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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Going to extremes – understanding Antarctic sea-ice decline

    Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

    Most people will never see Antarctic sea ice up close, but its presence or absence affects our day-to-day lives.
    Now scientists are questioning whether a ‘regime shift’ to a new state of diminished Antarctic sea-ice coverage is underway, due to recent record lows.
    If so, it will have impacts across climate, ecological and societal systems, according to new research published in PNAS Nexus.

    These impacts include ocean warming, increased iceberg calving, habitat loss and sea-level rise, and effects on fisheries, Antarctic tourism, and even the mental health of the global human population.
    Led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership oceanographer Dr Edward Doddridge, the international team assessed the impacts of extreme summer sea-ice lows, and the challenges to predicting and mitigating change.
    “Antarctic sea ice provides climate and ecosystem services of regional and global significance,” Dr Doddridge said.
    “There are far reaching negative impacts caused by sea-ice loss.
    “However, we do not sufficiently understand the baseline system to be able to predict how it will respond to the dramatic changes we are already observing.
    “To predict future changes, and to potentially mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on Antarctica, we urgently need to improve our knowledge through new observations and modelling studies.”
    What’s at stake?
    While sea-ice loss affects many things, the research team identified three key impacts:

    Reduced summer sea-ice cover exposes more of the ocean to sunlight. This leads to surface water warming that promotes further sea-ice loss. Ocean warming increases melting under glacial ice shelves, which could lead to increased iceberg calving. Warmer water also affects the flow of deep-water currents that help move ocean heat around the globe, influencing the planet’s climate.
    Sea-ice loss exposes the ice shelves that fringe the Antarctic continent to damaging ocean swells and storms. These can weaken the ice shelves, leading to iceberg calving. As ice shelves slow the flow of ice from the interior of the Antarctic continent to the coast, iceberg calving allows this interior ice flow to speed up, contributing to sea-level rise.
    Sea ice provides breeding habitat for penguin and seal species, and a refuge for many marine species from predators. It is also an important nursery habitat and source of food (sea-ice algae) for Antarctic krill – an important prey species for many Southern Ocean inhabitants. Adverse sea-ice conditions that persist over several seasons could see population declines in these sea-ice dependent species.

    The research team also identified socio-economic and wellbeing impacts, affecting fisheries, tourism, scientific research, ice-navigation, coastal operations, and the mental health (climate anxiety) of the global population.
    For example, shorter sea-ice seasons will reduce the window for over-ice resupplies of Antarctic stations. There could also be increased shipping pressures on the continent, including from alien species incursions, fuel spills and an increase in the number and movement of tourist vessels to and from new locations.
    Research co-author and sea-ice system expert, Dr Petra Heil, from the Australian Antarctic Division, said the paper highlighted the need for ongoing, year-round, field-based and satellite measurements of circumpolar sea-ice variables (especially thickness), and sub-surface ocean variables.
    This would allow integrated analyses of the Southern Ocean processes contributing to the recent sea-ice deficits.
    “As shown in climate simulations, continued greenhouse gas emissions, even at reduced rate, will further accelerate persistent deficits of sea ice, and with it a lack of the critical climate and ecosystem functions it provides,” Dr Heil said.
    “To conserve and preserve the physical environment and ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean we must prioritise an immediate and sustained transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
    “Ultimately our decison for immediate and deep action will provide the maximum future proofing we can have in terms of lifestyle and economic values.”
    Learn more about Antarctic sea ice in our feature ‘Sea ice in crisis’.
    This content was last updated 8 minutes ago on 2 July 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By William Trollinger, Professor of History, University of Dayton

    The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.

    Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.

    But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.

    The Scopes trial occurred July 10-21, 1925. Between 150 and 200 reporters swooped into the small town. Broadcast on Chicago’s WGN, it was the first trial to be aired live over radio in the United States.

    One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.

    The trial

    In May 1919, over 6,000 conservative Protestants gathered in Philadelphia to create, under the leadership of Baptist firebrand William Bell Riley, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, or WCFA.

    Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.

    This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

    The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.

    A huge crowd attending the Scopes trial.
    Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images

    When the trial started, Dayton civic leaders were thrilled with the opportunity to boost their town. Outside the courtroom there was a carnivalesque atmosphere, with musicians, preachers, concession stands and even monkeys.

    Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.

    But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.

    The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.

    American lawyer and politician William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn.
    Hulton Archive/Getty Image

    The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.

    The fundamentalists and ‘The Genesis Flood’

    But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”

    The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.

    Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.

    But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.

    In their 1961 book, “The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications, fundamentalists John Whitcomb, a theologian, and Henry Morris, a hydraulic engineer, provided just such a scientific explanation. Making use, without attribution, of the writings of Seventh-day Adventist geologist George McCready Price, Whitcomb and Morris made the case that Noah’s global flood lasted one year and created the geological strata and mountain ranges that made the Earth seem ancient.

    “The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.

    Young Earth creationism

    Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.

    Replica of Noah’s Ark at the Ark Encounter, near Williamstown, Ky.
    Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    This popular embrace of young Earth creationism also explains the success of Answers in Genesis – AiG – which is the world’s largest creationist organization, with a website that attracts millions of visitors every year.

    AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

    Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.

    Ark Encounter has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from state and local governments.

    Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.

    The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.

    In 1921, William Bell Riley admonished his opponents that they should “cease from shoveling in dirt on living men,” for the fundamentalists “refuse to be buried.” A century later, the funeral for fundamentalism and creationism seems a long way off.

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

    – ref. 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-americans-reject-evolution-a-century-after-the-scopes-monkey-trial-spotlighted-the-clash-between-science-and-religion-258163

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Bill Moyers’ journalism strengthened democracy by connecting Americans to ideas and each other, in a long and extraordinary career

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Julie Leininger Pycior, Professor of History Emeritus, Manhattan University

    “Bill Moyers? He’s spectacular!” George Clooney said – and no wonder.

    I mentioned this legendary television journalist to the actor and filmmaker after Clooney emerged from the Broadway theater where he just had been portraying another news icon: Edward R. Murrow. Or as the Museum of Broadcast Communications put it in a tribute to Moyers, he was “one of the few broadcast journalists who might be said to approach the stature of Edward R. Murrow. If Murrow founded broadcast journalism, Moyers significantly extended its traditions.”

    Moyers, who died at 91 on June 26, 2025, was among the most acclaimed broadcast journalists of the 20th century. He’s known for TV news shows that exposed the role of big money in politics and episodes that drew attention to unsung defenders of democracy, such as community organizer Ernesto Cortés Jr..

    Earlier in his life, Moyers served in significant roles in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, but his fame comes from his journalism.

    Making a connection

    Despite his prominence, Moyers was the same down-to-earth guy in person as he seemed to be on the screen. In 1986, he was commanding a television audience of millions, and I was a historian at home with a preschooler, teaching the occasional college course in a dismal job market. Seeing that Moyers would be speaking at the conference on President Lyndon B. Johnson where I would be giving a paper, I wrote to him.

    To my utter amazement, he replied and then showed up to hear my paper, on Johnson’s experiences as a young principal of the “Mexican” school in Cotulla, Texas, where he championed his students but also forged links to segregationists. Cotulla was “seminal” to LBJ’s development, Moyers said. In 1993, he recommended me for a grant that helped me finish a book: “LBJ and Mexican Americans: The Paradox of Power.

    A few years later, he asked me to head up a project researching the documents related to his time in Johnson’s administration. His memoir of the Johnson years never materialized. Instead, I edited the bestselling ”Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.“

    Part of what always impressed me about Moyers was his belief that what matters is not how close you are to power, but how close you are to reality.

    ‘Amazing Grace’

    Moyers didn’t just dwell on politics and policy as a journalist. He also delved into the meaning of creativity and the life of the mind. Many of his most moving interviews spotlighted scientists, novelists and other exceptional people.

    He was also arguably among the best reporters on the religion beat. Even if it wasn’t always the main focus of his work or what comes to mind for those familiar with his legacy, still, he was a lifelong spiritual seeker.

    This is hardly surprising: Moyers had degrees in both divinity and journalism. As a young man, he briefly served as a Baptist minister.

    He once told me that his favorite of the many programs that he produced was the PBS documentary ”Amazing Grace.“ It featured inspiring renditions of this popular Christian hymn as performed by country legend Johnny Cash, folk icon Judy Collins, opera diva Jessye Norman and other musical geniuses. As they share with Moyers their personal connections to this song of redemption, he draws viewers into the stirring saga of its creator, John Newton: a slave trader who became an abolitionist through “amazing grace.”

    Bill Moyers interviews Judy Collins about singing ‘Amazing Grace,’ following the production of his PBS special about the hymn.

    Life’s ultimate questions

    This appreciation of the ineffable clearly informed Moyers’ blockbuster TV series exploring life’s ultimate questions, “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.”

    His interviews with Campbell, a comparative mythologist, evoked moments that made time stand still, and this reminded me of Thomas Merton, the American monk and poet, writing, “Everything is emptiness and everything is compassion” on beholding the immense Polonnaruwa Buddhas of Sri Lanka.

    To my surprise, Moyers knew about this Trappist monk, telling me, “I always wished that I could have interviewed Merton,” who died in 1968.

    It turned out that Moyers had been introduced to Merton by Sargent Shriver, founding director of the Peace Corps, where Moyers was a founding organizer and the deputy director.

    Mentored by LBJ

    Moyers characterized his Peace Corps years as the most rewarding of his life. When Johnson, his mentor, became president, he asked Moyers to join the White House staff. Moyers turned down the offer, so Johnson made it a presidential command.

    The wunderkind – Moyers was 29 years old in 1963, when Johnson was sworn in after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination – coordinated the White House task forces that created the largest number of legislative proposals in American history. Among the programs and landmark reforms established and passed during the Johnson administration were Medicare and Medicaid, a landmark immigration law, the Freedom of Information Act, the Public Broadcasting Act and two historic civil rights laws.

    Johnson’s war on poverty, in addition, introduced several path-breaking programs, such as Head Start.

    Moyers served as one of Johnson’s speechwriters and was a top official in Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign. The following year, the Johnson administration began escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and Johnson named a new press secretary: Bill Moyers. Again, the young man tried to decline, but the president prevailed.

    As Moyers had feared, he could not serve two masters – journalists and his boss – especially as the administration’s Vietnam War policies became increasingly unpopular.

    President Lyndon B. Johnson confers with Bill Moyers, his press secretary, in 1965.
    Corbis Historical via Getty Images

    Appreciating the world around you

    Moyers left the Johnson administration in 1967, turning to journalism. He became the publisher of Newsday, a Long Island, New York, newspaper, before becoming a producer and commentator at CBS News. His commentaries reached tens of millions of viewers, but the network refused to provide a regular time slot for his documentaries. He had previously worked at PBS. In 1987, he decamped there for good.

    Moyers’ programs won many journalism awards, including over 30 Emmys, along with the Lifetime Emmy for news and documentary productions.

    He helped millions of Americans appreciate the world around them. As he reflected in 2023, in one of the last interviews he gave, to PBS journalist Judy Woodruff at the Library of Congress: “Everything is linked, and if you can find that nerve that connects us to other things and other places and other ideas – and television should be doing it all the time – we’d be a better democracy.”

    Judy Woodruff interviews Bill Moyers about his life’s work in government and the media, including his contributions to the launch of PBS, at the Library of Congress.

    Today, with disinformation metastasizing, professional journalists losing their jobs by the thousands and some newspaper owners muzzling their editorial staff, thoughtful explanations can lose out. That means Americans can lose out.

    “It takes time, commitment” to dig below the surface and discover the deeper meaning of people’s lives, Moyers noted. He sought to understand, for example, why so many folks in his own hometown of Marshall, Texas, have become much more suspicious – resentful, even – of outsiders than when he gave these folks voice in his poignant, prize-winning 1984 program Marshall, Texas; Marshall, Texas.

    In this era of growing threats to democracy, what can a young person do who aspires to follow in Bill Moyers’ footsteps – whether in journalism or public life?

    Woodruff asked Moyers that question, to which he responded: “You can’t quit. You can’t get out of the boat! Find a place that gives you a sense of being, gives you a sense of mission, gives you a sense of participation.”

    Today, with the future of journalism – and of democracy itself – at stake, I think it would help everyone to take to heart the insights of this late, great American journalist.

    Julie Leininger Pycior edited the book “Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.” She also was hired by Moyers to direct the 18-month “LBJ Years” research project.

    In addtion, she served as an unpaid, informal historical adviser for some of his public television programs.

    – ref. Bill Moyers’ journalism strengthened democracy by connecting Americans to ideas and each other, in a long and extraordinary career – https://theconversation.com/bill-moyers-journalism-strengthened-democracy-by-connecting-americans-to-ideas-and-each-other-in-a-long-and-extraordinary-career-260047

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Lindsey Breitwieser, Assistant Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies, Hollins University

    Laws such as Georgia’s LIFE Act can complicate ethical and legal decision-making in postmortem pregnancy.
     Darya Komarova/Moment via Getty Images

    Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old woman from Georgia who had been declared brain-dead in February 2025, spent 16 weeks on life support while doctors worked to keep her body functioning well enough to support her developing fetus. On June 13, 2025, her premature baby, named Chance, was born via cesarean section at 25 weeks.

    Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she suffered multiple blood clots in her brain. Her story gained public attention when her mother criticized doctors’ decision to keep her on a ventilator without the family’s consent. Smith’s mother has said that doctors told the family the decision was made to align with Georgia’s LIFE Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and bolsters the legal standing of fetal personhood. A statement released by the hospital also cites Georgia’s abortion law.

    “I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy,” Smith’s mother told a local television station. “But I’m saying we should have had a choice.”

    The LIFE Act is one of several state laws that have passed across the U.S. since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision invalidated constitutional protections for abortion. Although Georgia’s attorney general denied that the LIFE Act applied to Smith, there’s little doubt that it invites ethical and legal uncertainty when a woman dies while pregnant.

    Smith’s case has swiftly become the focus of a reproductive rights political firestorm characterized by two opposing viewpoints. For some, it reflects demeaning governmental overreach that quashes women’s bodily autonomy. For others it illustrates the righteous sacrifice of motherhood.

    In my work as a gender and technology studies scholar, I have cataloged and studied postmortem pregnancies like Smith’s since 2016. In my view, Smith’s story doesn’t fit straightforwardly into abortion politics. Instead, it points to the need for a more nuanced ethical approach that does not frame a mother and child as adversaries in a medical, legal or political context.

    Birth after death

    For centuries, Catholic dogma and Western legal precedent have mandated immediate cesarean section when a pregnant woman died after quickening, the point when fetal movement becomes discernible. But technological advances now make it possible sometimes for a fetus to continue gestating in place when the mother is brain-dead, or “dead by neurological criteria”– a widely accepted definition of death that first emerged in the 1950s.

    The first brain death during pregnancy in which the fetus was delivered after time on life support, more accurately called organ support, occurred in 1981. The process is extraordinarily intensive and invasive, because the loss of brain function impedes many physiological processes. Health teams, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, must stabilize the bodies of “functionally decapitated” pregnant women to buy more time for fetal development. This requires vital organ support, ventilation, nutritional supplements, antibiotics and constant monitoring. Outcomes are highly uncertain.

    Adriana Smith’s baby was delivered by cesarian section on June 13, 2025.

    Smith’s 112-day stint on organ support ranks third in length for a postmortem pregnancy, with the longest being 123 days. Hers is also the earliest ever gestational age from which the procedure has been attempted. Because time on organ support can vary widely, and because there is no established minimum fetal age considered too early to intervene, a fetus could theoretically be deemed viable at any point in pregnancy.

