but what this species really needs is large scale habitat. As a former natural home to kākāpō, Rakiura/Stewart Island is the perfect contender, but introduced predators need to be removed to make it safer for kākāpō to return. You can learn more about why Predator Free Rakiura could be a game changer for kākāpō in this new blog post.

Solstice in nest | DOC.

Let’s make history, together

The 2026 breeding season could mark a significant turning point for kākāpō, not just in numbers, but in how we support the future of this taonga species.

You can support the mahi, and follow along as we bring kākāpō stories from the remote islands of Southern New Zealand to the world.
- Volunteer: This breeding season there will only be a very limited number of volunteer roles available. These will be advertised here in August.
- Donate or Adopt a kākāpō to support Kākāpō Recovery via the Mauri Ora Kākāpō Trust
Our mahi is achieved with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy which provides funding as well as electrical infrastructure, technology and volunteering support to the programme.

Kākāpō receiving medical care at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital (left) and Auckland Zoo (right) | DOC.

Invaluable to the programme too, is the expertise from vet supporters Auckland Zoo and Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, and the transportation of threatened species through the DOC and Air New Zealand national partnership.

With 100 percent of our operational costs covered externally, work to help restore the mauri (lifeforce) of kākāpō is also made possible thanks to the generosity of hundreds of volunteers, supporters and donors.

The kākāpō are ready. We’re ready. Let’s make history, together!

Image credit: DOC.

Share this:

MIL OSI New Zealand News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Australia’s set to accept its one millionth refugee – AMES

Source: AMES

Sometime, probably around October this year, a person will step off aircraft somewhere in Australia in the last stage of their journey way from conflict or persecution.

This person will be the one millionth refugee settled in Australia since the end of World War II.

The Department of Home Affairs says Australia has successfully settled more than 985,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants since the country’s first humanitarian intake occurred in 1947.

With 20,000 refugee places currently allocated for each financial year, the million milestone is due to be reached in the early months of the 2025-26 financial year.

Based on these figures, it is expected the one-millionth arrival to occur sometime between September and November 2025.

The milestone represents a million individual journeys toward refuge and a million stories of people rebuilding their lives in safety with hope for the future.

Since the 1930s, Australia has welcomed refugees fleeing global conflicts — from Jewish refugees before and after World War Two, to Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War.

Following World War Two, Australia entered formal agreements with international bodies to accept displaced people from Europe.

In November 1947, more than 800 people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania arrived in Fremantle. They were the first of 170,000 displaced persons resettled in Australia after World War Two.

Later decades saw more structured resettlement, particularly in response to major global conflicts.

Over the past 40 years, Australia has continued to resettle people from conflict-riven regions, including the Southeast Asia the Middle East, Africa and Myanmar.

Today, refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iraq, Syria, Myanmar and countries in the Horn of Africa continue to arrive under the humanitarian program.

In two recent emergency situations, Australia evacuated 4100 refugees from Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021 and around 4,000 Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who initially arrived on tourist visas after the Russian invasion are new transitioning to permanent protection visas.

CEO of AMES Australia Cath Scarth said the million-refugee mark was a reflection of Australia’s proud history of affording refugee to people fleeing war, conflict or persecution.

“Australia has a generous and sophisticated refugee settlement program that not only offers refuge to people fleeing war or persecution but also equips them to build successful lives and become contributors,” Ms Scarth said.

“We are an example to the world at a time when more than 122 million people are displaced due to war, conflict or persecution,” she said.

Australia is a leading refugee resettlement country, ranking among the top few resettlement countries on a per capita basis.

The United States has historically accepted the greatest number of refugees, but its program has recently been effectively shuttered by the Trump administration, meaning the loss of 100,000 annual resettlement places.

Among refugees who have come to Australia in recent years are:

Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako who, in his homeland, tended to battlefield wounds suffered by soldiers or militia members fighting ISIS or patching up women children horrifically injured in explosions of gunfire.

Ten years later he is still saving lives working a consultant physician, specialising in internal medicine at Warragul Hospital, in Gippsland, Victoria.

The job is the culmination of years of hard work, striving to get his qualifications recognised in Australia.

He had studied and worked as a doctor for almost twenty years before arriving in Australia, but he was forced to jump through extraordinary hoops to be able practice medicine again.

Cambodian refugee Chan Uoy has helped breathe new life into the struggling regional town of Dimboola, in Victoria’s west.

Chan has opened the Dimboola Imaginarium, an eclectic and exotic gift shop and Air BnB recently featured in the high-end magazine Conde Nast Traveller. Chan has also recently become the deputy mayor of the local Hindmarsh Shire.

The Dimboola Imaginarium is a stimulating space with a cornucopia of exotic wares, including an almost life-size giraffe, oversize world globes, and colourfully painted rocking horses. The five Air BB bedrooms have differing but exotic and indulgent décor.

He has also launched the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, which this year is expected to attract 5000 visitors to the town.

Young soccer star Yaya Dukuly is the embodiment of refugee aspiration and success.

The 22-year-old Adelaide United soccer star was born into a refugee family in Guinea. His father is a Liberian and his mother is from Guinea.

Yaya arrived in Australia with his family as a child and grew up in Adelaide. Now a professional footballer and Australian under-23 representative, he is also an emerging community leader and role model.

