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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Works to Give Maine People Access to Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs from Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow Americans to save money by importing the same medications from pharmacies in Canada — for less. The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act would give Americans safe access to prescription drugs from Canada, which would help lower costs, increase access for consumers and positively impact the domestic market for consumers through increased competition.

    According the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), studies have shown that people in the United States often pay more for prescription drugs than in other developed countries. A 2024 report from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) found that Canadian drug prices are roughly 44% of those in the United States. Canada’s drug prices are generally lower than those in the United States because the Canadian government has implemented various mechanisms to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Last year, Florida became the first state to gain authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to import certain prescription drugs from Canada.

    “As we work to address the cost-of-living, making the prescription drug market more competitive is a simple way to help Americans — especially when we’re seeing our neighbors to the north enjoy lower out-of-pocket prices,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act would give Maine people the ability to purchase their prescriptions directly from pharmacies across the northern border at the market rate of a less expensive marketplace. This legislation is a commonsense step that will help Maine people save money and stay healthy.”

    In addition to Senator King, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    Senator King has been a leader in working to reduce prescription drug costs. He also recently cosponsored bipartisan legislation which would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs in order to inform patients who are considering certain medications after seeing television commercials. He previously introduced legislation to prohibit pharmaceutical drug manufacturers from claiming tax deductions for consumer advertising expenses. Most recently, Senator King introduced the Responsibility in Drug Advertising Act, which would prohibit direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of a new drug in the first three years after the drug receives Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

    He has also supported a number of commonsense bills to drive down the costs of prescription medication in the United States including the historic Inflation Reduction Act. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin fees are capped at $35 per month, Medicare is able to negotiate drug prices, and a $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket expenses has been instituted for Medicare recipients.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN report urges Colombia to protect civilians amid ongoing violence

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    24 February 2025 Human Rights

    The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has issued a stark warning about ongoing violence in Colombia perpetrated by armed groups and criminal organisations, which threatens the country’s nearly ten year old peace accord. 

    The newly published report covering 2024, highlights the devastating impact on civilians, particularly Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and peasants.

    The report details how these armed groups use violence to exert control over the population, furthering their own economic interests and undermining governance.

    Catatumbo region

    The escalation of fighting in the Catatumbo region since mid-January, which resulted in over 52 deaths and the forced displacement of tens of thousands, underscores the severe suffering of civilians caught in the conflict.

    UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasised the need for the Colombian Government to prioritise the protection of its population in negotiations with non-State armed groups.

    “Ensuring the State is present throughout Colombia and has unrestricted access to areas where these groups operate is essential to guarantee everyone’s rights.

    “This includes preventing the recruitment of children under the age of 18 and securing the immediate release of those already under the control of armed groups,” Mr. Türk stated.

    Child recruits

    The report reveals that 216 children were recruited by non-State armed groups in 2024, many of them from Indigenous communities.

    Mr Türk urged the authorities to take immediate measures to protect these vulnerable populations, particularly those at extreme risk due to the ongoing internal armed conflicts.

    In addition to the recruitment of children, OHCHR verified that 252 people were killed in 72 massacres last year.

    A further 89 human rights defenders were also killed during this period. The UN rights chief welcomed the resumption of dialogue between the State and civil society on the protection of human rights defenders but stressed that more needs to be done to ensure their safety, especially for those defending the environment.

    The report also calls for the prompt implementation of the Escazú Agreement, a regional environmental and human rights treaty ratified by Colombia last year.

    Environmental protections

    Mr. Türk highlighted the importance of this agreement in protecting both the environment and those who defend it.

    To accelerate the implementation of the Security Council and UN-backed 2016 Peace Agreement which ended decades of insurgency against the Government by FARC rebels, the report urges the Colombian authorities to prioritise the protection of civilians and strengthen governance in various regions.

    It also emphasises the need for coordinated efforts in implementing the Government’s security, total peace, and dismantling policies.

    Some progress

    Despite the challenges, the report acknowledges progress in several areas, including comprehensive rural reform and the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace – the transitional justice tribunal established by the Peace Agreement.

    Recent decisions to indict former commanders of the FARC-EP guerrilla and former high-ranking military officials with crimes against humanity and war crimes are seen as fundamental steps in the fight against impunity and in fulfilling the rights of victims to truth and justice.

    The report also welcomes ongoing reforms of the security sector, including the police and intelligence services, aimed at strengthening respect for human rights, transparency, and accountability.

    The willingness of these institutions to continue cooperating with the UN Human Rights Office is seen as a positive development.

    The report is scheduled to be presented to the Human Rights Council on 3 March 2025.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sanctions rarely achieve their goals – here’s why they failed in Russia and Myanmar

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sergey Sosnovskikh, Lecturer in International Business, Manchester Metropolitan University

    Sanctions are, according to research, effective less than 10% of the time if success is defined as the complete compliance of a sanctioned regime with the imposed external pressure. Taking a more lenient view, which includes partial concessions or negotiated settlements, the success rate rises to 35% at most.

    The idea that sanctions can completely restrict trade to sanctioned countries is largely flawed. Iranian residents, for example, can still access many western products despite sanctions through intermediaries in countries like Turkey and the Gulf states.

    To better understand why sanctions fail, consider the cases of Russia and Myanmar. The sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have undoubtedly caused some economic disruption, including inflation, labour shortages and a devaluation of the Russian rouble. But they have had a limited impact overall.

    In April 2024, the International Monetary Fund predicted that Russia’s economy would grow faster than all of the world’s advanced economies that year, including the US.

    Many countries have not participated in the west’s sanctions regime, which has created enforcement gaps. These gaps have largely enabled Russia to maintain access to sanctioned goods and continue its economic activities.

    In January 2023, a US thinktank called Silverado reported that some former Soviet states had increased their “transshipment” of goods produced by multinational firms that no longer export to Russia directly.

    Transshipment is a process where cargo is unloaded from one vessel and reloaded into another while in transit. Armenia and Uzbekistan, as well as China and Turkey, are the countries commonly used as “transshipment points” to Russia.

    Indeed, research of our own into how sanctioned goods continue to reach Russia reveals that companies often reroute their supply chains through politically allied intermediary nations. These rerouted imports can, however, drive up product prices for ordinary citizens.

    Stacks of containers at a port in St Petersburg, Russia.
    Andrey Mihaylov / Shutterstock

    Russia has also reduced its dependency on imports by increasing production in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. In August 2023, for example, India and Russia signed the biggest ever grain deal between the two countries.

    And the Russian government implemented fiscal and monetary measures, including currency controls and subsidies, to stabilise the economy and support key industries.

    Russia’s large, diverse economy and abundant natural resources make it more resilient to sanctions compared to some smaller and less diversified nations. Much of the world is reliant on Russian gas and, since the imposition of western sanctions, countries like China and India have increased the amount they buy.

    Even the EU is still spending billions of US dollars on Russian gas. In the first 15 days of 2025, after an agreement allowing Russia to pump gas to the EU via pipelines running across Ukraine ended, the EU’s 27 countries imported Russian gas at a record rate.

    Sanctioning Myanmar’s military

    Targeted western sanctions have tried to undermine the financial interests of Myanmar’s military junta, which has been battling armed opposition to its rule since a coup in 2021. But these sanctions have only been partially effective, too.

    China, India, Japan and neighbouring south-east Asian countries continue to engage in business with Myanmar. In Myanmar’s lucrative gas export sector, the vacuum left by departing western companies has been swiftly filled by Asian partners. This has ensured the junta’s income streams remain largely intact.

    Brands that have ostensibly exited the market due to sanctions or activist pressure also remain accessible through the country’s porous border trade. And there have been cases where a significant delay between a company’s declared exit and its actual departure inadvertently allowed operations to continue as usual for some time.

    In 2024, we conducted a study with our colleague Anna Grosman, an expert on innovation and entrepreneurship at Loughborough University, on multinational firms operating in Myanmar. Our findings highlight the dilemma foreign businesses face in sanctioned countries over whether to stay or leave.

    This decision is shaped by formal pressure, such as home and host government restrictions. For instance, a multinational firm’s home government may penalise companies that continue to operate in a sanctioned country, while the host government may impose policies or financial barriers to prevent or delay their exit.

    However, informal pressure from activists, diaspora groups and international advocacy organisations also plays a role. Staying can help businesses avoid financial losses and the complexities of exit, but it also exposes them to reputational damage and ethical dilemmas.

    Western sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime have been ineffective, too.
    R. Bociaga / Shutterstock

    Some of the junta’s financial channels, such as revenue from the jade mining industry, are out of reach for sanctions. In 2021, the US treasury department sanctioned Myanmar’s state-owned gemstone company, Myanmar Gem Enterprise, describing it as “a key economic resource” for the military.

    However, sanctions on Myanmar Gem Enterprise have not been completely effective. Myanmar’s gemstone mining industry is mostly an informal sector, with data on mining income and distribution underreported and opaque. Continued revenue from this sector will almost certainly have further cushioned the impact of western sanctions.

    The sanctions have only partially stopped the flow of income to the junta. But they have contributed to the hardships facing ordinary citizens. Myanmar’s currency has cratered, while imported goods including pharmaceuticals and fuel are in short supply. Power outages are now common and there are soaring levels of unemployment.

    Some western governments have now imposed sanctions on state-owned banks in Myanmar in an attempt to stop revenue from reaching the junta. This move will only worsen the situation facing Myanmar’s people.

    Sanctions drive nations towards building domestic industries to replace imported goods and strengthening alliances with supportive countries. Far from achieving their intended political objectives, sanctions can exacerbate an already volatile geopolitical landscape, while driving up prices for ordinary people.

    But at the same time, governments and businesses have a duty to exit a country when they are no long able to adhere to their own human rights commitments.

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

    – ref. Sanctions rarely achieve their goals – here’s why they failed in Russia and Myanmar – https://theconversation.com/sanctions-rarely-achieve-their-goals-heres-why-they-failed-in-russia-and-myanmar-244975

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Leads Senate Colleagues in Urging Secretary Rubio to Restore Critical Global Health Programs to Keep Americans Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 20 colleagues in calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urgently restore funding for global health, development, and humanitarian programs. In the wake of the Trump administration’s abrupt termination of key foreign assistance programs and personnel without review, the letter highlights the national security imperatives of U.S. global health efforts, which keep Americans safe, strengthen U.S. leadership, and increase global stability.

    “The Trump Administration’s freeze on foreign assistance and opaque waiver process, coupled with the attempted dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has significantly weakened our ability to respond to emergencies, left gaps in disease surveillance, and undermined global partnerships— leaving a vacuum that our adversaries are eager to fill,” the Senators wrote.  

    The Senators expressed concern that without American global health programs, current outbreaks of infectious diseases like Ebola, Marburg Virus, and Bird Flu have the potential for spreading to U.S. soil. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an infectious disease can spread from a remote village to a major city in the United States in as little as 36 hours. Additionally, the foreign assistance funding freeze has stopped critical Malaria interventions before peak transmission and paused many clinical trials and data collection endeavors that require continuous data collection. As a result, product development for desperately needed drugs and vaccines have been brought to a halt. 

    “The U.S. cannot afford to withdraw from the global stage. Weak health systems in already fragile regions create opportunities for infectious disease to spread unchecked, for extremist groups to gain influence, and for adversaries to expand their reach,” the Senators continued.

    The Senators warned Secretary Rubio that Russian leaders have publicly praised the decision to dismantle USAID, an agency that helps counter China’s efforts to expand its Belt and Road Initiative in Africa and Latin America. Additionally, China is already stepping in to fill the vacuum left by the United States at the World Health Organization.  

    “We urge you to reverse the damaging personnel actions at USAID, and swiftly restart U.S. investments in global health, development, and humanitarian aid—not just as a moral obligation, but as part of the necessary strategy to protect America’s national security. In the meantime, there must be a clear process to achieve and implement waivers for these critical programs… Restoring these investments and the professional staff with training and skillsets to implement these life-saving programs will strengthen global health security, reinforce our leadership on the world stage, and make us safer at home,” the Senators concluded.

    The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT),  Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). 