    Postmortem pregnancy as gender-based violence

    Over the past 50 years, critics of postmortem pregnancy have argued that it constitutes gender-based violence and violates bodily integrity in ways that organ donation does not. Some have compared it with Nazi pronatalist policies. Others have attributed the practice to systemic sexism and racism in medicine. Postmortem pregnancy can also compound intimate partner violence by giving brain-dead women’s murderers decision-making authority when they are the fetus’s next of kin.

    Fetal personhood laws complicate end-of-life decision-making in ways that many consider violent too. As I have seen in my own research, when the fetus is considered a legal person, women’s wishes may be assumed, debated in court or committee, or set aside entirely, nearly always in favor of the fetus.

    From the perspective of reproductive rights advocates, postmortem pregnancy is the bottom of a slippery slope down which anti-abortion sentiment has led America. It obliterates women’s autonomy, pitting living and dead women against doctors, legislators and sometimes their own families, and weaponizing their own fetuses against them.

    A medical perspective on rights

    Viewed through a medical lens, however, postmortem pregnancy is not violent or violating, but an act of repair. Although care teams have responsibilities to both mother and fetus, a pregnant woman’s brain death means she cannot be physically harmed and her rights cannot be violated to the same degree as a fetus with the potential for life.

    Medical practitioners are conditioned to prioritize life over death, motivating a commitment to salvage something from a tragedy and try to partially restore a family. The high-stakes world of emergency medicine makes protecting life reflexive and medical interventions automatic. Once fetal life is detected, as one hospital spokesperson put it in a 1976 news article in The Boston Globe, “What else could you do?”

    This response does not necessarily stem from conscious sexism or anti-abortion sentiment, but from reverence for vulnerable patients. If physicians declare a pregnant woman brain-dead, patienthood often automatically transfers to the fetus needing rescue. No matter its age and despite its survival being dependent on machines, just like its mother, the fetus is entirely animate. Who or what counts as a legal person with privileges and protections might be a political or philosophical determination, but life is a matter of biological fact and within the doctors’ purview.

    The first baby born from a postmortem pregnancy was delivered in 1981.
    Emmanuel Faure/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    An ethics of anti-opposition

    Both of the above perspectives have validity, but neither accounts for postmortem pregnancy’s ethical and biological complexity.

    First, setting mother against fetus, with the rights of one endangering the rights of the other, does not match pregnancy’s lived reality of “two bodies, sutured,” as the cultural scholar Lauren Berlant put it.

    Even the Supreme Court recognized this entangled duality in their 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade, which established both constitutional protections for abortion and a governmental obligation to protect fetal life. Whether a fetus is considered a legal person or not, they wrote, pregnant women and fetuses “cannot be isolated in their privacy” – meaning that reproductive rights issues must strike a balance, however tenuous, between maternal and fetal interests. To declare postmortem pregnancy unequivocally violent or a loss of the “right to choose” fails to recognize the complexity of choice in a highly politicized medical landscape.

    Second, maternal-fetal competition muddles the right course of action. In the U.S., competent patients are not compelled to engage in medical care they would rather avoid, even if it kills them, or to stay on life support to preserve organs for donation. But when a fetus is treated as an independent patient, exceptions could be made to those medical standards if the fetus’s interests override the mother’s.

    For example, pregnancy disrupts standard determination of death. To protect the fetus, care teams increasingly skip a necessary diagnostic for brain death called apnea testing, which involves momentarily removing the ventilator to test the respiratory centers of the brain stem. In these cases, maternal brain death cannot be confirmed until after delivery. Multiple instances of vaginal deliveries after brain death also remain unexplained, given that the brain coordinates mechanisms of vaginal labor. All in all, it’s not always clear women in these cases are entirely dead.

    Ultimately, women like Adriana Smith and their fetuses are inseparable and persist in a technologically defined state of in-betweenness. I’d argue that postmortem pregnancies, therefore, need new bioethical standards that center women’s beliefs about their bodies and a dignified death. This might involve recognizing pregnancy’s unique ambiguities in advance directives, questioning default treatment pathways that may require harm be done to one in order to save another, or considering multiple definitions of clinical and legal death.

    In my view, it is possible to adapt our ethical standards in a way that honors all beings in these exceptional circumstances, without privileging either “choice” or “life,” mother or fetus.

    This research was supported by a grant from The Institute for Citizens and Scholars.

    – ref. Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics – https://theconversation.com/keeping-brain-dead-pregnant-women-on-life-support-raises-ethical-issues-that-go-beyond-abortion-politics-258457

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mike Shriberg, Professor of Practice & Engagement, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

    Invasive Asian carp are spreading up the Mississippi River system and already clog the Illinois River. AP Photo/John Flesher

    In his second term, President Donald Trump has not taken many actions that draw near-universal praise from across the political spectrum. But there is at least one of these political anomalies, and it illustrates the broad appeal of environmental protection and conservation projects – particularly when it concerns an ecosystem of vital importance to millions of Americans.

    In May 2025, Trump issued a presidential memorandum supporting the construction of a physical barrier that is key to keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. These fish have made their way up the Mississippi River system and could have dire ecological consequences if they enter the Great Lakes.

    It was not a given that Trump would back this project, which had long been supported by environmental and conservation organizations. But two very different strategies from two Democratic governors – both potential presidential candidates in 2028 – reflected the importance of the Great Lakes to America.

    As a water policy and politics scholar focused on the Great Lakes, I see this development not only as an environmental and conservation milestone, but also a potential pathway for more political unity in the U.S.

    A feared invasion

    Perhaps nothing alarms Great Lakes ecologists more than the potential for invasive carp from Asia to establish a breeding population in the Great Lakes. These fish were intentionally introduced in the U.S. Southeast by private fish farm and wastewater treatment operators as a means to control algae in aquaculture and sewage treatment ponds. Sometime in the 1990s, the fish escaped from those ponds and moved rapidly up the Mississippi River system, including into the Illinois River, which connects to the Great Lakes.

    Sometimes said to “breed like mosquitoes and eat like hogs,” these fish can consume up to 40% of their body weight each day, outcompeting many native species and literally sucking up other species and food sources.

    Studies of Lake Erie, for example, predict that if the carp enter and thrive, they could make up approximately one-third of the fish biomass of the entire lake within 20 years, replacing popular sportfishing species such as walleye and other ecologically and economically important species.

    Invasive carp are generally not eaten in the U.S. and are not desirable for sportfishing. In fact, silver carp have a propensity to jump up to 10 feet out of the water when startled by a boat motor. That can make parts of the Illinois River, which is packed with the invasive fish, almost impossible to fish or even maneuver a boat.

    Look out! Silver carp fly out of the water, obstructing boats and hitting people trying to enjoy a river in Indiana.

    The Brandon Road Lock and Dam solution

    Originally, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River were not connected to each other. But in 1900, the city of Chicago connected them to avoid sending its sewage into Lake Michigan, from which the city draws its drinking water.

    The most complete way to block the carp from invading the Great Lakes would be to undo that connection – but that would recreate sewage and flooding issues for Chicago, or require other expensive infrastructure upgrades. The more practical, short-term alternative is to modify the historic Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, by adding several obstacles that together would block the carp from swimming farther upriver toward the Great Lakes.

    The barrier, estimated to cost US$1.15 billion, was authorized by Congress in 2020 and 2022 after many years of intense planning and negotiations. For the first phase of construction, the project received $226 million in federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to complement $114 million in state funding – $64 million from Michigan and $50 million from Illinois.

    On the first day of Trump’s second term, however, he paused a wide swath of federal funding, including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And that’s when two different political strategies emerged.

    A brief documentary explains the construction of a connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin.

    Pritzker vs. Whitmer vs. Trump

    Illinois, a state that has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992, has the most financially at stake in the Brandon Road project because the project requires the state to acquire land and operate the barrier. When Trump issued his order, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, postponed the purchase of a key piece of land, blaming the “Trump Administration’s lack of clarity and commitment” to the project. Pritzker essentially dared Trump to be the reason for the collapse of the Great Lakes ecosystem and fisheries.

    Another Democrat, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a swing state with the most at stake economically and ecologically if these carp species enter the Great Lakes, took a very different approach. She went to the White House to talk with Trump about invasive carp and other issues. She defended her nonconfrontational approach to critics, though she also hid her face from cameras when Trump surprised her with an Oval Office press conference. When Trump visited Michigan, she stood beside him as they praised each other.

    When Trump released the federal funding in early May, Pritzker kept up his adversarial language, saying he was “glad that the Trump administration heard our calls … and decided to finally meet their obligation.” Whitmer stayed more conciliatory, calling the funding decision a “huge win that will protect our Great Lakes and secure our economy.” She said she was “grateful to the president for his commitment.”

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greets President Donald Trump as he arrives in her state in late April 2025.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Why unity on carp?

    Whether coordinated or not, the net result of Pritzker’s and Whitmer’s actions drew praise from both sides of the aisle but was little noticed nationally.

    Trump’s support for the project was a rare moment of political unity and an extremely unusual example of leading Democrats being on the same page as Trump. I attribute this surprising outcome to two key factors.

    First, the Great Lakes region holds disproportionate power in presidential elections. Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have backed the eventual winner in every presidential race for the past 20 years. This swing state power has been used by advocates and state political leaders to drive funding for Great Lakes protection for many years.

    Second, Great Lakes are the uniting force in the region. According to polling from the International Joint Commission, the binational body charged with overseeing waterways that cross the U.S.-Canada border, there is “nearly unanimous support (96%) for the importance of government investment in Great Lakes protections” from residents of the region.

    There aren’t any other issues with such high voter resonance, so politicians want to be sure Great Lakes voters are happy. For example, Vice President JD Vance has been particularly vocal about the Great Lakes. And Great Lakes restoration funding was one of the few things in the presidential budget that Democrats and Republicans agreed on.

    Both Pritzker and Whitmer likely had state-based and national motivations in mind and big aspirations at stake.

    Their combined effort has put the project back on track: As of May 12, 2025, Pritzker authorized Illinois to sign the land-purchase agreement he had paused back in February.

    And perhaps the governors have identified a new area for unity in a divided United States: Conservation and environmental issues have broad public support, particularly when they involve iconic natural resources, shared values and popular outdoor pursuits such as fishing and boating. Even when political strategies diverge, the results can bring bipartisan satisfaction.

    Mike Shriberg was previously the Great Lakes Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation, which entailed being a co-chair (and, for part of the time, Director) of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition.

    – ref. Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics – https://theconversation.com/invasive-carp-threaten-the-great-lakes-and-reveal-a-surprising-twist-in-national-politics-257707

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Mexican flags flown during immigration protests bother white people a lot more than other Americans

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Edward D. Vargas, Associate Professor, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University

    Protesters wave the Mexican flag in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a series of raids throughout Los Angeles and Southern California in early June 2025, sparking protests in downtown Los Angeles and other cities, including New York, Chicago and Austin, Texas.

    Some demonstrators expressed growing frustration with ICE by showcasing the Mexican flag, which has become the defining symbol of the protests in Los Angeles.

    The use of the flag has also become the subject of intense debate in the media.

    Some outlets have depicted the flag as symbolizing ethnic pride, solidarity with immigrants and opposition to the Trump administration.

    Others have called it the “perfect propaganda” tool for Republicans and conservatives, some of whom have referred to the Mexican flag as the “confederate banner of the L.A. riots.” They point to its use as evidence of anarchy and a city taken over by immigrants.

    But what do Americans think about protesters waving the Mexican flag, and why?

    Much of our knowledge surrounding this question is based on the 2006 immigrant rights protests across the United States, which occurred in a much less politically polarized era. Additionally, a vast majority of protesters then brought U.S. flags compared with other national flags, including the Mexican flag.

    Research published in 2010 found that even though the public was more likely to be bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag than the U.S. flag, that difference was largely absent once you divided the public into subgroups, including white people, Latinos and immigrants.

    To reexamine public attitudes toward protesters waving the Mexican flag, we conducted an online survey experiment among 10,145 U.S. adults in 2016.

    As political scientists who specialize in Latino politics and immigration-related issues, we tested how exposure to the Mexican flag versus the American flag shaped opinion about protests during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016.

    We found that even though much of the public continued to be less bothered by the American flag than the Mexican flag, there were also important and perhaps surprising differences in protest attitudes between white Americans and other racial and ethnic groups.

    A demonstrator holds a Mexican flag in front of law enforcement during a protest on June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles.
    AP Photo/Wally Skalij

    More or less bothered

    In the study, we randomly divided respondents into two groups: a treatment group and a control group. Respondents in the treatment group were shown an image of protesters waving a Mexican flag. Respondents in the control group were shown an image of protesters waving the U.S. flag. After viewing the image, respondents were then asked about the extent to which they supported or were bothered by the protests.

    Overall, 41% of the respondents said they were bothered by protesters waving the Mexican flag, and 28% said protesters waving the U.S. flag bothered them.

    Our results show important differences in opinion between racial and ethnic groups.

    White respondents were more likely than any other racial and ethnic group to say they were bothered by protesters waving Mexican flags. Sixty-nine percent of white respondents said they were bothered, 31 percentage points more than the average of nonwhite respondents.

    However, 51% of white respondents were also bothered by the image of protesters waving U.S. flags. By contrast, just 20% of Latinos, 33% of Black Americans and 34% of Asian Americans said they were bothered by protesters waving U.S. flags.

    Put differently, large majorities of nonwhite respondents were supportive of showing U.S. flags at protests despite their more positive views toward Mexican flags.

    What explains racial differences?

    When taking a deeper look at what causes Americans to feel bothered about protesters waving Mexican flags, some clear patterns emerge.

    On average, older Americans were more likely to be bothered relative to younger Americans. This was particularly true for Americans over 40 years of age compared with millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, and Gen Z respondents, born between 1997 and 2012.

    However, there are some nuances when examining age groups and whether they had attended a protest, march or rally in the previous year.

    Our findings suggest that older Americans who had not engaged in protests were most likely to be bothered when they saw images of protesters waving Mexican flags. Millennials and Gen Z respondents who participated in a protest were least likely to be bothered.

    Given that this issue intersects nationality, race, ethnicity, gender and citizenship status, it’s logical that these factors explained why Americans supported or opposed the use of Mexican flags at immigration protests.

    A woman carrying a flag with details of the United States and Mexican flags walks past members of the United States Marine Corps on June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.
    Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images

    For example, racial minorities who have a stronger sense of ethnic or racial identity were more likely to be supportive of protesters waving Mexican and U.S. flags. In other words, group identity is a strong predictor of support for protests in general, regardless of what flag is being flown.

    However, minorities who lack a sense of ethnic pride and identity were most likely to be upset when they saw others expressing their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.

    The reality is that recent immigration protests across the country are the first time many of the Latino youth who are citizens have participated in these types of protests. Anyone under age 22 would not have memory of, or been alive during, the last large pro-immigrant protests in 2006.

    The Mexican flag represents more than nationalistic pride. It represents their parents’ heritage, hard work and their binational experience as Americans engaged in politics.

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

    – ref. Mexican flags flown during immigration protests bother white people a lot more than other Americans – https://theconversation.com/mexican-flags-flown-during-immigration-protests-bother-white-people-a-lot-more-than-other-americans-259004

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The hidden cost of convenience: How your data pulls in hundreds of billions of dollars for app and social media companies

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kassem Fawaz, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Many apps and social media platforms collect detailed information about you as you use them, and sometimes even when you’re not using them. Malte Mueller/fStop via Getty images

    You wake up in the morning and, first thing, you open your weather app. You close that pesky ad that opens first and check the forecast. You like your weather app, which shows hourly weather forecasts for your location. And the app is free!