Yaya brought is powerful and authentic new voice in the multicultural sector, supporting newly arrived refugees and advocating for their communities.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 1 of 8]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Cmdr. Christina Carter, public health nurse deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), writes on a whiteboard during a tabletop training exercise with local nurses of Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

Date Taken: 06.26.2025

Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43

Photo ID: 9134605

VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-9883

Resolution: 7888×5261

Size: 8.65 MB

Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

Web Views: 2

Downloads: 0

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 8 of 8], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

GALLERY

MORE LIKE THIS

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

TAGS

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 2 of 8]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Andrew Kaplan, right, and Chief Hospital Corpsman David, center, both deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), assist a local doctor perform an ultrasound during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

Date Taken: 06.26.2025

Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43

Photo ID: 9134606

VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-3171

Resolution: 8640×5760

Size: 12.03 MB

Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

Web Views: 2

Downloads: 0

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 8 of 8], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

GALLERY

MORE LIKE THIS

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

TAGS

MIL Security OSI –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Paving the Way for States to Ban Planned Parenthood from Seeing Medicaid Patients

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling that paves the way for states to ban Medicaid recipients from getting health care at a Planned Parenthood clinic.
“Women in Nevada and across the nation rely on Planned Parenthood for lifesaving health care – including cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, and other reproductive care services,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m outraged that at a time when Congressional Republicans are looking to kick people off of Medicaid, the Supreme Court is opening the floodgates for anti-choice extremists to ban Medicaid recipients from accessing care at Planned Parenthood. This terrible decision will put women at risk, and it’s why I’ll keep fighting to fully restore women’s reproductive freedom.”
Senator Rosen has been a fighter for women’s reproductive rights, taking action to safeguard access to essential health care for women. This week, she helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine Roe protections in federal law and restore women’s reproductive freedom. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen joined Senate colleagues in introducing the Right to Contraception Act, aimed at federally guaranteeing the right to obtain and use contraceptives and shielding providers who prescribe and offer them.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Frost Introduce Legislation to Decriminalize Homelessness
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) are introducing legislation on the one-year anniversary of the disastrous City of Grants Pass v. Johnson decision, which allows cities to criminalize homelessness. The Housing Not Handcuffs Act aims to prohibit the criminalization of homeless persons on public lands when there is nowhere else to go.

“Every single person in the richest country in the world should be able to have a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep, it’s that simple,” said Jayapal. “There is nowhere in this country where you can pay rent on a minimum wage salary. By criminalizing aspects of homelessness, cities and states across this country are only creating greater barriers for people to access housing — something that is already far too scarce. Fining people who already can’t afford to live makes no sense and will only result in longer-term homelessness.”

“Since the Grants Pass decision, cities across the country have passed nearly 220 bills to criminalize homelessness, including in my own district. These policies don’t solve homelessness instead they dehumanize our unhoused, saddle them with criminal records, and make it even harder for them to find stable housing. It’s a vicious cycle that the Housing Not Handcuffs Act seeks to end,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost. “At a time when the cost of living is at an all-time high and Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will only help the rich get richer and the working poor get poorer— we’re fighting to make sure everyone has access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, not handcuffs.”

In 2024, homelessness increased by 18 percent nationwide, with a record high of 771,480 people experiencing homelessness. At the same time, there is a nationwide shortage of 200,000 shelter beds and a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental homes.

Since the Grants Pass ruling, over 260 anti-homeless laws have been passed by cities and states. Criminalizing homelessness creates greater barriers to accessing housing. Typically, these punishments come with fines, which create further financial strain on people who can already not afford the basics, and may create a criminal record, making it more difficult to get a job or apply for housing.

The Housing Not Handcuffs Act will ensure that people who are homeless cannot be criminally or civilly punished for:
- Living on federal lands unless safe, decent, accessible shelter is available;
- Asking for or sharing food, water, money, or other donations in public places;
- Praying, meditating, or practicing religion in public spaces;
- Occupying a lawfully parked motor vehicle;
- Storing their possessions and enjoying privacy in their personal property to the same degree as property in a private dwelling.
The legislation is sponsored by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Jr (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

It is also endorsed by A Way Home America; American Civil Liberties Union; Catalyst Montana; Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO); Equal Justice Under Law ; Fines & Fees Justice Center; Fund for Empowerment; Funders Together to End Homelessness; Health Students Taking Action Together (H-STAT); Homeless Action Center; Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky; Homeless Rights Advocacy Project; Hygiene4All; Invisible People; Justice in Aging; Juvenile Law Center; Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice; Law Enforcement Action Partnership; Legal Action Center; Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency; Miriam’s Kitchen; Mountain State Justice, Inc.; National Alliance to End Homelessness; National Coalition for the Homeless; National Harm Reduction Coalition; National Health Care for the Homeless Council; National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition; National Homelessness Law Center, National Housing Law Project; National Low Income Housing Coalition; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Vehicle Residency Collective ; One Love World ; Open Table Nashville ; People’s Action; Prison Policy Initiative; RESULTS Educational Fund; Sexual Violence Law Center; Southern Poverty Law Center; Street Books; Street Democracy; University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic; VOCAL-TX; Voice of the Experienced; Voters Organized to Educate; Western Regional Advocacy Project.

Issues: Housing, Transportation, & Infrastructure, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

MIL OSI USA News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight loss

Source: PHARMAC

New GLP-1 agonist (Wegovy) approved for use in New Zealand.

Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) approved for use

In June 2025, Medsafe approved semaglutide (Wegovy) for use in New Zealand for weight loss. Semaglutide has been approved to treat type 2 diabetes, under the name Ozempic, since 2023.

Datasheet for Wegovy | Medsafe [PDF](external link)

Consumer information sheet for Wegovy | Medsafe [PDF](external link)

Semaglutide is not funded

Semaglutide is not funded by Pharmac for either type 2 diabetes (Ozempic) or weightloss (Wegovy). Pharmac has not received an application to fund semaglutide for either weightloss or type 2 diabetes. If we do receive an application, you can find it in our application tracker.