    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders to Colleagues on Senate Floor: “Do You Have the Courage to Continue Telling the Truth When the President is Lying?”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today gave remarks on the floor of the Senate regarding President Trump’s lies and asking his colleagues when they will stand up to the president.
    Sanders’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE: 
    We live in difficult times – in times where people throughout our country are experiencing a great deal of anxiety for a number of reasons. And in the midst of all of that, it is important that we not forget what is taking place, not only in Ukraine, but back home here in the United States. 
    And back home, right now, tens of millions of Americans are struggling economically to keep their heads above water. 60% of our people are living paycheck to paycheck. 85 million are uninsured or underinsured. And we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major nation on Earth. 
    And as someone who has visited senior centers throughout the state of Vermont and has spoken to seniors throughout our country, I can tell you that there is a significant level of fear and anxiety among the older people in this country with regard to what’s happening right here in DC. 
    When we have a president of the United States and Republicans who are talking about massive cuts to Medicaid, let’s understand – and seniors do understand – that we are not just talking about throwing millions of kids off the health care that they have, at a time when we are the only major country on Earth not to provide health care to all people, not just kids, off of health care.
    We are talking about massive cuts to community health centers, which receive over 40% of their funding from Medicaid, and where millions of seniors go to get the primary care they need. 
    And at a time when we already have a major crisis in nursing home availability, let us understand that Medicaid provides funding for two out of every three seniors who live in nursing homes. In other words, massive cuts to Medicaid would be a disaster for senior citizens throughout this country. But it is not just Medicaid cuts that worry our seniors. 
    Today, quite unbelievably, 25% of people in our country who are 65 years of age or older are trying to survive on incomes of $15,000 a year or less. I, myself, do not know how anybody, let alone a senior with health care needs, can survive on $15,000 a year, but that is what 25% of our seniors are trying to do. 
    Mr. President, this issue of so many seniors struggling to get by, struggling to heat their homes, struggling to buy the food or the prescription drugs they need – this is an issue we must address. And it is a crisis that is unacceptable in the richest country in the history of the world. 
    And that is why, Mr. President, I am proud to tell you that within the next several weeks I, along with a number of cosponsors, will be introducing legislation that expands Social Security benefits and extends the solvency of Social Security for decades.
    We’re hearing a lot of talk about cutting Social Security. We should not be talking about cutting Social Security. We must be talking about expanding Social Security benefits. And the legislation that I will introduce will do just that. 
    It will expand social security benefits by $2,400 a year, and it would not raise taxes by one penny on the bottom 93% of Americans – those who make less than $250,000 a year. And how do we do that? By lifting the cap and applying the Social Security payroll tax on all income above $250,000.
    Unbelievably, under current law, a billionaire pays the same amount of money into Social Security as someone who makes $176,000 a year. Elon Musk, worth $400 billion, pays the same amount into Social Security as somebody who makes $176,000. That is because, under Social Security, there is an absurd cap on taxable income. 
    If we lifted that cap and made sure that millionaires and billionaires paid the same percentage of their income into Social Security as the working class of this country, we could extend the life of Social Security for generations to come and lift millions of seniors out of poverty. 
    Further, Mr. President, when we talk about the needs of senior citizens in this country, I want to mention that I will also be introducing legislation to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing.
    It is unacceptable that millions of seniors are unable to read a newspaper because they cannot afford eyeglasses, can’t have conversations with their grandchildren because they can’t afford hearing aids, and have trouble eating because they cannot afford dentures. That should not be happening in the United States of America in the year 2025. 
    Expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing is an extremely popular concept. Poll after poll shows that 80% of the American people – Democrats, Republicans, Independents – support doing just that. 
    All across this country there is a growing fear that the Trump administration is undermining the Constitution of our country – a Constitution which has kept us a free nation and an example, a model of the rest of the world, for the last 250 years. 
    During the last month alone, President Trump has attempted to usurp the powers of Congress illegally and unconstitutionally, refusing to fund programs passed by Congress. 
    He has illegally destroyed agencies like USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that were created by Congress. And under the leadership of Mr. Musk, they have illegally and inappropriately gained access to tax data and Social Security data of millions of Americans. 
    Every day, they are acting in an illegal and unconstitutional manner. Just this week, President Trump tweeted, “he who saves his country does not violate any law.” 
    Wow. 
    In other words, Mr. Trump sees himself, the president of the United States, as above the law and immune from the basic rules of the Constitution and the separation of powers that have governed this country since the founding. 
    “Anything I want to do, I’m president, I can do it. It doesn’t matter what Congress says, it doesn’t matter what the Constitution says, it doesn’t matter what the rule of law is about. I don’t need to hear from anybody else.” 
    That’s not what Americans fought and died to preserve. In regard to the move to authoritarianism, let me say a few words about an area that I think has not gotten much attention at all. And that is Trump’s attack on the free press, which is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The Founding Fathers of this country considered freedom of speech and free press to be enormously important. That was the First Amendment. 
    Mr. Trump has sued CBS and its parent company, Paramount, for $20 billion because he didn’t like how they edited an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The company is now reportedly considering settling the lawsuit, and I certainly hope they do not do that, out of fear of retaliation from Trump’s FCC. 
    He did not like a television program on CBS. But you don’t sue somebody for $20 billion because you didn’t like the program. 
    And obviously, the intention of that lawsuit is clear: and that is that CBS, and every other network and media outlet, will now have to look over their shoulder. “Oh, my goodness, we’re saying something critical of Donald Trump. Is he going to sue us for $5 billion or $10 billion? Maybe we should not run that Maybe we should not do that investigative report.” 
    Not just CBS. In recent times he has sued ABC. He has sued Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. He has sued the Des Moines Register. 
    What crime did a little newspaper in Iowa make? What was their crime? They ran a poll which turned out, in retrospect, to be inaccurate. So pollsters all over America, be careful.  
    How absurd is that? And what kind of threat is it to freedom of speech and expression in this country? 
    Mr. President, when we talk about the Trump administration’s movement toward authoritarianism, we should take note of another remarkable and troubling set of events that happened just this week. We saw the president of the United States openly aligning himself with the dictator of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to undermine the independence of Ukraine and abandon our closest democratic allies in Europe. 
    Trump made it clear that he sees one of the world’s most brutal dictators as his pal. And our long time democratic allies as his enemies. 
    It appears that Mr. Trump wants a world that is safe for authoritarians and oligarchs, but dangerous and unstable for democracies. And when we talk about authoritarianism, we have got to mention the growing phenomenon in this country of the Big Lie: say something that is blatantly untrue, repeat it over and over again and then blast that lie out on social media until people actually believe it. 
    Let me mention one of the very big lies that Trump said recently regarding the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, the president said that Ukraine started the war. Trump said that Ukraine started the war. Really? 
    That is, as I hope every member of the Senate knows, an absolute lie. 
    Russia invaded Ukraine twice, first in 2014 and then again on February 24, 2022. And on that date, February 24, 2022, Putin’s tanks and troops rolled into Ukraine. And on that day, Russian aircraft began bombing targets all over Ukraine. 
    Russia started the war, period, end of discussion. Trump is lying. 
    Since Putin’s invasion over one million people having been killed or injured. Every single day, Russia continues to rain down hundreds of missiles and drones on Ukrainian cities. Putin’s forces have massacred civilians and captured Ukrainian children, bringing them back to Russian “re-education” camps. There atrocities led the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, in 2022, as a war criminal. 
    Further, Trump called Ukrainian President Zelensky – not Putin, but Zelensky, a dictator. And that obviously is not true either. Zelenskyy won 75% of the vote in free elections. And in the midst of a brutal war, Ukraine’s parliament continues to function and open and unfettered political debate takes place. 
    Trump recently claimed that our European allies have done little to support Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s invasion. He said the U.S. has contributed three times more than Europe. But that is another lie. In fact, Europe has provided more aid to Ukraine than the United States. 
    But it’s not just that Trump is lying again. That is not new. It’s what this all reveals about where we want to take our country and where we want the world to be moving – what direction.
    Trump is cozying up to Vladimir Putin. So who is Putin? And what kind of world does Putin want to build? 
    Putin is a dictator who crushed Russia’s movement toward democracy after the end of the Cold War. Russia now holds sham elections where Putin wins 90% of the vote, and authorities there do not even try to hide their ballot stuffing. 
    There it is no freedom of speech or free media in Putin’s Russia. Protests are violently suppressed. Tens of thousands of people are in prison for protesting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Political dissidents are harassed or thrown into jail. The bravest, like Alexei Navalny are killed outright. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled Putin’s Russia since his invasion of Ukraine. 
    That, Mr. President, is the Russian leader that Donald Trump admires. But, Mr. President, my Republican colleagues know all of this. And what is particularly disturbing to me – and I believe the American people – is my colleagues, my Republican colleagues understand and know that Trump is lying. They know that Russia started the war, not Ukraine. They know that Putin is a dictator, not Zelensky. But their silence has been overwhelming on this issue. 
    I cannot tell you how many times I have sat here on the floor and I have listened to my Republican colleagues come to the Senate to condemn Vladimir Putin and his brutal invasion of Ukraine. And many of their remarks were right on the money. They were perceptive and they were right. 
    And my simple question to my Republican colleagues right now is: “Where are you now?”
    Last I heard, Mr. President, this is still a democracy. Last I heard, we are still allowed to disagree with the president of the United States, even if he is a member of your own party. Last I heard, we are allowed to call out the president when he lies – blatantly lies, even if he is a member of our own party. And what really bothers me is I know that many of my Republican colleagues understand all of this. 
    And I just want to give you an example of what is going on right now. Let me just quote a few of my Republican colleagues in statements they have made since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. These are Republican members of the United States Senate. And I’m not going to mention names right now. I don’t want to embarrass anybody, put anybody on the spot. But these are quotes. 
    One leading Republican said, “we must remember the instigator of this war was Russia. It was president Putin who launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine.” And that Republican colleague was obviously right. 
    Another Republican said, and I quote. “I think Vladimir Putin started the war, I also believe, through bitter experience, that Vladimir Putin is a gangster.” That’s a Republican colleague. 
    A third Republican colleague said, “there is no equivalency between Vladimir Putin and President Zelensky. President Putin is evil and he has to be stopped.” 
    A fourth Republican said, when the war began, “today’s invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a premeditated and flagrant act of war. Putin has violated the border of a sovereign country.” And that senator later said, “anyone who is surprised by Putin’s deadly attack on a sovereign nation has not been paying attention. These are the actions of a mad man.” And just recently, that very same senator said, “Putin is not going to stop with Ukraine. If we abandon Ukraine and throw in the towel as some would like us to do, that is going to drastically change how people view the United States and how people rely on the United States and there will be major consequences.” 
    And a fifth Republican colleague here in the Senate called Putin a “thug” and compared him to Hitler. He said, “Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate leader. He is a war criminal that needs to be dealt with.” 
    That is what my Republican colleagues have said time and time again. 
    And the question is, now, do you have the courage to continue telling the truth when the president of the United States is lying? 
    This is an extraordinarily pivotal moment in American history. And all of us must have the courage to stand up for truth, to stand up for democracy, to oppose authoritarianism. 
    This is the moment. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure All Purple Heart Recipients Can Transfer Benefits to Dependents

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the bipartisan Purple Heart Veterans Education Act to close a loophole that has denied some Purple Heart medal recipients the ability to transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. This bipartisan bill would ensure that all veterans who have received a Purple Heart are able to transfer their benefits to dependents.
    “Nevada’s Purple Heart recipients are heroes who sacrificed themselves in service to our country,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m joining this bipartisan bill to help close an unfair loophole and ensure that all veterans who have earned a Purple Heart can ensure their families have access to the full benefits promised to them. I’ll continue to stand with the men and women who have served our nation proudly.”
    The Purple Heart medal is presented to servicemembers who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. A Purple Heart is a solemn distinction that recognizes servicemembers who have greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty.
    Senator Rosen has worked consistently to deliver for Nevada’s veterans and help them receive their benefits. Earlier this year, she helped introduce bipartisan legislation to assist veterans with home ownership and increase awareness of VA resources. She announced that a bipartisan Rosen-backed bill to expand veterans benefits outreach became law. Senator Rosen’s bipartisan legislation to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services is now law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Import Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs from Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, which would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering costs, increasing access for consumers, and creating more competition in the pharmaceutical market.
    “Big drug companies are ripping off Americans and far too many families in Wisconsin are struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy —it’s just not right,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to help lower costs for Wisconsinites and ensure they can get the medications they need at a price they can afford.”
    Senator Baldwin has long championed bringing down prescription drug costs. In August 2022, Senator Baldwin helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower health care and prescription drug costs for older adults, people with disabilities, and families across the nation. Starting in January 2023, the IRA capped the cost of insulin for Medicare Part D beneficiaries at $35 a month for certain covered insulin products. The Baldwin-backed IRA also empowered Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices with 25 drugs that treat diabetes, cancers, and asthma currently under negotiation with more to come. The cost-savings for the first 10 drugs will go into effect in 2026 and is estimated to save taxpayers $6 billion a year. 
    Senator Baldwin also launched an investigation into the extremely high prices four large pharmaceutical companies charge for inhalers that 25 million Americans with asthma and 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rely on to breathe. In just two months after the investigation was launched, three of the four pharmaceutical companies capped their out-of-pocket costs for their inhaler products at $35 per month in the United States.
    The bill is led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley and co-sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: A just and lasting peace for Ukraine

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Three years ago today, Russia launched an illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has left hundreds of thousands dead and forced millions to flee. In the face of unimaginable hardship, Ukrainians have persevered and have fought for freedom and democracy. Canada has supported and will continue to support Ukraine in achieving just and lasting peace.

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, visited Kyiv today to reaffirm Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine.

    During this visit, the Prime Minister highlighted the recent conclusion of negotiations between Canada and Ukraine on the terms of Canada’s $5 billion contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans mechanism. Canada will disburse the first half of its contribution, totalling $2.5 billion, in the coming days, with the remainder to follow soon. Announced last year at the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, the ERA Loans will bring forward the future revenues from frozen Russian sovereign assets. This initiative will provide Ukraine with approximately $69 billion (US$50 billion).

    To maintain pressure on Russia, Prime Minister Trudeau announced new sanctions targeting 76 individuals and entities providing support for the Kremlin’s military industrial base, involved in the unlawful deportation or forced transfer of Ukrainian children, or supporting the Kremlin’s information operations capabilities, as well as senior Russian government officials and oligarchs who support Putin’s regime. In total, Canada has sanctioned more than 3,000 individuals and entities who are complicit in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and in gross and systematic human rights violations. The Prime Minister also announced that Canada is taking action against Russia’s shadow fleet by sanctioning 109 vessels based on their involvement in the transfer of sanctioned goods, including hydrocarbons whose revenue fuels Russia’s war machine.

    In response to Russia’s renewed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which have left millions of civilians deprived of electricity, water, and heat, the Prime Minister also announced a $50 million contribution to help support Ukraine’s urgent efforts to repair and replace damaged energy equipment and critical infrastructure, in partnership with the Energy Community Secretariat. This builds on the $20 million in funding Canada announced last year in support of this initiative at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, in Lucerne, Switzerland.

    During a bilateral meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Trudeau noted progress on Canada’s assistance commitments, including the delivery of military training and critical equipment, such as armoured combat vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition, and F-16 landing systems and simulators. 

    Building on the $3.02 billion announced in the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Canada and Ukraine last year, the Prime Minister announced that $40 million of the total $3.02 billion in funding will be allocated to deliver urgently needed capabilities to the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the Danish Model and another $15 million toward supporting Canadian companies seeking to operate and invest in Ukraine’s defence sector.

    The Prime Minister announced new assistance measures for Ukraine totalling $118.5 million, including:

    • $92.3 million in development assistance to strengthen local community building, support small-scale livelihood recovery projects that address community needs, reduce poverty and break down barriers to women’s full participation, address food security issues, and support the return of deported children and missing persons by improving the resilience of Ukraine’s government, communities, civil society, and private sector.
    • $14 million in humanitarian assistance, including for the provision of food, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene services, and mental health and psycho-social support to those in need.
    • $8 million for weapons threat reduction to provide critical personal protective equipment to Ukrainians facing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, and to strengthen nuclear security in the country.
    • $4.25 million to support peace and stabilization operations, including assisting regional women’s rights organizations and ensuring representatives from civil society and media can work safely.
    • $82,000 for local initiatives that will support the physical and mental health of former Ukrainian prisoners of war.

    In total, Canada has committed over $19.7 billion in multifaceted assistance for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

    In Kyiv, Prime Minister Trudeau joined President Zelenskyy and international partners to discuss the situation on the ground as well as Ukraine’s needs for military, financial, humanitarian, recovery, and other assistance. During a plenary session on the theme of “Defence and Security Strategy of Unity: Action Plan”, he delivered remarks commending the Ukrainian people for their bravery and resilience in the face of unjustified and brutal violence. He reaffirmed Canada’s position as an unshakeable ally who will continue to work with partners around the world to provide Ukraine with security and defence support – allowing it to recover, rebuild, and prosper.

    The Prime Minister also convened his G7 counterparts and President Zelenskyy for a hybrid meeting to further discuss support for Ukraine. He underlined the importance of G7 unity in supporting a just and lasting peace in Ukraine as well as Ukraine’s reconstruction and economic recovery, noting that these would be priorities for Canada throughout our G7 Presidency this year.

    The Prime Minister also attended a candle-lighting ceremony where he paid tribute to all those whose lives have been lost since the start of Russia’s aggression. Throughout his visit, he reiterated that Canada will always stand with Ukrainians as they continue to fight for freedom, justice, and democracy. We will defend a future for Ukraine that’s written by Ukrainians. We will defend a Ukraine that is strong and free. And we will be with Ukraine in this fight until a just and lasting peace is reached.

    Quotes

    “For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all. Today, in Kyiv, my message to Ukraine and Ukrainians is loud and clear: Canada will continue to stand with you in achieving just and lasting peace. We are strengthening our commitments, providing additional support, and working with our partners to secure peace and freedom for Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!”

    “Canada remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine and will continue to leverage sanctions to weaken Russia’s ability to wage its illegal war. By targeting its military-industrial base, exposing those responsible for crimes and abuses in occupied Ukrainian territories, and disrupting the oligarchs’ confidants and shadow fleet supporting the Russian regime, we are holding Russia accountable. For three years, Canada has stood with Ukraine, and we will stand by its side for as long as it takes.”

    “Since the start of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Canada has stood with the Ukrainian people. We remain unwavering in our commitment to continue providing Ukraine with critical military assistance to defend itself against Russia’s brutal aggression. Together with our Allies and partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the support it needs in the fight to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

    Quick Facts

    • This was Prime Minister Trudeau’s fourth visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. For this visit, the Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair.
    • In Ukraine, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez.
    • During his visit, the Prime Minister also welcomed a new partnership with the NATO Science for Peace and Security project through which Natural Resources Canada will receive $2.1 million in funding to help create tools, establish key performance indicators, and identify opportunities for the reduction of fossil fuel dependency in military operations.
    • The sanctions announced today against Russia’s shadow fleet include 92 oil tankers involved in transferring Russian oil to third countries, nine liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers involved in transferring Russian LNG to third countries, and eight vessels involved in moving arms and related material to Russia from Iran and North Korea. Canada is also adopting new measures that will prohibit a wider range of sensitive goods and technologies from being exported from Canada to Russia.
    • The measures announced today build on other recent announcements, including:
      • Providing $440 million in military assistance for Ukraine, including funding for the procurement and delivery of large-calibre ammunition and various calibres of ammunition from Canadian industry, the production of military drones by Ukraine’s domestic defence industry, the delivery of high-resolution drone cameras, and the donation of winter gear, such as sleeping bags and winter boots.
      • Providing $15 million in funding to the Innovative Mine Action for Community Recovery in Ukraine project, to help enhance Ukraine’s national mine action capacity, reduce the threat of explosive ordinance, and promote economic recovery. Canada also announced $2.2 million for the Cybersecurity Assistance Project, to provide essential cybersecurity support services, equipment, and training urgently needed by Ukraine to combat malicious cyber activities.
      • Marking the first anniversary of the launch of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which 41 states and the Council of Europe have joined in a collective commitment to bringing Ukrainian children home. With the help of Coalition Member States and other key international partners, Ukraine has successfully facilitated the safe return of nearly 600 children since the launch of the Coalition, and over 1000 to date. The Coalition is co-led by Canada and Ukraine.
      • Signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and Ukraine to share information and expertise that will help members of Ukraine’s security and defence forces and their families have access to resources to transition to life after service.
    • Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed $19.7 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine. This includes:
      • Over $12.4 billion in direct financial assistance, the highest in the G7 on a per capita basis.
      • $4.5 billion in military assistance, such as M777 howitzers, Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armoured combat support vehicles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, thermal clothing, body armour, fuel, and more.
      • Over $529 million in development assistance, including support to Ukraine’s energy system.
      • $372.2 million in humanitarian assistance, including support for emergency health interventions, protection services, and essentials such as shelter, water, sanitation, and food. Programming also addresses child protection, mental health support, and prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence.
      • Nearly $225 million in security and stabilization assistance.
    • In Kyiv, the Prime Minister highlighted the ongoing work of members of the Canadian Armed Forces in the United Kingdom and Poland under Operation UNIFIER. Since 2015, they have provided training on a range of military skills to over 40,000 Ukrainian troops. He noted that Canada continues to engage closely with Ukraine, Allies, and partners on how best to enhance support through Operation UNIFIER to help Ukraine defend itself.
    • Last year, on February 24, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Zelenskyy signed the historic Agreement on Security Cooperation between Canada and Ukraine, establishing a new strategic security partnership between our two countries. This included $3.02 billion in critical financial and military support to Ukraine for 2024.
    • As part of the 2024 Fall Economic Statement, the federal government announced last year its intention to double down on our efforts to support Ukraine, including through proposed legislative changes that will ensure profits from frozen Russian assets are used to rebuild Ukraine.
    • Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Canada has welcomed more than 220,000 Ukrainians. We are helping Ukrainian families find a safe, temporary home and have put support services in place for their arrival. This includes temporary financial assistance and access to federally funded settlement services, such as language training and employment-related services.
    • Canada and Ukraine have long been steadfast partners and close friends. In 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence. Today, 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent call Canada home – the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the Western world. In 2022, total bilateral trade between our two countries was valued at over $421 million.

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Bay St. George RCMP investigates home invasion in Stephenville, man arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Following a report of a residential robbery in Stephenville, 38-year-old Thomas Keeping was arrested by Bay St. George RCMP on February 21, 2025.

    Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, police responded to the report and attended the Stephenville home. Prior to police arrival, Keeping, who was allegedly armed with a knife, robbed the home owner of a sum of money. Officers arrived at the scene and with no response at the residence, police forced entry into the home. Keeping was located inside the residence and was subsequently arrested.

    Keeping is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Robbery
    • Uttering Threats
    • Failure to Comply with Probation Order

    He was remanded into custody over the weekend and appears in court today.

    The investigation is continuing.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wales wants to punish lying politicians – how would it work?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University

    shutterstock Minerva Studio/Shutterstock

    Elected politicians and candidates in Wales who deliberately lie could face serious consequences, including being removed from office, under proposals aimed at restoring trust in politics.

    The Senedd’s (Welsh parliament) standards of conduct committee has recommended legally defining political deception, and strengthening existing rules to explicitly ban misleading statements. Proposed potential penalties range from a formal retraction to suspension or, in extreme cases, recall by voters.

    But the committee stopped short of recommending that deliberate deception be made a criminal offence. The idea that politicians who lie could be investigated by the police and courts had previously been mooted. The option of a civil offence with a lower burden of proof being introduced was also rejected.

    The committee has been working on the proposals as a way of restoring faith in politics, and trust in politicians, in the lead up to the next Senedd elections in 2026. While the report sets out options for change, the Welsh government has already promised to introduce a legal ban (in some form) before the next election.

    These efforts see Wales become the first UK nation to attempt to tackle the problem of dwindling trust in politics by modern day legislative force.

    Those championing the changes refer to how the deliberate rise in campaigns of misinformation, by those of all political persuasions, have in some instances led to electoral victories overseas.

    The need to act is also reflected in the public’s perception. Surveys have consistently found that trust in politicians to tell the truth has declined. A survey in 2023 placed politicians as the least trusted profession in the UK. Just 9% of the public said they trusted elected officials to tell the truth.

    More recently, findings from the British social attitudes report in 2024 revealed that the public is as critical now of how the UK is governed as it has ever been. A record high of 45% of respondents said they now “almost never” trust governments of any party to place the needs of the nation above the interests of their own political party.