    But do you know why it’s free? Look at the app’s privacy settings. You help keep it free by allowing it to collect your information, including:

    • What devices you use and their IP and Media Access Control addresses.
    • Information you provide when signing up, such as your name, email address and home address.
    • App settings, such as whether you choose Celsius or Fahrenheit.
    • Your interactions with the app, including what content you view and what ads you click.
    • Inferences based on your interactions with the app.
    • Your location at a given time, including, depending on your settings, continuous tracking.
    • What websites or apps that you interact with after you use the weather app.
    • Information you give to ad vendors.
    • Information gleaned by analytics vendors that analyze and optimize the app.

    This type of data collection is standard fare. The app company can use this to customize ads and content. The more customized and personalized an ad is, the more money it generates for the app owner. The owner might also sell your data to other companies.

    Many apps, including the weather channel app, send you targeted advertising and sell your personal data by default.
    Jack West, CC BY-ND

    You might also check a social media account like Instagram. The subtle price that you pay is, again, your data. Many “free” mobile apps gather information about you as you interact with them.

    As an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and a doctoral student in computer science, we follow the ways software collects information about people. Your data allows companies to learn about your habits and exploit them.

    It’s no secret that social media and mobile applications collect information about you. Meta’s business model depends on it. The company, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is worth US$1.48 trillion. Just under 98% of its profits come from advertising, which leverages user data from more than 7 billion monthly users.



    Read more:
    How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours

    What your data is worth

    Before mobile phones gained apps and social media became ubiquitous, companies conducted large-scale demographic surveys to assess how well a product performed and to get information about the best places to sell it. They used the information to create coarsely targeted ads that they placed on billboards, print ads and TV spots.

    Mobile apps and social media platforms now let companies gather much more fine-grained information about people at a lower cost. Through apps and social media, people willingly trade personal information for convenience. In 2007 – a year after the introduction of targeted ads – Facebook made over $153 million, triple the previous year’s revenue. In the past 17 years, that number has increased by more than 1,000 times.

    Five ways to leave your data

    App and social media companies collect your data in many ways. Meta is a representative case. The company’s privacy policy highlights five ways it gathers your data:

    First, it collects the profile information you fill in. Second, it collects the actions you take on its social media platforms. Third, it collects the people you follow and friend. Fourth, it keeps track of each phone, tablet and computer you use to access its platforms. And fifth, it collects information about how you interact with apps that corporate partners connect to its platforms. Many apps and social media platforms follow similar privacy practices.

    Your data and activity

    When you create an account on an app or social media platform, you provide the company that owns it with information like your age, birth date, identified sex, location and workplace. In the early years of Facebook, selling profile information to advertisers was that company’s main source of revenue. This information is valuable because it allows advertisers to target specific demographics like age, identified gender and location.

    And once you start using an app or social media platform, the company behind it can collect data about how you use the app or social media. Social media keeps you engaged as you interact with other people’s posts by liking, commenting or sharing them. Meanwhile, the social media company gains information about what content you view and how you communicate with other people.

    Advertisers can find out how much time you spent reading a Facebook post or that you spent a few more seconds on a particular TikTok video. This activity information tells advertisers about your interests. Modern algorithms can quickly pick up subtleties and automatically change the content to engage you in a sponsored post, a targeted advertisement or general content.

    Your devices and applications

    Companies can also note what devices, including mobile phones, tablets and computers, you use to access their apps and social media platforms. This shows advertisers your brand loyalty, how old your devices are and how much they’re worth.

    Because mobile devices travel with you, they have access to information about where you’re going, what you’re doing and who you’re near. In a lawsuit against Kochava Inc., the Federal Trade Commission called out the company for selling customer geolocation data in August 2022, shortly after Roe v Wade was overruled. The company’s customers, including people who had abortions after the ruling was overturned, often didn’t know that data tracking their movements was being collected, according to the commission. The FTC alleged that the data could be used to identify households.

    Kochava has denied the FTC’s allegations.

    Information that apps can gain from your mobile devices includes anything you have given an app permission to have, such as your location, who you have in your contact list or photos in your gallery.

    If you give an app permission to see where you are while the app is running, for instance, the platform can access your location anytime the app is running. Providing access to contacts may provide an app with the phone numbers, names and emails of all the people that you know.

    Cross-application data collection

    Companies can also gain information about what you do across different apps by acquiring information collected by other apps and platforms.

    The settings on an Android phone show that Meta uses information it collects about you to target ads it shows you in its apps – and also in other apps and on other platforms – by default.
    Jack West, CC BY-ND

    This is common with social media companies. This allows companies to, for example, show you ads based on what you like or recently looked at on other apps. If you’ve searched for something on Amazon and then noticed an ad for it on Instagram, it’s probably because Amazon shared that information with Instagram.

    This combined data collection has made targeted advertising so accurate that people have reported that they feel like their devices are listening to them.

    Companies, including Google, Meta, X, TikTok and Snapchat, can build detailed user profiles based on collected information from all the apps and social media platforms you use. They use the profiles to show you ads and posts that match your interests to keep you engaged. They also sell the profile information to advertisers.

    Meanwhile, researchers have found that Meta and Yandex, a Russian search engine, have overcome controls in mobile operating system software that ordinarily keep people’s web-browsing data anonymous. Each company puts code on its webpages that used local IPs to pass a person’s browsing history, which is supposed to remain private, to mobile apps installed on that person’s phone, de-anonymizing the data. Yandex has been conducting this tracking since 2017, while Meta began in September 2024, according to the researchers.

    What you can do about it

    If you use apps that collect your data in some way, including those that give you directions, track your workouts or help you contact someone, or if you use social media platforms, your privacy is at risk.

    Aside from entirely abandoning modern technology, there are several steps you can take to limit access – at least in part – to your private information.

    Read the privacy policy of each app or social media platform you use. Although privacy policy documents can be long, tedious and sometimes hard to read, they explain how social media platforms collect, process, store and share your data.

    Check a policy by making sure it can answer three questions: what data does the app collect, how does it collect the data, and what is the data used for. If you can’t answer all three questions by reading the policy, or if any of the answers don’t sit well with you, consider skipping the app until there’s a change in its data practices.

    Remove unnecessary permissions from mobile apps to limit the amount of information that applications can gather from you.

    Be aware of the privacy settings that might be offered by the apps or social media platforms you use, including any setting that allows your personal data to affect your experience or shares information about you with other users or applications.

    These privacy settings can give you some control. We recommend that you disable “off-app activity” and “personalization” settings. “Off-app activity” allows an app to record which other apps are installed on your phone and what you do on them. Personalization settings allow an app to use your data to tailor what it shows you, including advertisements.

    Review and update these settings regularly because permissions sometimes change when apps or your phone update. App updates may also add new features that can collect your data. Phone updates may also give apps new ways to collect your data or add new ways to preserve your privacy.

    Use private browser windows or reputable virtual private networks software, commonly referred to as VPNs, when using apps that connect to the internet and social media platforms. Private browsers don’t store any account information, which limits the information that can be collected. VPNs change the IP address of your machine so that apps and platforms can’t discover your location.

    Finally, ask yourself whether you really need every app that’s on your phone. And when using social media, consider how much information you want to reveal about yourself in liking and commenting on posts, sharing updates about your life, revealing locations you visited and following celebrities you like.

    This article is part of a series on data privacy that explores who collects your data, what and how they collect, who sells and buys your data, what they all do with it, and what you can do about it.

    Kassem Fawaz receives funding from the National Science Foundation. In the past, his research group has received unrestricted gifts from Meta and Google.

    Jack West 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. The hidden cost of convenience: How your data pulls in hundreds of billions of dollars for app and social media companies – https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-cost-of-convenience-how-your-data-pulls-in-hundreds-of-billions-of-dollars-for-app-and-social-media-companies-251698

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sara Polak, University Lecturer in American Studies, Leiden University

    There is a strange and worrying parallel between the breakneck speed at which Donald Trump has operated in the first few months of his presidency and the ever-accelerating pace at which information moves on social media platforms. Where in his first term he used Twitter, now, the 47th US president is using his own platform, TruthSocial, to announce changes of direction that are sometimes so fundamental that they change decades of US policy.

    Social media has become a key tool of governing for Trump’s administration. He uses it both to make announcements and to drum up support for those announcements. His social media posts can move the markets and make or break careers. They can even, it seems, stop wars.

    So when he used TruthSocial to announce a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 23, giving the two countries a deadline to stop firing missiles, it appears that neither of the antagonists were fully aware of the situation, given they carried on attacking each other. So an all-caps message followed: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS,” he posted. “BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” – adding, just in case anyone had any doubt he was serious: “DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”

    Trump’s use of his TruthSocial platform began as he sought to re-establish himself from the political wilderness after the insurrection of January 6 2021. It has now become a tool of his extreme power and his willingness to use (and abuse) it – globally as well as domestically.

    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.

    He’s the latest in a string of US presidents known for their adroit use of whichever is the medium most guaranteed to connect with the greatest number of people. From Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s adept cultivation of print journalists in the early 20th century through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s comforting use of radio as it gained popularity and John F. Kennedy’s mastery of the rising medium of television, presidents have expanded their reach and influence through adept use of media.

    FDR’s “fireside chats”, broadcast on the radio throughout the US in the 1930s, reached an estimated 80% of the population, showing he understood the key media principle of reach. Roosevelt would address his listeners as “my friends” and Americans came to understand them as seemingly intimate conversations with their president.

    FDR dominated the airwaves at a time when many Americans hardly understood the important role that the federal government played in their own lives – and millions of households were only just getting mains electricity (thanks to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936). But radios were becoming a common mass medium and FDR perfectly understood how to use it. If you listen to the fireside chats, FDR may sound patrician – and at times formal – but his tone is also friendly, thoughtful and reassuring.

    In Germany at around the same time, Adolf Hitler’s massive stadium speeches were very effective for people who were in the stadium and being lifted by the intensity of the crowd and all the carefully thought out visual cues. But when broadcast on radio, Hitler had nothing like Roosevelt’s ability to connect with people on a personal level.

    Roosevelt was hardly the first leader – or even the first US president – to speak on the radio. But he was the first to master the medium. He figured out how to use its potential to deliver a key implicit message: that his government should and did take on a central role in people’s lives.

    Equally, John F. Kennedy can be said to have “discovered” political television. Not just as a medium for political campaigns, debates and speeches – but also for putting across to a mass audience his role as the embodiment of American decency, beauty and masculinity: JFK’s White House as Camelot.

    JFK was considered a master of the fast-growing medium of television.

    Both Roosevelt and Kennedy were in several ways physically disabled and lived with chronic illness, yet through the “new medium” of their time were able to project an image of quintessentially American strength and trustworthiness. In part this was their own doing – but it’s also a testament to the power of the media they used for their time.

    Mastering the medium

    These possibilities of a medium used to its best advantage – for example, to be heard around the US, but still to project a sense of intimacy – have become known as the “affordances” of a medium. The medium afforded Roosevelt space to be authentic without showing his disability. Kennedy appeared young, fit and handsome – even when dependent on painkillers.

    When a new medium is introduced, people start to play around with its affordances – and this applies to politicians too. Political leaders who develop a special aptitude for using the new medium to emphasise their unique style can become particularly successful, as has Donald Trump with his use of social media.

    The US president rose to power helped by his adept use of many of Twitter’s attributes – the imposed brevity of his messages, the ease of retweeting, the tendency for other users to “pile on” (and the user anonymity, which tends to encourage pile-ons) to polarise American public debate.

    Trump was forced off Twitter after the Capitol Hill insurrection of January 6 2021. So he came back with his own platform, TruthSocial, where he can also make the rules. And now he uses the platform to make foreign policy, trumpeting his positions (which can change with bewildering speed) on TruthSocial well before they can be announced by the White House press team, which often has to scramble to catch up.

    When Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan penned his famous phrase: “The medium is the message” in his groundbreaking 1964 study, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, he meant to say that media form and content are not as distinct from one another as one might think and that the form of a medium of communication can shape society as much as its content. In Donald Trump’s use of social media, we are seeing this idea at work.

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

    – ref. How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-plays-with-new-media-says-a-lot-about-him-as-it-did-with-fdr-kennedy-and-obama-248923

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why Asos should be wary of banning customers returning unwanted goods

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nic Sanders, Senior Lecturer in Management and Marketing, University of Westminster

    ‘Now where’s that returns label?’ Cast of Thousands.Shutterstock

    Shopping for clothes online is a risky business. How do you know if that top will be a good fit, or those shoes will definitely be the right colour? One popular solution to this predicament is to order lots of tops and lots of shoes, try them on at home, and send back all the ones you don’t want – often at no cost.

    But that tactic can be expensive for the fashion retailer, which needs to pay for all those deliveries and returns. And now Asos, which sends millions of shipments every month, has started banning some customers for over-returning items – prompting something of a backlash.

    The response by the retail giant, which says it wants to maintain a “commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets”, also raises questions about the sustainability of the online fashion business model which Asos helped to create.

    Many online retailers rely on the emotional highs of shopping. The excitement of placing an order, the anticipation of delivery, and the dopamine hit of unpacking a purchase is central to its popular customer experience.

    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.

    Online shopping generally has thrived on impulsive buying, with the option of returning items treated as a normal part of the process. Of course, even in the days before online shopping there would be customers who routinely returned items.

    But by digitising and simplifying the process, the likes of Asos have helped this to happen on a massive scale. Shoppers have become completely used to ordering multiple sizes or styles with the express intention of returning most of the items they receive. Their homes effectively become fitting rooms.

    And those customers could reasonably argue that online retailers often use digital strategies which encourage multi-item purchases.

    Some sites remind shoppers of recently viewed products and provide suggestions of similar items, for example. There may be are prompts and nudges towards clothes which are frequently bought together.

    Items are then sometimes temporarily reserved in a shopper’s basket for 60 minutes, creating a sense of urgency. Targeted emails and limited time offers drive bulging shopping baskets, encouraging more risk purchases and returns.

    Yet returned items carry a significant cost. They may be unfit for resale and ultimately disposed of, which beyond the financial burden, has an environmental price.

    In addition to creating landfill, each delivery and return has a carbon footprint. And although many younger consumers express support for sustainable practices, their buying behaviour continues to prioritise price and convenience.

    But free returns have become part of the online fashion industry landscape. Research suggests that customers are simply more likely to buy something if returns are free.

    And today’s tricky financial climate, marked by inflation and rising living costs will surely have made consumers even more cautious. Many will be reluctant to buy items that incur delivery and return costs.

    Shopping around

    Frustrations can then arise from unclear return policies, often buried in lengthy terms and conditions documents. Some of those banned by Asos say they were confused about the rules.

    Automated customer service systems offering generic responses may then leave shoppers with no clear way to challenge these decisions.

    Perhaps the wider issue here is that online shopping cannot fully replicate the benefits of shopping in store. In physical shops, customers can try on items before deciding.

    But online, this can’t happen, so returns become fundamental to the decision-making process. For cost-conscious shoppers, avoiding unnecessary spending is essential. But if returns policies become harder to access, they may turn to other retailers which offer more certainty.

    Return to sender?
    A08/Shutterstock

    For example, retailers such as Zara and H&M, with a business model which mixes online convenience with a high street (or shopping mall) presence, offer the option to order online and then return in person.

    This hybrid (or “omni-channel”) model appears to be driving consumers to physical shops for a blended experience which provides convenience and helps reduce return costs.

    For Asos, doing something similar would require major investment (in bricks and mortar) and increased operational costs – so is perhaps an unlikely solution for the company.

    But to balance sustainability, cost and customer satisfaction, Asos could explore other options. These might include clearer, more visible communication regarding “fair use” policies and their consequences. It could aim for more human interactions and better dialogue with customers it plans to ban.

    Offering physical retail locations or return collection points to simplify the process and reduce the environmental impact and costs will provide customer flexibility. Overall, these areas will help create a better customer service experience.