Semaglutide applications in the application tracker(external link)

Any application would need to go through our standard process. It would need to be prioritised against all other applications to fund medicines.

Pharmac’s funding process

How much will semaglutide cost me?

If a health care professional prescribes Wegovy for you, you will need to pay for it. Pharmac does not control this price. You would need to discuss with your pharmacy how much that might be.

Medicines funded to treat type 2 diabetes

Both dulaglutide (Trulicity) and liraglutide (Victoza) are funded for people with type 2 diabetes, who meet the funding criteria. These medicines are also GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide.

Funding had been restricted to help manage a supply issue, but supply has returned to normal so people can be started on these medicines to treat their diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to a health care professional whether one of these medicines might be right for you.

Who to contact

Your health care team are in the best place to discuss whether any of these medicines are right for you.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: New mental health centre to transform care in the Wellington region

Source: New Zealand Government

Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have today marked the beginning of construction on the new Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre in Lower Hutt.
Joined by Hutt South MP Chris Bishop, the Ministers took part in a sod-turning ceremony to celebrate the start of a project that will transform mental health services across the Wellington region.
“Today, I’m proud to announce the Government is investing $38 million in the construction of this world-class facility – alongside an extraordinary $50 million donation from Sir Mark Dunajtschik, who also generously donated $50 million towards the new Wellington Children’s Hospital in 2017,” Mr Brown says.
“This marks an important milestone for Lower Hutt and the wider region. The new centre will provide 34 adult acute inpatient beds – ten more than the existing facility – and will be purpose-built to support modern models of care, helping to deliver better outcomes for patients and their families.
“It will also enhance the region’s mental health infrastructure, offering safer, more therapeutic spaces for those in urgent need.”
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the purpose-built centre would help ensure New Zealanders in distress receive timely, appropriate care.
“People experiencing severe distress deserve care in the right environment, at the right time – it’s not only better for them, but it also helps take pressure off our busy emergency departments.
“That’s why mental health care must be underpinned by high-quality infrastructure that enables clinicians and support staff to deliver the safe, effective, compassionate care Kiwis deserve.
“Sir Mark’s generosity is a powerful act of leadership. It reflects deep compassion, civic spirit, and an enduring commitment to the wellbeing of our communities.
“His $50 million contribution will leave a legacy of hope and care that will benefit generations to come.
“This project is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about improving lives and delivering the mental health outcomes New Zealanders deserve.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Lung cancer screening is about to start. What you need to know if you smoke or have quit

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Olver, Adjunct Professsor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide

Magic mine/Shutterstock

From July, eligible Australians will be screened for lung cancer as part of the nation’s first new cancer screening program for almost 20 years.

The program aims to detect lung cancer early, before symptoms emerge and cancer spreads. This early detection and treatment is predicted to save lives.

Why lung cancer?

Lung cancer is Australia’s fifth most diagnosed cancer but causes the greatest number of cancer deaths.

It’s more common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rural and remote Australians, and lower income groups than in the general population.

Overall, less than one in five patients with lung cancer will survive five years. But for those diagnosed when the cancer is small and has not spread, two-thirds of people survive five years.

Who is eligible?

The lung cancer screening program only targets people at higher risk of lung cancer, based on their smoking history and their age. This is different to a population-wide screening program, such as screening for bowel cancer, which is based on age alone.

The lung cancer program screens people 50-70 years old with no signs or symptoms of lung cancer such as breathlessness, a persisting cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, becoming very tired or losing weight.

To be eligible, current smokers must also have a history of at least 30 “pack years”. To calculate this you multiply the number of packets (of 20 cigarettes) you smoke a day by the number of years you’ve been smoking them.

For instance, if you smoke one packet (20 cigarettes) a day for a year that is one pack year. Smoking two packets a day for six months (half a year) is also a pack year.

People who have quit smoking in the past ten years but have accumulated 30 or more pack years before quitting are also eligible.

Heavy smokers aged 50-70 may be eligible for screening.
Gyorgy Barna/Shutterstock

What does screening involve?

Ask your GP or health worker if you are eligible. If you are, you will be referred for a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. This uses much lower doses of x-rays than a regular CT but is enough to find nodules in the lung. These are small lumps which could be clumps of cancer cells, inflammatory cells or scarring from old infections.

Imaging involves lying on a table for 10-15 minutes while the scanner takes images of your chest. So people must also be able to lie flat in a scanner to be part of the program.

After the scan, the results are sent to you, your GP and the National Cancer Screening Register. You’ll be contacted if the scan is normal and will then be reminded in two years’ time to screen again.

If your scan has findings that need to be followed, you will be sent back to your GP who may arrange a further scan in three to 12 months.

If lung cancer is suspected, you will be referred to a lung specialist for further tests.

What are the benefits and risks?

International trials show screening people at high risk of lung cancer reduces their chance of dying prematurely from it, and the benefits outweigh any harm.

The aim is to save lives by increasing the detection of stage 1 disease (a small cancer, 4 centimetres or less, confined to the lung), which has a greater chance of being treated successfully.

The risks of radiation exposure are minimised by using low-dose CT screening.

The other greatest risk is a false positive. This is where the imaging suggests cancer, but further tests rule it out. This varies across studies from almost one in ten to one in two of those having their first scan. If imaging suggests cancer, this usually requires a repeat scan. But about one in 100 of those whose imaging suggests cancer but were later found not to have it have invasive biopsies. This involves taking a sample of the nodule to see if it contains cancerous cells.

Some people will be diagnosed with a cancer that will never cause a problem in their lifetime, for instance because it is slow growing or they are likely to die of other illnesses first. This so-called overdiagnosis varies from none to two-thirds of lung cancers diagnosed, depending on the study.

