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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier stresses ensuring policy implementation to consolidate economic recovery

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Chinese vice premier stresses ensuring policy implementation to consolidate economic recovery

    CHANGCHUN, July 9 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed the importance of ensuring policy implementation and achieving industrial revitalization through technological innovation to consolidate economic recovery trend.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection trip from Monday to Wednesday to the country’s northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin.

    Ding visited a water source relocation project, a farm, a central grain reserve warehouse and a local finance bureau to learn about the implementation of major government policies and the operation of local finances.

    It is necessary to fully and effectively utilize the more proactive fiscal policy to enhance the efficiency of fund use and the effectiveness of policy implementation, the vice premier said.

    Ding also visited several local enterprises and educational institutions. He emphasized the need to concentrate innovative resources on enterprises, strengthen both basic and applied research, and deepen collaboration among universities, research institutes and enterprises.

    The vice premier expressed hopes that Heilongjiang and Jilin would accelerate the cultivation of new drivers of growth and new advantages to make greater contributions to the overall development of the country.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Statement on the Loss of Lives, Inlcuding a Young Girl, During the Saba Saba (7 7) Protests in Kenya

    Source: APO


    .

    UNICEF expresses its condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the Saba Saba (7 7) protests in Kenya.

    We especially extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family of a young girl who was tragically killed by a stray bullet while sitting innocently in the sanctity of her own home.

    UNICEF is also deeply concerned by reports of children being arrested during the protests. Detention should be the last resort as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Africa Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Minors who have been detained must have immediate access to appropriate legal assistance, family contact and should be separated from adults while in custody for the shortest time possible.

    Children must be protected from harm – ­­­̵­­at all times and under all circumstances. It is their fundamental right.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: From Seoul to Seke – The Shared Struggles of a Generation

    Source: APO


    .

    Exploring how young people across continents face different barriers to the same fundamental choice

    By Young Hong, Deputy Regional Director, UNFPA East and Southern Africa

    I never imagined that one day I would be advocating for the right to have children, while listening to young people across continents tell me why they feel they cannot.

    From the misty foothills of Nepal, where I once worked with adolescent girls rebuilding their lives after child marriage, to the bustling cities of South Korea, where couples delay or forgo parenthood under the weight of economic  pressure, and now to the vibrant communities of East and Southern Africa, where young people are navigating early pregnancies they never planned, one truth permeates across these regions. The power to choose if, when, and how to start a family remains out of reach for far too many.

    In South Korea, many young people are delaying or abandoning the idea of having children not because they don’t want to, but because housing costs, job insecurity, and social pressures make parenthood feel unattainable. Meanwhile, in Malawi and across much of East and Southern Africa, young people are being pushed into parenthood far too soon, without the knowledge or support to make informed decisions.

    Two vastly different realities yet both point to the same crisis: a crisis not of fertility, but of choice. Across Asia, and especially in my home country, we’re witnessing what headlines call a birth rate crisis. But the real crisis is deeper and more human – it’s a crisis of opportunities, of choice, of agency. When systems fail to support young people whether by denying them access to contraception or the conditions to raise a family with dignity, the result is the same: lives shaped by limitations, not aspirations.

    When I recently moved to East and Southern Africa as UNFPA’s new Deputy Regional Director, I was struck by the contrast. Here, the challenge is not too few births, but too many too soon. There is a young woman named Amina in rural Tanzania, just 16, already a mother. Her pregnancy wasn’t planned, it was the result of a lack of information, contraception, limited access to quality education, or even immediate economic need, and a world where saying no wasn’t always an option.

    Two regions. Two stories. One truth. Around the world, too many young people are being denied the power to choose their own futures.

    World in a mirror

    According to UNFPA’s State of World Population 2025 report, 1 in 5 people under age 50 expect they will not have the number of children they want. In Asia, many delay or forgo parenthood due to crushing housing costs, rising education cost, limited child care support,  job insecurity, climate anxiety, and persistent  gender inequality. In Africa, particularly in our region, nearly 72 million youth are not in school, employment or training, and 1 in 3 say they or their partner have experienced unintended pregnancy. These are not opposing trends, but they are mirror images of the same systemic failure. 

    And yet, young people remain at the center of public debates. In East Asia, this generation is labeled selfish for choosing careers over children. In East and Southern Africa, girls continue to struggle to live with the life-time consequences of pregnancy they did not understand. In both cases, youth are blamed for demographic shifts they did not design, which they are burdened from fixing without the resources, knowledge, rights, or respect.

    Turning the world around

    We need to flip this reality. The solution to so-called population crises is not coercion or blame – it’s care. It’s trust. It’s an investment.

    UNFPA is doing just that. In Zambia, we’re supporting youth-led centers where young people access comprehensive sexuality education and speak openly about their dreams. In South Sudan, mobile clinics reach girls in conflict zones with reproductive health services. In Lesotho, young men are stepping up as champions for family planning. And later this year, UNFPA will launch a global Youth Reproductive Choices Survey to listen, not prescribe, what young people need to thrive.

    One young activist in Nairobi said, “We’re not afraid to have children. We’re afraid we won’t have a future to raise them properly.” That fear, whether whispered in a café in Seoul or shouted from a township in Johannesburg, must guide our response.

    That means policies grounded in fairness across generations. It means affordable housing, quality education,   and decent jobs for youth. It means dismantling online misogyny and supporting parental leave not just for mothers, but for fathers too.  It means ensuring that contraception is available without shame, and that fertility treatments are accessible without ruinous costs. It means the society believes in young people and respects their decisions.  

    As a Korean, as a UNFPA leader, and yes, as someone named Young, I believe in youth. Not just as an age, but as a force: dynamic, hopeful, and deserving of choice.

    This World Population Day, let’s stop framing young people as a demographic problem. Let’s see them as the designers of their own future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable. Whether in Seoul or Seke, Lusaka or Busan, it’s time to trust them. To listen. To give them the power to plan their families and their lives on their own terms. 

    Because when we do, we don’t just solve population challenges. We build a better world.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Water suspension in Queen’s Hill set

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    From 10pm on July 12 to 8am on July 13, the supply of fresh and flushing water to residents in the Queen’s Hill area will be temporarily suspended, the Water Supplies Department announced today.

     

    The water suspension period is necessary because works will be carried out to connect new temporary water mains to the existing water supply system, with a view to decommissioning the water mains with bitumen lining at Ping Che Road, which supplies water to the Queen’s Hill area, the department explained.

     

    The preparations for connecting the temporary water mains will enter a final stage on July 12 for its commissioning this Sunday on July 13.

     

    Affected areas will include Queens Hill Estate, Shan Lai Court, as well as 68 villages on Sha Tau Kok Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Sha Tau Kok Town), Ping Che Road (from Hung Leng Tsuen to Wun Chuen Sin Kwoon), Ng Chow Road, Wo Keng Shan Road and at Luk Keng.

     

    To expedite the work processes so that the suspension can be shortened, the department will mobilise a workforce of about 200 to carry out the connection works.

     

    While affected consumers are advised to finish major daily cleaning and store water as needed before 10pm on Saturday, the department said it will provide temporary water supply during the suspension period.

     

    Moreover, to allow households to make early preparations, the department and the North District Office have liaised with members of the North District Council, Rural Committees as well as District Services & Community Care Teams regarding the water suspension, in order to put in place appropriate assistance measures.

     

    The department added that before the resumption of water supply by 8am on Sunday, it will flush the related water mains to ensure that the water quality is clear. As such, when the water supply resumes, drinking water in the water mains may contain air bubbles, making the water look milky.

     

    It is normal if individual consumers encounter milky or slightly turbid water in the early stage of the water resumption, the department pointed out, noting that the water will become clear again as the air bubbles dissipate.

     

    It further suggests that consumers first remove strainers of water taps, continuously run the taps for a few minutes and reinstall the strainers after the water becomes clear. Alternatively, they can let the water stand in a container for a while.

     

    Separately, the department emphasised that it will also strive to replace the temporary water mains with permanent underground water mains by end of this year. The section of temporary water mains will then be relocated for reuse.

     

    For enquiries, call the Water Supplies Department at 2824 5000.

     

    Residents of Queens Hill Estate may call 2537 0001, while Shan Lai Court residents may call 2713 9530.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ria Money Transfer and Xe Join Forces with Google to Collaborate on Seamless, Cross-Border Money Transfers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BUENA PARK, Calif., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ria Money Transfer (Ria), a global leader in the money transfer industry, and Xe, a global payments provider with 30 years of experience and trusted expertise moving money around the world — both business segments of Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT) — announced today a collaboration with Google to make cross-border money transfers more accessible. The companies will work together to make it easier for Google users to find and conduct cross-border money transfers via Ria and Xe’s services.

    In 2024, the total revenue for the global digital remittance market was forecasted at USD $23.4 billion, and it is projected to rise swiftly at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.5%, reaching USD $83.2 billion by the end of 2034. Part of the growth of digital remittances has been driven by the increased use of embedded finance. The global embedded finance market size was valued at USD $104.8 billion in 2024.

    Today, Ria and Xe already support 3.2 billion mobile wallet accounts, 4 billion bank accounts, 4 billion Visa cards and 624,000 locations across nearly 200 countries and territories. This strategic collaboration between Ria, Xe and Google aims to simplify access to cross-border payments for more people around the world, helping Google users discover and transact more easily.

    “Thanks to the convenience of digital channels, more and more customers are choosing to send money online,” said Juan Bianchi, Euronet’s EVP & CEO Money Transfer segment. “We are thrilled to be working with Google, and through their vast reach, make Ria and Xe’s money transfer service available to millions of people who haven’t experienced it before.”

    About Ria Money Transfer

    Ria Money Transfer, a business segment of Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT), delivers innovative financial services including fast, secure, and affordable global money transfers. With the world’s largest cross-border real-time money movement network, Ria moves money where it matters.

    Bridging the gap between digital and physical spaces, Ria’s omnichannel products and services provide unprecedented consumer choice, including real-time payments, mobile wallets, currency exchange, home delivery, and cardless ATM payouts. Ria’s global infrastructure, powered by the Dandelion real-time, cross-border payments network, facilitates financial access to customers, agents and partners alike. By creating new market opportunities and promoting economic growth around the world, Ria opens ways for a better everyday life.

    About Xe

    Xe is a trusted global payments provider with 30 years of experience and expertise moving money around the world. Thousands of businesses rely on our services every day to manage their international payments and support their FX risk management strategies.

    Xe helps you navigate the complexities of international business, offering preferred FX rates, and structured products that allow you to protect your bottom line.

    We are proud to be part of Euronet Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: EEFT), with a multi-billion-dollar market capitalization and investment grade credit rating.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How tea, chocolate and apples could help lower your blood pressure

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian Heiss, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Head of Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Surrey

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    We’re constantly told to “eat healthy” – but what does that actually mean? Even doctors sometimes struggle to offer clear, practical advice on which specific foods support health, why they work and what real benefits people can expect.

    A growing body of research is starting to offer some answers. Along with colleagues, I have researched whether a group of plant compounds called flavan-3-ols could help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. The results suggest these everyday compounds may have real potential for protecting heart health.

    Flavan-3-ols – sometimes called flavanols or catechins – are natural plant compounds that belong to the flavonoid family. They’re part of what gives plants their colour and helps protect them from sunlight and pests.

    For us, they show up in some of our most familiar foods: cocoa, green and black tea, grapes, apples and even some berries. That slightly tart or bitter note you taste in dark chocolate or strong tea? That’s flavan-3-ols at work.

    Scientists have long been interested in their health effects. In 2022, the Cosmos trial (Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study), which followed over 21,000 people, found that cocoa flavanols, but not multivitamin supplements, reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease by 27%. Our study set out to dig even deeper, focusing specifically on their effects on blood pressure and endothelial function (how well blood vessels dilate and respond to blood flow).

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    We analysed data from 145 randomised controlled trials involving more than 5,200 participants. These studies tested a range of flavan-3-ol-rich foods and supplements, including cocoa, tea, grapes, apples and isolated compounds like epicatechin, and measured their effects on two key cardiovascular markers: blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation (FMD): a measure of how well the inner lining of blood vessels functions.

    The studies ranged from short-term (a single dose) to longer-term interventions lasting weeks or months. On average, participants consumed about 586 mg of flavan-3-ols daily; roughly the amount found in two to three cups of tea, one to two servings of dark chocolate, two tablespoons of cocoa powder, or a couple of apples.

    Regular consumption of flavan-3-ols led to an average drop in office blood pressure of 2.8 mmHg systolic (the top number) and 2.0 mmHg diastolic (the bottom number).

    But for people who started with elevated blood pressure or diagnosed hypertension, the benefits were even greater with reductions of up to 6–7 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic. That’s comparable to the effects of some prescription blood pressure medications and could significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

    We also found that flavan-3-ols improved endothelial function, with an average 1.7% increase in FMD after sustained intake. This benefit appeared even in participants whose blood pressure was already normal, suggesting these compounds may help protect blood vessels through multiple pathways.

    Side effects were uncommon and typically mild, usually limited to minor digestive issues, suggesting that adding flavan-3-ol-rich foods to your diet is generally safe.

    Supporting cardiovascular health

    While the benefits were most pronounced in those with high blood pressure, even people with normal readings saw improvements in vascular function. This suggests flavan-3-ols may help prevent cardiovascular problems before they begin.

    High blood pressure is one of the major drivers of heart disease worldwide, even at levels that don’t qualify as full-blown hypertension (140/90 mmHg or higher). Recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology now recognise that even “elevated” blood pressure (120–139 systolic and 70–89 diastolic) carries increased risk.