    Ultimately, Asos and other similar online clothing retailers must evolve. With changing consumer expectations, a challenging economic climate and rising operational costs, the model that defined these retailers’ early success cannot remain unchanged.

    If they make adjustments, they may emerge stronger. If they do not, they risk sparking a customer exodus that would be hard to reverse.

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

    – ref. Why Asos should be wary of banning customers returning unwanted goods – https://theconversation.com/why-asos-should-be-wary-of-banning-customers-returning-unwanted-goods-259952

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Self determination theory: how to use it to boost wellbeing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Fabian, Reader of Public Policy, University of Warwick

    Self-determination theory (SDT) is one of the most well established and powerful approaches to wellbeing in psychological research literature. Yet it doesn’t seem to have broken through into popular discussions about wellbeing, happiness and self-help. That’s a shame, because it has so much to contribute.

    A foundational idea in self-determination theory is that we have three basic psychological needs: for autonomy, competence and relatedness.

    Autonomy is the need to be in control of your own life rather than being controlled by others. Competence is the need to feel skilful at the tasks one values or needs to thrive. Relatedness refers to feeling loved and cared for, and a sense of belonging to a group that provides social support.

    If our basic psychological needs are met, then we are more likely to experience wellbeing. Symptoms include emotions such as joy, vitality and excitement because we’re doing the things we love, for example. We’ll probably have a sense of meaning and purpose because we live within a community whose culture we value.

    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.

    Conversely, when our basic needs are thwarted we should see symptoms of illbeing. Anger, frustration and boredom grow when our behaviour is controlled by parents, bureaucrats, bosses or other forces that press our energies towards their ends instead of ours.

    Depression is liable when we our competence is overwhelmed by failure. And anxiety is often a social emotion that arises when we’re worried about whether our group cares for us.

    So we should cultivate our basic psychological needs – but how? You need to discover what you want to do with your life, what skills to become competent in, who to relate to and what communities to contribute to.

    Using motivation to find your way

    Here’s where the second foundational idea in SDT can be super helpful, as I explain in my new book, Beyond Happy: How to rethink happiness and find fulfilment. SDT proposes a motivational spectrum running from extrinsic at one end to intrinsic at the other. Finding out where you are on the spectrum for a certain activity or task can help you work out how to be happier.

    The more extrinsically motivated something is, the more self-regulation it requires. For example, when refugees flee their homes due to encroaching war, there is often a large part of them that wants to stay. Willpower is required to act. In contrast, intrinsically motivated behaviour springs spontaneously from us. You don’t need willpower to get stuck into your hobbies.

    Each type of motivation comes with different emotional signals and deciphering them can help us find what values, behaviour and groups suit us.

    The spectrum of motivation according to self-determination theory.
    CC BY-NC

    “Identified” motivation, for example, sits between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. It occurs when we value an activity but don’t inherently enjoy it. That’s why success in identified behaviour is usually met with a feeling of accomplishment or the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you do the right thing, like going a bit out of your way to put your rubbish in a bin.

    In contrast, “introjected” motivation is where you value something contingent to the behaviour itself. Many of us loathe the gym, for example, but we want to be healthy. A child might not want to practice the cello, but they do want their parent’s approval.

    Because introjection is relatively extrinsic, it requires willpower, and probably a bit more of it than for identified behaviour. Completion of an introjected activity is often met with relief rather than accomplishment and little desire to keep going.

    Sometimes things that are dependent on introjected behaviour can make us unhappy. In teen dramas, for example, the protagonist often does something because they want to be popular, but when they win the approval of the cool kids they realise those kids are mean and lame.

    Why money, power and status won’t make you happy

    If that’s how you feel, you’ve found something inauthentic to you. Then there’s very little chance the introjected activity will lead to your wellbeing. In fact, SDT has identified some common values. You’ll recognise them immediately: popularity, fame, status, power, wealth and success.

    They’re extrinsic because they’re not peculiar to you. If you get rich doing the thing you love, that’s great, but many of us never even think about what we love because we’re too busy thinking about how to get rich.

    Extrinsic pursuits are ultimately bad for our wellbeing because they’re all poor substitutes for basic psychological needs. When our autonomy is thwarted by strict parents or disciplinarian teachers, we crave power. When we don’t know what sort of life to build and thus what skills we need competence in, we adopt other people’s notions of success instead.

    Extrinsic pursuits often emerge from a wounded place and a defensive reaction. When we’re lonely or feel unloved for who we are, for example, we might compensate by seeking fame or popularity. We’ll start talking about our accomplishments on LinkedIn, for example.

    The problem is that the people this attracts don’t value you specifically, only your power, status or money. You sense that if you ever lost those things, you would lose these people too.

    SDT can help you learn to listen to your emotions and interpret your motivations instead, and use them to guide you towards the values, activities and people that are right for you.

    For example, if you feel joyful and fulfilled when you solve a complex puzzle, perhaps consider a career that involves that activity, such as law or engineering. If such puzzles feel like torture, that’s a signal too. Perhaps something more relational or intuitive, like social work, would work better.

    When you pursue things that are authentic to you it will nourish your sense of autonomy. You’ll build competence in those activities because they’re intrinsically motivated. And you’ll form deep relationships with the people you encounter because you genuinely like each other. Wellbeing will follow.

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

    – ref. Self determination theory: how to use it to boost wellbeing – https://theconversation.com/self-determination-theory-how-to-use-it-to-boost-wellbeing-259829

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Where does the UK most need more public EV chargers?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Labib Azzouz, Research Associate in Transport and Energy Innovation, University of Oxford

    Electric vehicle chargers at a motorway service station in Grantham, England. Angus Reid/Shutterstock

    The automotive and EV industry has repeatedly insisted that the UK needs more electric vehicle (EV) chargers to help motorists make the switch from conventional fossil-fuel burning cars.

    The Labour government has announced £400 million to install EV chargers, mainly on streets in poorer residential neighbourhoods, in place of the Conservative’s £950 million rapid charging fund that was directed at installing chargers in motorway service stations.

    Does it matter where these chargers are – and who pays to build them?

    The short answer is yes, it does matter. Our research conducted at motorway and local EV charging stations across England – including those located in residential areas, high streets and community centres – indicates that these two types of infrastructure serve distinct groups of users and fulfil different purposes.

    Suggesting that one can substitute for the other risks sending mixed signals to both the industry and the driving public.

    We found that motorway charging stations tend to cater to wealthier men, who are more likely to own premium EVs with long-range batteries and better performance. Many of these drivers have access to home chargers, so their use of public chargers is only for occasional, long-distance travel for business, leisure, or holidays – trips that require chargers along motorways.

    Convenience and charging speed are often more important than the price of public charging, particularly when the travel costs of these drivers are covered by their employers.

    Local public charging stations, on the other hand, serve more diverse groups. These include drivers from lower-income households who are more likely to own older and smaller EVs with shorter ranges. Access to home charging is often limited, especially for people living in flats or urban areas without driveways, garages or off-street parking.

    Not everyone can plug in at home.
    Andersen EV/Shutterstock

    Local chargers are also vital for taxi and delivery drivers who depend on their vehicles for work and make frequent short trips throughout the day. There are many professional drivers without access to workplace charging stations who need alternative local provision – something the Conservative government recognised in its 2022 EV charging strategy.

    Ultimately, the transition to EVs should take a balanced approach that carefully considers social equity, economic viability and environmental impact.

    Different locations serve different drivers

    Motorway charging stations are commercially attractive to private investors, such as energy companies, specialist charging providers and car manufacturers, despite their higher upfront costs and complex requirements.

    This is because service stations offer greater short-term revenue due to their ability to set premium prices. This is a result of there being limited alternatives and high demand for rapid charging, especially among long-distance travellers, and the willingness of EV drivers to pay for speed and convenience – unlike in more price-sensitive neighbourhood settings.

    Unsurprisingly, the government found that the rapid deployment of motorway chargers in recent years has been largely driven by the private sector. Our research highlighted that these revenues could be enhanced by a broader range of retail, dining and relaxation amenities, turning the time waiting for a car to charge into a more productive and pleasurable experience.

    Residential charging stations may not offer high profits per charge, but they typically require lower capital investment and benefit from consistent and predictable use. They are also suited to measures for reducing strain on the grid and balancing energy supply and demand.

    These measures include tariffs that make it cheaper to charge EVs during off-peak hours, or technology that allows cars to feed electricity stored in batteries back into the grid. These features make them appropriate for public funding, where return on investment is measured not just in profit but in value for the public.

    Considering that local EV charging serves those who do not have access to home charging and who drive for a living, the case for public funding is even stronger. These sorts of chargers make switching to an EV easier for different groups.

    For example, safe and carefully placed public chargers could help more women switch to EVs – although our research suggests that, while “careful placement” might refer to residential areas, it doesn’t necessarily mean on streets. Well-lit car parks and community destinations are sometimes considered safer options.

    Charging points outside a community centre in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
    AlanMorris/Shutterstock

    By helping EV drivers make frequent short trips, local chargers can also significantly reduce urban air pollution, emissions and noise, contributing to more liveable, healthier cities.

    That said, motorway charging stations and those near key transport corridors still play a crucial role in a comprehensive national network, and public funding may be required in more peripheral and rural areas of the UK where installations lag and commercial interest is limited.

    While long-distance trips are less frequent than short ones, they account for a disproportionately large share of energy use and emissions. Switching such trips to electric will be essential to reaching net zero goals.

    It seems reasonable to prioritise public investment in local EV charging infrastructure to support a fairer EV transition, but this should not be limited to on-street chargers. Investment is needed in residential and non-residential areas, public car parks, community centres and workplaces.

    Different types of EV charging are not interchangeable – all are needed to support the switch.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Labib Azzouz has received funding from the UK Research and Innovation via the UK Energy Research Centre and Innovate UK as part of the Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project.

    Hannah Budnitz receives government funding from UK Research and Innovation grants via the Economic and Social Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She has also previously received funding from Innovate UK and the Department for Transport.

    – ref. Where does the UK most need more public EV chargers? – https://theconversation.com/where-does-the-uk-most-need-more-public-ev-chargers-259623

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samantha Abbott, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Sport Science, Nottingham Trent University

    England’s Beth Mead cheering on podium after win v Germany in the Women European Championship Final 2022 photographyjp/Shutterstock

    Think back to the last time you had a cold or the flu. Now imagine stepping onto the pitch for a European Cup final, while battling through those symptoms. For elite athletes, illness can strike at the worst possible time – and it could hit women harder.

    Research suggests that female athletes are more susceptible to cold and flu-like illnesses than their male counterparts. For England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, this risk only increases before a major tournament like the Euros.

    Close contact, shared kit, disrupted sleep and travel all add up to a perfect storm for infection. But targeted nutritional strategies, alongside good sleep and hand hygiene, can offer a crucial line of defence.

    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.

    1. Fuel first: energy matters for immunity

    Before anything else, players need to eat enough. Energy supports both performance and immune function. In fact, female athletes who didn’t meet their energy needs in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics were four times more likely to report cold or flu symptoms.

    This is especially relevant in women’s football, where low energy and carbohydrate intake has been documented among professional players and recreational players too. Regular meals and snacks that include carbohydrate-rich foods like oats, bread and pasta, especially around training, are essential to meet energy demands and support immune health.

    2. Eat the rainbow

    Athletes are often encouraged to go beyond the public’s five-a-day fruit and veg target, aiming instead for eight to ten portions daily. Why? Because colourful plant foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds: all vital for immunity.



    Read more:
    We’re told to ‘eat a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables. Here’s what each colour does in our body

    Each colour offers unique benefits. For instance, red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Orange produce like carrots get their colour from beta-carotene, which is converted by the body into vitamin A – a key vitamin for immune health.

    Eating a rainbow of colours means getting a wide range of nutrients.

    3. Vitamin C: powerful but timing matters

    Vitamin C has long been linked with reducing the risk and severity of cold and flu symptoms. One Cochrane review found that regular vitamin C intake halved the risk of illness in physically active people.

    However, more isn’t always better. Long-term use of high-dose vitamin C supplements could blunt training adaptations – the structural and functional changes the body undergoes in response to repeated exercise – because of its anti-inflammatory effects. That’s why vitamin C is most effective when used strategically, such as during high-risk periods like travel or intense competition. Good food sources include oranges, kiwis, blackcurrants, red and yellow peppers, broccoli and even potatoes.

    4. Gut health supports immune health

    Around 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, making gut health a key player in illness prevention. This is where probiotics (live bacteria) and prebiotics (which feed those bacteria) come in.

    Probiotics, found in fermented foods like kefir and kimchi or in supplement form, have been shown to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory illnesses in athletes. Prebiotics have similarly shown promise. In one study, a 24-week prebiotic intervention in elite rugby players reduced the duration of cold and flu symptoms by over two days.



    Read more:
    Gut microbiome: meet Lactobacillus acidophilus – the gut health superhero

    In the build-up to the Euros, including probiotic-rich foods in their diet or taking a daily prebiotic and probiotic supplement may help players stay healthy and return to training faster if they do get ill.

    5. Zinc lozenges: first aid for a sore throat

    If cold-like symptoms do appear, zinc lozenges can offer fast-acting relief. Zinc has antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When zinc is delivered as a lozenge, it acts directly in the throat, where many infections begin. Taken within 24 hours of symptoms starting, zinc lozenges could shorten illness duration by a third.

    But caution is key. Long-term use of high-dose zinc supplements can actually suppress immune function. Zinc lozenges should only be used short-term at symptom onset, not as a daily supplement.

    Staying match-ready during major tournaments means more than just tactical drills and fitness. Nutrition is a powerful ally in illness prevention, especially for women’s teams like the Lionesses. From fuelling adequately to supporting gut health and knowing when to supplement, these nutritional strategies can make the difference between sitting on the bench and bringing a trophy home.

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

    – ref. Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-avoid-illness-like-the-lionesses-259302

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Unlock Financing through UN Joint SDG Fund, Urges Deputy Secretary-General at Sevilla Conference

    Source: United Nations 4

    Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the side event, “Catalysing Change:  Unlocking Impactful Financing at Scale through the UN Joint SDG Fund”, during the Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla, Spain:

    I am delighted to join you today to showcase how the UN Joint SDG Fund is turning the Financing for Development 4 vision into a reality on the ground.  Ten years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development], we face a stark reality:  while progress on the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] has delivered for millions, it has not kept pace with the scale of global challenges. The financing gap for the SDGs now exceeds $4 trillion annually, while multiple crises and shifting priorities threaten our collective ambition.

    Delivering on the vision of the 2030 Agenda requires finding and scaling-up innovative solutions.  This is the purpose of the Joint SDG Fund.  The Fund is an innovative and powerful instrument to drive change, break siloed approaches, and unlock financing at scale.

    Since its inception, the Fund has committed over $380 million, enabling a whole-of-UN-system response to pressing challenges.  This commitment has leveraged a further $6.6 billion in contributions from the wider ecosystem of development partners at country level.

    This is a clear demonstration of how finite resources, applied strategically, can crowd-in far greater volumes of capital, and result in far greater impact for the SDGs.

    The secret to the Fund’s success is its innovative approach to financing. Through blended and innovative finance mechanisms — from SDG bonds to energy financing facilities to credit enhancement guarantees — the Fund demonstrates how strategic risk-sharing can attract private capital for sustainable development, while bringing partners together to deliver solutions.

    Consider the following five examples:

    In Indonesia, the Joint SDG Fund supported green and social investments, mobilizing $4.6 billion through specialized bonds that benefited over 7.5 million students and restored 50,000 hectares of mangrove forests.

    In Uruguay, the Renewable Energy Innovation Fund achieved a 1:6 leverage ratio by partnering with seven banks that together account for 80 per cent of the country’s financial sector.

    Kenya’s innovative health financing reached over 1.5 million young people through results-based payment mechanisms working with impact investors.