Imaging involves a low-dose CT scan.
Peakstock/Shutterstock

How much will it cost?

The Australian government has earmarked A$264 million over four years to screen for lung cancer, and $101 million a year after that.

The initial GP consultation will be free if your GP bulk bills, or if not you may be charged an out-of-pocket fee for the consultation. This may be a barrier to the uptake of screening. Subsequent investigations and consultations will be billed as usual.

There will be no cost for the low-dose CT scans.

What should I do?

If you are 50-70 and a heavy smoker see your GP about screening for lung cancer. But the greater gain in terms of reducing your risk of lung cancer is to also give up smoking.

If you’ve already given up smoking, you’ve already reduced your risk of lung cancer. However, since lung cancer can take several years to develop or show on a CT scan, see your GP if you were once a heavy smoker but have quit in the past ten years to see if you are eligible for screening.

This is the first article in our ‘Finding lung cancer’ series, which explores Australia’s first new cancer screening program in almost 20 years.

More information about the program is available. If you need support to quit smoking, call Quitline on 13 78 48.

Ian Olver receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Lung cancer screening is about to start. What you need to know if you smoke or have quit – https://theconversation.com/lung-cancer-screening-is-about-to-start-what-you-need-to-know-if-you-smoke-or-have-quit-253227

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Calls on White House to Reverse Reported Hiring of Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theorist Lyn Redwood to CDC

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray Calls for Kennedy to Reinstate Fired ACIP Members or Delay Meeting Until New Members Appropriately Vetted; Calls Out Elevation of Conspiracy Theorist like Redwood
ICYMI: At HELP Hearing, Senator Murray Presses CDC Nominee on Commitment to Scientific Integrity, Vaccine Access, as RFK Jr. Fires ACIP Members, Pushes Vaccine Conspiracies
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior Member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement in response to news reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) planned to hired notorious anti-vaccine extremist Lyn Redwood, former longtime President of RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense, to help oversee vaccine safety.
“Republicans and Democrats should both be deeply disturbed by the news that our government plans to appoint another anti-vax extremist to allegedly help oversee vaccine safety at our nation’s premier public health agency. This is as disturbing as it gets, and we cannot become numb to it. I’m calling on the White House to immediately reverse this decision. This White House must not give more conspiracy theorists like Redwood a platform to disseminate even more dangerous lies about vaccines—she’s going to get kids killed because their parents will be too afraid to protect their children against preventable diseases like Measles.
“Vaccines work—they are safe, effective, and lifesaving. We cannot allow a few truly deranged individuals to distort the plain truth and facts around vaccines so badly. I know that my Republican colleagues know this is wrong—now is not the time to be silent. Kids’ lives are on the line. Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Lyn Redwood has no place serving as a health advisor at CDC—or anywhere in the Department.”
Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.
Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s dismantling of HHS and attacks on America’s public health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans’ health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on SCOTUS Ruling Against Planned Parenthood in Medina v. PPSAT

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray, Congressional Democrats File Amicus Brief Supporting Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Medina v. PPSAT
ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Ruling that Republicans Can’t Block Marketplace Plans from Covering Abortion Care in Budget Reconciliation Bill
In Murray-led forum for Dobbs anniversary this week, Senator Murray laid out how defunding Planned Parenthood is part of Republicans’ strategy for a Backdoor Nationwide Abortion Ban
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. The Court found there is no private right of action for people to challenge South Carolina’s decision to end Planned Parenthood’s participation in South Carolina’s Medicaid program:
“The Supreme Court just gave the green light for Republican-led states to defund Planned Parenthood, which will have disastrous consequences for women across the country who rely on Planned Parenthood centers for basic health care—often in areas where there is no other place to receive care they can afford.
“This decision is devastating for millions of low-income women whose access to birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential health care they receive at Planned Parenthood is now in jeopardy. It is a tremendous blow to women who rely on Medicaid and their ability to see the health care provider of their choosing.
“Make no mistake: this attack on Planned Parenthood is happening for no other reason than because Republican anti-abortion extremists are foaming at the mouth to shut down access to abortion care any way they can, no matter the consequences.
“Republicans are full steam ahead on ripping away women’s health care, whether it’s through the courts or through legislation like their Big Ugly Reconciliation Bill seeking to block Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid funding. The Republican agenda is to force women to stay pregnant no matter what and to make health care more expensive and less accessible for working people. I’ll keep fighting every way I can to defend Planned Parenthood and the health care women across this country depend on.”
Senator Murray led Congressional Democrats in an amicus brief in March supporting Planned Parenthood and urging the Supreme Court to affirm the Fourth Circuit’s decision that Medicaid beneficiaries have the right to choose among qualified health care providers, including Planned Parenthood. Senator Murray has been a leading voice raising the alarm over Republicans’ efforts to defund Planned Parenthood as part of their reconciliation bill (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), organizing press conferences and speaking out repeatedly about the widespread harm the provision would cause. The provision to defund Planned Parenthood in Republicans’ legislation would threaten the closure of 200 health centers across the country and rip away care from 1.1 million patients—and cost an estimated $261 million over the next decade.
Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Last January, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Murray led her colleagues in hosting a “State of Abortion Rights” briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans, and last June, she chaired a HELP Committee hearing titled “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America.” Recently, Murray helped lead efforts to force Republicans on the record on votes to protect access to contraception and access to IVF (twice), and she led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration poses to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 26 June 2025 Departmental update WHO’s work on oral health honoured with prestigious Aubrey Sheiham Award

Source: World Health Organisation

WHO’s Global Strategy and Action Plan on Oral Health 2023–2030 has been awarded the Aubrey Sheiham Award for Distinguished Research in Dental Public Health Sciences by the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR)—a non-governmental organization in official relations with WHO.