    Lifestyle changes, particularly diet and exercise, are recommended by doctors as first-line strategies. But patients and even healthcare providers often lack clear, specific guidance on which foods truly make a difference. Our findings help fill this gap by showing that boosting flavan-3-ol intake through everyday foods may offer a simple, evidence-based way to support cardiovascular health.

    What about supplements?

    Some studies tested supplements or isolated flavan-3-ol compounds, but these generally showed smaller effects than whole foods like tea or cocoa. This may be because other beneficial compounds in whole foods work together, enhancing absorption and effectiveness.

    At present, it appears both safer and more effective to focus on getting flavan-3-ols from foods rather than high-dose supplements, especially for people taking medications, since interactions are not fully understood.

    The studies we reviewed suggest that 500–600 mg of flavan-3-ols daily may be enough to see benefits. You could reach this by combining two to three cups of green or black tea, one to two servings (about 56g) of dark chocolate or two to three tablespoons of cocoa powder, two to three apples, plus other flavan-3-ol-rich fruits like grapes, pears and berries

    Eating apples, pears, grapes and berries could help support your heart health.
    Oksana Klymenko/Shutterstock

    Small daily swaps, then, like trading a sugary snack for an apple and a piece of dark chocolate or adding an extra cup of tea, could gradually improve your heart health over time. Because flavan-3-ol content can vary between foods, monitoring your blood pressure at home may help you see if it’s making a difference for you.

    More research is needed, particularly in people with diabetes, where the results were less consistent. We also need to better understand how flavan-3-ols interact with medications and whether even greater benefits can be achieved when combined with other healthy habits.

    But the evidence is now strong enough to recommend flavan-3-ol-rich foods as part of a heart-healthy diet. As clinicians seek practical, affordable lifestyle strategies for patients, these findings bring us closer to the idea of using food as medicine.

    Of course, flavan-3-ols aren’t a magic fix. They won’t replace medication for everyone. But combined with other healthy habits, they may offer a meaningful – and delicious – boost to cardiovascular health. And unlike many health fads, this isn’t about exotic superfoods or expensive powders. It’s about foods many of us already enjoy, used a little more intentionally.

    Christian Heiss has received funding from Lipton Teas & Infusions, Ageless Science, iThera, the Medical Research Council, the EPSRC, European Partnership on Metrology, co-financed from European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme and UK Research and Innovation. He is member of the board of the European Society of Vascular Medicine, president of the Vascular, Lipid and Metabolic Medicine Council of the Royal Society of Medicine, and chairperson-elect of the ESC WG Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases.

    – ref. How tea, chocolate and apples could help lower your blood pressure – https://theconversation.com/how-tea-chocolate-and-apples-could-help-lower-your-blood-pressure-256631

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress called on deputies to ensure high-quality performance of their duties

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    XINING, July 9 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), has called on lawmakers to ensure good performance of their legislative, oversight and parliamentary duties, thereby contributing to the successful completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

    Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour of northwest China’s Qinghai Province from Sunday to Tuesday.

    During his visit to Xining and Haidong, Zhao Leji visited legislators’ workplaces, enterprises and rural areas, talking with legislators and local residents to solicit their opinions and advice on promoting high-quality development of legislative work.

    Stressing the importance of maintaining the Party’s comprehensive leadership, Zhao Leji called on the legislative organs to comprehensively implement the major principles and policies as well as the important decisions and plans of the Party in their legislative work.

    He called on legislatures at various levels in Qinghai to focus on more effectively protecting the ecological environment in the province in the spirit of the rule of law, especially when it comes to protecting the ecology in the Sanjiangyuan area, which is known as the “water tower of China” and is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow River and Lancang, China’s three largest rivers.

    Stressing the need to uphold a people-centered stance and consciously put the people’s democracy of the whole process into practice, Zhao Leji called on legislators to conduct in-depth research and actively solicit opinions and suggestions from all sectors.

    He stressed that deputies must strictly fulfill their duties in accordance with the Constitution and other laws, stressing the need to strengthen the NPC’s oversight work by fully implementing the revised Oversight Law.

    Zhao Leji also called for strengthening the work of improving the people’s congresses and strictly implementing the eight guidelines issued by the CPC Central Committee to improve the behavior style of party cadres and civil servants. This, he said, will create an atmosphere of purity, honesty and enterprise, thereby continuously strengthening their ability to perform their duties in accordance with the law. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Nursing Class of 2029 Student Profiles: Abigail Griffiths and Katherine Wojtas

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As summer continues, so does orientation. With over 200 students entering the School of Nursing as the class of 2029, the program’s academic advisors make sure every student is equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

    These students all have a different story to tell, but no matter their journey they all have one thing in common – a passion for nursing.

    Abigail Griffiths (Contributed Photo)

    Abigail (Abby) Griffiths

    From Northeast Ohio, Abigail Griffiths ’29 (NURS) wants nothing more than to be a pediatric oncology nurse. Her experience with friends and family having cancer is what motivates her to be that helping hand when times get tough.

    When Griffiths was younger, her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Griffiths’ life. She also witnessed the effects cancer had on one of her friends from her high school tennis team. Griffiths saw the mental and physical struggles her teammate and grandmother were dealing with and knew how hard that battle had been.

    “To be able to be someone who can help people who are going through similar situations is really important to me,” said Griffiths. “So being able to hopefully make a difference in someone’s life or even being able to make someone smile when they are sick or having a rough time makes me happy and is something I strive to do.”

    The research opportunities that the School of Nursing offers, and UConn’s community and environment is what stood out to Griffiths when choosing where to continue her education.

    Griffiths referred to UConn as “one big family,” and while she’s excited to further her education in nursing, she is also ready to discover herself. During her time as a Husky, she plans on continuing her swimming career by joining UConn Club Swimming. She’s also looking forward to UConn basketball games and meeting new people within her School of Nursing class.

    As she gets ready to become a Husky this fall semester, she’s taking a special piece of advice from her swimming coach with her: “You are just as worthy and capable of everything in life just as much as everyone else – I deserve to be here and I am capable of doing very well in nursing school and even through hard times I can still do great things,” Griffiths said.

    Katherine Wojtas (Contributed Photo)

    Katherine (Katie) Wojtas

    Katherine Wojtas ’29 (NURS), from upstate New York, is no stranger when it comes to traveling. Wojtas has been to the Dominican Republic three times to assist in community development and sustainability projects and doesn’t plan on stopping there.

    While in the Dominican Republic she helped communities in the sugar cane fields. With her fellow students, she laid cement floors in houses, built a running water system, and built latrines. Wojtas plans to continue doing community service abroad as a Husky, where she can hopefully travel with the School of Nursing.

    “The opportunities for local and global service were one of the main reasons why I chose UConn,” she said. “I hope to travel to Ireland or Rwanda with the School of Nursing since it is a meaningful way to learn and make an impact at the same time!”

    Wojtas is entering her first year with experience in the healthcare field. During her senior year of high school, she participated in a medical career program at her local nursing home. She received hands-on experience in various healthcare roles and got to shadow nurses.

    “It helped me confirm my passion for nursing by allowing me to shadow professionals and learn basic clinical skills. It also opened my eyes to the impact nurses have on patient care,” she said.

    Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner and in the future work as a dermatologist or obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN). She’s excited to start clinicals and learn from the School of Nursing faculty.

    Apart from her own academics and studying abroad, Wojtas wants to join the Women’s Club Flag Football team and healthcare affiliated clubs to connect with others who have similar interests.

    “I hope to grow personally and professionally, maintain strong grades, and gain the confidence and skills necessary to become an RN,” said Wojtas.

    Check out our other class of 2029 student profiles:

    Shaunty Mae Vidad and Carlin Sabo

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Nursing Class of 2029 Student Profiles: Abigail Griffiths and Katherine Wojtas

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As summer continues, so does orientation. With over 200 students entering the School of Nursing as the class of 2029, the program’s academic advisors make sure every student is equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.

    These students all have a different story to tell, but no matter their journey they all have one thing in common – a passion for nursing.

    Abigail Griffiths (Contributed Photo)

    Abigail (Abby) Griffiths

    From Northeast Ohio, Abigail Griffiths ’29 (NURS) wants nothing more than to be a pediatric oncology nurse. Her experience with friends and family having cancer is what motivates her to be that helping hand when times get tough.

    When Griffiths was younger, her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Griffiths’ life. She also witnessed the effects cancer had on one of her friends from her high school tennis team. Griffiths saw the mental and physical struggles her teammate and grandmother were dealing with and knew how hard that battle had been.

    “To be able to be someone who can help people who are going through similar situations is really important to me,” said Griffiths. “So being able to hopefully make a difference in someone’s life or even being able to make someone smile when they are sick or having a rough time makes me happy and is something I strive to do.”

    The research opportunities that the School of Nursing offers, and UConn’s community and environment is what stood out to Griffiths when choosing where to continue her education.

    Griffiths referred to UConn as “one big family,” and while she’s excited to further her education in nursing, she is also ready to discover herself. During her time as a Husky, she plans on continuing her swimming career by joining UConn Club Swimming. She’s also looking forward to UConn basketball games and meeting new people within her School of Nursing class.

    As she gets ready to become a Husky this fall semester, she’s taking a special piece of advice from her swimming coach with her: “You are just as worthy and capable of everything in life just as much as everyone else – I deserve to be here and I am capable of doing very well in nursing school and even through hard times I can still do great things,” Griffiths said.

    Katherine Wojtas (Contributed Photo)

    Katherine (Katie) Wojtas

    Katherine Wojtas ’29 (NURS), from upstate New York, is no stranger when it comes to traveling. Wojtas has been to the Dominican Republic three times to assist in community development and sustainability projects and doesn’t plan on stopping there.

    While in the Dominican Republic she helped communities in the sugar cane fields. With her fellow students, she laid cement floors in houses, built a running water system, and built latrines. Wojtas plans to continue doing community service abroad as a Husky, where she can hopefully travel with the School of Nursing.

    “The opportunities for local and global service were one of the main reasons why I chose UConn,” she said. “I hope to travel to Ireland or Rwanda with the School of Nursing since it is a meaningful way to learn and make an impact at the same time!”

    Wojtas is entering her first year with experience in the healthcare field. During her senior year of high school, she participated in a medical career program at her local nursing home. She received hands-on experience in various healthcare roles and got to shadow nurses.

    “It helped me confirm my passion for nursing by allowing me to shadow professionals and learn basic clinical skills. It also opened my eyes to the impact nurses have on patient care,” she said.

    Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner and in the future work as a dermatologist or obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN). She’s excited to start clinicals and learn from the School of Nursing faculty.

    Apart from her own academics and studying abroad, Wojtas wants to join the Women’s Club Flag Football team and healthcare affiliated clubs to connect with others who have similar interests.

    “I hope to grow personally and professionally, maintain strong grades, and gain the confidence and skills necessary to become an RN,” said Wojtas.

    Check out our other class of 2029 student profiles:

    Shaunty Mae Vidad and Carlin Sabo

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Helen Prejean has been one of the most high-profile opponents of the death penalty for decades. Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images

    Thirty years ago, the film “Dead Man Walking” had its debut in movie theaters around the United States. It was a box office hit, and critics lavished it with praise. Lead actress Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, the spiritual adviser to a death row inmate played by Sean Penn.

    But the film’s impact went far beyond the artistic realm. It exposed a mass audience to a perspective on the death penalty informed by the Catholic faith of a devout, if somewhat unconventional, nun.

    The actual Sister Helen had published her memoir, “Dead Man Walking,” two years before, raising her profile as an activist against the death penalty. Recalling her experience outside the execution chamber of Elmo Patrick Sonnier, one of the people she counseled, Prejean later wrote, “I touched him in the only way I could. I told him: ‘Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ, the face of love for you.’”

    She made it her mission to show that “everybody’s worth more than the worst thing they’ve ever done in their life.” As she once told an interviewer, “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemy.’ Jesus didn’t say, ‘Execute the hell out of the enemy.’”

    That belief was featured prominently in the film and offered a counterpoint to the popular tough-on-crime rhetoric of the 1990s. Back then, 80% of the American public supported capital punishment.

    Today, that is no longer true. Support for the death penalty has declined to around 50%.

    As a death penalty scholar, I have studied those changes. The church’s anti-death penalty teaching has helped provide both a moral foundation and political respectability for those working to end the death penalty.

    The 1995 film was inspired by Prejean’s memoir.

    Church teachings

    But that teaching is relatively new in the church, dating back to the past half-century. For most of its history, the Catholic Church did not oppose the death penalty.

    During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes. And in the early 20th century, Vatican City’s penal code permitted the death penalty for anyone who attempted to kill a pope. Pope Paul VI changed that in 1969.

    When John Paul II became pope a decade later, he pushed the church further away from its historic embrace of the death penalty, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.” And in 2018, under Pope Francis, the Vatican revised the section on capital punishment in the Catechism, the summary of Catholic doctrine.

    The death penalty “is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and deprives “the guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the new version says. This teaching committed the church to work for its abolition.

    In his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis stated that the death penalty is “inadequate from a moral standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal justice.” In 2024, he again called for “the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”

    Impact in the US

    The changed situation of capital punishment in this country is largely attributable to a change in the strategy and tactics of the abolitionist movement. Instead of talking about the death penalty in abstract terms, activists began to focus on the day-to-day realities of its administration.

    Today, advocates in what I have called the “new abolitionism” focus on the prospect of executing the innocent, racial discrimination in capital sentencing, and the financial costs associated with the death penalty. Among Catholics working to end the death penalty, however, the moral questions about state killing have long been a central focus.

    The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on morality in its own campaign to end capital punishment, which was launched in 2005. And from time to time, popes have made special appeals to government officials in the U.S., asking them to spare the life of someone awaiting execution.