    North Macedonia’s Green Finance Facility channels resources through six local banks, directing $46.5 million toward environmental projects while supporting women-headed households, Roma communities, and persons with disabilities.  This was achieved in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others.

    And Zimbabwe’s Renewable Energy Fund showcases how partnerships with private equity funds, such as Old Mutual, can mobilize capital for women and youth-led enterprises in challenging markets.

    These are just a few powerful examples.

    The Fund’s success also stems from its unique positioning within the UN development system, leveraging UN resident coordinators’ convening role and UN country teams’ technical expertise.

    Fundamentally, the Fund represents multilateralism at its most effective — creating a collaborative platform extending beyond the UN system to enable and grow partnerships across the development and finance community.

    But delivering on the Fund’s full potential requires expanded partnership. I call on all Member States, development finance institutions, and private sector partners to deepen engagement with the Fund — not only through financial commitments but through strategic partnerships to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

    Today, we will hear about success stories from Zimbabwe to North Macedonia, from Cabo Verde to Suriname.  These prove that, with the right instruments and partnerships, we can turn global commitments into tangible local transformation.

    The Financing for Development 4 outcome document, the “Sevilla Commitment,” calls for a global SDG investment push.  This is possible by elevating the role of governments in guiding strategic investments; by all development partners, including development banks, working as a system; by removing barriers to private capital; and by ensuring that investments from all partners are designed to deliver the greatest possible impact.

    The Fund stands ready to support and enable this important vision.  With innovation, partnerships, and the catalytic financing that the Joint SDG Fund provides, sustainable development for all remains within our reach.  Let’s get there together.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Brown wins court order blocking Trump administration’s dismantling of Health and Human Services

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Nick Brown today, along with attorneys general from 19 states, secured a preliminary injunction halting Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ensuring continued access to critical public health and social service programs. On May 5, Washington co-led the coalition states in suing to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping and unlawful directive, which left HHS unable to carry out many of its most vital functions. Today, Judge Melissa R. Dubose of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island blocked the administration’s mass layoffs at several key HHS agencies while the case proceeds.

    “This ruling affirms that Secretary Kennedy can’t abruptly and unlawfully cut off crucial, congressionally mandated health services,” said Brown. “That is the very definition of arbitrary and capricious, not to mention cruel to the federal employees performing those essential services in our states, and the millions of residents relying on them.”

    On March 27, Kennedy announced a sweeping restructuring of HHS. The plan collapsed 28 agencies into 15, terminated 10,000 employees without warning, and left key HHS offices shuttered or in disarray. Many workers learned they were fired only after being locked out of their offices and deactivated from government systems. In its lawsuit, the multistate coalition argued that this unlawful overhaul immediately endangered lives and left crucial programs and systems in chaos. The overhaul cut off federal support for Head Start centers, suspended maternal health data collection, effectively shuttered disease monitoring at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and left miners in the dark on crucial safety and health issues. The administration also terminated the entire team responsible for updating federal poverty guidelines – a tool used to determine eligibility for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and housing assistance.

    Today, DuBose granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, blocking further implementation of the restructuring and stopping the termination of employees across four critical offices:

    • The CDC, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health;
    • The Center for Tobacco Products;
    • The Office of Head Start; and
    • The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

    As DuBose recognized, “the record is completely devoid of any evidence that the Defendants have performed any research on the repercussions of issuing and executing the plans announced in the Communiqué. Without a modicum of evidence to the contrary, the record shows that the Defendants did not consider the ‘substantial harms and reliance interests’ of the States and the devastating consequences that would be felt by the populations served by those critical health programs.” DuBose correctly noted that “Congress never meant to confer HHS the power to self-destruct.”

    Joining Brown in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statewide hate crimes and bias incidents hotline now active in Clark, King, and Spokane counties

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE — Today Washington launches a hate crimes and bias incidents hotline pilot in three counties across the state. According to the FBI’s hate crimes statistics, Washington has been in the top five states with the most reported hate crimes since 2018. The non-emergency hotline provides people in Clark, King, and Spokane counties an alternative way to report hate crimes or bias incidents.

    Hate crimes and incidents of bias have a devastating and long-lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities, making people feel unwelcome or unsafe where they live. Hotline staff will help callers find local, culturally competent, victim-centered, and trauma-informed support services and, with consent of the caller, can assist in reporting incidents to local law enforcement.

    The hotline is available by calling 1-855-225-1010. Anyone who wants to report a hate crime or bias incident in the three pilot counties can also visit atg.wa.gov/report-hate.

    The Legislature created the hotline in 2024 when it adopted Senate Bill 5427 with bipartisan support. The bill required a pilot program, managed by the Attorney General’s Office, for the hotline in three counties in Washington state — including one in eastern Washington. The three counties were chosen based on hate crimes data available in the 2023 Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs’ Annual Crime Report and the counties’ demographics.

    The pilot program will remain active for a year and a half, then the hotline will launch statewide by January 2027. Hate crimes and bias incidents are underreported, and data about their prevalence is limited. Beginning July 1, 2027, the Attorney General’s Office will produce an annual report describing the data collected from hotline reports for the governor, state Legislature, and public regarding hate crimes and bias incidents. 

    “Hate crimes not only directly harm individuals but also can instill harm throughout the community,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “Success in these three counties will help us expand the hotline statewide and better understand how to combat hate crimes and bias incidents across Washington.”

    Members of the advisory group and local officials offered the following statements on the launch of the hotline pilot:

    “We took an important step in 2019 by changing our hate crime laws — but the rise in hate and bias incidents shows there’s still more to do,” said Sen. Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, who sponsored the legislation creating the hotline. “That’s why this hotline matters. It’s not just about policy — it’s about people. It’s about making sure every victim is heard and supported.”

    “At a time when a hostile federal administration is fueling bigotry against vulnerable communities, many in King County are living in fear and uncertainty,” said King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay. “I am proud to join the Attorney General’s Office in this initiative and grateful to the community leaders who’ve contributed to this launch. Together, we will continue to stand united against hate.”

    “Spokane welcomes the launch of the new Hate Crimes & Bias Incidents Hotline and is proud to be one of three original test locations,” said Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown. “Our Office of Civil Rights, Equity, and Inclusion has been engaged with the Attorney General’s team through its development, and we see this as a vital tool to improve reporting and ensure accountability throughout our community.”

    “I am proud that Spokane county is leading the way by piloting the Hate Crimes Hotline program,” said Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref. “I’m hopeful this tool will create a new opportunity for residents to report potential hate crimes to ensure the safety and security of everyone in our community.”

    “This hotline is an important step toward ensuring people feel safe reporting hate crimes,” said Clark County Sheriff John Horch. “We want everyone in our community to know that their voice matters, and that help is available.”

    “The Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community has experienced hate crimes and bias incidents for hundreds of years and that was amplified during the height of the pandemic,” said Thanh Tran, co-chair of the HAPPEN Business Resource Group. “These incidents continue to occur every day, with little to no mention in the mainstream news. I’m hopeful this hotline will encourage victims to report these incidents so we can empower the community and move towards justice and healing.”

    “The hotline is critically important because it acknowledges what our communities have always known: that hate doesn’t only exist in the narrow legal definitions that require physical harm or property damage,” said Catalina Velasquez, executive director of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. “When immigrant families in my network face verbal harassment that makes them afraid to send their children to school, when transgender people of color experience daily microaggressions that chip away at their humanity, when our elders are told to ‘go back where they came from’ — these are acts of violence that shape our material conditions and our ability to exist safely in the world. The hotline creates space for these experiences to be documented, believed, and responded to with culturally competent, trauma-informed care.”

    “I expect that the hotline will allow victims of hate to feel like they have support in their local communities,” said Hershel Zellman, board member of Human Rights Spokane. “I also expect the statistics gathered by the hotline will be used to create educational programming and law enforcement strategies for mitigating the occurrence of hate in the first place.”

    “We hope that this hotline will provide culturally competent support, build trust with the Muslim community, and encourage more community members to report incidents,” said Sabrene Odeh, a legal advocate with the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington state. “We hope that it will allow for better understanding of Islamophobia, improve the accuracy of future community facing programs and initiatives, and provide the support that resonates with our community members. Representation of the Muslim community in the development and implementation of this hotline reinforces the message that the safety of Muslims is prioritized and valued.”

    “Our organization is a trusted messenger of the community we serve,” said Momodou Jobe, programs director of the Washington West African Center. “Our voice comes from what our community tells us and our participation developing the hotline brought our community’s voices into the room.”

    “Too many in the Jewish community are grappling with the effects of growing antisemitism and need increased resources and services,” said Miri Cypers, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in the Pacific Northwest. “From our youngest struggling with bias incidents in K-12 schools to community institutions facing threats, the hotline will provide culturally sensitive support.”

    “The Sikh community stands firmly for justice and equality for all,” said Jasmit Singh, executive director of the Khalsa Gurmat Center. “We commend the establishment of the hotline as a crucial mechanism for those who have experienced prejudice or hate to have their voices heard and for incidents to be addressed. This hotline empowers communities and reinforces the message that hate has no home in Washington state.” 

    For more information on Washington’s hate crimes and bias incidents hotline, visit atg.wa.gov/report-hate. 

    Definitions

    Washington law defines a hate crime as assault, property damage or threats to cause injury or property damage that is committed because of the perception of a person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or disability.

    Bias incidents are acts of prejudice that are not criminal in nature and do not involve violence, threats, or property damage. While bias incident cannot be criminally charged, they are important to report.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.

    Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.

    Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.

    Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.

    “The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”

    “Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”

    “The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”

    “These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”

    Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.  

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.  Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds. 

    Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.   

    Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit  www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. 

    Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case. 

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.

    Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.

    Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.

    Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.

    “The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”

    “Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”

    “The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”

    “These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”

    Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.  

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.  Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds. 

    Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.   

    Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit  www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. 

    Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case. 

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Senate Approves Landmark One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: US Whitehouse

    The Senate delivered a resounding victory for American workers, farmers, and small businesses by passing President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — a transformative legislative package that locks in historic tax relief, delivers border security, reforms welfare, funds critical infrastructure, and more.

    Industry leaders and stakeholders nationwide hailed the Senate’s vote and called on the House to swiftly send the bill to President Trump’s desk:

    Airlines for America: “We are grateful that the Senate understands the urgent need to overhaul our nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system and included $12.5 billion in their reconciliation package for that cause. This is an important first step as Secretary Duffy works to implement President Trump’s vision of a brand new, state-of-the-art system. We especially appreciate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz for his long-time dedication to the safety and efficiency of our nation’s airspace. We urge the House of Representatives to quickly pass this legislation so President Trump can sign the One Big Beautiful Bill into law, begin the work of upgrading our ATC system and revitalize our airspace.”

    America’s Credit Unions President and CEO Jim Nussle: “We thank the U.S. Senate for securing the credit union not-for-profit tax status and not adding a new tax on 142 million credit union members as part of H.R. 1. Hard working Americans and their communities rely on the competitive rates and personally tailored services offered by credit unions to achieve their American Dream. By preserving the credit union tax status, it provides consumers across the country with more opportunities to achieve financial freedom.”

    American Airlines: “American Airlines strongly supports the much-needed funding to bolster and modernize our air traffic control system in the Senate reconciliation bill. In addition to staffing challenges, the U.S. air traffic control system’s technology and infrastructure have fallen behind much of the world. As President Trump and Secretary Duffy urgently work to build a state-of-the-art air traffic control system, this down payment is an essential first step in making aviation even safer and more efficient. The reconciliation bill also extends other key pro-growth tax policies that provide businesses with the necessary certainty to continue driving the economy. We urge the House to move swiftly and pass the bill.”

    American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farm Bureau applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the reconciliation package. Farmers and ranchers are the foundation of America’s food supply chain, and they need the certainty that this legislation will provide. Improvements to farm safety net programs that reflect today’s agricultural economy and maintaining important tax provisions will directly benefit farm and ranch families … Important tax provisions will also help farmers save money that can be used to pay bills, invest in new technologies, and pass the family farm to the next generation. We now urge the House to pass the bill and get it to the president’s desk for his signature to ensure America’s farmers and ranchers can continue putting food on the table for America’s families.”

    American Federation for Children CEO Tommy Schultz: “The mission is clear: deliver school choice to every state in America. Today’s vote marks a monumental step toward that goal for the first time in history … We are eager to see President Trump sign school choice into law!”

    American Hotel & Lodging Association President and CEO Rosanna Maietta: “AHLA applauds the Senate’s swift action today to prevent major tax increases on both hotel employees and businesses. The tax provisions included in the Senate bill provide small business hotel owners with the level of certainty they need to effectively operate amidst tremendous uncertainty resulting from years of inflation, trade impacts, and a softening of demand within the broader travel sector. We commend Majority Leader Thune, Senator Crapo, and other Senate champions for securing passage. We urge Congress to swiftly get this package to the President’s desk for his signature to help put businesses back on a pro-growth footing.” 

    American Iron and Steel Institute President and CEO Kevin Dempsey: “Capital investment is crucial for economic growth and job creation in the American steel industry and the manufacturing sector as a whole. Many of the key capital cost recovery provisions of the 2017 tax law have expired or are being phased out. Restoring these provisions is essential to ensuring that many companies will be able to make new investments in steel-intensive facilities and machinery. We applaud Senate passage of this legislation which will permanently restore key provisions that have a proven record of fueling innovation and economic growth, including 100 percent bonus depreciation for business investment, immediate expensing for domestic research and development expenses and the EBITDA-based limitation on business net interest deductions. We urge the House to pass this bill and send it to President Trump this week so that he can sign it into law as soon as possible.”

    American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers: “We applaud the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill to bolster America’s energy advantage and support economic growth. This historic legislation will help usher in a new era of energy dominance by unlocking opportunities for investment, opening lease sales and expanding access to oil and natural gas development. We will continue to work with policymakers to get this final package to President Trump’s desk.”

    American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland: “ASA applauds the Senate for its support of agriculture and the farm economy in this legislation. Soybean growers have long championed comprehensive revisions to the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, an improved safety net for agriculture, and increased support for research and market expansion. The modified biofuel tax credits, enhancements to crop insurance and support for MAP and FMD, among other agriculture provisions included in this legislation will support U.S. farmers and expand market opportunities domestically. ASA urges the House to maintain these key agricultural provisions that support our rural economies as they consider this legislation.”

    American Trucking Association SVP of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom: “The American Trucking Associations is grateful to Senate Republicans for their hard work to craft a package that will guarantee tax certainty for our nation’s trucking companies. Trucking is the backbone of our economy, employing over 8.5 million Americans in companies that range in size from one-truck operators and small family businesses to enterprise carriers.  Enacting pro-business, pro-growth tax policies will ensure that all of those companies are able to better plan for the future, invest in their workforce and equipment, and move freight safely and efficiently.  As the industry that moves 72% of America’s freight by tonnage, and that is the sole source of freight services for more than 80% of American communities, ATA looks forward to President Trump signing this measure into law as soon as possible.”

    Americans for Prosperity Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner: “We are so close to delivering a generational win to Americans by making pro-growth tax policy permanent. When we pass this bill, job creators and families will have the certainty they need to invest in their businesses and futures, reigniting the American Dream. We are encouraged by the thoughtful and productive discussions that have brought this legislation back to the House and urge members to pass it expeditiously to ensure that Americans start reaping the benefits of this transformative legislation as soon as possible … It’s time to get this bill to the Oval Office for President Trump’s signature. We’re at the goal line, it’s time to punch it in. Let’s fulfill all those campaign promises and secure this victory for hardworking American taxpayers.”

    Associated Builders and Contractors VP of Government Affairs Kristen Swearingen: “Tax certainty and pro-growth policies are not abstract policy goals for construction businesses—they are the foundation that allows ABC members to invest, grow and keep America building. We thank the Senate for passing this important legislation and urge the U.S. House of Representative to take swift action to send it to the president’s desk.”