This marks a historic milestone—it is the first time a normative global health policy, rather than a scientific paper, has received this prestigious recognition. The award underscores the transformative power of evidence-informed, system-level reforms and affirms the collective efforts of WHO technical teams, Member States, partners, and the broader oral health community in shaping the global oral health agenda.

The Aubrey Sheiham Award is named in honour of the late Professor Aubrey Sheiham from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—a pioneering advocate for public health-oriented, evidence-based approaches in oral health. His legacy continues to inspire the global integration of oral health within noncommunicable diseases, universal health coverage and development agendas.

“The recognition of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health with this award is a powerful validation of our shared commitment to advancing oral health as a key pillar of global health,” said Dr Benoit Varenne, Dental Officer in WHO’s oral health programme. “It reflects the consensus that oral diseases are a major public health issue that needs a response embedded into a broader primary health care systems reform.”

WHO will be donating the prize money to the One World campaign—a gesture that aligns with the spirit of the award and supports broader public health engagement and resource mobilization.

The award will be formally presented at the IADR Conference in Barcelona on Thursday, 26 June from 17:30 to 18:30 (CEST).

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Alto Ingredients, Inc. Names Gilbert Nathan Chair, Dianne Nury Vice-Chair and Elects Two New Directors

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

– Jeremy T. Bezdek is a seasoned expert in energy transition –

– Alan R. Tank has played pivotal roles in advancing renewable energy, including decarbonization –

PEKIN, Ill., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO), leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels, and essential ingredients, named Gilbert Nathan Chair and Dianne Nury Vice-Chair of the board of directors and announced that Alan R. Tank and Jeremy T. Bezdek were elected as directors at the Company’s annual meeting on June 25th.

“I am honored to serve as Chairman and look forward to working with the Board and management as we progress on our strategic initiatives to increase shareholder value,” said Gilbert Nathan, Chair of Alto Ingredients. “We welcome our new board members and are excited to add their wealth of experience and expertise.”

“We are thrilled to welcome distinguished industry leaders to our board of directors,” said Bryon McGregor, CEO of Alto Ingredients. “As an entrepreneur, investor, and strategic advisor, Alan has played pivotal roles in advancing renewable energy, including decarbonization. Jeremy’s expertise in capital raising, complex transactions, and operational excellence will be invaluable as Alto Ingredients continues to expand our market presence. Together with the board, their vision and experience will be instrumental as we accelerate our growth strategy and advance our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

Jeremy T. Bezdek is an accomplished senior executive with three decades of experience in leadership, business development, M&A, strategy execution, project development, investment origination, finance and commercial roles across the energy, renewables, and advanced manufacturing sectors. He has large company and startup experience and served on ten boards of directors, both public and private, since 2010. As president and founder of Ad Astra Advisors, Mr. Bezdek provides strategic advisory services, guiding companies through strategy, complex transactions, growth, fundraising, and organizational priorities. Mr. Bezdek spent 26 years with Koch Industries in a variety of finance and commercial leadership roles, including managing director of Koch Strategic Platforms, an investment arm of Koch Investment Group. In that role, he led investments in the energy transition vertical for Koch Strategic Platforms. He spent most of his career at a Koch subsidiary Flint Hills Resources where he directed multi-billion-dollar investments and transformative growth initiatives. Under his leadership, the team was very active in acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, as well as making multiple investments in early-stage development companies related to refining, biofuels and chemicals industries.

Mr. Bezdek has a B.S. in Business Administration, concentration in finance, from the University of Kansas.

Alan R. Tank brings more than three decades of executive leadership and board experience across the agriculture, food, and renewable energy sectors. Since 2024, Mr. Tank has served as an advisor to Mercator Partners, an asset management platform that invests in decarbonization opportunities. Since 2022, he has served as an advisor to Eion Corp, a carbon capture and removal company. Since 2017, he has served as an executive advisor to Blue Sea Capital, a private equity firm focusing on the industrial growth, aerospace and healthcare sectors. Since 2015, he has co-owned and managed Tank Brothers Farm/Tank Customs, his family farm in eastern Iowa, as its managing member. Until 2016, Mr. Tank served as chief executive officer and managing partner of Revolution Energy Solutions, a company he co-founded in 2006 that developed, owned and operated renewable energy/waste-to-energy projects on agricultural platforms in the US. In 2001, Mr. Tank also founded AgCert International, a world leader in the production and sale of agriculturally derived greenhouse gas emission reductions used to satisfy the Kyoto Protocol and European Union Emission Trading Scheme requirements and served as its chief executive officer until 2005. He serves on the board to WestMET Group and Victory Hemp Foods.

Mr. Tank holds a B.S. in Animal Science, from Iowa State University.

About Alto Ingredients, Inc.
Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients. Leveraging the unique qualities of its facilities, the company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and commercial products in the Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Industry & Agriculture; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels markets. For more information, please visit www.altoingredients.com.

Media and Company IR Contact:
Michael Kramer, Alto Ingredients, Inc., 916-403-2755
Investorrelations@altoingredients.com

IR Agency Contact:
Kirsten Chapman, Alliance Advisors Investor Relations, 415-433-3777
Investorrelations@altoingredients.com

The MIL Network –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Trupanion to Host 2025 Annual Investor Day on September 17

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SEATTLE, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trupanion, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUP), a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs, will host its Annual Investor Day on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. This annual event is designed to be the best opportunity for Trupanion shareholders and guests to understand Trupanion’s achievements and challenges over the past year and its strategic vision going forward.