    A seminarian attends a public hearing in Connecticut in 2011 on legislation to replace capital punishment with life in prison for certain murders.
    AP Photo/Jessica Hill

    Legal historian Sara Mayeux argues that Catholic anti-death penalty activism in the U.S. has been less intense than anti-abortion work. Nevertheless, the impact of the church is reflected in the fact that in the past 50 years, Catholic support for capital punishment fell more than it did among evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Black Protestants and other religious groups.

    In December 2024, as the term of President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was coming to a close, the Catholics Mobilizing Network, which advocates against capital punishment, called on the president to commute the sentences of the 40 people then on federal death row. Francis, too, publicly prayed for their sentences to be commuted.

    Biden did so for 37 federal death row inmates, changing their sentences to life in prison without parole.

    Anti-death penalty superstar

    As the church’s official position against capital punishment has evolved, Prejean has been a consistent voice asking Americans to recognize and respond to the humanity of all those touched by murder. She is, in words I am sure she would resist, a superstar in the movement, thanks to her countless public appearances, interviews, protests and actions to lobby legislators.

    Sister Helen Prejean talks to detainees during a discussion of ‘Dead Man Walking’ at Department Of Corrections Division 11 in Chicago.
    AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

    In 2021, she wrote, “I’m on fire to abolish government killing because I’ve seen it far too close-up, and I have a pretty good idea by now how it works – or doesn’t.”

    Thirty years ago, “Dead Man Walking” gave its viewers a chance to see capital punishment “close-up.” It didn’t preach or hit anyone over the head with an overtly abolitionist message. Instead, it asked viewers to see the death penalty from many sides and make up their own minds about whether anyone should be put to death, even for the most horrible crimes.

    Between then and now, America has undertaken precisely the kind of conversation about capital punishment that the film exemplified and inspired.

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

    – ref. How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States – https://theconversation.com/how-the-catholic-church-helped-change-the-conversation-about-capital-punishment-in-the-united-states-260481

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Helen Prejean has been one of the most high-profile opponents of the death penalty for decades. Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images

    Thirty years ago, the film “Dead Man Walking” had its debut in movie theaters around the United States. It was a box office hit, and critics lavished it with praise. Lead actress Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, the spiritual adviser to a death row inmate played by Sean Penn.

    But the film’s impact went far beyond the artistic realm. It exposed a mass audience to a perspective on the death penalty informed by the Catholic faith of a devout, if somewhat unconventional, nun.

    The actual Sister Helen had published her memoir, “Dead Man Walking,” two years before, raising her profile as an activist against the death penalty. Recalling her experience outside the execution chamber of Elmo Patrick Sonnier, one of the people she counseled, Prejean later wrote, “I touched him in the only way I could. I told him: ‘Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ, the face of love for you.’”

    She made it her mission to show that “everybody’s worth more than the worst thing they’ve ever done in their life.” As she once told an interviewer, “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemy.’ Jesus didn’t say, ‘Execute the hell out of the enemy.’”

    That belief was featured prominently in the film and offered a counterpoint to the popular tough-on-crime rhetoric of the 1990s. Back then, 80% of the American public supported capital punishment.

    Today, that is no longer true. Support for the death penalty has declined to around 50%.

    As a death penalty scholar, I have studied those changes. The church’s anti-death penalty teaching has helped provide both a moral foundation and political respectability for those working to end the death penalty.

    The 1995 film was inspired by Prejean’s memoir.

    Church teachings

    But that teaching is relatively new in the church, dating back to the past half-century. For most of its history, the Catholic Church did not oppose the death penalty.

    During the Middle Ages, the church endorsed the execution of heretics and held firm that secular authorities could and should put people to death for serious crimes. And in the early 20th century, Vatican City’s penal code permitted the death penalty for anyone who attempted to kill a pope. Pope Paul VI changed that in 1969.

    When John Paul II became pope a decade later, he pushed the church further away from its historic embrace of the death penalty, calling it “cruel and unnecessary.” And in 2018, under Pope Francis, the Vatican revised the section on capital punishment in the Catechism, the summary of Catholic doctrine.

    The death penalty “is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and deprives “the guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the new version says. This teaching committed the church to work for its abolition.

    In his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis stated that the death penalty is “inadequate from a moral standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal justice.” In 2024, he again called for “the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”

    Impact in the US

    The changed situation of capital punishment in this country is largely attributable to a change in the strategy and tactics of the abolitionist movement. Instead of talking about the death penalty in abstract terms, activists began to focus on the day-to-day realities of its administration.

    Today, advocates in what I have called the “new abolitionism” focus on the prospect of executing the innocent, racial discrimination in capital sentencing, and the financial costs associated with the death penalty. Among Catholics working to end the death penalty, however, the moral questions about state killing have long been a central focus.

    The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on morality in its own campaign to end capital punishment, which was launched in 2005. And from time to time, popes have made special appeals to government officials in the U.S., asking them to spare the life of someone awaiting execution.

    A seminarian attends a public hearing in Connecticut in 2011 on legislation to replace capital punishment with life in prison for certain murders.
    AP Photo/Jessica Hill

    Legal historian Sara Mayeux argues that Catholic anti-death penalty activism in the U.S. has been less intense than anti-abortion work. Nevertheless, the impact of the church is reflected in the fact that in the past 50 years, Catholic support for capital punishment fell more than it did among evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Black Protestants and other religious groups.

    In December 2024, as the term of President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was coming to a close, the Catholics Mobilizing Network, which advocates against capital punishment, called on the president to commute the sentences of the 40 people then on federal death row. Francis, too, publicly prayed for their sentences to be commuted.

    Biden did so for 37 federal death row inmates, changing their sentences to life in prison without parole.

    Anti-death penalty superstar

    As the church’s official position against capital punishment has evolved, Prejean has been a consistent voice asking Americans to recognize and respond to the humanity of all those touched by murder. She is, in words I am sure she would resist, a superstar in the movement, thanks to her countless public appearances, interviews, protests and actions to lobby legislators.

    Sister Helen Prejean talks to detainees during a discussion of ‘Dead Man Walking’ at Department Of Corrections Division 11 in Chicago.
    AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

    In 2021, she wrote, “I’m on fire to abolish government killing because I’ve seen it far too close-up, and I have a pretty good idea by now how it works – or doesn’t.”

    Thirty years ago, “Dead Man Walking” gave its viewers a chance to see capital punishment “close-up.” It didn’t preach or hit anyone over the head with an overtly abolitionist message. Instead, it asked viewers to see the death penalty from many sides and make up their own minds about whether anyone should be put to death, even for the most horrible crimes.

    Between then and now, America has undertaken precisely the kind of conversation about capital punishment that the film exemplified and inspired.

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

    – ref. How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States – https://theconversation.com/how-the-catholic-church-helped-change-the-conversation-about-capital-punishment-in-the-united-states-260481

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Congress passed Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill on July 3, 2025. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    When congressional Republicans decided to cut some Biden-era energy subsidies to help fund their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, they could have pruned wasteful subsidies while sparing the rest. Instead, they did the reverse. Americans will pay the price with higher costs for dirtier energy.

    The nearly 900-page bill that President Donald Trump signed on July 4, 2025, slashes incentives for wind and solar energy, batteries, electric cars and home efficiency while expanding subsidies for fossil fuels and biofuels. That will leave Americans burning more fossil fuels despite strong public and scientific support for shifting to renewable energy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which energy technologies could rapidly cut emissions or need a financial boost to become viable from those that are already profitable but harm the environment. Unfortunately, the Republican bill favors the latter while stifling the former.

    The Spring Creek Mine in Decker, Mont., is just one mine in the Powder River Basin, the most productive coal-producing region in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Matthew Brown

    Cuts to renewable electricity

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, provide over 90% of the new electricity added nationally and around the world in recent years. Natural gas turbines are in short supply, and there are long lead times to build nuclear power plants. Wind and solar energy projects – with batteries to store excess power until it’s needed – offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power. Recent technological breakthroughs put geothermal power on the verge of rapid growth.

    However, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It accelerates the phaseout of tax credits for factories that manufacture equipment needed for renewable energy and electric vehicles. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that had been stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Efforts to build new wind and solar farms will be hit even harder. To receive any tax credits, those projects will need to commence construction by mid-2026 or come online by the end of 2027. The act preserves a slower timeline for phasing out subsidies for nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen projects, which take far longer to build than wind and solar farms.

    However, even projects that could be built soon enough will struggle to comply with the bill’s restrictions on using Chinese-made components. Tax law experts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible. For example, even American-made solar panels may rely on components sourced from China or Chinese-owned companies.

    Princeton University professor Jesse Jenkins estimates that the bill will mean wind and solar power generate 820 fewer terawatt-hours in 2035 than under previous policies. That’s more power than all U.S. coal-fired power plants generated in 2023.

    That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who is backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Federal tax credits for homeowners who install solar panels will now expire at the end of 2025.
    AP Photo/Michael Conroy

    Electric cars and efficiency

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The quickest phaseout comes for tax credits for electric vehicles, which will end on Sept. 30, 2025. And since the bill eliminates fines on car companies that fail to meet fuel economy standards, other new cars are likely to guzzle more gas.

    Tax credits for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits will end at the end of 2025. Homeowners will also lose tax credits for installing solar panels at the end of the year, seven years earlier than under the previous law.

    The bill also rescinds funding that would have helped cut diesel emissions and finance clean energy projects in underserved communities.

    Federal tax credits for buying electric vehicles will end on Sept. 30, 2025.
    AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

    Support for biofuels and fossil fuels

    Biofuels and fossil fuels fared far better under the bill. Tens of billions of dollars will be spent to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the effects of biofuels on land use.

    Meanwhile, the bill opens more federal lands and waters to leasing for oil and gas drilling and coal mining. It also slashes the royalties that companies pay to the federal government for fuels extracted from publicly owned land. And a new tax credit will subsidize metallurgical coal, which is mainly exported to steelmakers overseas.

    The bill also increases subsidies for using captured carbon dioxide to extract more oil and gas from the ground. That makes it less likely that captured emissions will only be sequestered to combat climate change.

    Summing it up

    With fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects that the law will increase household energy costs by over $280 per year by 2035 above what they would have been without the bill. The extra fossil fuel-burning will negate 470 million tons of anticipated emissions reductions that year, a 7% bump.

    The bill will also leave America’s clean energy transition further behind China, which is deploying more solar and wind power and electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined.

    No one expected President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress, even though many of its projects were in Republican-voting districts. Still, pairing cuts to clean energy with support for fossil fuels makes Trump’s bill uniquely harmful to the world’s climate and to Americans’ wallets.

    This article includes some material previously published on June 10, 2025.

    Daniel Cohan receives research funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University. He previously received research funding from Project InnerSpace, the Mitchell Foundation, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    – ref. ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy – https://theconversation.com/big-beautiful-bill-will-have-americans-paying-higher-prices-for-dirtier-energy-260588

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Congress passed Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill on July 3, 2025. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    When congressional Republicans decided to cut some Biden-era energy subsidies to help fund their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, they could have pruned wasteful subsidies while sparing the rest. Instead, they did the reverse. Americans will pay the price with higher costs for dirtier energy.

    The nearly 900-page bill that President Donald Trump signed on July 4, 2025, slashes incentives for wind and solar energy, batteries, electric cars and home efficiency while expanding subsidies for fossil fuels and biofuels. That will leave Americans burning more fossil fuels despite strong public and scientific support for shifting to renewable energy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which energy technologies could rapidly cut emissions or need a financial boost to become viable from those that are already profitable but harm the environment. Unfortunately, the Republican bill favors the latter while stifling the former.

    The Spring Creek Mine in Decker, Mont., is just one mine in the Powder River Basin, the most productive coal-producing region in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Matthew Brown

    Cuts to renewable electricity

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, provide over 90% of the new electricity added nationally and around the world in recent years. Natural gas turbines are in short supply, and there are long lead times to build nuclear power plants. Wind and solar energy projects – with batteries to store excess power until it’s needed – offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power. Recent technological breakthroughs put geothermal power on the verge of rapid growth.

    However, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It accelerates the phaseout of tax credits for factories that manufacture equipment needed for renewable energy and electric vehicles. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that had been stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Efforts to build new wind and solar farms will be hit even harder. To receive any tax credits, those projects will need to commence construction by mid-2026 or come online by the end of 2027. The act preserves a slower timeline for phasing out subsidies for nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen projects, which take far longer to build than wind and solar farms.

    However, even projects that could be built soon enough will struggle to comply with the bill’s restrictions on using Chinese-made components. Tax law experts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible. For example, even American-made solar panels may rely on components sourced from China or Chinese-owned companies.

    Princeton University professor Jesse Jenkins estimates that the bill will mean wind and solar power generate 820 fewer terawatt-hours in 2035 than under previous policies. That’s more power than all U.S. coal-fired power plants generated in 2023.

    That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who is backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Federal tax credits for homeowners who install solar panels will now expire at the end of 2025.
    AP Photo/Michael Conroy

    Electric cars and efficiency

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The quickest phaseout comes for tax credits for electric vehicles, which will end on Sept. 30, 2025. And since the bill eliminates fines on car companies that fail to meet fuel economy standards, other new cars are likely to guzzle more gas.

    Tax credits for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits will end at the end of 2025. Homeowners will also lose tax credits for installing solar panels at the end of the year, seven years earlier than under the previous law.

    The bill also rescinds funding that would have helped cut diesel emissions and finance clean energy projects in underserved communities.

    Federal tax credits for buying electric vehicles will end on Sept. 30, 2025.
    AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

    Support for biofuels and fossil fuels

    Biofuels and fossil fuels fared far better under the bill. Tens of billions of dollars will be spent to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the effects of biofuels on land use.