    Associated Equipment Distributors President and CEO Brian P. McGuire: “By permanently extending and restoring pro-growth, capital investment incentivizing tax policies, the Senate is ensuring long-term tax code certainty that will benefit the equipment sector and the broader economy. AED applauds Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his team for heeding our call for tax permanence, and we urge the House to pass this legislation and send it to the president’s desk expeditiously.”

    Association of Equipment Manufacturers SVP of Government and Industry Relations Kip Eideberg: “The Association of Equipment Manufacturers applauds the U.S. Senate’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act — a historic bill that will strengthen U.S. manufacturing, providing the certainty in the tax code necessary for equipment manufacturers to innovate, invest, and create more family-sustaining jobs right here in America. By extending and expanding the tax reforms from 2017, the OBBB will help equipment manufacturers build more in America, while also bolstering our global competitiveness. We commend Leader Thune for his leadership and commitment to ensuring the permanence of President Trump’s pro-growth tax reforms, and applaud the lawmakers involved in driving this effort forward. We urge the U.S. House of Representatives to act swiftly and send the bill to President Trump’s desk.”

    Business Roundtable CEO Joshua Bolten: “Today’s vote puts us on the cusp of extending and strengthening tax reform. Business Roundtable applauds the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill … The House now has the opportunity to send a swift, decisive signal that America will remain a premier destination for business to invest, hire, and grow. We urge the House to act without delay and send the bill to President Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.”

    Center for Transportation Policy Executive Director Jackson Shedelbower: “… it’s clear that lawmakers are united in an effort to modernize the country’s aging air traffic control systems. The $12.5 billion that is appropriated in both versions of the package will be a strong down payment towards ensuring that the U.S. maintains its reputation as a global leader in air travel. Lawmakers need to work out the remainder of their differences so the legislation can be swiftly pushed over the finish line.”

    CTIA—The Wireless Association President and CEO Ajit Pai: “CTIA applauds the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes a solid spectrum pipeline and smart tax provisions to support wireless investment. Along with restoring FCC auction authority, establishing a robust 800-megahertz pipeline of mid-band spectrum with a specific timeframe for action is critical to meeting growing consumer demand, securing U.S. leadership in 5G, and strengthening national and economic security.  The bill’s targeted tax incentives will accelerate private investment in next-generation networks and support infrastructure deployment, job creation, and economic growth across the country. We thank Senate leadership, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, and Senator Marsha Blackburn for their commitment to securing America’s wireless future, and we urge swift action to pass this legislation so President Trump can sign it into law.”

    Concerned Veterans for America Executive Director John Vick: “This legislation represents a win for American families, small businesses, and veterans across the country―groups that form the backbone of a thriving and resilient nation. This is a monumental moment for Americans who believe in hard work, opportunity, and service. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act sets the stage for lasting prosperity and a stronger future for those who have sacrificed the most.”

    Global Business Alliance President and CEO Jonathan Samford: “I applaud Chairman Mike Crapo, Leader John Thune and their Senate colleagues for advancing international tax policies that keep the U.S. the top destination for global investment. These provisions will help sustain American jobs, drive innovation, and reinforce a stable tax environment that attracts cross-border capital and world-class know-how. I urge swift House action and final passage of this One Big Beautiful Bill Act in order to secure America’s competitive edge.”

    Iowa Biodiesel Board Executive Director Grant Kimberley: “These improvements to the biomass-based diesel tax incentive come at a pivotal moment for the industry, which has seen months of uncertainty, stalled production and investment hesitation. Together with EPA’s proposed increase in Renewable Fuel Standard volumes—projecting more than 2 billion additional gallons of biomass-based diesel in 2026—the tax developments point to a significant resurgence in clean fuel demand. This gives us much-needed certainty for the near future.”

    Information Technology Industry Council President and CEO Jason Oxman: “The One Big Beautiful Bill will advance President Trump’s vision of ensuring America outpaces global competitors and remains the world’s leader in technology. We’re pleased to see the Senate pass the reconciliation text with strong innovation-focused language that will empower companies to invest in America by restoring critical research and development expensing and stimulate economic growth and high-skilled job creation. We urge the House of Representatives to send this critical package to President Trump as quickly as possible.”

    Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz: “By passing this tax cut bill, Republican Senators show once again that they are the party of Main Street. By expanding and making permanent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including restoring full, immediate expensing, the Senate has delivered historic, pro-growth reform that can last for generations. These tax cuts empower small business owners to invest, hire, raise wages, and reinvest in their communities, ushering in America’s next Golden Age. On behalf of Main Street, JCN calls on the House to quickly pass this legislation and get it to President Trump’s desk by July 4, giving America the best birthday present it could ask for.”

    National Association of Home Builders Chairman Buddy Hughes: “NAHB commends the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This legislation will help spur economic growth and allow our members to invest more resources in multifamily rental construction, land development to build more single-family homes, and new equipment to expand their businesses. In turn, this will create a better business climate that allows builders to increase the nation’s housing supply, which is crucial to help ease America’s housing affordability crisis. We urge the House to move quickly to pass this bill.”

    National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons: “The Senate just pushed the ball deep into the red zone. Now it’s the House’s turn to finish the drive and deliver a big win for manufacturers in America. The Senate advanced a tax package that will strengthen small businesses, family-owned operations and manufacturing workers across the country. It drives manufacturers closer to the goal line—growing businesses, creating jobs and powering stronger communities. After months of driving, months of endurance and effort, months of playing audacious offense and tenacious defense, months of partnership between manufacturers of every industry and our leaders in Congress and the administration, the House now can finish the job. We call on our partners in the House to send this bill to the president’s desk—the strongest tax bill for manufacturers we have seen in a generation. Because when Congress champions the 13 million people who make things in America, manufacturing wins—and when manufacturing wins, America wins.”

    National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen: “We thank the Senate for recognizing with this initial funding that a safe and efficient national airspace requires a robust, resilient ATC system that bolsters our nation’s global aviation leadership. As leading economists have found, immediate expensing helps companies and entrepreneurs relying on business aviation have access to a critical competitive asset, while strengthening America’s manufacturing base. These provisions represent an important investment in an essential American industry, and the citizens, companies and communities that depend on it. NBAA looks forward to their continued progress.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association SVP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane: “The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill protects family farmers and ranchers across the country from a massive tax hike at the end of the year, increases the Death Tax exemption, makes the Section 199A tax deduction permanent, increases the Section 179 tax deduction, funds foreign animal disease prevention programs, and delivers so many more wins for cattle producers … It’s time for the House to pass this bill and send it to President Trump’s desk so he can sign it into law.”

    National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman, Jr.: “NCGA has worked closely with members of Congress as they drafted and voted on this legislation. We are particularly pleased to see the permanent extension of certain tax provisions, which will provide more certainty to corn farmers around the country as they plan for the future of their businesses.”

    National Cotton Council Chairman Patrick Johnson: “The NCC appreciates the momentous effort that has gone into crafting and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill. We are grateful for the Senate’s commitment to delivering meaningful enhancements to the cotton safety net, which is absolutely critical for the stability and future of our industry.”

    National Council of Farmer Cooperatives President and CEO Chuck Conner: “We commend the Senate for advancing permanent tax relief through the extension of Section 199A, a key priority for farmer co-ops that ensures they are not penalized for doing business together. Equally important are the provisions extending Section 179 expensing and the clean fuel production credit under Section 45Z, which provide producers and co-ops with the incentives and tools they need to innovate, invest, and lead the transition to a more sustainable agricultural future. We also appreciate the Senate’s attention to the needs of production agriculture by updating reference prices and commodity title support to reflect today’s economic realities. Combined with a significant increase in funding for market development programs, these provisions will help producers reach new markets and stay competitive amid global uncertainty. Now, it’s time for the House of Representatives to act. We urge lawmakers to take up the Senate package without delay and send it to the president’s desk before the July 4th recess. America’s farmers can’t afford to wait.”

    National Council of Textile Organizations President and CEO Kim Glas: “On behalf of the U.S. textile industry, I would like to commend Senate leaders for including an important provision in the broader budget reconciliation bill that would permanently end de minimis for commercial shipments from all countries, effective July 2027. The Senate language mirrors a provision included in the House reconciliation package passed earlier in May … We are also grateful that the Trump administration has already used executive authorities to end de minimis access for Chinese goods—which represent approximately two-thirds of all de minimis shipments—while also laying the groundwork to close de minimis to commercial shipments from all countries.”

    National Foreign Trade Council VP for International Tax Policy Anne Gordon: “We welcome Senate passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill … We welcome the Senate’s decision to retain core international and business provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in its version of the bill, as well as including permanent immediate expensing of research and development and reinstating depreciation and amortization in the interest deduction limitation. We are also pleased to see the Senate make permanent the look-through for controlled foreign corporations and provide other long-needed international tax fixes for U.S. corporations. As the House considers the revised bill, we encourage swift consideration and passage of tax legislation that incentivizes investment, innovation, and global opportunity for America’s job creators.”

    National Milk Producers Federation President Gregg Doud: “Dairy farmers are grateful for legislation that will create several key opportunities for dairy. Following last month’s successful vote in the House, we are excited that the Senate’s legislation also positions these investments to benefit dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own. We hope they are enacted into law as swiftly as possible.”

    National Mining Association President and CEO Rich Nolan: “We urge the House to quickly pass this bill, which increases the competitiveness of the American mining industry and provides vital incentives, including funding to counter China’s mineral dominance. The bill also makes improperly withdrawn lands available for energy production, which is key to supplying a reliable electric grid capable of powering our nation’s future. Through these measures, the bill will directly support U.S. economic growth and security. Mining feeds and fuels virtually every American supply chain; a strong mining industry creates an equally strong foundation for every industry that depends on the products and energy we provide. More can be done, and the NMA will continue to advocate with Congress and the administration on ways to support additional domestic mining, and mineral production and processing.”

    National Pork Producers Council President Duane Stateler: “We appreciate the efforts of Agriculture Chair John Boozman and other Senate leadership to ensure key animal health provisions were included in the bill, along with tax and other measures important to agriculture. Foreign animal diseases (FADs) threaten not only the livelihoods of pork producers but also our food supply chain at large. We thank our congressional leaders for these important steps to help keep our pork supplies safe, secure, and affordable for American families.”

    National Restaurant Association EVP for Public Affairs Sean Kennedy: “This bill includes the most important pro-growth tax policies restaurant operators need to continue to power the national economy. The inclusion of permanent policies for 199A qualified business income deduction, full expensing of capital investments, and the return of depreciation and amortization in the calculation of business interest expense will give restaurant operators working capital to invest in their businesses and employees. We are also pleased to see the inclusion of policies like No Tax on Tips and Overtime that will benefit our workforce. We appreciate the work that has gone into getting this bill through the Senate and encourage the House to quickly pass it, sending it to the President for signature.”

    National Roofing Contractors Association CEO McKay Daniels: “This legislation is critical to providing certainty for all businesses to continue to invest in their employees and grow their companies. In particular, the bill is a huge win for ‘main street,’ family-owned and pass-through entities that represent 95% of all U.S. businesses and employ the majority of private-sector workers. Without passage of this legislation, our industry will face rising tax burdens and diminished global competitiveness. Congress must act now to secure a stable future for America’s job creators.”

    National Small Business Association President and CEO Todd McCracken: “NSBA applauds the Senate for passing H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which includes NSBA’s #1 priority, permanency for the small-business tax rate cut in the form of the 199A Qualified Business Income deduction. Enacting this provision and several others—including reversing a very problematic change to the R&D tax deduction—is a major win for small business. As our nation celebrates Independence Day, I urge the House to pass the language approved in the Senate and give America’s small businesses the freedom and independence they need and deserve to keep their businesses thriving.”

    National Sorghum Producers Chair Amy France: “These are critical improvements that will help sorghum producers manage risk, plan for the future, and stay competitive. We’re grateful to Chairman Boozman and other leaders in the Senate Ag Committee who ensured these priorities were part of the final bill.”

    Nuclear Energy Institute President and CEO Maria Korsnick: “We applaud the U.S. Senate for advancing policies that recognize the important role of nuclear energy to achieve a reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy system. The Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill restores the nuclear power production tax credit through 2032, and the tax credits for new nuclear generation through 2033, with transferability retained for both. The Senate version also preserves the viability of the Loan Program Office by extending the program’s authority and funding from 2026 to 2028, although the appropriation of $1B is less than available under current law. Maintaining the tax provisions in the Senate bill will continue to address economic hurdles and provide confidence to invest in today’s nuclear plants, while securing long-term, well-paying jobs. Further the bill allows us to continue down the path to achieve the Administration’s ambitious goals for deploying new, cutting-edge nuclear technologies that will meet the growing demand for more reliable energy.”

    Philanthropy Roundtable COO Elizabeth McGuigan: “Now more than ever, we need a strong, vibrant civil society. Government spending is shrinking – which is a good thing – and generous Americans are ready and willing to support causes and communities around the country. We’re especially grateful for the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, whose pro-growth, pro-America agenda continues to inspire strong economic stewardship. We encourage the House to pass the Senate bill quickly and without changes.”

    RATE Coalition Executive Director Dan Combs: “Today’s vote is a major win for workers, businesses, and the American economy as a whole. By preserving the 21 percent corporate tax rate, the Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to a competitive tax code that drives investment, fuels job growth, and ensures the U.S. remains the best country in the world to start and grow a business.  We applaud this strong, pro-growth action and urge lawmakers to expeditiously finalize the legislation and send it to President Trump’s desk without delay.”

    Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council President and CEO Karen Kerrigan: “We commend Republican Senate leaders for their tireless work in getting the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ to this critical stage for America’s small business owners and entrepreneurs. Their commitment to advancing this powerful package shows incredible dedication to the success of Main Street businesses across the country and to the future of U.S. entrepreneurship. Now, House members must focus on the widespread gains in the legislation for the U.S. economy, workers, families, and small business owners. We urge the House to promptly pass the bill so it can be signed by President Trump.”

    Steel Manufacturers Association: “Congratulations to the @SenateGOP for passing H.R. 1! The bill will make historic investments in Americans, our workers, our communities and our economy will all benefit.”

    The LIBRE Initiative President Daniel Garza: “We commend the Senate for passing H.R. 1 to make the Trump tax cuts permanent—measures that have proven to deliver real benefits to hardworking families, job creators, and entrepreneurs across the country. For Latinos—who are starting businesses at a notable rate and powering local economies—this bill is not just good policy, it’s essential.  By making the low tax rates and small business provisions permanent, this legislation helps ensure that Latino workers, small business owners, and families can thrive with greater certainty, flexibility, and opportunity. Tax relief allows families to keep more of what they earn, invest in their future, and weather economic uncertainty with confidence. We applaud the Senate for sending a clear message that the American Dream remains alive and within reach for all—especially those working hard to build a better life.”

    U.S. Chamber of Commerce EVP and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley: “With today’s vote, the Senate has taken decisive action to deliver the kind of permanent tax relief the American business community has been calling for. The tax provisions included in this bill will not only drive economic growth and sharpen America’s competitive edge but also put more money in workers’ pockets, increasing prosperity in communities across the country. The Chamber thanks Leader Thune, Chairman Crapo, and all who are working to make the pro-growth reforms of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, including the deduction for domestic R&D expenditures, 100% bonus depreciation for certain business investments, and an expanded business interest limitation. The Chamber applauds the Senate for voting to make these provisions permanent features of the tax code. We urge lawmakers to swiftly pass the OBBBA and deliver it to President Trump to be signed into law.”