Management remarks are expected to commence shortly after 9:00 am Pacific Time. The event will feature presentations and extensive Q&A with the teams responsible for leading the execution of the Company’s strategic growth plan.

Registration can be found here or on the events portion of Trupanion’s investor relations website found here.

About Trupanion

Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, and certain countries in Continental Europe with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet’s recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “TRUP”. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada or GPIC Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion 309-1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC V7J 0A2 and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. is a registered damage insurance agency and claims adjuster in Quebec #603927. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

Contacts

Laura Bainbridge, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
Gil Melchior, Director, Investor Relations
Investor.Relations@trupanion.com

The MIL Network –

June 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Brands want us to trust them. But as the SPF debacle shows, they need to earn it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University

It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted.

We’ve never really had to scrutinise sunscreen. We slop it on because Sid the Seagull (in his role as spokesbird for the Cancer Council) told us to. We’ve learned about sun protection factors (SPF) and made choices to protect ourselves. We do it because it works.

Or so we thought.

Consumer group Choice recently tested 20 sunscreen brands and found only four met their labelled SPF claims. The findings have shaken consumers’ trust in the brands that make these products, and perhaps, in the institutions responsible for regulating them.

Trust is the silent architecture of our lives that makes everything from catching a bus to undergoing surgery feel possible. Indeed, we are born into trust. From infancy, we are wired to trust, first in our caregivers, then later in life in the cues and symbols such as endorsements, SPF ratings, brands or rankings that help us navigate a complex world.

It’s also why we rarely read the fine print or terms and conditions.

The original Sid the Seagull video from the Cancer Council.

The role of power in trust relationships

Trust, and its erosion in public life, has become such a critical issue that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has made it a focus of Friday’s Consumer Congress, titled “Who can we trust? Regulating in an environment of declining consumer trust”.

Something that is often missed in discussions around trust is that it is also a social arrangement, shaped by power and vulnerability. Trust is nearly always asymmetric; those with the least power are usually required to place their trust first and most fully.

The powerful rarely have to reciprocate that vulnerability. They hold the information, set the rules and shape the narrative. When things go wrong, the powerful often walk away relatively unscathed, while the vulnerable are left to navigate complex complaints or refund systems.

Increasingly, we are told to be savvy, to read the fine print and to “do the research”.
But putting the responsibility on the individual reframes structural failures as personal shortcomings. It places the burden of vigilance and scrutiny on people who lack the time or expertise to meaningfully assess risk.

A breach of faith

The issue is compounded by a wider trend across many businesses that have misread their relationship with consumers. Much of our trust in brands is automatic.

We are more inclined to trust claims from familiar or warm-sounding sources, with research showing warmth comes first. People tend to judge others and institutions by their perceived warmth before considering their competence. So a brand that feels benevolent often earns our trust before we assess its actual performance.

Qantas, a brand that built its entire identity around the idea that it was “us”, trashed our trust when it began acting like a transactional retail business, rather than one built on relationships.

Management and the board failed to grasp they had been given something rare: a kind of cultural endearment underpinned by trust and perceived reciprocity that made Australians feel personally invested in its success.

While Qantas does retain market share, the erosion of this emotional bond means many customers are more willing to try its competitors. It will struggle to rebuild that trust simply with price deals or heartstring-tugging ad campaigns.

One of Qantas’ ad campaigns with an emotional appeal to customers.

The response matters

For organisations such as the Cancer Council, whose trustworthiness is built on moral authority, the response to failure matters deeply. Its decision to acknowledge the findings and commit to retesting was more than public relations. It was an act of relational repair.

In contrast, some of the other corporate brands in the survey responded by disputing Choice’s methodology. That reveals an outdated corporate reflex – one that attacks the messenger rather than engaging with the message. This defensive posture reflects a mindset shaped more by legal risk and brand control than by public accountability or ethical responsibility.

Still, individual responses are not enough. We need systems designed with human limits in mind. Trust cannot be sustained if it is constantly tested by complexity, misinformation and opaque accountability.

Consumer bodies such as Choice provide a public service by filling the gap between what people assume and what they can verify. But more broadly, businesses and regulators must treat trust as a relationship, not a marketing goal.

The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout

Rebuilding trust means putting people at the centre of consumer regulation. A human-centred system does not treat people as problems to be managed. It treats them as participants in a shared moral project. It requires systems grounded in evidence, designed around real human behaviour and focused on preventing harm rather than managing fallout.

One way to do this is through collaborative regulation. This approach brings together consumer representatives, regulators, behavioural experts and industry to design rules and standards that reflect how people actually behave (as opposed to how we hope they behave). This reduces asymmetries of power, and ensures trust is earned and maintained over time.

This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in local government and health. But it only works when collaboration is approached in good faith by all parties, not just a “tick-the-box” exercise.

Of course, this approach runs counter to a legal system that tends to prioritise the system over the people it serves, and process over outcomes. But the goal shouldn’t be to force better ideas into outdated frameworks. Instead, we should design systems that lead to better outcomes for everyone.

Paul Harrison has received research funding from ASIC, the Consumer Action Law Centre, ACCAN, Victorian Health Association, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

– ref. Brands want us to trust them. But as the SPF debacle shows, they need to earn it – https://theconversation.com/brands-want-us-to-trust-them-but-as-the-spf-debacle-shows-they-need-to-earn-it-259565

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Bruce T. Liang Reappointed Dean of UConn School of Medicine

Source: US State of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut has reappointed Dr. Bruce T. Liang to a third five-year term as dean of its UConn School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2025.

Liang has served in this UConn leadership role since 2015, in addition to serving UConn Health and his heart patients as a cardiovascular physician-scientist at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center of UConn Health.