    Meanwhile, the bill opens more federal lands and waters to leasing for oil and gas drilling and coal mining. It also slashes the royalties that companies pay to the federal government for fuels extracted from publicly owned land. And a new tax credit will subsidize metallurgical coal, which is mainly exported to steelmakers overseas.

    The bill also increases subsidies for using captured carbon dioxide to extract more oil and gas from the ground. That makes it less likely that captured emissions will only be sequestered to combat climate change.

    Summing it up

    With fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects that the law will increase household energy costs by over $280 per year by 2035 above what they would have been without the bill. The extra fossil fuel-burning will negate 470 million tons of anticipated emissions reductions that year, a 7% bump.

    The bill will also leave America’s clean energy transition further behind China, which is deploying more solar and wind power and electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined.

    No one expected President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress, even though many of its projects were in Republican-voting districts. Still, pairing cuts to clean energy with support for fossil fuels makes Trump’s bill uniquely harmful to the world’s climate and to Americans’ wallets.

    This article includes some material previously published on June 10, 2025.

    Daniel Cohan receives research funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University. He previously received research funding from Project InnerSpace, the Mitchell Foundation, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    – ref. ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will have Americans paying higher prices for dirtier energy – https://theconversation.com/big-beautiful-bill-will-have-americans-paying-higher-prices-for-dirtier-energy-260588

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Southsea beach set to double in size

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Southsea’s beach between the Pyramids and the Coffee Cup café in Eastney will be rebuilt this winter when more than one million tonnes of shingle is imported by dredger between October 2025 and March 2026.

    The significant increase will see the beach double in size when shingle is dredged locally from the Solent near the Isle of Wight and deposited onto the beach by a pipeline from the dredger.

    Similar work was undertaken on a smaller scale earlier this year during beach import work along the beach in front of Southsea Common.

    Southsea Coastal Scheme Project Executive Marc Bryan said:

    “We’ve chosen to build a larger shingle beach in this area because they’re great at absorbing wave energy which in turn helps reduce erosion and protects homes and businesses from coastal flooding.

    “The new beach will adapt to rising seas and our changing climate while still providing the required standard of protection.

    “It will be easily maintained and can be topped up if needed in the future.”

    Initial works will start in October 2025 with the installation of a new outfall extension from Canoe Lake.

    From November 2025, a one metre diameter pipeline will be laid across the beach to the west of South Parade Pier to discharge the new shingle.

    During the shingle discharging, access to the beach will be limited for safety reasons with some stepped access over the pipeline available.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

    Source: US FBI

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 37 months of imprisonment on his conviction of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49.

    According to information presented to the Court, Edwards was serving probation following a 2023 conviction for which he was sentenced to five years of county probation and 18 months of electronic home monitoring. While on approved grocery windows on both May 25, 2024, and June 1, 2024, Edwards stopped with his wife at a local firearms store, where his wife purchased a firearm on each occasion. In light of the two unauthorized stops, Westmoreland County Adult Probation conducted a search of Edwards’ residence on August 9, 2024, where they located multiple firearms and ammunition in Edwards’ bedroom and requested the assistance of the McKeesport Police Department. In total, law enforcement seized four firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Edwards’ bedroom. Edwards is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition based upon his prior convictions for robbery and simple assault—both of which involved his use and threatened use of a firearm.

    Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Westmoreland County Adult Probation, the McKeesport Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Edwards.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Say goodbye to cumbersome cloud mining! ETHRANSACTION provides miners with a steady increase in BTC, just like bees collecting honey

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Are you still worried about buying mining machines, maintaining equipment, and finding cheap electricity? Antminer, Avalon, Shenma Miner, Bitmain… The traditional mining model is not only costly, but also requires professional technical support. It is no longer the best choice for ordinary users!

    Now, ETHRANSACTION has launched an innovative cloud mining rental plan, so you can easily participate in Bitcoin mining without buying mining machines or managing operations and maintenance, and enjoy stable passive income!

    Why choose ETHRANSACTION?

    1: Zero hardware investment-no need to buy mining machines, saving high costs
    2: Free operation and maintenance management-professional team is responsible for equipment maintenance, you just sit back and enjoy the benefits
    3: Flexible plan-a variety of cooperation plans to meet different investment needs
    4: Stable income-daily dividends, easy to earn Bitcoin

    The price of Bitcoin has hit new highs, and now is the best time to lay out! ETHRANSACTION makes mining simpler and more efficient. Whether it is a novice or a senior investor, you can easily participate and seize the wealth opportunities in the crypto market!

    ETHRANSACTION’s cloud mining method

    ETHRANSACTION takes cloud mining to the extreme: the platform provides a simple and convenient interface to ensure that even cryptocurrency novices can easily get started.

    ETHRANSACTION relies on renewable energy such as solar and wind power to power its cloud mining operations, significantly reducing mining costs and feeding the remaining electricity into the grid. This means that you can get powerful mining computing power without expensive hardware or enduring noise and heat at home. Simply purchase a mining contract using a computer or mobile phone and start making profits.

    How to get started:
    Start your smart mining journey with ETHRANSACTION! :

    · First register an account on the ETHRANSACTION official website.
    (New users successfully register and the platform will give you $19)

    · Choose a plan contract to purchase that suits you.
    All contract plans can view the investment amount, period, daily income and total income before purchase. For example:
    ①Contract price $100, contract period 2 days, daily income $9, total income $100+$18, (interest settled every 24 hours)

    ②Contract price $600.00, contract period 5 days, daily income $7.5, total income $600.00 + $37.5, (interest settled every 24 hours)

    ③Contract price $1300, contract period 14 days, daily income $16.9, total income $1300 + $236.6, (interest settled every 24 hours)

    · Purchase a contract plan successfully: ETHRANSACTION’s AI intelligence will immediately automatically allocate an infrastructure mining farm on your behalf and start mining for you.

    · Automatically settle profits every 24 hours and distribute the user’s profits to the account.

    Main features of ETHRANSACTION：
    Multiple payment methods: accept various cryptocurrencies to recharge: XRP, BTC, ETH, USDC, etc.

    Affiliate program: users can enjoy additional referral rewards. And up to 4% + 2% permanent referral commission income can be obtained.

    ETHRANSACTION attaches great importance to user security. All personal information is encrypted and protected, and the purchased plan contracts have insurance policies from insurance companies.

    Customer service is online 24 hours a day to provide real-time help to users in various regions around the world.

    Summary:

    As the world’s top cloud mining service platform, ETHRANSACTION provides transparent, secure and legal cloud mining services, provides a convenient entry for cloud mining, and focuses on practicality and sustainable and stable development. Whether you are exploring the cryptocurrency space for the first time or looking for a smooth mining experience, ETHRANSACTION can provide you with the best digital asset trading platform.

    If you want to know more about ETHRANSACTION, please visit its official website: https://ethransaction.vip

    Media Details:
    Email: info@ethransaction.vip
    Website: https://ethransaction.vip

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ​​​​​​​‘Do not invest in US gas exports’ Greenpeace warns EU, backed by new report

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    ‘Do not invest in US gas exports’ Greenpeace warns EU, backed by new report

    Brussels – As European leaders and companies are pushing for increased imports of US liquefied gas (LNG), a new report by Greenpeace USA, Earthworks, and Oil Change International highlights the climate threats and financial risks posed by five major new liquefied gas export projects proposed for the US Gulf Coast, most of them still awaiting a final investment decision.[1]

    “What we found was crystal clear – any further investment in LNG is not compatible with a livable climate,” said Andres Chang, Senior Research Specialist at Greenpeace USA and lead author of the report. “The massive growth in infrastructure along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast has already created significant public health and ecosystem impacts, threatening entire coastal communities. But it doesn’t stop there. We believe this report shows that, if built, these projects would put global climate goals even further out of reach.”

    The report analyses five major US LNG projects – Venture Global CP2, Cameron LNG Phase II, Sabine Pass Stage V, Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG Midscale 8-9, and Freeport LNG Expansion – and finds that each would fail the climate test derived from models in the US Department of Energy’s 2024 LNG Export public interest studies.[2] Each would increase greenhouse gas emissions by edging out renewable energy and driving up global fossil fuel use, undermining the world’s ability to meet the Paris Agreement targets and driving more frequent and intense extreme weather events. The report suggests that future US administrations could therefore revoke export authorisations issued under current US President Trump.

    Pressured by Trump and facing the threat of sweeping tariffs, the EU Commission is proposing increased LNG imports.[3] It has also agreed to look into direct public investments by the EU and its member states in gas export facilities outside the EU – including potentially the five US LNG projects analysed in this report – in its Affordable Energy Action Plan released in February 2025.[4]

    “Increasing US gas imports will deepen Europe’s dependence on the US, making the EU and national governments even more vulnerable to Trump’s political extortion. EU leaders must break free from fossil fuel dependency and take control of Europe’s future by investing in a renewable, secure and peaceful energy system. A ban on all new fossil fuel projects in the EU would be the right first step, certainly not funding projects abroad,” said Thomas Gelin, Greenpeace EU climate and energy campaigner.

    Another result of Trump’s pressure is the calls by some Member States and other EU policymakers to weaken the EU methane regulation, which was adopted just last year, in order to continue importing US liquefied gas despite the fact that its production – mostly coming from fracking – is associated with particularly high methane emissions.[5][6]

    “This report adds to a rapidly growing body of evidence that financing U.S. LNG is not a sound decision for insurers, investors, or purchasers – something the EU and America’s Asian allies must keep in mind as President Trump pressures them to increase their imports of U.S. LNG under threat of sweeping tariffs. Countries with climate commitments, such as those in the EU, should be very wary of the climate cost of importing US LNG,” said Dr Dakota Raynes, Senior Manager of Research, Policy, and Data at Earthworks.

    European energy companies have already signed long-term purchase agreements for four of the projects analysed in the report. These contracts extend well beyond 2035, the year by which Europe must phase-out fossil gas if it is serious about meeting its international climate commitments. These companies include SEFE (Germany), BASF (Germany), GASTRADE S.A. (Greece), DTEK (Ukraine), TotalEnergies (France), PKN Orlen (Poland), Gap (Portugal) and Equinor (Norway) – several of which are fully or partially state-owned.[7] 

    “Fossil fuel dependency has long externalized its true costs, forcing communities to bear the burden of pollution, sickness, and economic instability,” says James Hiatt, founder and director of For a Better Bayou. “For decades the oil and gas industry has known about the devastating health and climate impacts of its operations, yet it continues to expand, backed by billions in private and public financing. These harms are not isolated – they’re systemic, and they threaten all of us. This report is a call to conscience. It’s time we stop propping up deadly false solutions and start investing in a transition to energy systems that sustain life, not sacrifice it.”

    Greenpeace calls on EU leaders to stop new long-term purchase agreements for liquefied gas and drop the proposal for direct financial investments in gas export facilities. Instead, the EU should impose a ban on all new fossil fuel projects, including new liquefied gas import terminals, stop all public investments in fossil fuel infrastructure and agree to end fossil gas by 2035 at the latest.

    ENDS

    Notes

    Read the full report: Failing the climate test: LNG projects awaiting final investment decision do not stand up to US Government analysis

    Read the European media briefing

    Watch the press conference recording

    [1] At the time of drafting of the report, all five were awaiting a final investment decision. On June 24, 2025, Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG announced a positive final investment decision.

    [2] December 2024 | ENERGY, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF US LNG EXPORTS

    [3] Trump says EU must buy $350B of US energy to get tariff relief – POLITICO

    [4] Action Plan for Affordable Energy 

    [5] The Member States are: Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Hungaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

    [6] Liquefied natural gas carbon footprint is worse than coal | Cornell Chronicle

    [7] Source: Sierra Club US LNG Export Tracker, date as of 4 June 2025

    Contacts

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)

    Katie Nelson, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA, [email protected], +1 (678) 644-1681, (GMT -8)

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: My city was one of hundreds expecting federal funds to help manage rising heat wave risk – then EPA terminated the grants

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian G. Henning, Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies and Science, Gonzaga University

    The Pacific Northwest heat wave of 2021 left cities across Washington state sweltering in dangerous temperatures. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

    In June 2021, a deadly heat wave pushed temperatures to 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in Spokane, Washington, a northern city near the Idaho border where many homes weren’t built with central air conditioning.

    As the heat lingered for over a week, 19 people died in Spokane County and about 300 visited hospitals with signs of heat-related illnesses.

    Scientists say it’s not a matter of if, but when, another deadly heat wave descends on the region. To help save lives, the city teamed up with my university, Gonzaga, to start preparing for a hotter future.

    A chart of all deaths, excluding COVID-19, shows the extraordinary impact the 2021 heat dome had in Washington.
    ‘In the Hot Seat’ report, 2022

    We were excited and relieved when the community was awarded a US$19.9 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to help it take concrete steps to adapt to climate change and boost the local economy in the process. The grant would help establish resilience hubs with microgrids and help residents without air conditioning install energy-efficient cooling systems. The city doesn’t have the means to make these improvements on its own, even if they would save lives and money in the long run.

    Less than a year later, the Trump administration abruptly terminated the funding.

    Spokane’s grant wasn’t the only one eliminated – about 350 similar grants that had been awarded to help communities across the country manage climate changes, from extreme heat and wildfire smoke to rising seas and flooding, were also terminated on the grounds that they don’t meet the White House’s priorities. Many other grants to help communities have also been terminated.

    Many of the communities that lost funding are like Spokane: They can’t afford to do this kind of work on their own.

    Why cities like Spokane need the help

    Like many communities in the American West, Spokane was founded in the late 19th century on wealth from railroads and resource extraction, especially gold, silver and timber.