    USA Rice Farmers Chair LG Raun: “USA Rice applauds the Senate for passing the OBBB Act including a historic and critical investment in the farm safety net. We urge the House of Representatives to take up and pass this bill with the key ag investments before the 4th of July.”

    Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America President and CEO Francis Creighton: “On behalf of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, I want to thank the United States Senate for passing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act under Section 198A. This critical legislation empowers America’s family-owned wholesalers to reinvest, compete, and thrive. We urge the U.S. House to act swiftly and send this bill to the President’s desk without delay.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • US Senate passes Trump’s sweeping tax-and spending bill, setting up House battle

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

    The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans there have already voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions. Trump wants to sign it into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement that he aimed to meet that deadline.

    The measure would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, give new tax breaks for income from tips and overtime pay and increase spending on the military and immigration enforcement. It also would cut about $930 billion of spending on the Medicaid health program and food aid for low-income Americans and repeal many of Democratic former President Joe Biden’s green-energy incentives.

    The legislation, which has exposed Republican divides over the nation’s fast-growing $36.2 trillion debt, would raise the federal government’s self-imposed debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Congress must raise the cap in the coming months or risk a devastating default.

    The Senate passed the measure in a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie after three Republicans – Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – joined all 47 Democrats in voting against the bill.

    The vote followed an all-night debate in which Republicans grappled with the bill’s price tag and its impact on the U.S. healthcare system.

    Much of the late horse-trading was aimed at winning over Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had signaled she would vote against the bill without significant alterations.

    The final Senate bill included two provisions that helped secure her vote: one that sends more food-aid funding to Alaska and several other states, and another providing $50 billion to help rural hospitals cope with the sweeping cuts to Medicaid.

    Following the vote, Murkowski issued a statement calling it one of the hardest of her Senate career said she had voted yes despite some continued reservations.

    “This has been an awful process — a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline that has tested every limit of this institution,” she said. “This bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President’s desk.”

    ‘NOT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY’

    The vote in the House, where Republicans hold a 220-212 majority, is likely to be close.

    A White House official told reporters that Trump would be “deeply involved” in pushing House Republicans to approve the bill.

    “It’s a great bill. There is something for everyone,” Trump said at an event in Florida on Tuesday. “And I think it’s going to go very nicely in the House.”

    An initial version passed with only two votes to spare in May, and several House Republicans have said they do not support the Senate version, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $800 billion more to the national debt than the House version.

    Republicans have struggled to balance conservatives’ demands for deeper spending cuts to reduce the impact on the deficit with moderate lawmakers’ concerns that the Medicaid cuts could hurt their constituents, including service cutbacks in rural areas.

    The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservatives who repeatedly threatened to withhold their support for the tax bill, has criticized the Senate version’s price tag.

    “There’s a significant number who are concerned,” Republican Representative Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of the Senate bill.

    A group of more moderate House Republicans, especially those who represent lower-income areas, have objected to the steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate’s plan.

    Meanwhile, Republicans have faced separate concerns from a handful of House Republicans from high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California, who have demanded a larger tax break for state and local tax payments.

    The legislation has also drawn criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, the former Trump ally who has railed against the bill’s enormous cost and vowed to back challengers to Republican lawmakers in next year’s midterm elections.

    House Democrats are expected to remain unanimously opposed to the bill.

    “This is the largest assault on American healthcare in history,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “It’s the largest assault on nutrition in American history.”

    TAX BREAKS, IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, TIGHTER BENEFITS

    The Senate bill would deliver some of its biggest benefits to the top 1% of U.S. households, earning $663,000 or more in 2025, according to the Tax Foundation. These high earners would gain the most from the bill’s tax cuts, the CBO has said.

    Independent analysts have said the bill’s tightening of eligibility for food and health safety net programs would effectively reduce poor Americans’ incomes and increase their costs for food and healthcare. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecast that nearly 12 million more people would become uninsured under the Senate plan.

    The bill’s increase in the national debt effectively serves as a wealth transfer from younger to older Americans, nonpartisan analysts have said.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote “covered this chamber in shame,” adding that the bill would be “ripping health care away from millions of Americans, taking the food out of the mouths of hungry kids.”

    Republicans rejected the cost estimate generated by the CBO’s longstanding methodology and have argued the Medicaid cuts would only root out “waste, fraud and abuse” from the system.

    Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill “will permanently extend tax relief for hard-working Americans…that will spur economic growth and more jobs and opportunities for American workers.”

    -REUTERS

  • US Senate passes Trump’s sweeping tax-and spending bill, setting up House battle

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

    The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans there have already voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions. Trump wants to sign it into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement that he aimed to meet that deadline.

    The measure would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, give new tax breaks for income from tips and overtime pay and increase spending on the military and immigration enforcement. It also would cut about $930 billion of spending on the Medicaid health program and food aid for low-income Americans and repeal many of Democratic former President Joe Biden’s green-energy incentives.

    The legislation, which has exposed Republican divides over the nation’s fast-growing $36.2 trillion debt, would raise the federal government’s self-imposed debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Congress must raise the cap in the coming months or risk a devastating default.

    The Senate passed the measure in a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie after three Republicans – Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – joined all 47 Democrats in voting against the bill.

    The vote followed an all-night debate in which Republicans grappled with the bill’s price tag and its impact on the U.S. healthcare system.

    Much of the late horse-trading was aimed at winning over Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had signaled she would vote against the bill without significant alterations.

    The final Senate bill included two provisions that helped secure her vote: one that sends more food-aid funding to Alaska and several other states, and another providing $50 billion to help rural hospitals cope with the sweeping cuts to Medicaid.

    Following the vote, Murkowski issued a statement calling it one of the hardest of her Senate career said she had voted yes despite some continued reservations.

    “This has been an awful process — a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline that has tested every limit of this institution,” she said. “This bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President’s desk.”

    ‘NOT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY’

    The vote in the House, where Republicans hold a 220-212 majority, is likely to be close.

    A White House official told reporters that Trump would be “deeply involved” in pushing House Republicans to approve the bill.

    “It’s a great bill. There is something for everyone,” Trump said at an event in Florida on Tuesday. “And I think it’s going to go very nicely in the House.”

    An initial version passed with only two votes to spare in May, and several House Republicans have said they do not support the Senate version, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $800 billion more to the national debt than the House version.

    Republicans have struggled to balance conservatives’ demands for deeper spending cuts to reduce the impact on the deficit with moderate lawmakers’ concerns that the Medicaid cuts could hurt their constituents, including service cutbacks in rural areas.

    The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservatives who repeatedly threatened to withhold their support for the tax bill, has criticized the Senate version’s price tag.

    “There’s a significant number who are concerned,” Republican Representative Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of the Senate bill.

    A group of more moderate House Republicans, especially those who represent lower-income areas, have objected to the steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate’s plan.

    Meanwhile, Republicans have faced separate concerns from a handful of House Republicans from high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California, who have demanded a larger tax break for state and local tax payments.

    The legislation has also drawn criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, the former Trump ally who has railed against the bill’s enormous cost and vowed to back challengers to Republican lawmakers in next year’s midterm elections.

    House Democrats are expected to remain unanimously opposed to the bill.

    “This is the largest assault on American healthcare in history,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “It’s the largest assault on nutrition in American history.”

    TAX BREAKS, IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, TIGHTER BENEFITS

    The Senate bill would deliver some of its biggest benefits to the top 1% of U.S. households, earning $663,000 or more in 2025, according to the Tax Foundation. These high earners would gain the most from the bill’s tax cuts, the CBO has said.

    Independent analysts have said the bill’s tightening of eligibility for food and health safety net programs would effectively reduce poor Americans’ incomes and increase their costs for food and healthcare. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecast that nearly 12 million more people would become uninsured under the Senate plan.

    The bill’s increase in the national debt effectively serves as a wealth transfer from younger to older Americans, nonpartisan analysts have said.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote “covered this chamber in shame,” adding that the bill would be “ripping health care away from millions of Americans, taking the food out of the mouths of hungry kids.”

    Republicans rejected the cost estimate generated by the CBO’s longstanding methodology and have argued the Medicaid cuts would only root out “waste, fraud and abuse” from the system.

    Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill “will permanently extend tax relief for hard-working Americans…that will spur economic growth and more jobs and opportunities for American workers.”

    -REUTERS

  • US Senate passes Trump’s sweeping tax-and spending bill, setting up House battle

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

    The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans there have already voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions. Trump wants to sign it into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement that he aimed to meet that deadline.

    The measure would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, give new tax breaks for income from tips and overtime pay and increase spending on the military and immigration enforcement. It also would cut about $930 billion of spending on the Medicaid health program and food aid for low-income Americans and repeal many of Democratic former President Joe Biden’s green-energy incentives.

    The legislation, which has exposed Republican divides over the nation’s fast-growing $36.2 trillion debt, would raise the federal government’s self-imposed debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Congress must raise the cap in the coming months or risk a devastating default.

    The Senate passed the measure in a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie after three Republicans – Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – joined all 47 Democrats in voting against the bill.

    The vote followed an all-night debate in which Republicans grappled with the bill’s price tag and its impact on the U.S. healthcare system.

    Much of the late horse-trading was aimed at winning over Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had signaled she would vote against the bill without significant alterations.

    The final Senate bill included two provisions that helped secure her vote: one that sends more food-aid funding to Alaska and several other states, and another providing $50 billion to help rural hospitals cope with the sweeping cuts to Medicaid.

    Following the vote, Murkowski issued a statement calling it one of the hardest of her Senate career said she had voted yes despite some continued reservations.

    “This has been an awful process — a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline that has tested every limit of this institution,” she said. “This bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President’s desk.”

    ‘NOT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY’

    The vote in the House, where Republicans hold a 220-212 majority, is likely to be close.

    A White House official told reporters that Trump would be “deeply involved” in pushing House Republicans to approve the bill.

    “It’s a great bill. There is something for everyone,” Trump said at an event in Florida on Tuesday. “And I think it’s going to go very nicely in the House.”

    An initial version passed with only two votes to spare in May, and several House Republicans have said they do not support the Senate version, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $800 billion more to the national debt than the House version.

    Republicans have struggled to balance conservatives’ demands for deeper spending cuts to reduce the impact on the deficit with moderate lawmakers’ concerns that the Medicaid cuts could hurt their constituents, including service cutbacks in rural areas.

    The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservatives who repeatedly threatened to withhold their support for the tax bill, has criticized the Senate version’s price tag.

    “There’s a significant number who are concerned,” Republican Representative Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of the Senate bill.

    A group of more moderate House Republicans, especially those who represent lower-income areas, have objected to the steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate’s plan.

    Meanwhile, Republicans have faced separate concerns from a handful of House Republicans from high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California, who have demanded a larger tax break for state and local tax payments.

    The legislation has also drawn criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, the former Trump ally who has railed against the bill’s enormous cost and vowed to back challengers to Republican lawmakers in next year’s midterm elections.

    House Democrats are expected to remain unanimously opposed to the bill.

    “This is the largest assault on American healthcare in history,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “It’s the largest assault on nutrition in American history.”

    TAX BREAKS, IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, TIGHTER BENEFITS

    The Senate bill would deliver some of its biggest benefits to the top 1% of U.S. households, earning $663,000 or more in 2025, according to the Tax Foundation. These high earners would gain the most from the bill’s tax cuts, the CBO has said.

    Independent analysts have said the bill’s tightening of eligibility for food and health safety net programs would effectively reduce poor Americans’ incomes and increase their costs for food and healthcare. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecast that nearly 12 million more people would become uninsured under the Senate plan.

    The bill’s increase in the national debt effectively serves as a wealth transfer from younger to older Americans, nonpartisan analysts have said.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote “covered this chamber in shame,” adding that the bill would be “ripping health care away from millions of Americans, taking the food out of the mouths of hungry kids.”

    Republicans rejected the cost estimate generated by the CBO’s longstanding methodology and have argued the Medicaid cuts would only root out “waste, fraud and abuse” from the system.

    Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill “will permanently extend tax relief for hard-working Americans…that will spur economic growth and more jobs and opportunities for American workers.”

    -REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Blasts Senate Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 1, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Blasts Senate Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senate Republicans advanced Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill — a budget reconciliation package that includes the largest Medicaid cuts in American history, strips health care from nearly 17 million Americans, slashes food assistance for children, seniors, and veterans, andadds $3.9 trillion to the national debtto fund more tax breaks for billionaires.

    To secure the votes, some Republican Senators carved out last-minute deals for themselves to ensure their states and industries escaped the worst of the cuts, while millions of other Americans are left to bear the brunt.

    Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) issued the following statement following Senate passage of the bill:

    “The Senate took the largest health care cuts in history and made them even worse. The Senate’s version of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill would take health care away from nearly 17 million Americans, including nearly 2 million Californians, and raise health care costs for more than 20 million people who rely on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. 

    It slashes $1.1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA, and still finds a way to give millionaires an average annual tax cut of $90,000.

    “This bill is a direct attack on working families. Kids will go hungry. Seniors will lose care. Hospitals in vulnerable communities will reduce services or close their doors. And all of that devastation will pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires and corporations.

    “Senate Republicans made sure their own states were shielded from the worst, carving out protections for their hospitals and industries, while throwing the rest of the country under the bus. That’s not leadership. That’s a backroom deal at the expense of people’s lives.

    “Democrats are united against this bill. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to think hard about the people they represent and whether they’re willing to trade their constituents’ health and food security for tax breaks for billionaires.”

    The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will add at least $3.9 trillion to the national debt, a staggering cost that makes clear this isn’t about fiscal responsibility. 

    The bill now returns to the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Barragán voted NO on the original version and will vote NO again.

    La Congresista Barragán Critica la Aprobación de Trump’s Big Ugly Bill en el Senado

    Washington, D.C. — Hoy, los republicanos del Senado avanzaron Trump’s Big Ugly Bill — un paquete que incluye los recortes más grandes a Medicaid en la historia de Estados Unidos, elimina la cobertura médica para casi 17 millones de personas, reduce la asistencia alimentaria para niños, adultos mayores y veteranos, y agrega $3.9 billones de dólares a la deuda nacional para financiar más recortes de impuestos para los multimillonarios.

    Para asegurar los votos, los republicanos del Senado negociaron acuerdos de último minuto, como excluir a estados con altas tasas de error como Alaska y Florida de los nuevos requisitos de reparto de costos del programa SNAP. Estas excepciones garantizaron que ciertos estados e industrias evitaran los peores recortes, mientras que millones de estadounidenses cargarán con las consecuencias.

    La Congresista Nanette Barragán (CA-44) emitió la siguiente declaración tras la aprobación en el Senado:

    “El Senado tomó los recortes más grandes al sistema de salud en la historia y los empeoró aún más. La versión del Senado del ‘Gran y Horrible’ proyecto de Trump eliminaría la cobertura médica para casi 17 millones de estadounidenses — incluyendo a casi 2 millones de Californianos — y aumentaría los costos de salud para más de 20 millones de personas que dependen del mercado de la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA). Este proyecto recorta $1.1 billones de dólares a Medicaid y a la ACA, y aún así encuentra la manera de darle a los millonarios un recorte promedio de impuestos de $90,000 dólares al año.

    “Este proyecto de ley es un ataque directo a las familias trabajadoras. Niños pasarán hambre. Personas mayores perderán atención médica. Hospitales en comunidades vulnerables reducirán servicios o cerrarán sus puertas. Y toda esa devastación financiará $4.5 billones de dólares en recortes de impuestos para multimillonarios y grandes corporaciones.”

    “Los republicanos del Senado se aseguraron de proteger a sus propios estados de lo peor, negociando protecciones para sus hospitales e industrias, mientras abandonan al resto del país. Eso no es liderazgo. Es un trato turbio a puerta cerrada a costa de vidas humanas.”

    “Los demócratas estamos unidos en contra de este legislación. Espero que mis colegas del otro lado del pasillo a reflexionen sobre a quién representan y si están dispuestos a intercambiar la salud y la seguridad alimentaria de sus constituyentes por recortes de impuestos para los multimillonarios.”

    La Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso, una entidad no partidista, estima que el proyecto de ley agregará al menos $3.9 billones de dólares a la deuda nacional — un costo asombroso que deja claro que esto no se trata de responsabilidad fiscal.

    El proyecto ahora regresa a la Cámara de Representantes. La Congresista Barragán votó NO a la versión original y volverá a votar NO.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Horizon Bancorp, Inc. Announces Conference Call to Review Second Quarter Results on July 24

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MICHIGAN CITY, Ind., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) – Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (“Horizon” or the “Company”) will host a conference call at 7:30 a.m. CT on Thursday, July 24, 2025 to review its second quarter 2025 financial results.

    The Company’s second quarter 2025 news release will be published after markets close on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. It will be available at investor.horizonbank.com.

    Participants may access the live conference call on July 24, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) by dialing 833-974-2379 from the United States, 866-450-4696 from Canada, or 412-317-5772 from international locations and requesting the “Horizon Bancorp Call.” Please dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the call.

    A telephone replay of the call will be available approximately one hour after the end of the conference call through August 1, 2025. The telephone replay may be accessed by dialing 877-344-7529 from the United States, 855-669-9658 from Canada, or 412-317-0088 from other international locations and entering the access code 5878909.

    About Horizon Bancorp, Inc.

    Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) is the $7.6 billion-asset commercial bank holding company for Horizon Bank, which serves customers across diverse and economically attractive Midwestern markets through convenient digital and virtual tools, as well as its Indiana and Michigan branches. Horizon’s retail offerings include prime residential and other secured consumer lending to in-market customers, as well as a range of personal banking and wealth management solutions. Horizon also provides a comprehensive array of in-market business banking and treasury management services, as well as equipment financing solutions for customers regionally and nationally, with commercial lending representing over half of total loans. More information on Horizon, headquartered in Northwest Indiana’s Michigan City, is available at horizonbank.com and investor.horizonbank.com.

       
    Contact: Mark E. Secor
      Chief Administration Officer
    Phone: 219-873-2611
    Date: July 1, 2025

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Horizon Bancorp, Inc. Announces Conference Call to Review Second Quarter Results on July 24

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MICHIGAN CITY, Ind., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) – Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (“Horizon” or the “Company”) will host a conference call at 7:30 a.m. CT on Thursday, July 24, 2025 to review its second quarter 2025 financial results.

    The Company’s second quarter 2025 news release will be published after markets close on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. It will be available at investor.horizonbank.com.

    Participants may access the live conference call on July 24, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) by dialing 833-974-2379 from the United States, 866-450-4696 from Canada, or 412-317-5772 from international locations and requesting the “Horizon Bancorp Call.” Please dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the call.

    A telephone replay of the call will be available approximately one hour after the end of the conference call through August 1, 2025. The telephone replay may be accessed by dialing 877-344-7529 from the United States, 855-669-9658 from Canada, or 412-317-0088 from other international locations and entering the access code 5878909.

    About Horizon Bancorp, Inc.

    Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) is the $7.6 billion-asset commercial bank holding company for Horizon Bank, which serves customers across diverse and economically attractive Midwestern markets through convenient digital and virtual tools, as well as its Indiana and Michigan branches. Horizon’s retail offerings include prime residential and other secured consumer lending to in-market customers, as well as a range of personal banking and wealth management solutions. Horizon also provides a comprehensive array of in-market business banking and treasury management services, as well as equipment financing solutions for customers regionally and nationally, with commercial lending representing over half of total loans. More information on Horizon, headquartered in Northwest Indiana’s Michigan City, is available at horizonbank.com and investor.horizonbank.com.

       
    Contact: Mark E. Secor
      Chief Administration Officer
    Phone: 219-873-2611
    Date: July 1, 2025

    The MIL Network –

  • INS Tamal joins Indian fleet, reinforces Indo-Russian naval cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a boost to India’s maritime defence capabilities, the Indian Navy on Tuesday commissioned its latest stealth frigate, INS Tamal (F 71), at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. The commissioning ceremony was held in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, along with senior Indian and Russian naval and government officials.

    INS Tamal is the eighth multi-role stealth frigate under Project 1135.6 and the second vessel in the follow-on Tushil class of ships. The first of the class, INS Tushil, was inducted into the Navy in December 2024. All seven earlier ships are part of the Western Fleet, the primary combat arm of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command. INS Tamal will be commanded by Captain Sridhar Tata, a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare.

    The ceremony began with a joint Guard of Honour by the ship’s crew and Russia’s Baltic Naval Fleet. Mr Andrey Sergeyvich Puchkov, Director General of United Shipbuilding Corporation, declared the ceremony open, while Mr Mikhael Babich, Deputy Director General of Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation, highlighted the growing maritime collaboration between India and Russia.

    Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller Warship Production and Acquisition, described the commissioning of Tamal as a testament to the enduring Indo-Russian strategic partnership, noting that it is the 51st ship produced through this collaboration over the past 65 years. He commended the shipyard workers and Indian and Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for their contribution to the vessel’s construction, which supports India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.

    The transfer of the ship was formalised with the signing of the Delivery Act by Captain Sridhar Tata and Mr Sergey Kupriynav, Director General of the Russian Naval Department. The Russian Navy flag was then lowered, and the Indian Naval ensign was hoisted with full honours, marking the frigate’s induction into active service.

    Addressing the gathering, Vice Admiral Singh described the commissioning as a milestone for India’s maritime security and an example of the country’s deep defence cooperation with Russia. He noted that Tamal joins the distinguished ranks of Talwar, Teg, and Tushil class frigates, renowned for their reliability and firepower. “The commissioning of versatile platforms like INS Tamal enhances the Indian Navy’s reach, responsiveness, and resilience,” he said.

    Although built in Russia, the frigate includes 26% indigenous systems, such as the BrahMos long-range supersonic cruise missile and the Humsa-NG sonar system. The construction of the next two ships of the class in India is expected to further expand joint technological capabilities.

    Launched in February 2022, INS Tamal completed extensive sea trials between November 2024 and June 2025, successfully testing her advanced weaponry, including the Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile system, artillery guns, and torpedoes. The frigate is armed with BrahMos missiles, advanced air defence systems, a 100 mm main gun, Close-In Weapon Systems, anti-submarine rockets, and heavyweight torpedoes. She can also embark Kamov 28 and Kamov 31 helicopters for anti-submarine and airborne early warning roles.

    Equipped for multi-dimensional warfare—air, surface, underwater, and electronic—Tamal features sophisticated electronic warfare systems, network-centric operational capabilities, and robust defences against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.

    With a crew of about 250 sailors and 26 officers, the ship upholds the motto Sarvatra Sarvada Vijaya (Victory Always Everywhere), reflecting its commitment to operational excellence in line with the Navy’s vision of remaining a combat-ready, credible, and cohesive force.

    INS Tamal will soon sail to her homeport at Karwar in Karnataka, showcasing India’s maritime strength during her passage. Once operational, the frigate is expected to play a crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests and strengthening India’s presence across vital sea lanes.

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 1st, 2025 Heinrich Votes Against Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Betrayal of New Mexico Families to Give Tax Handouts to Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood up for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation that funds Republicans’ tax handouts for billionaires at the expense of working people.
    For over 27 hours, Heinrich pushed to amend Republicans’ reconciliation legislation, repeatedly voting to lower costs for families, block cuts to Medicaid, protect rural hospitals in New Mexico, extend tax credits for health care premiums, and prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance.
    “The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. The largest transfer of wealth to the rich in American history. The largest cut to food assistance in American history. The largest increase to the national deficit in American history: That’s what this bill represents. And it has one effect — billionaires win, American families lose. It’s a betrayal of working families masquerading as legislation.
    “If signed into law, this bill will hike electricity bills, leave tens of millions uninsured, cut food assistance for millions more, shutter hundreds of nursing homes, force rural hospitals to close, and send health insurance premiums soaring. The consequences of this bill will be deadly — and Republicans will own every single one.
    “Senate Republicans had a choice: stand with working families or bend to billionaires. They chose greed, cruelty, and a callous disregard for the people they represent. New Mexicans and all Americans will suffer for it. I urge all Americans to raise their voices and call on their elected leaders in the House of Representatives to stop this disaster before it becomes law.”
    Last night, Senate Republicans blocked Heinrich’s efforts to:
    Fight Increasing Costs
    Senate Republicans voted against:
    Lowering health care costs for working families and small businesses and ensuring the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes.
    Protecting food assistance for kids, veterans, and seniors, including 223,000 New Mexicans from losing all or part of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in just the first year this bill is enacted into law.
    Preventing cuts to Medicaid that could lead to increased costs for people with private insurance.
    Increasing the Child Tax Credit by ensuring the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes.
    Lower energy prices for families and small businesses by preserving the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits.
    Providing permanent tax relief for overtime wages for working class Americans.
    Protect families and small businesses from cost increases by ending the trade war with Canada.
    Preventing any policy changes that raise the cost of electricity prices.

    Protect Rural Hospitals
    Senate Republicans voted against:
    Preventing rural hospitals from closing, converting, reducing, or stopping services, including emergency care, mental health care, and labor and delivery services.
    As a result, this bill could cause 6 to 8 rural hospitals to close in New Mexico, according to the New Mexico Hospital Association.

    Protect Medicaid
    Senate Republicans voted against:
    Stopping cuts to Medicaid and preventing over 90,000 New Mexicans from losing their coverage within the first year alone.
    Stopping cuts to Medicaid that put 4 four nursing homes in New Mexico at risk of closure.
    Stopping cuts to Medicaid that help fund substance use disorder treatment.
    Protecting millions of Americans from losing their health care as a result of new administrative burdens and paperwork requirements.
    Extending the health care premium tax credits created in the Affordable Care Act to prevent millions of people from losing health insurance.
    Keeping labor and delivery units open by stopping cuts to Medicaid that fund 40% of births nationwide and nearly 50% of births in rural communities.
    Ensuring access to reproductive care — including cancer screenings and birth control – by keeping Planned Parenthood funded.
    Expanding Medicaid to cover dental, vision, and hearing and to cut the price of prescription drugs under Medicare in half.

    Protect Our National Security
    Senate Republicans voted against:
    The financial, health, and well-being of our nation’s veterans by prohibiting any federal agency from carrying out mass firings of veterans.

    Prioritize Working Families Over Billionaires
    Senate Republicans voted against:
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $10 million a year.
    Preventing tax handouts for people and corporations making over $100 million a year.
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $500 million a year.
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $1 billion a year.
    Preventing tax handouts for corporations making over $1 billion a year.
    Preventing more than $37 trillion from being added to the debt in 30 years—more debt than has accumulated over the past 249 years.

    Below is a list of amendments that Heinrich filed to amend Republicans’ budget resolution to cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of working people:
    Amendment to stop a new burdensome requirement that could strip health care from 64,000 New Mexicans on Medicaid.
    Amendment to stop a $268 million cost shift that could force New Mexico to cut SNAP benefits and kick families off their food assistance.
    Amendment to protect food assistance for hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans by stopping harsh, burdensome work requirements that would cut SNAP benefits for families, including 39,790 New Mexicans who could lose their benefits altogether.
    Amendment to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing and cut prescription drug prices under Medicare by 50%.
    Amendment to ensure no increase in cost for middle class families or individuals using Medicaid, CHIP, or private insurance marketplaces established by the ACA.
    Amendment to lower student loan payments by blocking a plan to force borrowers into a more expensive repayment option.
    Amendment to protect students from losing their Pell Grants to cover the cost of rising tuition costs.
    Amendment to protect a tax credit that helps families keep energy costs low by incentivizing clean energy upgrades like installing home heat pumps.
    Amendment to protect a tax credit that helps families save on energy bills and make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient.
    Amendment to protect a tax credit that incentivizes developers and home builders to build energy-efficient homes.
    Amendment to remove a provision in the bill that bars workers providing Medicaid home- and community-based services from obtaining job-based health insurance, retirement benefits, skills training, and the option to have a voice on the job through a union.
    Amendment to save the Inflation Reduction Act’s EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant program that makes our air cleaner, improves public health, spurs important energy and fuel savings for public school districts, and creates high-quality jobs.
    Amendment to protect funding for air pollution reductions, greenhouse gas corporate reporting, methane emissions and waste reduction, environmental and climate justice block grants.
    Amendment to protect the $7,500 clean vehicle tax credit to help Americans with the upfront cost of electric vehicles.
    Amendment to provide $200 million in economic assistance for facilities and businesses harmed by the New World screwworm outbreak.
    Amendment to provide $500 million to combat the spread of and eradicate the New World screwworm through surveillance, training, biosecurity, research, and the construction of sterile fly production and dispersal facilities.
    Amendment to protect mixed-status families by removing unjust new vetting rules that discourage adults from sponsoring unaccompanied children in need of care.
    Amendment to eliminate $2 billion in wasteful spending for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which would fund unjust, extreme immigration enforcement measures that target vulnerable migrants and expand deportation efforts.
    Amendment to block nearly $30 billion from funding U.S. Immigration and Customs’ (ICE) extreme and unconstitutional immigration enforcement agenda.
    Amendment to stop steep new immigration fees that would block immigrants from applying for legal status and push more strain onto New Mexico border communities and law enforcement.
    Amendment to stop $46 billion in wasteful spending on President Trump’s border wall, which bypasses environmental regulations and threatens important wildlife habitats for dozens of endangered species, including Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.
    Amendment to shift funding away from unproductive, invasive background checks on immigrant families and instead invest in child welfare professionals at DHS to ensure unaccompanied kids receive safe, supportive care.
    Amendment to ban the President, Vice President, Senate-appointed Executive Branch Officials, Members of Congress, Special Government Employees, and their spouses and children from directly or indirectly issuing or profiting from cryptocurrencies.
    Below is a total list of amendments that Heinrich filed in his capacity as Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to amend Republicans’ budget resolution to cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of working people:
    Amendment to ensure meaningful Tribal consultation occurs on federal oil and gas leasing projects.
    Amendment that decouples Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) oil and gas leasing from renewable energy approvals.
    Amendment to protect clean energy manufacturing jobs.
    Amendment striking metallurgical coal from 45X Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit, which has no phase out.
    Amendment prohibiting companies from receiving a royalty rate reduction authorized under OBBB if the price of oil rises above the price at the time of enactment, protecting taxpayers from high oil prices and pain at the pump.
    Amendment to strike provisions that would increase electricity prices on American households and force a debate on how OBBB raises costs.
    Amendment to strike the new Loan Program Office (LPO) title named “Energy Dominance Financing, which will give $1 billion to fund only coal, oil and gas projects, instead of opening financing to cleaner, cheaper energy options.
    Amendment reserving $100 million for Tribal Energy Projects from the $1 billion provided for “Energy Dominance Financing” program.
    Amendment to strike $1 billion from “Energy Dominance Financing,” which primarily finance coal, oil, and gas projects.
    Amendment grandfathering LPO pipeline projects in “Energy Dominance Financing,” ensuring that projects currently in LPO’s pipeline are still considered under the new program.
    Amendment eliminating Inflation Reduction Act recissions.
    Amendment to strike provision that expands oil and gas leasing in the National Preserve in Alaska, to protect Alaskan lands from additional leases.
    In February, Heinrich attempted to amend Republicans’ resolution by offering an amendment to reinstate blocked grants for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and ensure law enforcement can hold predators and abusers accountable. Republicans voted against his amendment. Watch Heinrich’s video here.

    MIL OSI USA News –