Dean Liang speaking with UConn Provost Anne D’Alleva on April 23 at the launch event for the ‘Because of UConn’ Campaign, the largest in University history. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

“His continued leadership reflects the strong foundation he has built and the significant progress achieved over the past decade,” shared UConn Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne D’Alleva in her announcement.

Liang is applauded for leading the School of Medicine through a period of meaningful growth and advancement. During his last five-year term alone, he oversaw the full implementation of the MDelta curriculum, which has enriched the educational experience for students and improved outcomes. The School has also expanded its class size, exceeding the initial targets set by Bioscience Connecticut, a state investment launched in 2011 to position Connecticut as a leader in biomedical research and innovation. In addition, Liang led the development of a Science Strategy Plan aligned with the University’s priorities, recruited exceptional faculty, and helped drive an increase in NIH funding. In fact, under Liang’s leadership the medical school has received record-breaking research grant funding of over $100 million year after year. Plus, collaborative partnerships with Jackson Laboratories and Connecticut Children’s have deepened, further elevating the School’s research profile.

UConn’s medical school proudly remains the top contributor to Connecticut’s health care workforce, with many graduates staying in the state to practice. Its Graduate Medical Education programs have robustly grown and now rank in the top 10% nationally. The School is also a significant producer of many new scientists and public health experts.

Dr. Bruce T. Liang delivering his 2025 Commencement address to the graduating medical students in the Class of 2025. (Thomas Hurlbut Photography)

Liang has also strengthened community service programs, securing major grants, supporting the Urban Service Track, Area Health Education Center, Health Career Opportunity Programs, and Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs, as well as expanding care access through clinics serving immigrants in the state.

During his past term as dean, Liang also served as Interim CEO of UConn Health, for more than two years, guiding the institution through a key leadership transition with professionalism, growth, integrity, and a clear commitment to the university’s mission.

“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Liang on his reappointment and thanking him for his continued service to UConn Health and the University of Connecticut,” said D’Alleva.

“Thank you to the Provost, the University of Connecticut, and UConn Health for once again entrusting me to take our amazing medical school and its people, along with their innovative medicine, medical education, and research to even greater pinnacles,” said Liang. “It makes me so proud to be reappointed to serve as your dean for a third time— and to be a UConn Husky.”

Liang is an internationally recognized cardiologist and researcher and national leader in academic medicine. He has been consistently named one of America’s Top Doctors and Best Doctors in America for cardiovascular disease care. His cutting-edge translational research contributions have advanced scientific knowledge about heart disease. His latest research investigations have developed a new potential medication for advanced heart failure patients. His research has been continuously funded since 1986 by the NIH, the American Heart Association, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Dr. Liang applauding the research poster of a public health student trainee at UConn School of Medicine. (Photo by Tharun Palla/Public Health Sciences)

In addition to serving as the longtime dean of UConn School of Medicine, he is the Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine. Before joining the UConn Health faculty in 2002, for 13 years he served the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. Liang received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in biochemistry and molecular biology and his medical degree from Harvard Medical College. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and cardiology fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association, and is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of University Cardiologists, the Council on Clinical Cardiology and Basic Cardiovascular Sciences, and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Increasing New York’s Housing Supply
Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that nearly 3,000 affordable, modern, energy-efficient homes will be created or preserved in communities throughout New York State as a result of $1 billion in housing bonds and subsidies. The latest funding awards help advance the Governor’s commitment to increasing the housing supply and making the State more affordable. The 15 projects receiving funding are part of the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion comprehensive Housing Plan that will create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York State.

“Solving New York’s housing crunch and cutting costs for families hinges on increasing home availability statewide,” Governor Hochul said. “Through these investments, we’re helping produce more affordable, modern, supportive, sustainable housing. This is going to help push costs down, keep our state strong and provide housing opportunities to thousands of New Yorkers.”

Financing is allocated through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s recent bond issuances which provided $560 million in tax-exempt housing bonds and $466 million in subsidy. All awarded projects will achieve high levels of sustainability and carbon reduction. When coupled with additional private funding and resources, the projects receiving funding are expected to generate $1.5 billion in overall investment.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “With more than $1 billion allocated to these 15 projects through housing bonds and subsidies, we’re helping deliver nearly 3,000 affordable, sustainable, and supportive homes that will serve New Yorkers for years to come. These developments are part of the Governor’s $25 billion Housing Plan, which has already created or preserved more than 60,000 affordable homes in communities across New York. From New York City to the North Country, we are tackling the housing crisis head-on and supporting Governor Hochul’s mission to expand housing options, improve affordability, and foster economic growth across the State.”

New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “I applaud this significant investment in affordable housing, including this critical project right here in Yonkers, as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring safe, modern, and affordable homes across every region of New York State. The Senate Majority has been at the forefront of driving this historic effort, recognizing that access to quality housing is fundamental to thriving communities. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work with Governor Hochul and the Assembly to build on this progress and create even greater housing opportunities for all New Yorkers.”