    Today, it is a city of 230,000 in a metro area of a half-million people, the largest on the I-90 corridor between Minneapolis and Seattle. In many ways, Spokane could be on the cusp of a renaissance.

    In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $48 million grant to develop a tech hub that could put the Inland Northwest on a path to become a global leader in advanced aerospace materials. But then, in May, the Trump administration rescinded that grant as well.

    The lost grants left the economy – and Spokane’s ability to adapt fast enough to keep up with climate changes – uncertain.

    Heat waves are becoming a growing risk in Spokane, known for its river and falls that tumble near downtown.
    Roman Eugeniusz/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    This is not a wealthy area. The median household income is nearly $30,000 less than the state average. More than 13 out of every 100 people in Spokane live in poverty, above the national average, and over 67% of the children are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

    The city is a light blue island in a dark red sea, politically speaking, with a moderate mayor. Its congressional district has voted Republican by wide margins since 1995, the year that then-House Speaker Tom Foley lost his reelection bid.

    Lessons from the 2021 heat dome

    The 2021 heat wave was a catalyzing event for the community. The newly formed Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment brought together a coalition of government and community partners to apply for the EPA’s Climate and Environmental Justice Community Change Grant Program. The grants, funded by Congress under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, were intended to help communities most affected by pollution and climate change build adaptive capacity and boost the safety of their residents.

    A key lesson from the 2021 heat dome was that temporary, or pop-up, cooling centers don’t work well. People just weren’t showing up. Our research found that the best approach is to strengthen existing community facilities that people already turn to in moments of difficulty.

    Half the $19.9 million award was for outfitting five resilience hubs in existing libraries and community centers with solar arrays and battery backup microgrids, allowing them to continue providing a safe, cool space during a heat wave if the power shuts down.

    The locations and plans for five resilience hubs to serve Spokane, and the infrastructure they would receive.
    Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment

    Another $8 million in grant funding was meant to provide 300 low- to moderate-income homeowners with new high-efficiency electric heat pump heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, providing more affordable utility bills while improving their ability to cool their homes and reducing fossil fuel emissions.

    Communities are left with few options

    Now, this and other work is at risk in Spokane and cities and towns like it around the country that also lost funding.

    According to the Trump administration, the program – designed to help hundreds of communities around the country become safer – was “no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities.”

    A class action lawsuit was recently filed over the termination of the grants by a coalition that includes Earth Justice and the Southern Environmental Law Center. If the case is successful, Spokane could see its funding restored.

    Meanwhile, the city and my team know we have to move fast, with whatever money and other resources we can find, to help Spokane prepare for worsening heat. We formed the Spokane Climate Resilience Collaborative – a partnership between community organizations, health officials and the city – as one way to advance planning for and responding to climate hazards such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

    As concentrations of heat-trapping gasses accumulate in the atmosphere, both the frequency and severity of heat waves increase. It is only a matter of time before another deadly heat dome arrives.

    Brian G. Henning receives funding from the Environmental Protection Agency.

    – ref. My city was one of hundreds expecting federal funds to help manage rising heat wave risk – then EPA terminated the grants – https://theconversation.com/my-city-was-one-of-hundreds-expecting-federal-funds-to-help-manage-rising-heat-wave-risk-then-epa-terminated-the-grants-259009

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Trump administration’s lie detector campaign against leakers is unlikely to succeed and could divert energy from national security priorities

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian O’Neill, Professor of Practice, International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology

    The Department of Homeland Security and FBI are reportedly using polygraphs aggressively to identify dissenters. standret/Getty Images

    The Trump administration has recently directed that a new wave of polygraphs be administered across the executive branch, aimed at uncovering leaks to the press.

    As someone who has taken roughly a dozen polygraphs during my 27-year career with the CIA, I read this development with some skepticism.

    Polygraphs carry an ominous, almost mythological reputation among Americans. The more familiar and unofficial term – lie detector tests – likely fuels that perception. Television crime dramas have done their part, too, often portraying the device as an oracle for uncovering the truth when conventional methods fail.

    In those portrayals, the polygraph is not merely a tool – it’s a window into the soul.

    Among those entering government service, especially in national security, the greater anxiety is not the background check but passing the polygraph. My advice is always the same: Don’t lie.

    It’s the best – and perhaps only – guidance for a process that most assessments have concluded is a more subjective interpretation than empirical science.

    Why the polygraph persists

    Polygraphs are “pseudo-scientific” in that they measure physiological responses such as heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration. The assumption is that liars betray themselves through spikes in those signals. But this presumes a kind of psychological transparency that simply doesn’t hold up. A person might sweat and tremble simply from fear, anger or frustration – not deceit.

    There also are no specific physiological reactions associated with lying. The National Academy of Sciences in 2003, and the American Psychological Association in a 2004 review, concluded that the polygraph rests more on theater than fact. Recent assessments, published in 2019, have reached the same conclusion.

    Accordingly, polygraph results are not generally admissible in U.S. courts. Only a handful of states – such as Georgia, Arizona and California – permit their use even under limited conditions. And they typically require that both parties agree to admission and a judge to approve it. Unconditional admissibility remains the exception, not the rule.

    And yet, inside many national security agencies, polygraphs remain central to the clearance process – a fact I observed firsthand during my time overseeing personnel vetting and analytic hiring within the intelligence community.

    While not treated as conclusive, polygraph results often serve as a filter. A candidate’s visible discomfort – or the examiner’s subjective judgment that a response seems evasive – can stall or end the hiring process. For instance, I know that government agencies have halted clearances after an examiner flagged elevated reactions to questions about past drug use or foreign contacts, even when no disqualifying behavior was ultimately documented.

    The FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover headquarters building in Washington in 2016.
    AP Photo/Cliff Owen

    In some cases, an examiner’s suggestion that a chart shows an anomaly has led otherwise strong applicants to volunteer details they hadn’t planned to share – such as minor security infractions, undeclared relationships, or casual drug use from decades earlier – that, while not disqualifying on their own, reshape how their trustworthiness is perceived.

    The polygraph’s power lies in creating the conditions under which deception is confessed.

    A predictable pattern

    No administration has been immune to the impulse to investigate leaks. The reflex is bipartisan and familiar: An embarrassing disclosure appears in the press – contradicting official statements or exposing internal dissent – and the White House vows to identify and punish the source. Polygraphs are often part of this ritual.

    During his first term, Trump intensified efforts to expose internal dissent and media leaks. Department guidelines were revised to make it easier for agencies to obtain journalists’ phone and email records, and polygraphs were reportedly used to pressure officials suspected of talking to the press. That trend has continued – and, in some areas, escalated.

    Recent policies at the Pentagon now restrict unescorted press access, revoke office space for major outlets and favor ideologically aligned networks. The line between legitimate leak prevention and the surveillance or sidelining of critical press coverage has grown increasingly blurred.

    At agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, polygraphs are reportedly being used more frequently – and more punitively – to identify internal dissenters. Even “cold cases,” such as the leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs opinion ahead of its overturning of Roe v. Wade, have been reopened, despite prior investigations yielding no definitive source.

    Government reaction varies

    Not all leaks are treated the same. Disclosures that align with official narratives or offer strategic advantage may be quietly tolerated, even if unauthorized. Others, especially those that embarrass senior officials or reveal dysfunction, are more likely to prompt formal investigation.

    In 2003, for example, the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame’s identity – widely seen as retaliation for her husband’s criticism of the Iraq War – triggered a federal investigation. The disclosure embarrassed senior officials, led to White House aide Scooter Libby’s conviction for perjury, later commuted, and drew intense political scrutiny.

    Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, rides in the backseat of a limousine on Oct. 27, 2005, in McLean, Va.
    Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Leaks involving classified material draw the sharpest response when they challenge presidential authority or expose internal disputes. That was the case in 2010 with Chelsea Manning, whose disclosure of diplomatic cables and battlefield reports embarrassed senior officials and sparked global backlash. Government reaction often depends less on what was disclosed than on who disclosed it – and to what effect.

    A narrow set of disclosures, such as those involving espionage or operational compromise, elicit broad consensus as grounds for prosecution. But most leaks fall outside that category. Most investigations fade quietly. The public rarely learns what became of them. Occasionally, there is a vague resignation, but direct accountability is rare.

    What the future holds

    Trump’s polygraph campaign is not likely to eliminate leaks to the press. But they may have a chilling effect that discourages internal candor while diverting investigative energy away from core security priorities.

    Even if such campaigns succeed in reducing unauthorized disclosures, they may come at the cost of institutional resilience. Historically, aggressive internal enforcement has been associated with declining morale and reduced information flow – factors that can hinder adaptation to complex threats.

    Some researchers have suggested that artificial intelligence may eventually offer reliable tools for detecting deception. One recent assessment raised the possibility, while cautioning that the technology is nowhere near operational readiness.

    For now, institutions will have to contend with the tools they have – imperfect, imprecise and more performative than predictive.

    As a former US intelligence officer, I am required to submit any written draft, before sharing it with other persons, for prepublication review. I submitted this draft to CIA’s Prepublication Review Board, which responded on 11 June: “No classified information was identified. Therefore, no changes are required for publication or sharing with others.”

    – ref. Trump administration’s lie detector campaign against leakers is unlikely to succeed and could divert energy from national security priorities – https://theconversation.com/trump-administrations-lie-detector-campaign-against-leakers-is-unlikely-to-succeed-and-could-divert-energy-from-national-security-priorities-259128

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Regeneration of 291 Harrow Road secures planning consent | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    • Westminster City Council’s 291 Harrow Road development secured planning approval from the planning committee last night (Tuesday July 8th).
    • 144 new homes will be developed in the centre of London. Of these, 50% will be affordable or for Adult Social Care at social rent, with the remaining homes available for the market.
    • The development will comprise three buildings at 15, 10 and five storeys in height and will embrace passive principles in design, creating a highly efficient, low-carbon scheme.
    • Those principles will help to achieve a 70% sitewide carbon reduction over the baseline.
    • The site was part of the former Harrow Road wing of St Mary’s Hospital prior to its redevelopment in the 1980s.

    The latest housing development from Westminster City Council received approval from planning committee last night, the latest phase in the creation of more than 100 new homes.  

    Across three separate buildings, the 291 Harrow Road development will deliver 144 homes with 50% affordable housing. A total of 48 will be affordable homes, 24 will be Adult Social Care units at social rent and 72 homes will be available for private sale.

    The site was part of the former Harrow Road wing of St Mary’s Hospital prior to a period of redevelopment in the 1980s.

    At the Westminster City Council planning committee on July 8, the development secured approval by three votes to two. 

    Cllr Ellie Ormsby, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, said:

     “291 Harrow Road presents a fantastic opportunity for us to deliver a greater number of high-quality homes for social rent – a necessary step considering there are over 6,000 households on Westminster’s housing waiting list – while also delivering on our ambitious sustainability commitments as one of the capital’s greenest developments. 

    “Moreover, a large proportion of these homes, a sixth of the total number, are allocated for use by adult social care services, where we are seeing growing demand. We’re excited to develop a building which embraces inclusivity and delivers for the diverse needs across our community.”

    Designs for 291 Harrow Road embrace the ‘Be Lean, Clean, Green and Seen’ energy hierarchy which utilises a fabric first approach to maximise reduction in energy through passive design measures. New, high efficiency servicing equipment and efficient façades will minimise the energy usage of the building.

    The scheme will make use of air source heat pumps and solar photo photovoltaic panels to maximise the use of renewable energy. It is anticipated that across the site build, and once occupied, 291 Harrow Road will achieve a 70% sitewide reduction over the baseline for the proposed development, far exceeding the Greater London Authority target of 35%.

    Westminster City Council has committed to 50% affordable housing across its development projects, made up of social rent and London Living Rent.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Hotel accommodation for migrants in Lords spotlight

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Members discussed the use of hotel accommodation for migrants, including costs, conditions, and future plans.

    Read a transcript of this question https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-07-01/debates/49B60F8E-9CA4-4EBF-AF31-CF0C8592D721/MigrantsHotelAccommodation

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • X: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
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    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAb8GxNIVG0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ2: Raising students’ awareness of their hometowns and ancestral origins

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ2: Raising students’ awareness of their hometowns and ancestral origins 
    Question:
     
    It has been reported that every year around Ching Ming Festival, a large number of members of the public travel north with their children to pay tribute to their ancestors and visit their ancestral hometowns. On raising students’ awareness of their hometowns and ancestral origins, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that in the reply to my question in 2022, the Government has indicated that it would keep in view the suggestions from various sectors of society for follow-up action regarding the suggestion of adding the item on “native place” back to the Student Information Form of students of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools, of the progress of the relevant work, including whether it will explicitly require students to fill in the correct information about their native places; if so, of the specific implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) whether the Education Bureau will consider incorporating the element of “exploring one’s roots” into the teaching according to the students’ native places, so as to raise their awareness of their hometowns and ancestral origins; if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) as there are views that the activities under the Government’s Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme are all organised by clansmen associations, it is difficult for such activities to cover the student level, whether the Government will consider launching clansmen cultural activities targeted at students; if so, of the specific plan; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to nurturing students’ sense of nationhood, encouraging schools to implement national education through a “multipronged and co-ordinated” approach and organising diversified student activities in a manner of “organic integration and natural connection”, with a view to enhancing students’ understanding of the same cultural roots the Mainland and Hong Kong share. A number of related learning elements have been incorporated into the curricula of primary and secondary levels. For instance, Primary Humanities covers the concepts of family members, family names, native places and hometowns, etc. It helps students understand the history and development of their hometowns, so as to enhance their awareness of their ancestral origins and foster the affection for their native places and clansmen. Junior Secondary History includes the topics on the development of various local Chinese organisations, including clansmen associations, to help students learn about the services and contributions of relevant organisations, promoting the virtues of philanthropy and mutual support.
     
    “We treasure our historical legacy and never forget our roots”. Filial piety and fraternal duty are important values in Chinese culture. Enhancing students’ understanding to their native places and ancestral origins contributes to cultivation of their inheritance of Chinese culture, national identity and sense of belonging to the country.
     
    In fact, the understanding of nowadays primary and secondary school students on their native places or family backgrounds and histories is not solely derived from school education or classroom learning. It is more shaped by the students’ life experiences, such as tomb sweeping and visits to relatives in the hometown as aforementioned, family gatherings, or travelling to hometown, etc. In addition to the diversified learning activities organised by schools, such as hometown cuisine sharing sessions and tours for students to explore their roots, many school sponsoring bodies and schools in Hong Kong are named after clansmen associations or hometowns. As a result, students are generally familiar with the concept of “native places” and the sentiments associated with it.
     
    Our reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon Lau Chi-pang is as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) There are still different opinions and views in society on requiring students to fill in their “native place” in the personal information column of the student handbook. Some believe that requiring students to fill in their “native place” in the personal information on the Student Information Form is conducive to “native place” education and cultivating students’ affection for home and country. At the same time, some pointed out that the “native place” column in the Student Information Form is a type of personal information. When collecting the data, schools must comply with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, clearly stating the purpose of collection. Data collection must also be appropriate and commensurate with the objectives. It is learnt that more and more schools have resumed adding the “native place” column to the Student Information Form currently.
     
    In fact, by understanding their native places, students can trace their family histories, learn about the cultural characteristics of different regions, and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the country, as well as the multicultural nature of the world. However, the implementation strategies can be flexible and varied according to the school situation. Requiring students to report their “native places” in the personal information section of the student handbook is just one such way. Enforcing a unified and mandatory implementation method would not contribute to increasing the effectiveness of learning and teaching.
     
    To enhance students’ understanding of the same cultural roots the Mainland and Hong Kong share, it is considered that the implementation strategies should be comprehensive. A more effective approach would be integrating the curricula of secondary and primary schools for students to learn within and beyond the classroom in a co-ordinated way. For instance, the Primary Humanities curriculum covers the learning content of family names, native places, hometowns, etc. Teachers incorporate the learning element of “exploring one’s roots” to inspire students to gain a deeper understanding of their native places, and deepen their understanding of their hometowns and ancestral origins. This also enables students to acquire knowledge of the scenic spots and specialty products of their hometowns, learning to show concern over the development and changes in their hometowns.
     
    Schools incorporating related learning element in a multipronged way is a practice worth promoting. For example, at the teacher professional conference of the Primary Humanities recently, teachers shared their open lessons titled “My Family: Learn About Family Names, Native Places and Hometowns” and exchanged their experiences. Some schools choose their students’ native places as the destinations of sister school exchanges and in the Mainland exchange programmes, so as to allow students to learn about the country’s development through life experience. These are common practices.
     
    Some schools include a “native place” field in the Student Information Form, which enables teachers to understand the backgrounds and needs of students and devise suitable learning activities to better cater for learner diversity and improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching. This is also an effective practice.

    However, we also understand that some schools, for various reasons such as diverse opinion among stakeholders over collection of personal data or inapplicability to ethnic minority students, etc, have not included the “native place” field in the Student Information Form.
     
    The EDB understands that school contexts vary and will not rigidly require all secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens to add the “native place” field to the Student Information Form. Hong Kong is a diverse and inclusive society and there are students of different ethnicities studying together in campus. Individuals from different cultural backgrounds engage with and respect on each other. Therefore, we encourage schools to enhance communication with stakeholders to gain parents’ understanding and support. At the same time, schools should deliver education on “native places” in a multipronged approach, with a view to helping students develop an understanding of their connection to their families and hometowns, recognise their cultural roots, and cultivate respect for and understanding of the cultures of different regions.
     
    (3) To deepen the public’s understanding of and sense of belonging to their hometowns, thereby fostering the spirit of loving the country, Hong Kong and their hometowns, the Chief Executive launched in his 2023 Policy Address the
    “Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme” (the Scheme) for a period of three years, for application by clansmen associations to subsidise their organisation of activities to promote and preserve hometown culture, unite clansmen in Hong Kong and facilitate exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland. There is no restriction on the form of the activities, as long as they are non-profit-making in nature and in line with the objectives of the Scheme. Clansmen associations applying for the subsidy may, having regard to their needs, explore collaboration with other event organisers, including schools, in organising the activities. Taking a project approved under the first year of the Scheme as an example, the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organisations conducted the “Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools” programme at the end of last year to host cultural workshops in various primary and secondary schools. Nearly 1 000 students and parents were engaged. 
     
    In conclusion, to cultivate students’ sense of belonging to their hometowns, we must adopt a “multipronged and co-ordinated” approach that integrates learning within and beyond the classroom, linking curriculum with real-life experiences. Education on “native places” is an important element. Enhancing students’ awareness of their native places and ancestral origins involves more than school education. It also needs the efforts and co-ordination on all fronts such as public education, family education and even the social atmosphere. It requires the concerted efforts and enhanced collaboration of different stakeholders in society to advance this initiative. Various departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, including the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the EDB, will continue to be responsible for the relevant promotional work, and explore practicable measures by listening to the views of different stakeholders, including relevant organisations, community groups, schools and parents, so as to forge a consensus among different sectors and create a conductive atmosphere. We will collaborate closely with various stakeholders to cultivate in the young people the spirit of “treasuring their historical legacy and never forgetting their roots”.
     
    Thank you, President.
    Issued at HKT 19:25

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom deploys firefighter strike team to support Oregon wildfire response

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 8, 2025

    SACRAMENTO — As wildfire conditions intensify across the Pacific Northwest, Governor Newsom has directed the deployment of a CAL FIRE Type 3 engine strike team to assist firefighting efforts in southern Oregon. The deployment includes five fire engines and a strike team leader who will join suppression operations just north of the California–Oregon border.

    “Just as Oregon supported our state during the Los Angeles firestorms, we’re glad to support our Northern neighbors with strike teams and fire engines to aid in their wildfire response efforts. I’m proud California can lend a helping hand to fellow Americans in their time of need.” 

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    CAL FIRE engines being sent to support wildfire suppression in Oregon

    This mobilization comes in response to a significant lightning event that ignited numerous wildfires across the region. Southern Oregon has experienced more than 2,000 lightning strikes in recent days, compounded by high temperatures and gusty winds. The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings through July 8 for much of southern and central Oregon, signaling elevated fire danger and the need for immediate firefighting reinforcements.

    Upon arrival in Medford, CAL FIRE resources will seamlessly integrate into Oregon’s Department of Forestry command structure to support suppression efforts on active fires. This response is part of a long-standing interstate mutual aid agreement that strengthens wildfire readiness across the western United States.

    California remains prepared to send additional resources should conditions escalate.

    “We stand with Oregon during this critical time, just as they’ve stood with us during some of California’s toughest fire seasons,” said Anale Burlew, Chief Deputy Director of CAL FIRE. “These mutual aid partnerships are built on trust, coordination, and a shared commitment to public safety.”

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 8, 2025

    News What you need to know: The $101 million being made available today will support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles, prioritizing the needs of displaced residents in the fire-devastated regions. Los Angeles, California – Six…

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of an additional 18 highly skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts.The deployment includes a total of four…

    Jul 7, 2025

    News Perris, California — On June 18, 2025, the First Partner visited the Inland Empire to meet with California communities impacted by the Trump Administration’s federal immigration raids. The First Partner visited TODEC, a local nonprofit organization that’s become…

    Jul 8, 2025

    What you need to know: The passage of Proposition 1 by California voters adds rocket fuel to Governor Gavin Newsom’s transformational overhaul of the state’s behavioral health system. These reforms refocus existing funds to prioritize Californians with the most serious mental health and substance use issues, who are too often experiencing homelessness. They also fund more than 11,150 new behavioral health beds and supportive housing units and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

    Los Angeles, California – California took a major step forward in correcting the damage from 50 years of neglect to the state’s mental health system with the passage of Proposition 1. This historic measure — a signature priority of Governor Gavin Newsom — adds rocket fuel to California’s overhaul of the state’s behavioral health systems. It provides a full range of mental health and substance abuse care, with new accountability metrics to ensure local governments deliver for their communities.

    This is the biggest reform of the California mental health system in decades and will finally equip partners to deliver the results all Californians need and deserve. Treatment centers will prioritize mental health and substance use support in the community like never before. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and begin implementing this critical reform – working closely with city and county leaders to ensure we see results.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    newsom-news-template
    IMG_3682-min
    contact-governor-landing
    workers-FxAJ5fkakAAtVI3
    priorities-and-progress-image
    economy-F-isBKpbsAAxdab
    gun-violence-San Diego Guns Package 2.18.22_2

    What they’re saying: 

    • Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, original author of the Mental Health Services Act: “Twenty years ago, I never could have dreamed that we would have the strong leadership we have today, committing billions and making courageous policy changes that question the conventional wisdom on mental health. Now, with the passage of Proposition 1. California is delivering on decades old promises to help people living with brain-based illnesses, to live better lives, to live independently and to live with dignity in our communities. This is a historic moment and the hard work is ahead of us.“
    • Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), author of Senate Bill 326: “Today marks a day of hope for thousands of Californians who are struggling with mental illness – many of whom are living unhoused. I am tremendously grateful to my fellow Californian’s for passing this important measure.  And I am very appreciative of this Governor’s leadership to transform our behavioral health care system!”
    • Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), author of Assembly Bill 531: “This started as an audacious proposal to address the root cause of homelessness and today, Californians can be proud to know that they did the right thing by passing Proposition 1. Now, it’s time for all of us to get to work, and make sure these reforms are implemented and that we see results.”

    Bigger picture: Transforming the Mental Health Services Act into the Behavioral Health Services Act and building more community mental health treatment sites and supportive housing is the last main pillar of Governor Newsom’s Mental Health Movement – pulling together significant recent reforms like 988 crisis line, CalHOPE, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, CalAIM behavioral health expansion (including mobile crisis care and telehealth), Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income Californians, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (including expanding services in schools and on-line), Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, Veterans Mental Health Initiative, Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Program, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Health Care Workforce for All and more.

    More details on next step here

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 8, 2025

    News What you need to know: The $101 million being made available today will support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles, prioritizing the needs of displaced residents in the fire-devastated regions. Los Angeles, California – Six…

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of an additional 18 highly skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts.The deployment includes a total of four…

    Jul 7, 2025

    News Perris, California — On June 18, 2025, the First Partner visited the Inland Empire to meet with California communities impacted by the Trump Administration’s federal immigration raids. The First Partner visited TODEC, a local nonprofit organization that’s become…

    Jul 8, 2025

    What you need to know: The passage of Proposition 1 by California voters adds rocket fuel to Governor Gavin Newsom’s transformational overhaul of the state’s behavioral health system. These reforms refocus existing funds to prioritize Californians with the most serious mental health and substance use issues, who are too often experiencing homelessness. They also fund more than 11,150 new behavioral health beds and supportive housing units and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots.

    Los Angeles, California – California took a major step forward in correcting the damage from 50 years of neglect to the state’s mental health system with the passage of Proposition 1. This historic measure — a signature priority of Governor Gavin Newsom — adds rocket fuel to California’s overhaul of the state’s behavioral health systems. It provides a full range of mental health and substance abuse care, with new accountability metrics to ensure local governments deliver for their communities.

    This is the biggest reform of the California mental health system in decades and will finally equip partners to deliver the results all Californians need and deserve. Treatment centers will prioritize mental health and substance use support in the community like never before. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and begin implementing this critical reform – working closely with city and county leaders to ensure we see results.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    newsom-news-template
    IMG_3682-min
    contact-governor-landing
    workers-FxAJ5fkakAAtVI3
    priorities-and-progress-image
    economy-F-isBKpbsAAxdab
    gun-violence-San Diego Guns Package 2.18.22_2

    What they’re saying: 

    • Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, original author of the Mental Health Services Act: “Twenty years ago, I never could have dreamed that we would have the strong leadership we have today, committing billions and making courageous policy changes that question the conventional wisdom on mental health. Now, with the passage of Proposition 1. California is delivering on decades old promises to help people living with brain-based illnesses, to live better lives, to live independently and to live with dignity in our communities. This is a historic moment and the hard work is ahead of us.“
    • Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), author of Senate Bill 326: “Today marks a day of hope for thousands of Californians who are struggling with mental illness – many of whom are living unhoused. I am tremendously grateful to my fellow Californian’s for passing this important measure.  And I am very appreciative of this Governor’s leadership to transform our behavioral health care system!”
    • Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), author of Assembly Bill 531: “This started as an audacious proposal to address the root cause of homelessness and today, Californians can be proud to know that they did the right thing by passing Proposition 1. Now, it’s time for all of us to get to work, and make sure these reforms are implemented and that we see results.”

    Bigger picture: Transforming the Mental Health Services Act into the Behavioral Health Services Act and building more community mental health treatment sites and supportive housing is the last main pillar of Governor Newsom’s Mental Health Movement – pulling together significant recent reforms like 988 crisis line, CalHOPE, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, CalAIM behavioral health expansion (including mobile crisis care and telehealth), Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income Californians, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (including expanding services in schools and on-line), Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, Veterans Mental Health Initiative, Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Program, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Health Care Workforce for All and more.

    More details on next step here

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 8, 2025

    News What you need to know: The $101 million being made available today will support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles, prioritizing the needs of displaced residents in the fire-devastated regions. Los Angeles, California – Six…

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of an additional 18 highly skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts.The deployment includes a total of four…

    Jul 7, 2025

    News Perris, California — On June 18, 2025, the First Partner visited the Inland Empire to meet with California communities impacted by the Trump Administration’s federal immigration raids. The First Partner visited TODEC, a local nonprofit organization that’s become…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Signs Landmark Legislation Pertaining to Maui Wildfires Settlement and Fire Marshal

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Governor Josh Green, M.D., today enacted legislation to solidify the global settlement for claims relating to the August 2023 Maui wildfires and to further codify the role of Hawai‘i’s first State Fire Marshal in nearly 46 years.

    “Today we are re-envisioning the path forward in the roadmap of wildfire prevention and recovery,” said Governor Green. “We are taking action from both ends of the wildfire spectrum — building a more robust fire prevention framework within the state and enacting historic legislation that will aid in timely access to compensation following disaster. This crisis impacts us on many fronts, and it is time we tackle it the same way, from multiple directions.”

    HB 1001: RELATING TO SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS RELATED TO THE MAUI WILDFIRES
    House Bill 1001 (Act 301) establishes the Maui Wildfires Settlement Trust Fund to provide dedicated funding for those affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires. The bill appropriates $807.5 million to support the state’s contribution in the settlement of claims, which shall be deposited into the trust fund. Additional contributions to the state fund include funding from the County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, Charter Communications/Spectrum, Hawaiian Telcom and West Maui Land Company.

    Governor Green sought to establish this funding to provide timely compensation for survivors’ claims as an alternative to lengthy litigation, ensuring those affected do not have to wait years to rebuild their lives. Recipients of compensation from the settlement trust fund shall agree to release the state and any additional parties that contribute to the fund from all further liability arising from the Maui wildfires.

    “This legislation is a huge win and sets a new precedent for swift settlement of claims for wildfire victims,” said Governor Green. “It should not take years for people to see compensation or begin rebuilding. This is about healing, restoring trust and helping families recover as quickly as possible in the place they call home.”

    The measure emphasizes providing meaningful compensation by specifying that property and casualty insurance companies can only recover payments made to a policyholder through a statutory lien. This provision demonstrates the state’s commitment to prioritizing the individuals affected by the wildfire to receive claims directly.

    The settlement agreement totals $4.037 billion and resolves claims of liability against multiple defendants, including the County of Maui. The agreement aims to reduce the legal load of the judicial system while avoiding the high costs associated with litigation.

    HB 1064: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION
    In accordance with the Fire Safety Research Institute’s three-phase report — developed to improve fire preparedness and response following the August 2023 Maui wildfires —  House Bill 1064 (Act 302) effectuates the recommendations provided in “Phase 3” of the report. Phase 3 focuses on the forward-looking portion of the investigation and proposes improvements to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which was originally established under Act 209, Session Law of Hawai‘i 2024.

    Under Act 302, the Office of the State Fire Marshal is transferred to the Department of Law Enforcement and will be led by the State Fire Marshal. The legislation further clarifies the roles, duties, and discretionary authority of both the Office and the State Fire Marshal, supporting the state’s efforts to provide coordinated, statewide fire prevention and readiness strategies. To enhance coordination between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the State Fire Council, the bill outlines responsibilities and the organizational structure related to matters such as reporting and recommending amendments to the state fire code.

    The bill requires the Fire Chief of each county to investigate and maintain an annual record of fire occurrences. These records must be submitted to the Office of the State Fire Marshal for centralized analysis. The county submissions will assist the State Fire Marshal in compiling biennial statistical reports, including those made available to the public and those submitted to the Legislature.

    “Last month, I appointed Dori Booth as Hawai‘i’s new State Fire Marshal, reviving a critical public safety position that has been vacant for nearly 46 years,” said Governor Green. “This appointment marks a turning point as we redefine the role — empowering the office with clear authority and resources to better protect our state through fire prevention strategies and analysis.”

    “My first month in office has been both eye-opening and incredibly encouraging,” said State Fire Marshal Dori Booth. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet with dedicated state and county partners, as well as private stakeholders, who are all working tirelessly to enhance fire prevention, readiness, and resiliency across our islands. These conversations have been instrumental in shaping my initial assessments and understanding the unique strengths each organization brings to the table. The feedback I’ve received has affirmed the vital role the Fire Marshal’s Office can play — not only in supporting these existing efforts, but also in unifying them to build a stronger, more resilient Hawai‘i. HB 1064 is a meaningful step forward, and I’m honored to stand with so many committed partners as we move toward a safer future together.”

    Lastly, HB 1064 establishes the State Fire Marshal Selection Commission and defines its roles and structure. The selection commission will be given the authority to appoint and remove the State Fire Marshal, evaluate the State Fire Marshal’s performance, and address matters of public interest.

    “With the State Fire Marshal position re-established for the first time in nearly five decades, this legislation gives the office the structure, authority, and support it needs to succeed,” said Senator Brandon Elefante (Senate District 16 – ‘Aiea, ‘Aiea Heights, Hālawa, Pearlridge, Newtown, Royal Summit, Waimalu, Waiau, Momilani, Pacific Palisades, and Pearl City), who chairs the Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee. “It’s a significant step in building a stronger, more coordinated approach to fire prevention and public safety across Hawai‘i.”

    There is $2.2 million appropriated in fiscal year 2026 and an equal amount for fiscal year 2027 to support the establishment and operations of the Office and State Fire Marshal.

    Video of the bill signing can be seen here.
    The slide deck presented by the Governor can be viewed here.
    Photos of the bill signing ceremonies, courtesy Office of the Governor, will be uploaded here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom commits $101 million to jumpstart critical rebuilding efforts after LA Fires

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jul 8, 2025

    What you need to know: The $101 million being made available today will support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles, prioritizing the needs of displaced residents in the fire-devastated regions.

    Los Angeles, California – Six months after the LA Fires, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the release of $101 million to help rapidly rebuild critically needed, affordable multifamily rental housing in the fire-devastated Los Angeles region. Thousands of families are still displaced by the wildfires that raged through the Greater Los Angeles Region in January 2025, placing an incredible strain on an already tight rental market.

    Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency: “The State’s special Multifamily Finance Super NOFA will galvanize the collective public-private response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County, expediting and expanding opportunities to build affordable housing for low-income residents. By prioritizing affordable housing projects that are ready to go, these funds will accelerate household stability, climate and health outcomes in communities.”

    Today’s funding

    HCD’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (MFSN) allows affordable housing developers to apply to multiple funding programs through a single application. In February 2025, HCD released a MFSN Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announcing $382 million available for development of affordable multifamily rental housing statewide. A separate $50 million Tribal MFSN was released in March 2025.

    The special MFSN NOFA announced today (MFSN-LA Disaster) provides an additional $101 million in funding to support recovery and rebuilding efforts from 2025 wildfires within Los Angeles County. This MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA has been designed to meet the immediate housing needs of disaster-impacted areas and residents in Los Angeles as quickly as possible by prioritizing projects that are: close to wildfire burn areas; ready to begin construction immediately upon award; and include a resident preference for households displaced by the Los Angeles County wildfires.

    HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez: “HCD has taken a program built on efficiency and further refined it specifically to help the Los Angeles region rebuild from unimaginable tragedy. Our team has gone above and beyond to ensure this program is designed to provide housing stability for fire-displaced families as quickly as possible.”

    This MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA provides a two-phase award process to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. If funds remain after all applications for shovel-ready projects have been assessed, applications will continue to be accepted for all eligible projects until the funds are expended.

    Funding available through this MFSN-LA Disaster NOFA includes grants for the infrastructure needed to facilitate housing development with a focus on disaster resilience and mitigation, low-interest loans for the development of new multifamily units affordable to low-income and very low-income households, and operating subsidy reserves to support the long-term financial feasibility of the projects. All projects will be required to remain affordable for at least 55 years.

    Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (MFSN)

    This year marks the third round of MFSN, which provides applicants the opportunity to apply simultaneously for a combination of awards from the Multifamily Housing Program (MHP), Supportive Housing MHP, Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, Transit-Oriented Development Program, and Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program. This is the first MFSN round to offer capitalized operating subsidy reserve funding through MHP to support operations.   

    MFSN makes funds more accessible to developers (including emerging and community-based developers), enables the funding to further serve the lowest-income Californians, and increases the range of potential applicants and target populations to achieve better outcomes in health, climate, and household stability.

    Application materials for MFSN-LA Disaster will be available July 21, 2025. Applicants applying for the first phase of funding must upload all required application documents to the HCD website no later than August 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.

    For more information, including webinars and workshops, please visit HCD’s Multifamily Finance Super NOFA webpage.

    Historic fire recovery 

    Today’s announcement builds on Governor Newsom’s broader efforts to cut red tape and expedite the rebuilding of homes and businesses to support disaster survivors.

    Yesterday, the governor announced the substantial completion of the public debris removal program from more than 10,000 fire damaged parcels — marking the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The Governor also signed an executive order removing more barriers to rebuilding homes and schools. He also joined local officials to unveil a new blueprint for recovery, a step-by-step plan to accelerate rebuilding and provide support to impacted families and communities. The near-completion of the public debris removal program comes months ahead of schedule.

    Recent news

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of an additional 18 highly skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts.The deployment includes a total of four…

    Jul 7, 2025

    News Perris, California — On June 18, 2025, the First Partner visited the Inland Empire to meet with California communities impacted by the Trump Administration’s federal immigration raids. The First Partner visited TODEC, a local nonprofit organization that’s become…

    Jul 7, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of skilled Urban Search and Rescue Team members to Texas to assist with ongoing response efforts related to severe flooding impacts. “California stands with all those who have lost loved ones,…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia must step up reforms

    Source: European Parliament 3

    Three reports adopted on Wednesday highlight the urgent need for EU-related reforms, effective use of the Growth Plan and a decisive stance against foreign interference.

    Albania

    MEPs highlight Albania’s broad political consensus and strong public support for joining the EU, alongside full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy. While welcoming Albania’s aim to complete accession talks by 2027 and the progress already made, MEPs stress the urgent need to intensify reforms. Key priorities include strengthening judicial independence, combating corruption and organised crime, and protecting fundamental rights. Enhancing media pluralism and transparency remains crucial to build public trust, say MEPs.

    The report notes ongoing political polarisation marked by confrontational rhetoric and calls for more constructive and inclusive political dialogue. It also urges authorities to continue their efforts to safeguard judicial independence and increase accountability.

    Quote

    Rapporteur Andreas Schieder (S&D, AT) said: “In this term’s first report on Albania, we welcome the rapid progress the ‘accession front-runner’ has made over the past years. Albania is a strong and reliable partner in foreign policy, and has taken remarkable steps in all areas such as justice, anti-corruption and environmental protection. To reach its goal of full EU membership by 2030, it is crucial to keep up the good work by broadening the economic model, creating jobs and improving the social welfare model, as well as implementing a comprehensive and inclusive electoral reform. Albania’s future lies within the EU.”

    The report was adopted by 502 votes in favour,120against, and 64 abstentions.

    Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Parliament reaffirms its strong support for BiH’s EU accession bid, emphasising a merit-based process aligned with the Copenhagen criteria and grounded in the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Welcoming the European Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with BiH amid the changing geopolitical landscape following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, MEPs acknowledge key reforms but express concern over stalled progress and weak implementation. The report calls for implementation of the necessary constitutional and electoral reforms, and for efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, and to fight corruption and organised crime.

    MEPs strongly condemn divisive rhetoric and secessionist policies, particularly those promoted by Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska leadership, calling on the EU to take decisive action, including targeted sanctions, to counter destabilising forces threatening the country’s stability and European security. The report also stresses concerns about malign foreign interference and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors, notably Russia and China, that erode public trust in the EU.

    Quote

    Rapporteur Ondřej Kolář (EPP, CS) said: “The future of the Balkans lies within Europe, not under Russian domination. Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the most difficult situation in Europe after Ukraine, and we must find a way to help it achieve full integration into Western structures. Developments in BiH demonstrate every day that we must strive for peace, stability, and development, because if we let up, we may once again face war and destruction.”

    The report was adopted by 459 votes in favour, 130 against, and 63 abstentions.

    North Macedonia

    The report underlines that enlargement should be a merit-based process based on the Copenhagen Criteria and calls on North Macedonia to enact the necessary reforms

    MEPs welcome the new €750 million Reform and Growth Facility, commending North Macedonia’s ambitious agenda. They urge it to adopt a strong focus on reform implementation, particularly in public administration, governance, the rule of law, and anti-corruption policy. Noting worsening trends in high-level corruption and low public trust in the judiciary, they call for stronger judicial independence, more accountability, and adequate resources for oversight bodies.

    The Parliament is deeply concerned that North Macedonia and other EU accession countries in the Western Balkans are being particularly hard hit by foreign interference and disinformation campaigns. It is also alarmed by the roles of the Hungarian Government and the Serbian Government in advancing China’s and Russia’s geopolitical objectives, states the resolution.

    Quote

    The rapporteur Thomas Waitz (The Greens, AT) said: „Today we adopted the first North Macedonia country report since 2022. As rapporteur, I worked tirelessly for a well-balanced and impartial report on the democratic progress of this country. North Macedonia has been a frontrunner in the region, showing real commitment to EU values, including a historic name change and bold reforms. But its accession has been unfairly blocked for too long due to bilateral disputes, fuelling public frustration and disillusionment with the EU. I call on all political parties in North Macedonia to engage in constructive dialogue to reach the required consensus, which would strengthen the country’s multi-ethnic character and accelerate EU progress.“

    The report was adopted by 461 votes in favour, 121 against, and with 107 abstentions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Major milestone for Armada Way regeneration

    Source: City of Plymouth

    The first section of the Armada Way regeneration scheme will open on Thursday 31 July heralding a major milestone on this transformative project.

    Plymouth City Council is working with the City Centre Company on plans to open up zone 1A around the Phoenix Fountain together with the new amphitheatre and performance space, which will become home to happenings and pop up events such as bands playing or live performances.

    Paving in this part of the scheme is complete and this week, granite seats for the amphitheatre arrive. So far 29 trees have been planted, the first of 400 specimens of plants are going into the ground and two beds of wildflower turf are already bursting with blooms to attract bees and other pollinators.

    Existing stonework – including two heraldic lions – have been given a thorough facewash ahead of the big day.

    City Centre Champion Councillor Mark Lowry said: “We are cracking on with the job and like many people, I’ve been blown away by the change that is happening on a daily basis.

    “We are investing millions in a project that is changing the face of the city centre and has already led to companies and organisations directly investing here as they like what they see.

    “That said, we appreciate it has not been easy for the businesses and would like to thank them for their continued understanding and patience.”

    The project team and contractors have done everything in their power to minimise disruption to businesses. Temporary bridges have been built across paving work to the entrances of premises to make sure that the public can get in and out of the  shops and banks.

    Noisy and disruptive work has been taking place in the evenings to ensure minimal impact to businesses and our contractor dowses dusty areas of work wherever possible.

    Businesses are also sent a weekly update letting them know what work is coming.  There is a business liaison officer retailers can contact if they have any specific concerns they have about how the project is progressing.

    New areas featuring high quality granite footways have already been reopened along the western footpath north of Cornwall Street and are on a rolling programme over the next few weeks.

    Repaving paths has been complicated by the fact that much of the utilities – such as broadband and electricity cables – were not installed as deeply as they should have been and some unrecorded services are just below the existing surfacing.

    Contractors have had the added headache of relaying paths without causing power cuts or system failures for shops.

    Councillor Lowry added: “It’s been a challenge but the contractors and the project team have risen to it. Work is still powering on in other zones, but we wanted to pause for a moment and mark this achievement.

    City Centre Company Chief Executive Steve Hughes added: “We have been impressed with the pace and progress of the work and have been delighted with the level of interest it has created in the city centre.

    “We know it has not always been easy for the businesses during the work but Old Town Street and New George Street saw a big increase in footfall and investment interest once that scheme had finished and I am confident this will happen here. It is going to be a game changer.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Are flash floods directly linked to climate change?

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The catastrophic flash floods in Texas a couple of days earlier, triggered by extremely heavy rainfall, which caused over 100 deaths and widespread destruction, have once again raised a pressing question- are flash floods directly linked to climate change? Successive research by environmental agencies corroborates this, saying climate change is a significant factor in the increased risk, frequency and intensity of floods in several parts of the world.

    Research suggests human-caused climate change is driving more and more extreme weather conditions, which include extremely heavy and sometimes untimely rains, which directly contribute to flooding, especially when proper city planning is not in place.

    Studies say warmer temperatures cause a more moisture-laden atmosphere, which turns into more intense rainfall with increased frequency. The recent Texas floods were found to have been made significantly worse by climate change, as atmospheric conditions favoured slow-moving thunderstorms, which caused heavy rains in the same area for hours. Warmer global temperatures have increased the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture, resulting in heavier and more concentrated rainfall events that can overwhelm drainage systems and waterways.

    In layman’s terms, climate change leads to higher global temperatures and warmer air holds more moisture. Climate-related researches say with every one-degree Celsius rise in temperature, the atmosphere’s capacity to hold more water vapour rises by about 7%.

    It can be understood from the fact that the recent very heavy rainstorms in Texas delivered about 20% more rainfall than they did in the late 1950s, a time when global temperatures were considerably lower, according to the National Climate Assessment. As climate change continues to warm the planet, extreme rainfall events in Texas are projected to become even more frequent in the coming decade, as highlighted in a 2024 report by the state’s climatologist. The worry is that it’s not just Texas, but across the US, the heaviest storms are predicted to produce more rain as the Earth continues to warm.

    Such storms can trigger deadly flooding far inland, which was on full display in 2024 when Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding across Appalachia. Similarly, in 2021, flash floods caused by Hurricane Ida claimed dozens of lives in the Northeastern US. According to the National Climate Assessment, more than one-third of the estimated 230 billion dollar in inland flood damage in the US between 1988 and 2021 would not have occurred without climate change.

    Storms increase the likelihood of intense and short-duration rainfall in several parts of the globe, which is becoming a major trigger for flash floods. Moreover, climate change also gives rise to sea levels and constantly rising sea levels invariably exacerbate coastal flooding, which seriously threatens human populations and physical assets-infrastructure in the coastal regions.

    In fact, across the US, Europe and other parts of the globe, similar patterns are observed with coastal and inland states facing flood risks due to tropical storms, hurricanes and prolonged rainfall events. In the US, riverine floods are also a concern, especially along major waterways like the Mississippi. In many areas, deforestation, wetland loss and poorly planned development have also disrupted natural drainage systems, reducing the landscape’s ability to buffer heavy rains.

    Like the United States, Europe is also grappling with more frequent and severe flooding. In 2021 and successive years, devastating floods in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and others highlighted the region’s exposure to extreme weather.

    Climate change is intensifying heavy rainfall events across the continent, particularly in Central and Western Europe. Uncontrolled urban expansion, river channelization and reduced natural water retention due to agricultural and industrial development have made many European regions more prone to flooding. In mountainous areas, rapid snowmelt and glacial lake outbursts, both linked to rising temperatures, also contribute to sudden floods.

    Studies have shown that climate change has increased the likelihood and intensity of heavy rainfall events in both the US and Europe. For example, in Europe, research indicates that human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood of the intense rainfall that caused recent floods in Central Europe. Similarly, in the US, climate change has been linked to more extreme rainstorms and increased flood risk.

    Despite the growing risks, many communities around the country are still not planning for more intense rainstorms as they build roads, floodways, and storm infrastructure. Local governments around the country rely on historical rainfall records from concerned agencies.

    Another factor that may be contributing to the severe floods, however, is human activity and land-use change. Most of the recent floods in Central Europe are river floods, which makes the links between the flooding and climate change less straightforward.

    Central Europe’s devastating floods were made worse by climate change, which scientists say offers glimpses of a bleak future for the world’s fastest-warming continent. In fact, Europe is the fastest-warming continent. The last five years were on average around 2.3°C warmer than the second half of the 19th century, according to the Copernicus Climate Service.

    Addressing these challenges requires a multi-pronged approach. In the short term, improving early warning systems, emergency response mechanisms and public awareness can help save lives. Upgrading drainage infrastructure, reinforcing levees and dams and integrating green infrastructure like rain gardens, permeable pavements and restored wetlands are essential for long-term flood resilience. Urban planning must prioritize flood risk zones, restrict construction in vulnerable areas and promote sustainable land use.

    And at a broader scale, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains critical to mitigating the root cause of climate-driven floods. International cooperation, climate adaptation funding and policy reforms are necessary to prepare communities for the escalating risks posed by a warming world. Without decisive action, not only the US and Europe, but the majority of countries across the globe are likely to see floods becoming an even more destructive and persistent threat in the decades ahead. Without more ambitious climate action, global warming is expected to reach around 3°C by the end of the century, which would be much more disastrous to the humanity.

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax® ETFs Announces Distributions on ULTY, TSLY, LFGY, CRSH, YMAX, and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax® today announced distributions for the YieldMax® Weekly Payers and Group A ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF Ticker1 ETF Name Distribution
    Frequency    		 Distribution
    per Share    		 Distribution
    Rate    2,4    		 30-Day
    SEC Yield3    		 ROC5 Ex-Date &
    Record
    Date    		 Payment
    Date
    CHPY YieldMax® Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.3488 32.97% 0.04% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    GPTY YieldMax® AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.2952 32.61% 0.00% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    LFGY YieldMax® Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF Weekly $0.4817 63.13% 0.00% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    QDTY YieldMax® Nasdaq 100 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.1909 22.51% 0.00% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    RDTY YieldMax® R2000 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.3040 34.13% 1.65% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    SDTY YieldMax® S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call ETF Weekly $0.1398 16.22% 0.07% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    ULTY YieldMax® Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF Weekly $0.0960 80.35% 0.00% 100.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    YMAG YieldMax® Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1263 43.26% 63.17% 90.54% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    YMAX YieldMax® Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs Weekly $0.1347 51.13% 82.40% 95.41% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    BRKC YieldMax® BRK.B Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.5029 –  –  35.53% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    CRSH YieldMax® Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.2156 56.91% 3.08% 91.57% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    FEAT YieldMax® Dorsey Wright Featured 5 Income ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $1.4445 50.97% 52.99% 0.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    FIVY YieldMax® Dorsey Wright Hybrid 5 Income ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $1.0277 33.52% 35.26% 0.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    GOOY YieldMax® GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.3077 33.16% 3.29% 0.00% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    OARK YieldMax® Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.3439 50.21% 2.88% 95.16% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    SNOY YieldMax® SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.4710 35.69% 2.27% 62.42% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    TSLY YieldMax® TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.3873 65.00% 2.76% 82.33% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    TSMY YieldMax® TSM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.6378 50.37% 2.87% 95.76% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    XOMO YieldMax® XOM Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.3649 36.44% 3.62% 92.57% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    YBIT YieldMax® Bitcoin Option Income Strategy ETF Every 4
    weeks    		 $0.3812 46.36% 1.54% 87.99% 7/10/25 7/11/25
    Weekly Payers & Group B ETFs scheduled for next week: CHPY GPTY LFGY QDTY RDTY SDTY ULTY YMAG YMAX BABO DIPS FBY GDXY JPMO MARO MRNY NVDY PLTY


    Standardized Performance and Fund details can be obtained by clicking the ETF Ticker in the table above or by visiting us at     www.yieldmaxetfs.com

    Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (866) 864-3968.

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH, YQQQ and WNTR are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.”

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    1 All YieldMax® ETFs shown in the table above (except YMAX, YMAG, FEAT, FIVY and ULTY) have a gross expense ratio of 0.99%. YMAX, FEAT have a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.99% for a gross expense ratio of 1.28%. YMAG has a management fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.83% for a gross expense ratio of 1.12%. FIVY has a Management Fee of 0.29% and Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses of 0.59% for a gross expense ratio of 0.88%. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are on fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies, namely other YieldMax® ETFs. ULTY has a gross expense ratio of 1.40%, and a net expense ratio after the fee waiver of 1.30%. The Advisor has agreed to a fee waiver of 0.10% through at least February 28, 2026. 
    2 The Distribution Rate shown is as of close on July 8, 2025. The Distribution Rate is the annual distribution rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing an ETF’s Distribution per Share and dividing such annualized amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future. 
    3 The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended June 30, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period. 
    4 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. 
    5 ROC refers to Return of Capital. The ROC percentage indicates how much the distribution reflects an investor’s initial investment. The figures shown for each Fund in the table above are estimates and may later be determined to be taxable net investment income, short-term gains, long-term gains (to the extent permitted by law), or return of capital. Actual amounts and sources for tax reporting will depend upon the Fund’s investment activities during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Your broker will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year to tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes

    Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.

    Important Information

    This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. For all prospectuses, click here.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax® ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax® ETFs. As such, these Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax® ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Referenced Index Risk. The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Index (or the Index ETFs). This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of companies that comprised the Index or an ETF that tracks the Index, even though it does not.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Russell 2000 Index Risks. The Index, which consists of small-cap U.S. companies, is particularly susceptible to economic changes, as these firms often have less financial resilience than larger companies. Market volatility can disproportionately affect these smaller businesses, leading to significant price swings. Additionally, these companies are often more exposed to specific industry risks and have less diverse revenue streams. They can also be more vulnerable to changes in domestic regulatory or policy environments.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA, CVNA, HOOD, BRK.B), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory, and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA, MSTR), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole. Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to CHPY)

    Semiconductor Industry Risk. Semiconductor companies may face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, and such competition may have an adverse effect on their profit margins. Semiconductor companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. Semiconductor companies’ supply chain and operations are dependent on the availability of materials that meet exacting standards and the use of third parties to provide components and services.

    The products of semiconductor companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Capital equipment expenditures could be substantial, and equipment generally suffers from rapid obsolescence. Companies in the semiconductor industry are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights would adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax® ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, or YieldMax® ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax® ETFs

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Somerset Trust Holding Company to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Somerset Trust Holding Company (OTCQX: SOME) (the “Company”), the holding company of Somerset Trust Company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Somerset Trust Holding Company upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.

    Somerset Trust Holding Company begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “SOME.”  U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com.

    The OTCQX Market enables companies to demonstrate the value of being a public company by providing transparent trading and easy access to company information for shareholders. To qualify for OTCQX, community banks must meet high financial standards, follow best practices in corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

    Monroe Financial Partners Inc. is acting as the Company’s corporate broker.

    About Somerset Trust Holding Company
    Somerset Trust Holding Company (OTCQX: SOME) (the “Company”), the holding company of Somerset Trust Company (the “Bank”), is headquartered in Somerset, Pennsylvania. The Bank is a state-chartered bank, which has an expansive network of branches throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, northern Maryland, and northern Virginia and offers a variety of consumer and commercial lending and deposit products, together with trust and investment management services, an extensive ATM network, and online and mobile banking for consumers and businesses. The Company’s and the Bank’s revenues are derived from a variety of sources, including the Bank’s portfolio of residential real estate, commercial mortgage and commercial and consumer loans, investment and trust services, and securities portfolio.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
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