    Restoring trust

    The Senedd committee had considered three different options for restoring trust.

    First, to create a criminal offence of deception. Second, to use an existing investigative body such as the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, and to bring in a civil sanction such as a fine. And third, to strengthen the code of conduct for Senedd members with enhanced sanctions. In other words, it would be dealt with through the Senedd’s own disciplinary procedures.

    To a certain degree there are some mechanisms already in place for dealing with deception in Welsh politics. For example, politicians are already expected to adhere to the seven principles of public life, which include honesty and integrity.

    Generally speaking, opposition Senedd members will hold the Welsh government to account by questioning and scrutinising their work. It is also possible to stage votes of no confidence as an accountability mechanism.

    Although as seen in the case of former first minister Vaughan Gething, it is questionable as to the extent to which they can be enforced. Gething initially refused to step down after losing such a vote.

    The electorate also has an important role to play in holding politicians to account. Ultimately an untrustworthy politician should, in theory at least, be unlikely to win any election. But Senedd elections only take place every five years.

    The standards of conduct committee already has the power to review complaints referred to it. It also has responsibility for reviewing the code of conduct for members of the Senedd, guidance on the code and complaints procedures, and rules for lobbying.

    Part of the perceived problem with this is that the committee is made up of Senedd members and are, therefore, responsible for setting the rules for themselves. Or alternatively, as Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price (who has campaigned on this issue for many years) put it, it’s like marking your own homework. The committee’s report offers a potential of recommending appointing lay members to sit alongside them.

    Proposals to legislate against politicians who lie in Wales were first raised by the Plaid Cymru MS, Adam Price.
    ComposedPix/Shutterstock

    Some may be concerned about the practical complexities of disqualifying candidates and Senedd members, and where that may, in turn, leave democracy and democratic processes. If sanctions were to be introduced, questions could also be raised about the potential for vexatious complaints to discredit electoral candidates.



    Read more:
    Wales could become world’s first country to criminalise politicians who lie

    In respect of making “deception” a criminal offence, concerns may have been raised about the constitutional principle of separation of powers, and whether it should truly be for unelected judges to take decisions about the democratically elected arm of the state. Or whether that could lead to the politicisation of the judiciary.

    While, research had found that more than two-thirds of Welsh voters supported a law criminalising political lying, judicial adjudication for serving Senedd members has been ruled out. The report also details concerns from the legal professions that existing resource pressures on the courts would have lead to long disputes, rather than the swift resolutions.

    But in reality, we are talking about strengthening safeguards for maintaining standards in public offices. In particular addressing deliberate mistruths by politicians to secure deceitful advantages during an election.

    In that sense, the new legislation is essentially bringing the political profession in line with others such as lawyers, doctors, journalistic and financial institutions, by having clearer repercussions when they lie and fail to maintain professional standards.

    Given the need for something to change in order to restore trust, and the extensive powers that politicians have to affect the lives of citizens, it is clear why Wales is trying a different approach towards restoring trust.

    Stephen Clear 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. Wales wants to punish lying politicians – how would it work? – https://theconversation.com/wales-wants-to-punish-lying-politicians-how-would-it-work-248728

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump wants to bring back plastic straws, but the world is going in another direction

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Randa Lindsey Kachef, Research affiliate, King’s College London

    David Pereiras / shutterstock

    Donald Trump recently surprised the world again by signing an action to end what he describes as the “forced use” of paper straws. Although there is some merit in the argument the White House presents that paper straws simply aren’t fit for purpose, what the paper straw revolution represents is the power of individual change in enacting progressive policy.

    Much like recent EU legislation which required all plastic bottles to have caps attached by a tether, the removal of items that tend to be easily littered is a way to help people be more environmentally cautious without any extra effort. Unfortunately, the paper straw appears to have failed in this endeavour.

    We should not stop this trajectory because of one fail, however. Even if paper straws are not a viable option, we mustn’t let their fate undermine all initiatives to reduce the impacts of single use plastics.

    The story behind the move away from plastic straws began in 2015, when a disturbing video of a turtle having a plastic straw removed from its nose went viral. Unfortunately this appears to be a common occurrence, with a video of a turtle with a plastic fork in its nose posted only a few months later. This shows plastic straws themselves are not the issue and that there is a wider problem that everyone should be aware of: plastic which ends up in the ocean is often mistaken for food and eaten by wildlife.

    Paper problems

    Admittedly, anyone who has used a paper straw will agree that they are not a viable alternative to plastic. The obvious complaint is that they get soggy too quickly. But there are several unseen components that show the switch to paper may not be as great as we once thought.

    Paper, but plastic-coated?
    Sia Footage / shutterstock

    To begin with, in an effort to keep them water-resistant, paper straws themselves are coated in plastic. This means they cannot be recycled. As they are an organic material, they release greenhouse gas when they decompose in landfill – they can however safely be incinerated, something that is not widely recommended for their plastic counterparts.

    As the demand for paper straws skyrocketed, this created a deficit in production, leading to the development of new manufacturing facilities, construction that in itself has a significant environmental impact. Meanwhile, the heavier weight of paper straws can lead to an increase in freighting fuel consumption and associated emissions.

    Flimsy plastics are more likely to be littered

    Anything, however, is better than plastic. A somewhat misleading statistic that plastic straws account for a mere 0.025% of ocean plastics has been circulating in the argument to bring them back. Although this is true by volume, it is not a correct representation of the sheer number of individual straws recorded in the environment which is suspected to be as many as 8.3 billion, about one per person on earth.

    The fact straws are so small and lightweight is a big part of the problem, since smaller and more easily fragmented items are far harder to collect. As litter, they punch above their weight.

    A child’s plastic beach toy may weigh as much as a few hundred plastic straws, but if littered the straws would do more harm to the environment and wildlife, and would look worse. As straws are made of polypropylene, a flimsier more brittle type of plastic, it doesn’t take much effort for them to break apart into bite sized pieces. Because of this, straws turn into microplastics much quicker than the toy, which has a higher chance of eventually being picked up.

    To this day, straws continue to to be on the top ten types of plastics found on beaches, and we have yet to see any videos of larger pollutants like those beach toys being pulled from the nose of any animal.

    Although we could argue indefinitely as to which straw materials are worse (reuseable metal or glass straws require water and a cleaning agent, another potential contaminant) the overarching sentiment is the most alarming component of Trump’s announcement.

    Paper straw pressue came from below

    The move towards paper straws was a refreshing direction in environmental preservation, in that it was initiated locally and by producers, not through legislation. In the summer of 2018 Seattle became the first US city to enforce a ban on plastic utensils, straws and cocktail sticks. Soon thereafter, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Alaska Airlines and many others announced they would stop the sale of plastic straws.

    Later that year, the UK government and European Union began consultations for national bans which came into effect in 2020 and 2021 respectively. In 2019 Canada followed suit with a ban coming into law in 2022.

    It was not until July of 2024 that the then US president, Joe Biden announced his plan to phase out single-use plastics (although the fact sheet and official press release has now been removed from the White House website). This was several years after the global movement got underway – accompanied by the first complaints from Trump on the topic in 2019.

    It is important to note that both the EU and UK bans on plastic straws included stirrers and cotton bud sticks. However their removal from the market caused little to no controversy, mostly because there are adequate alternatives.

    Litter producers can drive change

    What the movement towards paper straws represents is the power of producers to drive change, in a bottom-up approach. A similarly encouraging scenario can be seen in attitudes towards polystyrene.

    Back in 2019 Dunkin’ Donuts announced it would stop using foam cups in certain US markets, and delivered a full removal of the cups in the US by early 2020, while in January 2025 California introduced a state wide polystyrene ban. Meanwhile, negotiations on a global plastics agreement remain indecisive.

    In the wake of a pattern of stalemate and regressive policy, it is on the consumers and producers to take action. We must continue to support producers who invest in innovation to address these issues in a way that makes our lives easier and cleaner.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Randa Lindsey Kachef 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. Donald Trump wants to bring back plastic straws, but the world is going in another direction – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-wants-to-bring-back-plastic-straws-but-the-world-is-going-in-another-direction-250449

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Child Predator Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison after Transporting 14-Year-Old Michigan Girl Across State Lines for Sex and Impregnating Her

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Larry Goldsmith., 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity.

    According to court documents, in 2020, Goldsmith began messaging a 14-year-old girl living in Michigan through the social media applications Spot-a-Friend and Snapchat. Goldsmith knew of the child’s age at the time yet engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her. 

    At the end of August 2020, the child got into a verbal argument with her mother and expressed to Goldsmith that she wanted to run away from home. Goldsmith drove over four hours to Michigan and picked her up at a business near her home. Goldsmith was 21 years old at the time.

    On the way back to Indiana, Goldsmith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child at a rest stop in Michigan and then transported her across state lines to a home he rented in Indianapolis.  During their time living together, Goldsmith had sex with the child numerous times and impregnated her.

    After committing these offenses, Goldsmith continued his sexual abuse of minors by committing essentially the same conduct with another child in Georgia – where he drugged and raped a 13-year-old. In 2022, Goldsmith pleaded guilty to those crimes in Georgia and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, which he is currently serving.

    “Goldsmith is no longer a danger to children and families in our community,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He is a manipulative, child predator who used the tools of social media to abuse a vulnerable child over and over again. I commend the outstanding work of local law enforcement agencies in Indiana and Georgia, along with the FBI, to bring the victim home safely.”

    “The FBI is unwavering in our mission to protect the most vulnerable members of our society – our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue to perpetrate such atrocities,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.”

    “This sentence sends a clear message—those who harm children will be held accountable,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey. “The dedication and diligence of our IMPD officers, along with law enforcement agencies across the country, played a critical role in getting this predator behind bars.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Under federal law, Goldsmith must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school for life.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charity Commission Chair calls on philanthropists to invest in Welsh charity

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Charity Commission Chair calls on philanthropists to invest in Welsh charity

    • English
    • Cymraeg

    Orlando Fraser KC visits four Welsh charities in one of his last official visits to the country.

    Charity Commission Chair Orlando Fraser meets with representatives from the County Voluntary Council for Wrexham.

    The Chair of the charity regulator is urging greater giving from those with deeper pockets, during visits to charities today and tomorrow where he is seeing first-hand the impact of voluntary organisations in north Wales. 

    Orlando Fraser’s comments came as he visited the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) today with other visits planned for tomorrow (25th February) to three more charities as he celebrates Wales’s community spirit. 

    AVOW is the County Voluntary Council for Wrexham. It provides free advice and signposts local community and voluntary organisations. AVOW also provides health and wellbeing support to the local community in Wrexham.

    The charity is one of many recipients to obtain funds through the regulator’s Revitalising Trusts Wales programme.

    Last year, the Revitalising Trusts team helped a volunteer wind up Wrexham Care Association after it had fallen inactive but had remaining funds to spend. After identifying AVOW as a suitable charity to use the funds as intended, the regulator oversaw the transfer of over £30,000.

    AVOW has been able to fund its Community Hubs Coordinator role for a further year, helping ensure vulnerable people can access local and voluntary services through community hubs based in Gwersyllt and Acton (Wrexham). The charity hopes to expand its network to additional locations and share best practices with other community-based organisations.

    Today’s visit comes as the programme reaches £11.6 million revitalised in Wales alone, contributing to good causes, community foundations and charities across Wales. Since 2021, 346 Welsh charities have entered the programme, 80 of which are now operating again after years of inactivity. The remaining 266 inactive charities have all successfully transferred any dormant assets ensuring they continue to contribute to the sector.  

    Speaking on the Revitalising Trusts Wales programme, Orlando Fraser KC, said:

    The Revitalising Trusts programme demonstrates how the sector and we as regulator have a common goal – ensuring public good rises above all else.

    There are fantastic benefits to being a trustee, but we know it can be difficult to recruit, and due to pressures on charities, it can be hard to remain active.

    Our programme, working with Community Foundation Wales and the Welsh government, offers trustees the support to get back on track or, if the decision to close is taken, helps them effectively wind up and transfer funds in a way that will ensure the legacy of their great work lives on.

    Tomorrow, Orlando Fraser is expected to visit North Wales Recovery Communities, Clough Williams-Ellis Foundation and the Snowdonia Society. This forms part of a farewell visit as he concludes his term as Chair of the charity regulator for Wales and England.

    Discussing his visits, Orlando added:

    In my time as Chair, I’ve been privileged to see first-hand the fantastic charitable work across England & Wales, work made possible by dedicated trustees, staff and volunteers.

    I’m grateful to AVOW, North Wales Recovery Communities, Clough Williams-Ellis Foundation and the Snowdonia Society for taking the time to meet with me.

    There is a strong community spirit here in Wales – and, as my term as Chair comes to an end, I call on potential philanthropists here and further afield, to invest in this spirit.

    Orlando’s call for more philanthropists comes as new research suggests that the UK’s richest people give a smaller proportion of their wealth to charity than the average person. The data from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) indicates that the UK’s millionaires (people with investable assets of £1 million or more) gave the equivalent of 0.4% of their combined investable assets in 2023 (equating to almost £8 billion) compared to wider UK public donations of around £14 billion to good causes in the same year, equating to 1.6% of their income.

    Research by Centre for Cities also shows that while Wales is home to some of the most generous people in the UK (according to percentage of income donated), donations tend to go to national rather than local charities.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors:

    1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: About us – The Charity Commission (www.gov.uk) 
    2. The Revitalising Trusts programme ensures charitable funds that are lying dormant are spent and make a difference as originally intended. The programme helps charities by supporting and advising trustees who find it hard to spend their income, recruit new trustees, identify beneficiaries, or find time to run the charity.  
    3. If you are working with a charity possibly in need of our help, email the Charity Commission at CSrevitalisingtrusts@charitycommission.gov.uk  for information and advice.
    4. For more Revitalising Trusts Wales case studies please contact our Press Office.
    5. Set up in 2014, North Wales Recovery Communities provides therapeutic housing and services to individuals affected by substance misuse, offending and homelessness. The Snowdonia Society was established in 1967 to protect and enhance Snowdonia. The Clough Williams-Ellis Foundation was originally established by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in 1972, to protect his property in North Wales and ensure its conservation for long-term public benefit.
    6. Research sources: ‘Donation Nation: The geography of charitable giving in the UK’, Centre for Cities, 2024. ‘Donation nation: The geography of charitable giving in the UK Centre for Cities’ and ‘High Value Giving: How The UK’s Wealthy Give’, Charities Aid Foundation, 2025. CAF High Value Giving Report

    Press office

    Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787

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    Updates to this page

    Published 24 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Learn more about Washington State Ferries’ recommendation for new Fauntleroy terminal

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Public invited to online open house, virtual information session

    SEATTLE – After extensive community input, Washington State Ferries has selected a concept for a new Fauntleroy terminal. The public is invited to learn more about this option through an online open house and virtual information session.

    WSF’s recommendation features a more efficient design, providing more space to load and unload passengers. The recommended new terminal would hold 124 to 155 vehicles on the dock, compared to just 80 today.

    “Continuing our robust community engagement on the project, we are hosting a virtual information session and an online open house to share the screening results and alternative selected for further environmental review,” said Senior Director of External Relations John Vezina. “We received more than 1,300 comments and hosted seven community meetings, 32 advisory group meetings and two online open houses.

    Community feedback helped us evaluate alternatives and identify an alternative to advance into the environmental review phase.”

    WSF needs to replace the aging Fauntleroy terminal to maintain safe and reliable ferry service for the more than 2 million people traveling the “Triangle” route each year. The current terminal, which was built in the 1950s, connects West Seattle with Vashon Island and the Kitsap Peninsula.

    The new design avoids nearby Cove Park. WSF also will refine the plan to minimize effects to other environmentally sensitive areas.

    The online open house and virtual information session will include the same information.

    Online open house information

    When: Monday, Feb. 24, through Friday, March 21

    Where: engage.wsdot.wa.gov/fauntleroy-ferry-terminal

    Virtual information session information

    When: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 11

    Where: Zoom, bit.ly/FauntleroyMarch11

    Details: Advance registration required. The week after the information session, a video recording will be available on the project webpage.

    Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service in locations throughout the state. To find the nearest access, visit the state’s drive-in WiFi hotspot location finder.

    WSF, a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and safely and efficiently carries tens of millions of people a year through some of the most majestic scenery in the world. For breaking news and the latest information, follow WSF on X, Facebook and Instagram.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: OMERS Earns $10.6 billion in Investment Income in 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OMERS, the defined benefit pension plan for Ontario’s broader municipal sector employees, achieved a 2024 investment return of 8.3%, or $10.6 billion, net of expenses, exceeding its 7.5% benchmark for the year. Net assets at December 31, 2024, grew to $138.2 billion from $128.6 billion in 2023. The Plan reported a smoothed funded status of 98%, up from 97% in 2023. Over the past 10 years, OMERS has averaged an annual investment return of 7.1%, net of expenses, adding $70.5 billion to the Plan.

    “Our strong result in 2024 reflects the quality of our people and portfolio, our active strategic decisions, and our steady progress as a long-term investor. Since becoming CEO of OMERS, I have been incredibly proud of the work of our leaders and their teams, as well as the forward-thinking strategies we have implemented over the last four years as we emerged from the pandemic. This combination has generated an average annual net return of 8.1% during that period,” said Blake Hutcheson, OMERS President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we look to the future, we are steadfast in our view that quality will see us through an unpredictable global landscape and the cycles ahead. Our talented team is focused on delivering our pension promise and is honoured to work in service of our almost 640,000 members.”

    “Our actions to diversify the global portfolio positioned the Plan well in 2024,” said Jonathan Simmons, OMERS Chief Financial and Strategy Officer. “OMERS public equity investments delivered double-digit performance supported by strong contributions from private credit and infrastructure. Our net investment results benefitted from our active strategy to maintain currency exposure to the US dollar. Our real estate assets continue to generate strong operating income, but returns were held back due to lower valuations. Our asset mix continued to shift toward a higher exposure to fixed income, where return opportunities remain attractive. We expanded our overall use of leverage as we continued to use debt prudently to enhance our investment returns.”

    This year, we are reporting that OMERS achieved a 58% reduction in its portfolio carbon emissions intensity, relative to 2019, and we reported an increase in green investments to $23 billion. For more information on how we define green investments, please refer to the OMERS Climate Taxonomy.

    OMERS is highly rated across independent credit rating agencies, including ‘AAA’ ratings from S&P, Fitch, and DBRS.

    OMERS will publish its 2024 Annual Report on February 28, 2025.

    Media Contact:

    Don Peat
    dpeat@omers.com
    416.417.7385

    About OMERS

    OMERS is a jointly sponsored, defined benefit pension plan, with 1,000 participating employers ranging from large cities to local agencies, and almost 640,000 active, deferred and retired members. Our members include union and non-union employees of municipalities, school boards, local boards, transit systems, electrical utilities, emergency services and children’s aid societies across Ontario. OMERS teams work in Toronto, London, New York, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe – serving members and employers, and originating and managing a diversified portfolio of high-quality investments in government bonds, public and private credit, public and private equities, infrastructure and real estate.

    Net Investment Returns for the years ended December 31

      2024   2023
    Government Bonds 1.0%   5.8%
    Public Credit 6.0%   6.2%
    Private Credit 12.6%   10.0%
    Public Equities 18.8%   10.4%
    Private Equities 9.5%   3.9%
    Infrastructure 8.8%   5.5%
    Real Estate -4.9%   -7.2%
    Total Net Return 8.3%   4.6%


    2024 Asset Mix

    2024 Highlights

    By the numbers

    • 2024 investment return of 8.3%, or $10.6 billion, net of expenses
    • $138.2 billion in net assets
    • 10-year average annual net return of 7.1%
    • 639,546 OMERS members
    • 98% smoothed funded ratio
    • 3.70% real discount rate, 5 basis points lower than 2023
    • $6.5 billion total pension benefits paid
    • We are reporting a 58% reduction in the portfolio carbon emissions intensity, relative to 2019
    • $23 billion in green investments
    • 96% OMERS member service satisfaction
    • 93% of employees are proud to work for OMERS and Oxford (+5 points above best-in-class)

    Transactions in 2024

    OMERS remains focused on deploying capital in line with our target asset mix. We are a disciplined investor in high-quality assets that meet the Plan’s risk and return requirements. Please find below highlights of investments made in 2024.

    • Acquired Italy’s Grandi Stazioni Retail which manages the entirety of commercial and advertising spaces in 14 of Italy’s major railway stations and hubs for the high-speed rail network, which collectively receive over 800 million visits a year. The stations include over 800 commercial units, totaling around 190,000 Sqm of leasable space, and over 1,800 media assets.
    • Increased our stake by 13.5% in Indian roads business Interise Trust, one of the largest Indian Infrastructure Investment Trusts in the roads sector.
    • Supported XpFibre to successfully raise €5.8 billion of credit facilities, marking one of the largest multi-sourced transactions in the European digital infrastructure market to date. XpFibre is the largest independent Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) operators in France delivering high speed internet to approximately 25% of the French territory in terms of homes passed.
    • Announced an agreement to acquire Integris, a leading provider of IT services in the United States.
    • Issued $3.2 billion in bonds by OMERS Finance Trust, including our inaugural AUD offering – an AUD 750 million, 5-year note.
    • Announced the signing of an exclusive agreement with Maritime Transport at West Midlands Interchange in the UK.
    • Participated in the US$15M Series A investment into Brightwave, an Al-powered research platform that delivers insightful and trustworthy financial analysis on demand. It was named as one of TIME magazine’s top inventions of 2024.
    • Participated in two follow-on investments. The first was in Medal, an online platform that lets gamers clip and share video of their gameplay and Altana, a company that applies artificial intelligence to create a dynamic, intelligent map of the global supply chain.
    • Closed our acquisition of Kenter, an energy infrastructure solutions business providing medium-voltage infrastructure and meters to over 25,000 commercial and industrial business customers in the Netherlands and Belgium.

    We rotate capital out of assets with the same level of discipline with which we invest. This activity generates capital, which we deploy into future investment opportunities that align to our strategy. In 2024, we announced or completed the following realizations:

    • Announced the sale of a stake in East-West Tie Limited Partnership which owns the East-West Tie Line, a 450-kilometre, 230 kV double-circuit transmission line spanning from Wawa to Thunder Bay, along the north shore of Lake Superior.
    • Completed the sale of LifeLabs, a trusted provider of community laboratory tests for millions of Canadians that had been owned by OMERS since 2007.
    • Completed a €182.5 million green refinancing on a comprehensively renovated Paris office asset.
    • Completed the sale of its £518 million UK retail park portfolio.
    • Completed the sale of CEDA, which had been majority-owned by OMERS since 2005.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d74c32c-3c0d-4915-af73-70788746bb63

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/136a43d0-d624-48ac-bd8c-133cd153643c

    The MIL Network –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of the H-2 Drug Cartel Extradited from Mexico to Face Narcotics Trafficking, Firearms and Money Laundering Charges in Brooklyn Federal Court

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jesus Ricardo Patron Sanchez, aka “H-3,” Allegedly Led Ruthless Transnational Criminal Organization Responsible for Distributing Thousands of Kilograms of Narcotics and Multiple Murders

    Jesus Ricardo Patron Sanchez, also known as “H-3,” “Diabolic,” “Vela,” “James Bond” and “Xmen,” was arraigned on February 22, 2025 at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with leading a continuing criminal enterprise, participating in a large-scale narcotics distribution conspiracy and using one or more firearms in connection with narcotic offenses.  Sanchez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Mexico in February 2019 on a provisional arrest warrant issued based upon charges in the Eastern District of New York and subsequently extradited from Mexico to the United States on February 21, 2025.  The arraignment was held before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo. Sanchez was ordered detained pending trial. 

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Field Division which oversees the Las Vegas District Office (DEA), announced the extradition and arraignment.

    “As alleged in the indictment and court filings, Sanchez was one of the principal leaders of the H-2 Drug Trafficking Organization, a brutally violent transnational criminal organization that flooded American streets with dangerous drugs and protected its operations through murder and corruption,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “This Office is committed to working with its federal and international partners to bring leaders of cartels and transnational criminal organizations to justice in the United States and to hold them accountable for the death and destruction they have unleashed here and abroad.” 

    Mr. Durham extended his appreciation to the DEA’s offices in Las Vegas and Mexico City, Mexico, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of State, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Mexico. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Sanchez.

    “Our country is facing an unprecedented drug crisis. Violent drug trafficking organizations, like H-2, fueled by unrelenting and callous greed have been saturating our communities with poison, death, and chronic devastation,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Allen.  “The DEA continues its unwavering determination to mitigate this evil and eradicate their terror and corruption from our streets.”

    According to the indictment and court filings, Sanchez was a leader of the H-2 Drug Trafficking Organization (the H-2 DTO), a violent Mexican drug trafficking organization based in Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mexico.  Sanchez’s alias “H-3” is a reference to his status as a successor to Hector Beltran-Leyva, the original “H” and one of the principal leaders of the Beltran Leyva Cartel that was previously part of the Sinaloa Cartel. The H-2 DTO was previously led by the defendant’s brother, Juan Francisco Patron Sanchez, also known as “H-2.”  Based on public reporting, after Juan Francisco Patron Sanchez was killed in 2017, the defendant assumed principal leadership over the H-2 DTO.  The H-2 DTO had numerous distribution cells in the United States, including in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Ohio, Minnesota, North Carolina and New York.  The DEA estimates that between January 2013 and February 2017, the H-2 DTO distributed, on a monthly basis, hundreds of kilograms of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and thousands of kilograms of marijuana into the United States and earned millions of dollars in illegal proceeds in return.  In furtherance of its drug trafficking operation, the H-2 DTO used firearms and physical violence and is associated with numerous homicides. 

    Between June 2013 and December 2016, the defendant was one of the principal leaders of the H-2 DTO and directed the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana from Mexico into various parts of the United States, including the Eastern District of New York.  The defendant also coordinated the money laundering activities of other members of the H-2 DTO to ensure the proceeds of their drug trafficking were transferred back to Mexico.  In addition, he conspired with other leaders and members of the H-2 DTO to kill members of rival drug trafficking organizations and other individuals perceived as threats to the H-2 DTO.   

    The extradition of Sanchez is the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.  OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted of the continuing criminal enterprise count, the defendant faces a mandatory life sentence; the defendant faces up to a life sentence on the other counts of the indictment.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Andrew D. Wang and Raffaela S. Belizaire are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    JESUS RICARDO PATRON SANCHEZ (also known as “H-3,” “Diabolic,” “Vela,” “James Bond” and “Xmen”)
    Age: 39
    Mexico

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-241 (S-2) (CBA) 

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: No Fish Harbour in Sierra Leone: Greenpeace Africa applauds the Court’s decision to secure final victory for the Black Johnson Beach campaign

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Dakar: 21-02-2025/The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has delivered a landmark ruling in favor of the Save Black Johnson Beach campaign, marking a significant victory for environmental conservation. Launched in 2022 by a group of dedicated civilians, the campaign sought to prevent the construction of fishmeal factories and harbour that  would threaten the beach’s delicate ecosystems and overshadow the small-scale fishing on which communities rely. 

    Greenpeace Africa celebrates this historic decision, which not only safeguards Black Johnson Beach but also serves as an inspiring precedent for communities worldwide fighting against environmental injustice.

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa said: 

    “This ruling is a historic victory for the people of Black Johnson and for coastal communities across West Africa. It proves that governments cannot hand over our oceans and lands to destructive industries without consequences. The Supreme Court has spoken, private land and critical marine ecosystems are not for sale. We call on other communities facing environmental destruction to stand up, resist, and demand justice.”

    The fishmeal industry is driving ocean destruction across West Africa, threatening food security and livelihoods. 

    “This Supreme Court decision is a turning point, it shows that communities have the power to resist and win. Black Johnson Beach is now a symbol of resilience and environmental justice. We urge all communities facing similar threats to take action and fight for their rights.We celebrate this victory, but the fight is far from over. Across the region, the fishmeal industry continues to plunder our seas for profit. Greenpeace Africa stands in solidarity with all communities resisting this destruction. We call on those on the frontlines of environmental struggles to stay strong, organize, and push back, because together, we can protect our oceans, our fisheries, and our future.” Added Dr. Aliou. 

    Black Johnson Beach is home to five distinct ecosystems, including pristine beaches and coastal habitats, critical mangrove forests that protect against erosion, marine ecosystems with vital fish breeding grounds, diverse rainforests supporting wildlife, and freshwater rivers and wetlands essential for biodiversity.

    Contacts for  interview:

    Luchelle Feukeng, Communication and Storytelling Manager, [email protected], +237 656 46 35 45 

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaign Lead, [email protected] 

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Landlord licensing extends to 1,900 more properties across Manchester

    Source: City of Manchester

    Selective Licensing is one way that cities can drive up standards in privately rented properties – a key priority for Manchester City Council.

    Since 2017, more than 3,500 homes across the city have been fully licensed making sure that those homes are safer and better managed for the tenants living in the properties.  

    Now, from this week (Monday 24 February 2025) the owners and managing agents of 1,863 more flats and houses will be required to be apply for a landlord licence that will make sure these homes meet the necessary safety requirements, have the correct gas and electrical safety certification, and that they can demonstrate good management standards. 

    Currently, private sector homes have fewer regulations protecting residents and Selective Licensing provides Councils to require landlords of all private rented properties to obtain a license in a particular area and is intended to address the impact of poor-quality housing.  

    Following public consultation, licensing can be introduced if an area is experiencing significant and persistent problems caused by antisocial behaviour (including environmental and waste management issues), poor property conditions, high levels of migration, high levels of deprivation, high levels of crime, low housing demand – or is likely to become such an area. 

    For the latest designated licensing areas, the Council has specifically targeted homes on the basis of property condition and antisocial behaviour linked to waste management problems. 

     

    The new licensing schemes across six Manchester wards, include:  

     

    Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:  

    “We know that there are currently fewer regulations and therefore less protection against poor housing in the private sector than other forms of rental homes – such as social rent properties. This means that there a minority of landlords who we have found do not take the responsibility for their property, the safety of their tenants, nor the impact of their property on the wider community seriously enough.   

    “This is by no means every landlord and most work hard to make sure the properties they let are safe and of a good standard. But Selective Licensing is one of the ways we can hold landlords that don’t to account and drive up standards for our residents.   

    “We believe that everyone in Manchester deserves a safe and secure home. This is a basic right and through Selective Licensing we can work directly with landlords and their tenants to make sure this is their reality. 

    “And we are seeing the impact of our interventions, and more than 3,550 homes have already been licensed, removing 1,700 hazards from Manchester’s private sector homes that would otherwise still be a blight on tenants in the city.” 

     

    Impact of previous licensing schemes 

       

    Enforcement Action on non-compliant landlords   

    Enforcement action has been undertaken where necessary to target landlords who have failed to comply with the licensing scheme and notices to improve property conditions.   

    So far, these include:   

    Find out more about Selective Licensing 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: USDA extends response deadline for 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties

    Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will continue to collect the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties through April 18, 2025. Conducted just once every five years, the Census of Horticultural Specialties is the only source of detailed production and sales data for U.S. floriculture, nursery, and specialty crop industries, including greenhouse food crops.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Anniversary of Ukraine invasion: Parliamentary Secretary Armstrong-Homeniuk

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement commemorating the third anniversary of Russia’s total invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022:
    “Three years ago, more than 100,000 Russian troops invaded Ukraine, launching the largest war of aggression in Europe since World War II. I was visiting NATO and U.S. troops in Lithuania the week that the war began, and as I flew back from Europe, I prayed for the success of the brave Ukrainian fighters. Analysts believed it was only a matter of days until Kyiv fell and Putin was victorious.
    “Instead, for three years, the courageous Ukrainian people have defended their homeland, their freedom, and their democracy. Backed by a global coalition of more than 50 nations, they have fought and inflicted massive losses on the Russian aggressors, the largest army in Europe. They have endured unimaginable hardship, the crippling of their economy, and the atrocities of too many war crimes to count.
    “President Zelenskyy has ably led his country, and his people have fought with incredible bravery. Tragically, President Trump appears poised to give Putin a victory at the negotiating table that he has been unable to secure on the battlefield. He has repeated Russian propaganda, picked fights with Zelenskyy, and seems set on imposing a peace “deal” that will effectively surrender Ukraine to Putin. This strategic mistake would embolden our adversaries, waving a flag for Russia to continue marching across eastern Europe, for China to adopt a similar playbook for Taiwan, and for Iran and North Korea to learn that by partnering with this axis of autocrats, they can defeat the West. If he does abandon Ukraine, Trump will go down as the biggest betrayer of our interests and our ideals of this century.
    “On this anniversary, it is time for every American advocate of freedom, no matter their party, to tell President Trump that he must not force Ukraine into a weak peace that will not hold. He must instead make clear to Putin that we will stand behind Ukraine in this war, in partnership with our European allies, who are offering to take on more of the burden of defending Ukraine and to join us in securing the peace. That is “peace through strength,” that is how we bring this war to a just end, and how we live up to the values that have long defined us as Americans.”
    Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS Stockdale returns home after seven-month deployment to 5th Fleet and 7th Fleet

    Source: United States Navy

    Stockdale departed San Diego on an independent deployment to U.S. 5th Fleet to conduct operations in support of regional stability, July 24, 2024. They joined the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) August to November 2024 and remained in 5th Fleet following the departure of the ABECSG.

    “The crew of Stockdale displayed immeasurable courage and unwavering dedication while serving in some of the most complex naval combat operations since World War II,” said Cmdr. Lauren Johnson, commanding officer, Stockdale. “This has been a historical deployment, and the crew answered every challenge with strength and resilience. Driven by their determination, professionalism, and training, Team 007 demonstrated that we remain the most lethal destroyer in the Navy. I could not be more proud of every crew member and our families at home who supported us along the way.”

    While in 5th Fleet, Stockdale successfully repelled multiple Iranian-backed Houthi attacks during transits of the Bab el-Mandeb strait and escort operations of U.S.-flagged vessels in the Gulf of Aden. During these engagements, Stockdale successfully engaged and defeated one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), anti-ship ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles. Stockdale received no damage and no personnel were hurt. Stockdale and her crew were well prepared, trained, and supported, to defend the ship.

    Stockdale deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility to bolster U.S. military force posture in the Middle East and deter regional escalation to promote security, stability and prosperity throughout the region. While in 5th Fleet, Stockdale worked alongside the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and CENTCOM joint forces to support global maritime security operations.

    Stockdale held bilateral partnership meetings to reinforce regional stability and capability. Stockdale made a port call in Safaga, Egypt, where Johnson met with Egyptian Red Sea Naval Base leadership, and subsequently participated in an at-sea sailing exercise with Egyptian Navy corvette ENS Abu Qir (F941) to increase interoperability. In the Republic of Maldives, Stockdale hosted the Chief of Defense Force for the Maldives National Defense Force and other leadership during an onboard reception and dinner. Both events reinforced U.S. commitment to its international network of partners to further enhance free and open seas.

    Throughout deployment, Stockdale, with an air wing detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71, traveled over 44,000 nautical miles, conducted 12 replenishments-at-sea, 28 sea and anchor details, and HSM 71 conducted over 650 hours of rotary air wing hours and achieved an air-to-air kill of an Iranian-backed Houthi one-way attack UAS. Stockdale was recognized as Destroyer Squadron 21’s recipient of the 2024 Battle Effectiveness Award, and the Sailors were awarded the Combat Action Ribbon for their actions in 5th Fleet.

    Stockdale was led by their commanding officer, Cmdr. Lauren Johnson, executive officers Cmdr. Jacob Beckelhymer and Cmdr. Carissa Moore, and Command Master Chief Gomer Turiano.

    As an integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic and relevant training to ensure the readiness necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s timeless role across the full spectrum of military operations. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Former Kansas City Police Officer of $200,000 Charity Fraud Scheme

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been convicted in federal court of a scheme in which he spent more than $200,000 in donations for his own personal expenses.

    Aaron Wayne McKie, 47, was found guilty on Thursday, Feb. 20, of nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. McKie worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.

    McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.

    Evidence produced during the trial indicated that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. Individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $200,060 for his own personal purposes.

    The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.

    From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax-exempt status in 2010.

    Under federal statutes, McKie is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 10 counts on which he was convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for nine hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 10.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why justice for Ukraine must be at the forefront of peace negotiations

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Oleksa Drachewych, Assistant Professor in History, Western University

    On Feb. 18, representatives from Russia and the United States met in Saudi Arabia to determine if peace in Ukraine is possible. Ukrainian representatives were not invited.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that the meeting was a step in developing an “enduring peace” between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a media interview that the meeting was “very positive” and confirmed the true meaning of the talks was to start normalising relations between Russia and the U.S.

    Although U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed “the Russians want to see the war end,” Russian officials remain committed to their war aims. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced before the meetings that Russia would not return Ukrainian territory. After, he stated that should a peace deal be brokered, any peacekeeping forces could not come from NATO nations. The latter statement stunted growing European efforts to develop a security guarantee for Ukraine should a ceasefire be reached.

    Keith Kellogg, U.S. envoy for Kyiv and Moscow, said after his Feb. 20 meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the U.S. is aligned with the nation — and that any end to the war with Russia should ensure there is no “next war”. Yet White House officials do not seem to have Ukraine’s best interest in mind in negotiating a potential resolution to the war.

    For instance, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Feb. 12 that the U.S. government doesn’t believe NATO membership for Ukraine “is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.” He added that Ukraine would need to accept territorial concessions to Russia.

    Trump has also increasingly parroted Russian narratives — such as claiming that Ukraine started the war. He has also delegitimized Zelenskyy by claiming he is a “dictator” who refuses to hold elections — despite the nation’s constitution stating elections cannot legally be held under martial law.

    Trump also continues to demand 50 per cent of Ukraine’s natural resources to repay the United States for previous military and financial support. This has led to a deterioration in Ukrainian-U.S. relations at a time where Russian-U.S. relations appear to be improving.



    Read more:
    Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there

    European leaders have responded with frustration. Zelenskyy has made his position clear that any negotiation must include Ukraine at the table. Ukraine would not accept an imposed peace.

    Any attempt at negotiating a lasting peace between the two nations must include accountability for Russian crimes.

    The realities of Russia’s invasion

    American overtures for peace have often referred to “stopping the millions of deaths” in Russia’s war in Ukraine. While on the surface this goal is admirable, it oversimplifies the realities of what the last three years of war have done to Ukraine. Namely, Russian forces have committed extensive war crimes and atrocity in Ukraine.

    Russian forces barrage Ukraine with drone strikes and terror bombing — including targeting civilians. Even as negotiations were happening in Saudi Arabia, Russian drones struck Odesa, injuring four civilians. This was the latest in a long line of such attacks. International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants are out for Russian military leaders on just this issue.

    The Ukrainian government has confirmed over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russian forces. But in July 2023, Russian officials claimed they had over 700,000 Ukrainian children in Russian territory.

    Investigative reporting confirms the Russian government is assimilating these children — forcing them to stop speaking Ukrainian and raising them with a Russian identity. These actions have also led to ICC arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner who oversees the program. Russia’s actions violate the UN Genocide Convention.

    Widespread sexual assault by Russian forces has been documented against Ukrainian men and women. Torture chambers have also been found in liberated cities. Russian forces committed mass murder in multiple Ukrainian cities — underscored by the discovery of mass graves in Bucha, Izium and Lyman.

    Mariupol, once a city of over 400,000 has been reduced to a population of 120,000 as of 2023. This showcases the devastation caused by Russian forces. Russia has also started seizing buildings to give to Russian settlers to further Russify the city.

    The realities under Russian occupation are only partially known. The Russian government has demanded Ukrainians living under occupation forfeit their Ukrainian identification documents and obtain Russian passports. In schools, Russia has fully implemented its nationalistic curriculum, which includes “anti-Ukrainian propaganda” aimed at assimilating Ukrainian children.

    Against international law, forcible Russification of the Ukrainian people has become a common feature of Russian occupation during this war.

    Ukraine’s fight for justice

    Ukraine continues to fight against Russian occupation. While it’s honourable to want to stop the deaths caused by fighting, the Russian regime’s actions in Ukrainian territory must be remembered too.

    This is why justice is just as important as resolution. While it’s unlikely Russian officials will find themselves before the ICC, there must be some form of accountability for Russian crimes against Ukraine if peace is negotiated. While present frontlines may dictate where Ukraine may be forced to cede territory or freeze conflict, the realities of Russian aggression cannot be ignored.

    Here, history offers a guide for what shouldn’t be done this time when brokering a peace deal.



    Read more:
    How Russia’s fixation on the Second World War helps explain its Ukraine invasion

    During the Second World War, Soviet forces committed extensive war crimes and atrocities. Yet the Soviet Union never faced a reckoning for those acts. Russian officials remember this. As a result, Putin feels empowered to commit similar atrocities in Ukraine — believing Russia, just as the Soviet Union, won’t face any consequences.

    For any possibility of lasting peace, accountability and justice for Russian war crimes must be at the forefront of negotiations. Otherwise, Russia will have learned it can act with impunity — threatening the likelihood of enduring peace for Ukraine.

    Oleksa Drachewych 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. Why justice for Ukraine must be at the forefront of peace negotiations – https://theconversation.com/why-justice-for-ukraine-must-be-at-the-forefront-of-peace-negotiations-250208

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in an extended meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    February 24, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture in the Federation Council

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture. The participants discussed the issue of preparation for the government hour as part of the 585th meeting of the upper house of parliament.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko thanked Valentina Matvienko, Lilia Gumerova and other senators for their attention to the educational sphere and joint work on developing the Education Development Strategy.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the education sector is one of the key areas for achieving the national goals set by President Vladimir Putin.

    “Russian citizens are actively involved in the work on the Education Development Strategy. More than 340 thousand respondents took part in the survey on the public services portal, and more than 1 thousand proposals were generated. In the conditions of global competition, we need to ensure the accelerated development of the educational system together. Our goal is to create equal and decent conditions for teachers, increase the prestige of the profession, raise its social status, attract young personnel to schools and retain them,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also noted the importance of ensuring equal access to quality education regardless of place of residence. To this end, thanks to the implementation of the national project “Education”, about a million school places have already been created, and within the framework of the national project “Demography” – almost 250 thousand places in kindergartens, and the construction of new facilities is planned within the framework of the national projects “Youth and Children” and “Family”.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized the growing demand for blue-collar jobs and professions. The “Professionality” project has been implemented since 2022.

    “As of today, 493 clusters have been created in 81 regions in 24 sectors of the economy and social sphere within the framework of “Professionality”. We strive to ensure that by the end of 2026 the project covers all 89 regions of Russia, and by 2030 a total of 940 clusters have been created,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    The Government and the Federation Council also actively cooperate in the formation of regional policy in the field of intellectual property.

    “In the context of modern challenges, it is necessary to clearly define strategic directions for the development of education in the country. Government hour will be devoted to this topic,” said Lilia Gumerova, opening the meeting.

    According to her, during 2024, the committee carried out a number of events to improve the domestic education system. Recommendations were prepared, including on resolving issues of reducing the bureaucratic burden, improving the mechanisms for conducting the unified state examination, developing career guidance, secondary vocational education, pedagogical education, improving the higher education system, including the mechanism of targeted training, taking into account the experience of the admissions campaign in 2024.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Dare and Win!”: How February 23 was celebrated at the Military Training Center

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    On the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day in Military training center The HSE hosted ceremonial meetings and creative evenings of student amateur performances. Such events are held here every year on the eve of February 23, and not only HSE students, but also students from partner schools and honorary guests take part in them.

    “Conquer new heights”

    The guest of honor at the ceremonial meeting and creative evening of 4th-year students was Vice-Rector Sergey Rozhkov. After the State Flag of the Russian Federation, the flag of the HSE Military Training Center were carried out and the Anthem of the Russian Federation was performed, he congratulated all those present on Defender of the Fatherland Day.

    “I wish you good health, happiness and prosperity, to always move forward, and not to stop in the face of difficulties. You will have to conquer new heights, and it does not matter whether they will be connected with the specialty you have chosen or with service in the Armed Forces – as far as I know, we also have those who want to join the military service. Dare and win,” said Sergey Rozhkov, addressing the students.

    He also wished for a quick big victory in the special military operation. “We are really looking forward to it, it is important for all of us,” the vice-rector concluded.

    The head of the Military Training Center (VTC), Hero of Russia Vladimir Korgutov, also delivered welcoming words.

    “This national holiday firmly links the past, present and future of Russia, is a symbol of fortitude, courage, solidarity and unity, pride in one’s country and its history. And today we remember those who conscientiously fulfilled their military duty – in every home, in every family, there are reminders of the heroism of our grandfathers and fathers. Military exploits and traditions will never be forgotten,” he said.

    The Hero of Russia recalled the soldiers and officers who died during the SVO, including those who were personally known to the teachers of the Military Training Center. Those present in the hall honored their memory with a minute of silence.

    Award ceremony

    Vladimir Korgutov reported that in the run-up to Defender of the Fatherland Day, congratulations were sent to the Military Training Center “from many of our colleagues and comrades.” Among them were representatives of universities from different regions of Russia where military training centers operate. “We also congratulate them and advocate for us to have more joint projects,” he added.

    This was followed by a ceremony to present awards to the staff and students of the Military Training Center.

    For the consistently high quality of performance of official duties, Sergey Rozhkov presented a letter of gratitude from the Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Nikita Anisimov to the teacher Departments of the Ground Forces Aleksandr Alekseev, associate professor Andrey Cherkesov and the educational department dispatcher Olga Lobova. The vice-rector’s gratitude was awarded to associate professor of the Land Forces Department Viktor Prilyudko.

    A teacher received a commemorative badge of the city of Moscow “80 years of the Battle of Moscow” Department of Aerospace Forces Alexander Lyubimov. Andrey Cherkesov was awarded the medal “65 years of the Strategic Missile Forces” by the Council of Veterans of the Strategic Missile Forces. Gratitude from the head of the Military Training Center was announced to engineer Irina Petrova and senior engineer of the educational and training equipment department Yuri Kuprienko.

    In addition, the best students received incentives. This is not only a certificate or gratitude, but also a photo taken near the unfurled flag of the VUC together with Hero of Russia Vladimir Korgutov, as well as a “letter to the homeland” – a message to parents, which tells about the achievements of their son. Another form of incentive in honor of February 23 is the removal of a previously imposed penalty, and this is no less important for students than any other award.

    Tribute

    Holding concerts on the eve of February 23 is one of the traditions of the Military Training Center. First of all, it is a tribute to those who defended our Motherland during the Great Patriotic War and other wars, and to those who today, faithful to their military duty, continue to defend it.

    This year, not only students of the Military Training Center performed at the creative evenings, but also invited performers and creative groups, for example, the vocal studio “Kladez” from the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation under the direction of Oksana Kazakova. Famous songs of the war years and modern works were performed, including those written by the students themselves. A quiz on military topics was also organized for fourth-year students.

    Yaroslav Rodkin, 2nd year student of the OP “Strategy and production in communications“, acted as the host of the creative evening and read poems of his own composition. “I dedicated the poem “Soon Home” to the soldiers who are awaited at home, because at the front it is important to feel the support of relatives, and the poem “A Bullet Flies” – to the soldiers who died in battles for Russia,” he explained.

    Petr Kutukov, 2nd year student of the OP “Right“, performed the song “We Need One Victory” at two creative evenings – for his classmates and for fourth-year students. The participation of younger fighters in a concert for older ones is another tradition that helps pass the baton and strengthen the spirit of camaraderie.

    “I studied music in my school years and I love singing for the soul. I try to participate in extracurricular activities, and the concert for Defender of the Fatherland Day is a good opportunity to prove myself. This holiday is close to me: my great-grandfather, born in 1898, took part in four wars, my father and grandfather were officers. War songs have a special energy, many of them are written by people who know firsthand what war is,” said Petr.

    “The baton is in safe hands”

    Another tradition of the VUC is a farewell speech to graduates. At the end of the creative evening for 4th-year students, it was delivered by ordinary professor Adam Nizhalovsky.

    He reported that the HSE Military Training Center is one of the best among 137 military training centers in the country, and is distinguished by the high quality of students typical of the HSE, and a unique faculty: 2 generals, 20 colonels, 13 lieutenant colonels, 1 major, 1 “growing lieutenant”. Among them are 16 doctors and candidates of science, 11 combat veterans, including 4 holders of the Order of Courage, 2 holders of the Order “For Military Merit”.

    “We are the only military training center that has been commanded by a Hero of Russia for over ten years,” Adam Nizhalovsky emphasized. He assured those gathered that the baton is in good hands and that HSE graduates “will form the core of the country’s mobilization resource.”

    Then Tatyana Kravets, the guest of honor, the principal of School No. 1251 named after Charles de Gaulle, spoke, attending the event together with her students. She noted that today’s officers and students are growing up in schools. “We admire you. You were and remain our hope and support, and our graduates will honorably, as expected, replace you at your combat post,” the principal said.

    The students presented Vladimir Korgutov with a cake with the number 23 on it. “The doors of the Military Training Center are always open for you,” he assured.

    The Science of Encouragement

    Summing up the ceremonial events, Vladimir Korgutov noted in an interview with Vyshka.Glavnoe that they are an important part of the military-patriotic education of future officers. The presentation of awards is a way to encourage the best, and joint creative activities help to unite the team. “Students get to know each other better, are imbued with the spirit of patriotism,” the Hero of Russia believes.

    In his opinion, it is important to encourage not only experienced teachers, but also young officers and those who are engaged in ensuring the educational process. Alexander Lyubimov, the “growing lieutenant” mentioned in the parting words, the only one who received a state award for Defender of the Fatherland Day, successfully prepares the VUC team for the computer science Olympiads among cadets of military universities.

    “Olga Sergeevna Lobova is a senior warrant officer, a very good employee. Everything that concerns the plans for holding events, drawing up a schedule, distributing audiences – this is hers! Irina Valeryevna Petrova, also an excellent employee, keeps records of personnel, interacts with military registration and enlistment offices, and annually prepares an order from the Minister of Defense to assign ranks to our graduates,” adds Vladimir Korgutov.

    Among the students who have repeatedly received gratitude is a student of the OP “Applied Mathematics and Computer Science» Namig Damirov. Last year, he took 1st place in the individual competition at the All-Army Cadet Olympiad in Computer Science in St. Petersburg, leaving behind his peers from military universities, and his team took 2nd place in the specialized competition. Lieutenant Alexander Lyubimov took an active part in his preparation.

    “The competition is not easy, and we were pleased with the results. I hope that the foundation we laid will help the next generations of students who will represent the Military Training Center at this Olympiad,” Namig said.

    “Indistinguishable from Lev Leshchenko”

    Viewers shared their impressions of “Vyshka.Glavnoe”.

    “The concert was amazing. I especially remember the vocal and vocal-dance numbers of the invited artists, and the evening of amateur performances was wonderfully complemented by their professionalism. An unexpected surprise were the performances of the second-year students: wonderful singers – it was almost impossible to distinguish them from Lev Leshchenko,” says a fourth-year student of the OP “Business Management» Arseniy Samsonov.

    Completing his studies at the Military Training Center, he thanks Colonel Korgutov not only for mastering the military profession, but also for joining the army community, understanding its spoken and unspoken laws. “When I came to the Military Training Center in my second year, this world seemed alien and strange, but now I feel a part of it and am proud to be a reserve officer of the Strategic Missile Forces. I had previously planned to connect my career with the civil service, and the Military Training Center strengthened this intention in me,” the student says.

    “When they performed the song ‘Officers’ and the entire audience stood up, I saw tears welling up in Vladimir Aleksandrovich Korgutov’s eyes,” said Tatyana Kravets.

    “You understand, guys, he is a combat officer, a participant in the First Chechen War,” she addressed her students. “‘I sing to the officers who took pity on their mothers, returning their living sons to them’ – these words are about him. He received the title of Hero of Russia because there were no casualties in his unit. Think about it! He saved everyone!”

    “I liked the theme night,” adds eighth-grader Sergei Burov. “An hour and a half flew by in an instant, the war songs and poems went straight to my heart. If I manage to get into the Higher School of Economics, I will definitely go to study at the Military Training Center and will also perform at such concerts.”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Third Anniversary of Ukraine Invasion Commemorated at Saskatchewan Legislature

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 24, 2025

    Today, Legislative Secretary Responsible for Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations Jamie Martens and representatives from Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian community, the Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations Advisory Committee, and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Saskatchewan Provincial Council (UCC-SPC) gathered at the Legislative Building in Regina to commemorate the third anniversary of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

    “This war has caused untold suffering to the people of Ukraine, some of whom have resettled here in Saskatchewan,” Martens said. “As a province with a rich Ukrainian heritage, Saskatchewan is proud to support those displaced by this terrible conflict. With open arms we will continue to make these newcomers feel welcome and at home in our communities.”

    On Sunday, February 23, a car rally was organized to demonstrate support for Ukrainians by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), Regina Branch, that started at the Northgate Mall in Regina and concluded with a brief ceremony at the Holodomor Monument in Wascana Centre.

    Since the conflict began, nearly 8,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Saskatchewan, many of which have been supported by programs offered through UCC-SPC and the Government of Saskatchewan.

    “The UCC-SPC is grateful to Premier Scott Moe and the Government of Saskatchewan for their steadfast and reliable support for the Ukrainian people,” President of UCC-SPC Elena Krueger said. “From the early days of the conflict and the five charter flights that assisted hundreds to safely arrive in Saskatchewan, to the on-going financial support to UCC Saskatchewan, to various language and employment services, our provincial government truly does stand with Ukraine.”

    Through a funding agreement with the UCC-SPC, the province continues to provide displaced Ukrainians with access to language training, settlement and community supports, as well as connections to employers in their local labour market.

    In another show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the Provincial Capital Commission announced funding for necessary restoration work on the Holodomor Monument in Regina’s Wascana Centre, 10 years after its installation in the park. The monument memorializes the man-made famine endured by the Ukrainian people at the hands of the Soviet Union from 1932 to 1933.

    “The Holodomor Monument in Wascana Centre is an important monument to remember the victims of the man-made famine, as well as reiterate our support for the people of Ukraine through the ongoing conflict,” Minister Responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission Eric Schmalz said. “This funding will help ensure that this important monument remains in Wascana Centre for years to come.”

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Health Home Coming to Pictou County

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More people living in Pictou County will have access to primary healthcare when a new health home opens in the fall.

    The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre in New Glasgow will also provide better training opportunities for healthcare professionals.

    “This health home is unlike any other in the province. It will actively train doctors, nurses and other primary healthcare clinicians and staff, while providing residents with better access to primary care,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Expanding training capacity for primary care providers is critical to the long-term success of our healthcare system.”

    Work on the new centre has started and will include:

    • space for an expanded Westville Medical Clinic, which will relocate to the new centre
    • patient and family-centred care provided by healthcare professionals who are actively learning and specializing in their fields
    • a learning hub for physicians, nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, dietitians, social workers physician assistants and more
    • opportunities for research, evaluation, innovation and community engagement.

    The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre will welcome new primary care providers who will have capacity to provide care to more Nova Scotians.

    It will serve as a proof-of-concept model that will be evaluated to be expanded to other health homes across the province.

    Quotes:

    “The Pictou County Collaborative Learning and Health Home Centre will provide the primary care services, training, and innovation that are needed to ensure Nova Scotians have the full service access to primary care that they need and deserve.”
    — Dr. Brad MacDougall, family physician, Westville Medical Clinic

    Quick Facts:

    • the new centre’s address is 609 Westville Road Rd., New Glasgow
    • expanding the Westville Medical Clinic will take about 3,000 Nova Scotians off the Need a Family Practice Registry
    • a health home model of care is where patients receive comprehensive care from a team of healthcare professionals that could include doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers or other healthcare professionals
    • there are 115 health homes across Nova Scotia
    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Guatemalan alien charged with armed home invasion, kidnapping crimes

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Guatemalan national charged in Brockton, Massachusetts, with five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of kidnapping, intimidation and armed home invasion when officers arrested Edilio Agustin-Orellana in Providence, Jan. 27.

    “Edilio Agustin-Orellana stands accused of some extremely egregious felonies and represents a significant threat to the residents of New England,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We simply cannot tolerate such threats to our residents. ICE Boston remains dedicated to prioritizing the safety of our public by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from the streets of our communities.”

    The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Agustin after he illegally entered the United States Jan. 25, 2002, near Brownsville, Texas, and transferred custody to Immigration and Naturalization Services at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas. INS released Agustin on bond two weeks later.

    A Department of Justice immigration judge in Harlingen, Texas, ordered Agustin removed from the United States to Guatemala Sept. 23, 2002.

    The 6th Division District Court in Providence, Rhode Island, convicted Agustin Oct. 13, 2004, of eluding police, resisting arrest, and driving with suspended license. The court sentenced him to one year of probation and court costs.

    ICE encountered Agustin Nov. 13, 2006, following a subsequent arrest in Providence and lodged an immigration detainer against Agustin with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections

    ICE arrested Agustin Nov. 15, 2006, at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston and removed him from the U.S. to Guatemala Dec. 30, 2006.

    Border Patrol agents arrested Agustin after he illegally reentered the U.S. Feb. 7, 2007, near Ocotillo, California, and issued him a notice of intent/decision to reinstate a prior removal order. ICE removed Agustin from the U.S. to Guatemala Feb. 8, 2008.

    Agustin illegally reentered the U.S. Aug. 4, 2019, near Del Rio, Texas, and ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Agustin with Brockton District Court Feb. 20, 2024, following his arrest for armed home invasion. The Brockton District Court refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Agustin from custody.

    The Plymouth Superior Court in Brockton, Massachusetts, arraigned Agustin June 24, 2024, for five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of kidnapping, intimidation and armed home invasion.

    ICE arrested Agustin, who was at large in Providence, Jan. 27. He remains in ICE custody.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 25, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA finds progress in availability and accessibility of data used to identify and qualify environmental, social and governance risks but data landscape remains incomplete

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published a Report assessing the availability and accessibility of data related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks as well as the feasibility of introducing a standardised methodology for identifying and qualifying credit exposures to such risks. The Report finds that while there have been significant improvements over the recent years on availability and accessibility of data, the ESG data landscape remains incomplete at this stage. Key policy initiatives such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the supporting European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), as well as further transparency in the methodologies of ESG scores and External Credit Assessment Institutions’ (ECAI) credit risk ratings, are expected to further improve this landscape and mitigate challenges.

    Credit institutions are increasingly assessing ESG risks, although progress differs across exposure classes. Data availability, quality and granularity remain among the most significant challenges in developing more advanced approaches.

    Methodologies are most mature in the assessment of transition risk in corporate portfolios, where the EBA has observed certain elements of standardisation, such as the use of sectoral classification, greenhouse gas emissions and transition plans of counterparties as the key sources of information.

    Similarly, the EBA has observed some degree of standardisation in methodologies for mortgage exposures, which are typically based on the geographical location and energy efficiency of the immovable property collateral.

    The methodologies are less mature for other exposure classes where the process of developing relevant methodologies to identify and assess ESG risks is still ongoing. The practices regarding the assessment of environmental risk other than climate, social and governance risks are still at an early stage and mostly qualitative.

    While there are emerging practices regarding the assessment of ESG risks, the progress to date on the assessment of how these risks affect the level of credit risk is limited. At this stage, only few institutions apply specific methods for measuring credit risk related to ESG factors, focusing mostly on climate risk. While governance aspects have traditionally been part of the assessment of credit risk, both by institutions and by ECAIs, there is little standardisation and the approaches are mainly qualitative, often based on expert judgement.

    Based on the market practices and the current data landscape, the EBA concludes that the feasibility of designing a standardised methodology differs greatly depending on the type of exposures and risks considered. While there have been developments in the identification and assessment of ESG risks, there is still insufficient understanding and evidence of their effective impact on credit risk parameters. Should regulatory efforts towards standardisation be pursued, a sequenced approach would most likely be necessary.

    Legal basis

    The EBA is mandated under letters (a) and (b) of Article 501c(1) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013, i.e. the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR), to assess:

    a) the availability and accessibility of reliable and consistent ESG data for credit risk exposure classes;

    b) the feasibility of introducing a standardised methodology to identify and qualify these exposures, based on a common set of principles to ESG risk classification, and using the information available from sustainability disclosure frameworks, the guidance and conclusions coming from supervisory stress-testing or scenario analysis of climate-related financial risks, and the relevant ESG score of the credit risk rating by a nominated ECAI.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    February 25, 2025
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Twenty Twenty-Five

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