The awarded projects are:

New York City
- $23 million for Kittay House in the Bronx – Rehabilitation of a Mitchell-Lama development built in 1969 in the Fordham neighborhood. The 295-unit development for seniors includes a common kitchen, dining hall, recreation rooms, a doctor’s office, and is conveniently located near health care and services. Developed by Kittay Senior Housing.
- $326 million for Vital Brooklyn Alafia Phase 2 in Brooklyn – Construction of two 14-story, mixed-use buildings with 634 units and over 12,000 square feet of commercial space as part of the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Development Center. Includes 47 units with supportive services for individuals struggling with homelessness. The development is a component of the State’s Vital Brooklyn initiative to address chronic social, economic, and health disparities in central Brooklyn. Developed by Apex Real Estate Development.
- $40 million for Emerson Davis Apartments in Brooklyn – Demolition of an obsolete building and the new construction of a 12-story building with 103 affordable and supportive apartments in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. The development will include supportive social service space for residents in the Emerson-Davis Family Residence program. Developed by Institute for Community Living.
- $142 million for Edgemere Commons in Queens – Construction of an 18-story, mixed-use building with 244 units and nearly 4,000 square feet of commercial space at the former Peninsula Hospital site in Far Rockaway. Includes 73 units with supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, as well as 9,000 square feet of community facility space set aside for a daycare facility. Developed by Tishman Speyer.
- $63 million for Westbeth Artist Housing in Manhattan – Rehabilitation of the historic Westbeth Artist Housing in the West Village with 385 residential units and 73 commercial units across eight buildings. The affordable live-work housing for artists, includes studios, a gallery, a theater, commercial spaces, and landscaped park and courtyard. Developed by Westbeth Corp. Housing Development Fund Company.
- $9 million for Jericho House in Manhattan – Rehabilitation and expansion of a 48-unit affordable housing and supportive development, with eight units added for a total of 56. All apartments are set aside for formerly homeless individuals. The development is receiving funding from the Clean Energy Initiative. Developed by the Jericho Project.
Capital Region
- $72 million for Northgate Landing in Albany – Construction of two, four-story buildings in the Bishop’s Gate neighborhood with 185 apartments for families. The development will include community space and fitness center, and is close to health care, retail, and services. Developed by Conifer.
Finger Lakes
- $46 million for Gardner’s Lofts in Rochester – Adaptive reuse of a former historic mill consisting of six interconnected five-story buildings with 88 affordable and supportive apartments for formerly homeless veterans and families. The development will include office space for services provided by Soldier On. Developed by Winn Development.
Mid-Hudson
- $36 million for Rip Van Winkle Apartments in Poughkeepsie – Acquisition and rehabilitation of an 18-story building containing 179 affordable apartments. The development is receiving funding from the Clean Energy Initiative and will be fully electrified. Developed by Related Affordable.
- $43 million for 345 McLean Avenue in Yonkers – New construction of a 12-story building containing 105 units for seniors aged 62 or older, including 31 units with supportive services for households experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Developed by Verus Development.
- $107 million for 345 Q-West Towers in Mount Vernon – New construction of a 15-story building containing 115 units and a 12-story building containing 114 units. Both buildings will also include commercial space. Developed by Simone Development Companies.
Mohawk Valley
- $14 million for Historical Park Apartments in Utica – Acquisition and rehabilitation of an 11-story building originally built in 1973 that contains 121 affordable apartments set aside for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as one market-rate unit. Developed by SpringTide Housing.
North Country
- $15 million for Beekman Towers in Plattsburgh – Acquisition and rehabilitation of an 11-story building originally built in 1974 that contains 124 affordable apartments set aside for seniors and people with disabilities. Developed by SpringTide Housing.
- $44 million for Pine Camp Apartments in Watertown – New construction of a four-story building containing 120 affordable apartments, including 80 with supportive services for veterans, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Developed by DePaul.
Southern Tier
- $46 million for Saratoga Heights in Binghamton – Acquisition and rehabilitation of 100 units in 11 existing townhouse-style residential buildings and one community building owned by the Binghamton Housing Authority. The development is receiving funding from the Clean Energy Initiative. Developed by 3D Development Group.
Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY26 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY23 Enacted Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

The FY25 and FY26 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program — which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have received Pro Housing certification.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH Recommends Reopening the Swimming Area at Oakland Beach

Source: US State of Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recommends reopening the swimming area at Oakland Beach for swimming because bacteria counts have returned to safe levels.

RIDOH will continue to monitor and review beach water quality through Labor Day. The status of a beach may change as new data become available. The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751). A list of closed beaches can also be accessed at https://health.ri.gov/beaches/

MIL OSI USA News –

June 27, 2025

Date Taken:	06.26.2025
Date Posted:	06.26.2025 18:43
Photo ID:	9134605
VIRIN:	250626-N-ED646-9883
Resolution:	7888×5261
Size:	8.65 MB
Location:	NUKU’ALOFA, TO

Web Views:	2
Downloads:	0

Web Views:	2
Downloads:	0

Category: Health

The importance of desiccants

Is silica gel toxic?

Desiccants come in other forms, too

I found something that doesn’t seem to be silica gel – what is it?

Can I reuse a desiccant?

What are the concerns about plane travel with allergies?

Staying safe on a plane with allergies

What can other passengers and airlines do?

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Excluding Planned Parenthood

A ‘free-choice-of-provider’ requirement

Restricting Medicaid funds

Consequences beyond South Carolina

Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision That Paves Way to Eliminate Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

49% of Planned Parenthood patients access care via Medicaid and/or the Title X family planning program; FACT SHEET: In WA State – Planned Parenthood serves 100,000 patients annually, about half are Medicaid recipients

Boost to mental health services from thousands of extra staff

Share this page

Updates to this page

Share this:

PUBLIC DOMAIN

GALLERY

MORE LIKE THIS

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

TAGS

PUBLIC DOMAIN

GALLERY

MORE LIKE THIS

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

TAGS

Semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) approved for use

Semaglutide is not funded

How much will semaglutide cost me?

Medicines funded to treat type 2 diabetes

Who to contact

Why lung cancer?

Who is eligible?

What does screening involve?

What are the benefits and risks?

How much will it cost?

What should I do?

The role of power in trust relationships

A breach of faith

The response matters

The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout