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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Work underway to transform government services 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    An agreement between several government entities is set to digitally transform and revolutionise government services.

    The Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority (BMA), Government Printing Works (GPW) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) concluded the agreement on Thursday.

    “The agreement marks a new era that will fundamentally reform and improve the way that government works in the Republic of South Africa. In terms of the agreement, the service ecosystem composed of Home Affairs, the BMA and GPW will leverage the world-class technology capacity within SARS to revolutionise all civics and immigration services,” said the Department of Home Affairs.

    As a direct result of the successful conclusion of this agreement, the public can look forward to the following improvements:

    •    Launch of a world-class Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to digitalise and automate immigration procedures to eliminate inefficiency and fraud;
    •    Integration of Home Affairs services with banking platforms to expand access to Smart ID and passport services to hundreds of bank branches as well as to banking apps;
    •    Creation of an option to select secure courier delivery of documents that eliminates the requirement to collect documents only at Home Affairs offices;
    •    Upgrading of the Movement Control System (MCS) at all ports of entry; and
    •    Introduction of Smart IDs for naturalised citizens and permanent residents.

    “This list of reforms also represents only the most immediate priorities for the next twelve months, with many more to follow over the term of the seventh administration in pursuit of our vision to deliver ‘Home Affairs @ home,’” said the department.

    Additionally, it added that work to roll out the improvements is now in full swing, and that it will announce their activation on an ongoing basis. 

    Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber said: “It is difficult to overstate the significance of what we have jointly achieved with [the] adoption of this historic agreement. SARS is a world-class institution that must never be taken for granted, and I want to thank the Commissioner and his team for their visionary commitment to breaking down silos in the interests of South Africa.”

    The Minister also applauded the unwavering commitment of the Home Affairs, BMA and GPW teams in embracing the power of digital transformation.”

    “The beauty of this shared approach is that delivering on our vision to digitally transform Home Affairs services will yield major benefits to both us and SARS. For example, the creation of a biometrically secured digital identity platform will enhance the ability to crack down on fraud and collect outstanding revenues, while the digitalisation and automation of immigration processes through the ETA will improve customs collection,” he said.

    The agreement was jointly signed by SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter, Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode, BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato, and GPW Chief Executive Officer Alinah Fosi. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CassidyDelivers Floor Speech on the National Debt, Saving the American Dream

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to address the United States’ crushing national debt ahead of the budget resolution vote. Cassidy stressed that Congress must balance the national budget to preserve the American Dream.     
    “President Trump recognizes the relationship between our national debt and the family’s ability to achieve the American Dream… Balancing the budget is a key part of preserving the American dream,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    “Given the commitment from leadership to pay for this bill by a variety of means, whether it is within the reconciliation vehicle or outside of that process, and the need to reestablish confidence among those making business decisions and creating jobs, I will vote for this budget resolution,” continued Dr. Cassidy.  
    “I want America to be great for all Americans. That we can all live to the limits of our God given gifts. Creating opportunity is part of this. I hope, my expectation is that through this process we will create more opportunity to express God-given gifts, to achieve the American Dream,” concluded Dr. Cassidy.
    Background
    Earlier this week, Cassidy joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss the need to address our national debt. In March, Cassidy penned an op-ed in The Hill highlighting the need for Congress to address the national debt and put an end to runaway spending moving the American Dream further out of reach for many families.
    Cassidy’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
    Mr. President, 
    Our country has some pretty severe economic challenges. I’m not talking about the recent stock market losses, although those are quite important to someone with a 401k. 
    I’m talking about how real Americans, average Americans, feel as if the American Dream of homeownership, of buying a new car or truck, of affording a student loan is slipping out of their grasp. 
    We saw this fear during the Biden administration when inflation was so high that interest rates rose. As interest rates rose, so did consumer interest rates on all sorts of things that directly impact the ability of a family to realize the American Dream. 
    This speech is about how do we preserve the ability of American families to achieve that dream and how what we are doing today impacts that. 
    It may seem pretty distant to the people watching at home, but what we are discussing today does directly impact this. 
    How much money the federal government borrows and how much this budget resolution leads to increased indebtedness sounds abstract but has a real impact on the American Dream.
    Some of the process discussions that normally wouldn’t matter to you if you’re outside of Congress are actually very important to this discussion on how much we’re going to borrow and how achievable the American Dream is for folks in Louisiana–the folks I represent.
    Let me explain. As our country borrows more money, it begins to compete with businesses, individuals, and families for the money that is out there to borrow. The federal government will always get the first amount. This drives up interest rates, which means that you pay more for your mortgage, car note, student loan and everything else.
    The only way to stop this from happening is for the federal government to live within its means. I think the inflation of the last four years is one of the main reasons the American people voted for President Trump. The Biden administration did not live within their means. The people wanted change. 
    President Trump recognizes the relationship between our national debt and the family’s ability to achieve the American Dream. In his joint address to Congress last month, he spoke both of renewing this Dream and of his desire to balance the nation’s budget.  
    I agree with him. Balancing the budget is a key part of preserving the American dream.
    Why is this important now? Our country is $36 trillion in debt now. We are scheduled to add another $21 trillion over the next 10 years if we do nothing. But if we do some of what we are speaking of today, but don’t pay for it, we will add another $5 to $11 trillion on top of the $21 trillion I mentioned. I’m a doctor–I’m going to borrow a term from medicine, we’d call this Congressional malpractice.
    At some point, the problem begins to build upon itself. Currently a fifth of tax revenue is used to pay interest on the debt. That is more than we spend on the national defense. Let me say that again. Right now, we’re paying more paying back people who lent us money than we are spending to keep our country safe, including paying our troops.
    There is an historian, Niall Ferguson, who says that this is the mark of a country in decline. Paying more on interest than you are on defense.
    Just last summer when he was still in the private sector, Treasury Secretary Bessent made a similar point in a Fox News op-ed. 
    He wrote that “America’s next national security crisis is lurking in our pocketbooks.” 
    That “our escalating debt crisis hurts national security in three key takeaways: it diminishes our financial ‘surge capacity,’ it robs our private sector of capital for productive investment, and it imperils America’s preeminent role in international financial markets.”
    Secretary Bessent is right–this is a threat to our national security and to the economic security of the American family.
    And families planning their budget know this. That’s why they live within their means. We should learn from them.
    Let’s discuss the budget resolution before us. To be sure, this resolution only sets up the discussion on the reconciliation bill. The reconciliation bill is where we will actually establish how much is spent and where it is spent. Nonetheless, this points in a direction and establishes an approach.
    Let me address my colleagues here about the process that has led up to this point. There has been a lot of Washington debate about using current policy versus the current law as baseline in this budget resolution. Current policy has never been used as baseline involving this much money in a reconciliation bill.
    The practical consequences of this is that using current policy increases the cost of this bill by $3.8 trillion. That is the difference between the red dotted line and the solid red line on this chart. 
    I have discussed this extensively with my Senate colleagues. There is a commitment from the President Trump and the White House to work with senators to go through the budget line by line to see where there can be savings. 
    The White House and Congress will work together to decrease the regulatory hassle that keeps our economy from achieving its full potential. This will increase revenue. 
    The president is working extremely hard now to make government work more efficiently, which saves taxpayers money.
    I have been assured that there is a commitment in other ways to pay for an eventual reconciliation bill.
    I am not saying that I think it is better that we use current policy as baseline. It establishes a dangerous precedent. It might be within the rules to do so, but it doesn’t mean that it is wise to do so. And to be a conservative is to know that sometimes you don’t open Pandora’s box, even if you can.
    And using current policy as baseline should not suggest to us that the current tax code is perfect. Far from it. According to publicly available information, Jeff Bezos got a child tax credit several years ago. Tax credits are supposed to go to middle income and lower income Americans, not to the second richest man in the world. Certainly, we can address that.
    But this vote is not taking place in a vacuum. It is taking place when the stock market has had two successive days of greater than 1500 points decline. This creates uncertainty which makes companies less likely to invest, which makes it less likely that new jobs will be created. Creating new good paying jobs is an essential to achieving the American dream. Not passing this budget resolution could increase the uncertainty in the economy, and that is something I do not wish to do.
    Given the commitment from leadership to pay for this bill by a variety of means, whether it is within the reconciliation vehicle or outside of that process, and the need to reestablish confidence among those making business decisions and creating jobs, I will vote for this budget resolution.  
    As we move on from this budget resolution to the reconciliation bill, I will look to make sure that we are truly addressing the national debt. 
    I will also encourage the use of America’s abundance as a way to both increase the possibility of Americans achieve the American dream and as a way to potentially pay for the government we now have. I applaud President Trump for advocating greater exploration of oil and gas. This creates great paying jobs, a tax base for communities, and significant revenue for the federal government. This is just one example of using America’s abundance for the benefit of us all. 
    I proposed other solutions that can address our nations indebtedness without raising taxes are cutting benefits. I have spoken to these in the past and will continue to advocate for them in the future.
    I want America to be great for all Americans. That we can all live to the limits of our God given gifts. Creating opportunity is part of this. I hope, my expectation is that through this process we will create more opportunity to express God-given gifts, to achieve the American dream. 
    With that I yield.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Lauren Boebert Announces Community Funding Appropriations Process & Deadlines

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

    Washington, D.C. —  Today, U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) announced her office will begin accepting Community Funding Requests within Colorado’s 4th Congressional District for Fiscal Year 2026, with a priority on water and infrastructure projects. The requests should be targeted to local projects that are necessary to ensuring the health, safety, and prosperity of 4th District constituents.

    Eligible entities, including local and county governments plus qualified non-profit organizations, may access the Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Form HERE to complete and return to boebert.appropriations@mail.house.gov along with two letters of community support for the project. 

    Further details about the process can be found at the form HERE.

    The deadline to submit Community Project requests for the 4th Congressional District is Monday, April 21, at 5:00pm EST. 

    “The reformed Community Directed Spending process that I fought for in 2023 ensures that our tax dollars go to specific, local projects that will directly help communities,”said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’m looking forward to working with local and county governments to highlight their needs and secure funding for water and infrastructure projects that are dedicated to improving the quality of life for constituents in the 4th District.”

    Each House Member is limited to submitting 15 projects for their district, which comes in the form of a one-time federal allotment of funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CMHA Cowichan Valley Branch opens Youth Emergency Shelter with support of legacy donor

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    From CMHA-Cowichan Valley Branch: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/cowichancmha/pages/102/attachments/original/1743800294/NR_CMHA_Media_Release_FINAL_updated.pdf?1743800294

    In June 2024, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Canadian Mental Health Association – Cowichan Valley Branch (CMHA-CVB) announced plans to establish a Youth Emergency Shelter or YES pilot project. Less than one year later, the Cowichan YES is now officially open and ready to support the youth in Duncan who need it most.

    Youth aged 15 to 18 years who are in crisis, or at risk of harm or homelessness, will have access to critical supports delivered by the Cowichan YES open day and night for youth in need.  

    Several youth who have visited the YES have echoed the essence of the program’s purpose. “Wow, this is a house, and it feels like a home” –  youth aged 16. Another youth noted the comfort of the bedrooms. “I can come and stay in a real bedroom with a real bed, some of the beds are huge.” – youth aged 17. Another excited youth commented on the program’s amenities by joyfully exclaiming, “You have a gym in here? When can I use it?”

    “I am pleased to announce that a safe space for the most vulnerable youth in the Cowichan Valley is not only a reality today but will become a legacy for years to come,” said Laurie Harding, CMHA-CVB board chair. “This dream was made possible by CMHA-CVB, along with the incredible support of hundreds of local community members volunteering their time, resources, and donations through our annual Coldest Night of the Year campaign.”  

    Approximately $204,000 was raised between 2022 and 2024 through the CMHA-CVB campaigns and those funds were used as a down payment to purchase a home, which has been transformed into this vital shelter space for youth.

    “With the opening of this shelter, the most vulnerable youth in the Cowichan Valley will have a safe place to turn, day or night, when they find themselves with nowhere else to go,” said Jodie Wickens, Minister of Children and Family Development. “This home is another important resource to keep Cowichan youth safer by connecting them to the supports they need when they need them.”

    In addition to the funds from the Coldest Night of the Year campaigns and up to $4 million funding from the Province, the Mischa Weisz Foundation donated $450,000. That donation will allow CMHA-CVB to pay off the mortgage and to purchase a van to provide outreach to youth in Duncan and outlying communities within the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). The significant legacy donation will help transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in the Cowichan Valley.

    Recognizing with respect that YES Cowichan is located on Quw’utsun lands, and for the generous donation by the Mischa Weisz Foundation, the name Mischa Lelum has been chosen to recognize both the legacy of Mischa Weisz and because “Lelum” is a fitting Hulqiminum word meaning home.

    “We know that many young people in our community have been facing significant challenges since the pandemic,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA, Cowichan Valley. “It’s so gratifying to see the dedication and hard work of Cowichan Tribes, CMHA, community partners, the B.C. government and even an individual donor, come to fruition to make a difference for vulnerable youth.”

    “The creation of this home is reflective of our collective strength as a community, wisdom as an organization, and the unwavering care and concern for those we serve,” says Laurie Harding, CMHA-CVB board president. “Through a commitment to supporting a healthier community, it is our hope that our actions clearly demonstrate that ‘Everyone Matters.’  We cannot do this work alone, and we are extremely grateful to community partners who have supported our work by walking with us, volunteering, and through their generous donations. Thank you as well to MCFD, Guido Weisz, and all of you here today for working collaboratively with us. Through our partnerships, we demonstrate that ‘We are Better Standing Together’ and that our youth matter.”  

    The Cowichan Valley YES is one more youth-centred service that CMHA-CVB offers.

    Background:

    YES Cowichan

    The Youth Emergency Shelter is a 24/7 therapeutic community-based crisis service in Duncan that provides a temporary safe placement (one to 14 days) for youth who are experiencing homelessness, or unstable/precarious living situations, and are in need of a temporary placement and support services. Currently there are three bedrooms available. YES consists of three essential elements: overnight shelter, drop-in day programming, and outreach services. Community partners will provide wraparound supports to youth accessing the YES and will work together to ensure youth receive the resources and assistance they require. Youth will be involved in the design and implementation of the programs to ensure those fit their needs.  The first YES opened in Maple Ridge in December 2023.

    Cowichan Youth at Home Team

    The YES program is a result of efforts led by the Cowichan Youth at Home Team: a partnership organization made up of members from CMHA-CVB, Cowichan Tribes, Cowichan Valley School District, Cowichan Valley Youth Services, Island Health Population and Public Health, Our Communities Health Network, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. “We are grateful to our community partners for their collective commitment and hard work in making a safe space a reality. Together we are making a difference because we believe that ‘Every Child Matters’.”

    Mischa Weisz Foundation

    The Mischa Weisz Foundation has been supporting unhoused youth by providing a grant that has been delivering food and making critical connections over the past three years. Mischa was an entrepreneur whose life was, sadly, cut short. Deeply grounded in his life values, Mischa believed that youth are the future and that we should invest in them if we want to make the world a better place. He also believed that “while people may be trapped in unfortunate circumstances, or disadvantaged by complex factors, all of us have potential within us,” says his brother Guido Weisz. Mischa created the Mischa Weisz Foundation which has been co-managed by his brother.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Blasts President Trump’s Reckless Tariffs, Disastrous Republican Budget That Will Gut Critical Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    As President Trump’s Reckless Tariffs Jeopardize American Livelihoods, Senate Republicans are Ramming Through a Partisan Budget That Will Cut Programs for New Mexicans

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) delivered a floor speech and joined a press conference alongside Senate Democrats to call out President Trump’s reckless tariffs and Senate Republicans’ plans to advance a partisan budget that will gut funding for critical programs Americans rely on – all to fund the Trump Tax Scam 2.0. 
    During the floor speech and press conference, Senator Luján highlighted the staggering consequences of President Trump’s tariffs on working families, retirement funds, and small businesses. Senator Luján blasted Senate Republicans’ plan to advance a partisan budget that threatens New Mexicans’ access to Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP benefits to give a tax handout to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
    “I’m proud to join my Senate Democratic colleagues in pushing back against a Republican budget resolution that is wrong for the people, not just of New Mexico, but every corner of America. Today, Senate Democrats have uplifted the stories of Americans who are worried about the path that President Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans are putting us on. Folks who feel the pain every time they go to the grocery store, moms and dads who don’t know how they’re going to afford food next week, grandmothers and grandfathers who are scared that their hard-earned benefits are going to be eliminated,” said Senator Luján in his floor remarks. 
    “My constituents can see the economy is slipping before their eyes. They feel it. And their paychecks are not going as far as they used to,” Senator Luján continued. “Now, President Trump is imposing sweeping, across-the-board tariffs that will increase prices for everyone back home. The tariffs are going to cost New Mexicans nearly $4,000 a year. $4,000 that a lot of folks don’t have.”
    Watch Senator Luján’s floor speech HERE.
    Watch Senator Luján’s press conference remarks HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: England’s non-woodland trees freely mapped for first time

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    England’s non-woodland trees freely mapped for first time

    England’s trees outside woodlands have been mapped by satellite and laser are freely available for first time revealing they make up 30% of nation’s tree cover.

    Street Trees. Credit: Forestry Commission

    • Some of the most iconic trees in our landscape highlighted in unique survey.
    • Mapping will help to accurately identify locations of nature depletion and allow for more targeted tree planting

    England’s non-woodland trees have been mapped for first time, revealing these trees make up nearly third of our nation’s tree cover.  

    Using one of the very latest methods of laser detection and satellite imagery, the country’s top tree scientists at the UK Government’s Forest Research agency built a comprehensive picture of non-woodland trees across England. 

    The innovative map goes live today (Saturday 5 April). 

    By providing a better national picture, the groundbreaking map will allow conservation groups and local authorities to target tree planting efforts more accurately. The map can pinpoint lone trees that could be connected to nearby wooded areas to create better habitat for wildlife in support of the Government’s manifesto commitment to expand nature-rich habitats and help achieve our legal target to increase England’s woodland canopy to 16.5%. 

    Forestry Minister Mary Creagh said:  

    Our precious street trees improve air quality, mark the changing seasons and provide us with peace, shade and joy. Their value simply cannot be overstated.

    “This groundbreaking new tree census will not only help us better understand our current tree canopy cover, but allow us to identify areas where we can create more nature rich habitats for wildlife and people to enjoy as part of our Plan for Change” 

    Sir William Worsley, Chair of Forestry Commission said: 

    “This has been a real endeavour by the team – the results are spectacular and will be invaluable to us as we strive to meet our legal target to increase tree planting cover. 

    “The map fills critical data gaps about our national tree assets, helping us understand this natural resource and the benefits it brings, including carbon storage. Many people – from citizens to governments – will use the map to make evidence-based decisions to improve management and protection of our trees.” 

    Freddie Hunter, Head of Remote Sensing at Forest Research, said:    

    Freddie Hunter, Head of Remote Sensing at Forest Research, said:    

    “This is an exciting moment. By using a combination of aerial and satellite technology, we have been able to locate and measure all trees outside of woodland (TOW) for the first time. By combining the National Forest Inventory woodland map and the TOW map we have a complete picture of tree canopy in England.  

    “We used laser technology mounted on planes and images of the Earth’s surface captured by satellites to identify tree canopy cover across the breadth of the country. This will be vital in informing future tree-planting and monitoring.”

    Trees outside woodlands are defined as single trees in urban and rural areas and are some of the most iconic trees in our landscape, ranging from sprawling tree-lined hedgerows to the much-loved trees on our streets and in our parks.  These trees play an important role in storing carbon, regulating temperatures, and mitigating against the impacts of climate change, such as flooding and over-heating of our towns and cities. They also have a huge role in improving health and wellbeing – not least by reducing the impacts of air pollution. 

    The project is funded by Defra’s Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The government is committed to turbocharging nature’s recovery and the launch of the new map is the latest step to improve nature and tree-planting across our communities as part of the Plan for Change.  This follows recent announcements on a new national forest, increasing timber in construction to boost forestry and  sustainable housebuilding , and the establishment of a dedicated tree-planting taskforce. The government has also recently announced up to £400 million for trees and peat, as part of the Nature for Climate Fund. 

    The map is fully automated thanks to its use of spatial datasets and can be updated regularly to capture changes in tree canopy cover. For more information, visit Trees Outside Woodland Map – Forest Research. The map can be viewed online on the NCEA ArcGIS Online web portal (Trees Outside Woodland), and is free to download from the Forestry Commission open data download website National Trees Outside Woodland Map.

    Additional Information: 

    • Forest Research is Great Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree-related research and is internationally renowned for the provision of evidence and scientific services in support of sustainable forestry.
    • The map is derived from LIDAR data from 2016 to 2022 and satellite data from 2021 to 2024. It is therefore not fully representative of trees in 2025.
    • The map is based on remote sensing, data analysis and algorithmic prediction combined with expert calibration, meaning an algorithm has predicted which of the features on the input data were trees. The feature detection accuracy of trees outside woodlands is 95%.
    • The data set was derived from the Vegetation Object Model (VOM) LIDAR Vegetation Object Model (VOM), The National Lidar Survey (National LIDAR Programme – data.gov.uk), and Sentinel-2 (Sentinel-2 – Sentinel Online) imagery using spatial algorithms.
    • The map will also be available via open web services from Defra’s Data Services Platform (DSP) later this month.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Neonatal care leave and pay right for thousands of new parents

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Neonatal care leave and pay right for thousands of new parents

    New entitlement will give thousands of eligible new parents each year with children in neonatal care a right to additional leave and pay.

    • New right to neonatal care leave and pay enters into force this weekend.
    • Parents of babies in neonatal care are entitled to an additional 12 weeks of leave and pay if eligible, on top of parental leave, as of tomorrow (6 April)
    • The Government is supporting working families and protecting working people’s payslips, delivering on our Plan for Change.

    Thousands of new parents each year will gain a day one right to leave and pay, if eligible, if they have a child in neonatal care as of tomorrow [Sunday 6 April].  

    Our Plan for Change relies on families having security in work. By protecting payslips and providing them with the support at work they need through these measures, we’re putting more money into the pockets of working people, delivering national renewal and growing the economy. 

    These measures will change the dial from where it is now, where working families have been faced with the challenge of going to work whilst their newborn baby is sick in neonatal care. 

    They will allow eligible parents to take up to 12 weeks of leave (and, if eligible, pay) on top of any other leave they may be entitled to, including maternity and paternity leave.  

    In a meeting between Justin Madders, the Employment Rights Minister, and campaigners from the charities The Smallest Things, Bliss and Working Families,   

    Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said:  

    The campaigners and parents who have had to experience their children in neonatal care are an inspiration to us all and show just how much this new leave and pay entitlement is needed for families up and down the UK.  

    We know that many employers already go above and beyond the statutory minimum, which is why as part of our Plan for Change we’re creating a level playing field that ensures parents, wherever they work, have the vital relief they need to switch off from work and focus on their newborn baby. 

    Women’s Health Minister Baroness Merron said:  

    No parent should have to choose between being with their vulnerable newborn or returning to work. Our action today will make all the difference to families going through an incredibly stressful time.  

    We are giving parents peace of mind so they can focus on their family. At the same time, we are reforming the NHS and maternity and neonatal services to ensure that everyone receives the personalised, compassionate care that they deserve. 

    The new Neonatal Care Leave will apply to parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care up to 28 days old and who have a continuous stay in neonatal care of 7 full days or longer.  

    These measures will aim to relieve some of the pressure on working families, providing the support families need to allow them to be by their child’s side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave.    

    The Government’s Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, was introduced to upgrade workers’ rights across the UK, tackle poor working conditions and benefit businesses and workers alike. This includes bringing forward employment reforms, such as establishing day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for millions of workers.  

    Other measures being introduced by this Government include support for employers through the menopause and strengthened protections against unfair dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers.  

     Catriona Ogilvy, founder of parent-led charity The Smallest Things said: 

    The Smallest Things is thrilled that Neonatal Care Leave and Pay will finally be available to families from tomorrow (6 April). 

    This new law is the result of a decade of tireless campaigning by those who truly understand – neonatal parents themselves.  

    They know the journey doesn’t end when babies come home from hospital. Neonatal Leave will give families back stolen time. Time to be with their baby without the worry of work or pay. Time to bond. And time to begin to recover – both physically and mentally. 

    Neonatal parents and carers needed more time. From tomorrow, they’ll get it.

    Bliss Chief Executive Caroline Lee-Davey said: 

    At Bliss we know just how important it is that babies born premature or sick have both parents at their side in neonatal care during their challenging first weeks and months of life, playing a hands-on role in their care. 

    That is why Bliss is so proud to have led campaigning for the introduction of the Neonatal Care (Leave & Pay) Act, which will provide thousands of employed parents every year with the assurance that they can take the time to be with their sick baby when they need it most.  

    We now look forward to working with the Government and employers to ensure that all parents who are eligible know about this new entitlement, as well as the wider information and support that they can access from Bliss throughout their neonatal journey.

    Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive, Working Families said: 

    We are delighted to see the introduction of this new entitlement after having worked with policymakers on its development. 

    Having additional leave and pay will mean parents can be by their baby’s side when they need them most. By giving families some breathing space and the ability to manage childcare for older siblings, this policy will help relieve some of the financial and emotional strain families are under. 

    We hope employers will build on this support by developing enhanced neonatal polices, as many compassionate employers have already, and consider flexible working, a little of which can go a long way in supporting families. 

    Nisha Marwaha, Director of DE&I at Virgin Media O2 said: 

    Introducing paid neonatal care leave as a day one right is a lifeline for parents whose babies require medical care shortly after birth. 

    At Virgin Media O2, we’re proud to have been one of the first UK businesses to introduce paid neonatal leave more than two years ahead of it becoming a legal requirement. We’ve seen first-hand the difference it has made to our employees, allowing them to focus on caring for their sick baby and take time away from work with our full support. 

    That’s why we welcome the introduction of the legislation that will benefit around 60,000 new parents each year so they can be there for their loved ones when it counts, without having to worry about work.

    Liz Jeffery, Vice President for People Experience at Sony Music, said: 

    When a baby is born prematurely or requires neonatal care after birth, it can be a very difficult time for parents.  

    Since 2018, Sony Music staff have been entitled to full pay during the period in which a baby is born before full term or spends time in neonatal care, ensuring they are financially supported until parental leave begins.  

    This policy has been a huge benefit for our employees over the past seven years and we are pleased to see that the law is changing to support other families going through these experiences.” 

    Jackie Henry, managing partner for people and purpose at Deloitte UK, said:  

    Family-friendly policies can have a profound impact in supporting people in the modern workplace.  

    That’s why at Deloitte UK, we provide 12 weeks’ paid neonatal care leave as part a wider package of policies and benefits, including six months’ paid family leave, and paid time off for caring responsibilities and fertility treatment.  

    Families come in all shapes and sizes, so policies like these allow our people to focus on what matters during some of the most important moments of their lives.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Super-sized granny flats coming to backyards

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Coalition Government will go even further than it earlier proposed to make it easier to build granny flats by increasing the maximum size allowed to be built without consents, say RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. 

    “It’s currently far too hard to build the homes New Zealanders need, with even the simplest dwellings tangling up homeowners and builders in red tape. That’s a big part of the reason why we’re replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) with new laws based on property rights,” Mr Bishop says. 

    “At present, people who want to build a simple standalone dwelling on their properties need a building consent under the Building Act. In many cases, a resource consent under the Resource Management Act is required as well. These processes are complicated, time-consuming, and costly. 

    “Last year the Government consulted on allowing granny flats of up to 60 sq m to be built without building or resource consents. The proposal received huge support, and as a result the Government has agreed to go even further by increasing the maximum size to 70 sq m,” Mr Bishop says. 

    “Making it faster and more affordable to build granny flats provides families with more housing options, particularly for grandparents, people with disabilities, young adults and workers in the rural sector. We know increasing housing availability directly translates to lower living costs for our communities.  

    “A new National Environmental Standard (NES) under the RMA will be developed and in place by the end of this year to give effect to our proposals, timed to take effect with changes to the Building Act. This NES will require all councils to permit a granny flat on sites in rural and residential zones without the need to gain a resource consent.” 

    The move delivers on a New Zealand First-National coalition agreement to amend the Building Act and resource consenting system to make it easier to build granny flats. 

    “In the Far North I saw how extended family often live together at the same property. Changing the rules to make it easier to build more family accommodation allows generational living at an affordable price,” Mr Jones says. 

    “I am delighted to see this proposal come to fruition through this Government, which enables pragmatic solutions to problems which have previously been thought too difficult to solve.” 

    Mr Penk says the Government is laser-focused on making it easier for builders and all tradies to get on and do what they do best. 

    “Removing regulatory barriers and taking a commonsense approach to the consenting system is a critical part of increasing housing supply for Kiwis. 

    “The sector is vital to New Zealand, and we want to support its growth and productivity by doing all we can to get builders back on their tools, and out of the office by reducing their paperwork.” 

    The Government will introduce an amendment to the Building Act in the middle of this year which will exempt granny flats from needing a building consent if:  

    • The granny flat has a simple design and meets the Building Code
    • Building work is carried out by authorised building professionals 
    • Homeowners notify their local council before they commence building and once it is completed. 

    “We have carefully considered the feedback to make sure the path forward strikes the right balance between enabling housing growth and managing risks,” Mr Penk says. 

    “To support councils with local infrastructure funding for growing communities, the Government has agreed that infrastructure charges will continue to apply to granny flats through the Project Information Memorandum process.” 

    Note to editors:

    • Public consultation ran from 17 June to 12 August 2024 and received a total of 1970 submissions. 
    • A summary of submissions was published in November 2024 and can be found on the MBIE website. 
    • The proposed consent exemption will not apply to any building work currently in progress or existing structures that fit the specifications of a granny flat under the final exemption criteria. It will apply only to granny flats built after the exemption is in force.
    • Anyone who is unsure whether their building work needs a building or resource consent should check with their local council. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, Kiggans Lead Virginia Colleagues in Effort to Reinstate Funding for Food Banks, Hungry Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), joined by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-10), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), wrote a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pushing back against the cancellation of $500 million in previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers.
    Virginia’s families, food growers, and community foodbanks have already been hit hard by cuts to vital programs from the Trump administration. This continued attack on food security is set to impact more than 400 pantries and food delivery organizations across the Commonwealth.
    “Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost,” the lawmakers wrote. “More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.”
    Given widespread impact of this move, the lawmakers are asking for more information regarding the decision to halt this funding: 
    Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
    Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
    Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
    Dear Secretary Rollins: 
    We write regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to halt up to $500 million in funding intended to support food banks and other providers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Emergency food providers, producers, and community organizations across the country rely on TEFAP to deliver critical nutrition assistance to millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Virginians.
    Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost. More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.
    In Virginia, approximately 10 percent of households are “food insecure,” meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. On average, food pantry visits increased more than 20 percent in Virginia last year and Virginia food banks are spending five times more money now than in 2019 due to greater demand and higher food prices. TEFAP accounts for 20 percent of the food distributed by Virginia’s food banks, and the currently suspended CCC orders represent around one-third of all TEFAP product Virginia food banks were expecting this year.
    Given any suspension of TEFAP affects Virginia’s families, growers, and communities, we request answers to the following questions:
    Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
    Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
    Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
    Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor to Oppose ‘Economic Idiocy’ of Tariffs, Program Cuts to Pay for Billionaire Tax Breaks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to highlight his strong opposition to Republicans’ budget plan. President Donald Trump and Republicans are proposing using the revenue from tariffs and massive, across-the-board cuts to programs that Virginians rely on—including Medicaid—to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Republicans are using a legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which allows certain legislation to be expedited and passed in the Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed for most other legislation.
    “President Trump deemed these tariffs as ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ but I got another phrase for them: They are economic idiocy,” said Kaine. “They will hurt our families, they will hurt our businesses, they will hurt our farmers, and all the economic signs suggest that President Trump is flipping the world’s strongest economy toward recession.”
    “President Trump started with the strongest economy in the world the day he was inaugurated—a strong stock market, strong consumer confidence, strong growth rates and growth projections, manufacturing up, infrastructure up, America building again,” Kaine continued. “In two months, his chaotic economic idiocy has turned it around… the American economy has nothing but red lights and question marks all over it.”
    “Trump says these are reciprocal tariffs—we are putting tariffs on nations who are treating us unfairly in trade. But he’s imposing tariffs even on nations that put no tariffs on U.S. products, that have no trade barriers on U.S. products,” Kaine continued. “He said he was imposing tariffs on nations where the U.S. has trade deficits … but guess what? We have trade surpluses with Brazil, Australia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the U.K. So what did Donald Trump do? He put tariffs on them anyway.”
    “The tariffs are not designed to punish adversaries since we are hurting allies and treating them worse than adversaries in many ways. The tariffs are not designed to lower trade barriers since nations with no trade barriers are still getting socked. The tariffs are not designed to counter trade deficits since nations where we have trade surpluses are getting socked,” Kaine said. “So why do them at all? Why punish Americans with a national sales tax, which all the economists say is the largest peacetime tax ever imposed in U.S. history?”
    “It’s about raising money to fund a tax cut for the rich,” Kaine continued. “These tariffs will raise $6 trillion over the course of the next 10 years—about $600 billion all taken out of the pockets of everyday Americans who are paying more for groceries, who are paying more for building supplies when they do a home renovation, farmers who are paying more for fertilizer… the $6 trillion dollars that these tariffs will raise all come out of the pocketbooks of Americans who are working hard and who don’t want to pay more taxes.”
    “President Trump and my colleagues here are setting up a budget where they’ll take that $6 trillion and they’ll add to it all of these ‘slash-and-burn’ cuts,” Kaine said. “They’ll combine the tariff revenue with the savings from Medicaid cuts or cuts to school nutrition or cuts to the Pell Grant program, and then they will take all of that revenue and hand it over to the richest people in this country, many of whom are the richest people on the Planet Earth.”
    “That’s what we’re going to fight against in this budget, and in the same way that we succeeded by getting Republicans to vote with us against the Canadian tariffs a few days ago, it is my hope that when we get to the end of this process, we will have some Republican colleagues, in this house and the next, who will stand up against a President who thinks one man can shatter the economy and impose costs on everyday people to benefit himself and his friends,” Kaine concluded.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand POTUS Rescind Executive Order Requiring a Passport to Easily Register to Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand POTUS Rescind Executive Order Requiring a Passport to Easily Register to Vote

    The Executive Order puts onerous requirements that restrict the ability of US citizens to access the ballot, requiring a passport to easily register to vote
    Less than half of Georgians have a current U.S. passport necessary for easily registering to vote under this new executive order
    Noncitizen voting is virtually nonexistent; 2024 audit by Georgia Secretary of State found only 9 instances of noncitizen voting out of 8,200,000 registered voters 
    Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “Requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters […] places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color”
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) , and 14 of his Senate colleagues urged President Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order that would disenfranchise millions of Americans.
    Under this Executive Order, military IDs or driver’s licenses would not be sufficient in registering to vote in Georgia through the federal voter registration form. Following the announcement of the Executive Order, Senator Warnock issued a statement responding to the unlawful order.
    “This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” wrote the Senators. “Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.”
    The proof of citizenship requirements in the executive order would restrict the right to vote for millions of Americans given the burden it creates to obtain these documents. Nearly half of all American citizens do not have valid passports, and millions more have a legal name that differs from other government-issued documents, including up to 69 million married women whose birth certificates no longer match their legal name.
    The Senators emphasized that the order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. They also sounded the alarm on the order’s attempt to empower the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review state voter registration lists, other state records, and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena.
    “Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information,” continued the Senators.
    “The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented,” concluded the Senators. “This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.”
    Senator Warnock has a long history of supporting voting rights efforts and defending the sacred right to vote. Since coming to the Senate, Senator Warnock has championed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, two vital pieces of voting rights legislation that expand on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and help secure voting rights for future generations.
    In addition to Senator Warnock, the letter was authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and is also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    The letter can be viewed HERE and below:
    Dear President Trump,
    We write to demand that you immediately rescind your recent Executive Order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
    Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.
    This order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. The Federal role in elections is focused on helping states with the costs and technical challenges and ensuring that the right to vote is appropriately protected. This order places new mandates on the states and inserts new federal interference in state voter registration processes by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. We expect state and local election administrators of both parties to have significant legal and operational concerns about this order.
    One of the most disturbing aspects of this illegal order is Sec. 2(b)(iii), which attempts to empower DHS and the DOGE Administrator to review state voter registration lists, other state records and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena. Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information. This effort by DOGE is similar to your 2017 Executive Order that established the “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity” that sought voter files from states and was rejected by 44 states and the District of Columbia. If this provision were implemented, it would allow Elon Musk and DOGE to recreate this effort to purge state voter databases, preventing the participation of eligible American voters.
    The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was created as an independent, evenly balanced agency in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was enacted on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. The EAC receives appropriations from Congress to support states with the growing financial and technical challenges of administering elections in thousands of jurisdictions across the nation on a nonpartisan basis. This order lacks the authority to place new conditions on Congressionally appropriated funding or order the EAC require documents that many eligible Americans do not have in order to register to vote in federal elections.
    The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented. This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.
    For these reasons, we must urge you to rescind this illegal order.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Telehealth Access, Make Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Telehealth Access, Make Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

    The bipartisan CONNECT For Health Act expands Medicare’s telehealth flexibility, ensuring Georgia seniors can more easily access health care, connect with their doctors
    Current telehealth flexibilities are set to expire in September without congressional action
    Senator Reverend Warnock has long supported efforts to expand telehealth services, especially in rural communities
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “So many Georgian seniors, especially in rural communities, benefited from new telehealth programs that allowed seniors to talk to their doctor online or over the phone. […] The bipartisan and common sense CONNECT For Health Act builds on that progress by continuing to offer people the telehealth they need”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS) in introducing bipartisan CONNECT For Health Act to improve and expand telehealth services for seniors on Medicaid.
    The comprehensive telehealth bill will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. The current telehealth flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.
    “So many Georgian seniors, especially in rural communities, benefited from new telehealth programs that allowed seniors to talk to their doctor online or over the phone. Congress needs to keep those programs from expiring. The bipartisan and common sense CONNECT For Health Act builds on that progress by continuing to offer people the telehealth they need,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
    The CONNECT for Health Act would:
    Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.
    Senator Reverend Warnock has long supported efforts to expand telehealth services, especially in rural Georgia communities. In 2023, Senator Warnock announced a slate of new federal grants that help build a more sustainable rural health care system for Georgians by expanding telehealth services.
    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.
    The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.
    The full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Whitehouse Welcome Senate Parliamentarian’s Reaffirmation That California’s Clean Air Act Waivers Not Subject to Congressional Review Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Whitehouse Welcome Senate Parliamentarian’s Reaffirmation That California’s Clean Air Act Waivers Not Subject to Congressional Review Act

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, welcomed the Senate parliamentarian’s decision that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The decision reaffirms that President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin cannot weaponize the CRA to repeal these waivers as part of their assault on clean air and the environment.
    “In passing the Clean Air Act on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, Congress explicitly granted California the ability to set more stringent vehicle emissions standards to protect public health from California’s unique air quality challenges,” said Senator Padilla. “I am pleased that the Senate parliamentarian upheld decades of precedent and confirmed that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. This latest stunt from Trump’s EPA was a clearly bogus attempt to undercut California’s climate leadership, and it failed. I’ll keep fighting to defend California’s authority to protect our residents, safeguard clean air, and lower costs for consumers.”
    “Congress granted the California the power to regulate its own pollution and vehicle emissions standards and did so on a bipartisan basis almost 60 years ago. The result has been an important one and advanced clean air and water rules that have had a major impact on California and the rest of the country,” said Senator Schiff. “Today, another nonpartisan and independent voice has reaffirmed that California’s vehicle emissions standards are not subject to repeal under the expedited processes of the Congressional Review Act, upholding our state’s right to protect our air and the health of our 40 million residents. The Golden State has been the gold standard for fighting harmful air pollution, and today’s ruling allows that fight to continue. This is a victory for the power of the states that Congressional Republicans seem so eager to undermine now that they have returned to power in Washington. I will continue to work in the Senate to protect the health and wellness of every Californian whose lives have been improved by these standards for more than a generation.”
    “From slashing investments that lower household energy costs to rolling back protections for clean air and clean water, Trump and his polluter minions at EPA have endangered our nation’s public health, economy, and climate safety. Due to evil influence by the polluting industries that bankrolled Trump’s campaign, Americans will pay—with their health and with their wallets—for the Trump-Musk weaponization of the EPA in service to big polluters,” said Ranking Member Whitehouse. “Congress put California’s ability to set vehicle emissions standards in the Clean Air Act, which has already protected generations of Americans from fossil fuel emissions. These emissions heat up our planet, make it harder for many to breathe, and increase costs for families. We’re gratified that the Senate parliamentarian followed decades of precedent showing that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. The lie about ‘cooperative federalism’ as the model for EPA to follow is laid bare when environmental regulatory and enforcement authority of the states is stronger than federal requirements. Here, the Clean Air Act provides California the authority to set more stringent vehicle emission standards, and Administrator Zeldin pulled out all the stops to attack that authority despite decades of practice and precedent. His legally unfounded scheme was first cooked up by industry lawyers in the polluter-friendly op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal. Never mind the hundreds of millions of Americans suffering from bad air quality, climate change-driven natural disasters, and climateflation in everything from insurance premiums to grocery prices, Zeldin again decided to take his marching orders from polluters. Tells you all you need to know.”
    Senators Padilla, Schiff, and Whitehouse previously blasted Trump and Zeldin’s weaponization of the EPA as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also found that Clean Air Act waivers to California are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. Padilla and Schiff also slammed the Trump Administration’s intent to roll back dozens of the EPA’s regulations that protect California’s air and water.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Cosponsors Legislation to Improve Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care for American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Cosponsors Legislation to Improve Access to Quality, Affordable Child Care for American Families

    Republican-proposed funding cuts to pay for tax breaks for billionaires would eliminate child care for 40,000 children, according to recent CLASP analysis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined his colleagues in introducing bicameral legislation to help American families get access to the quality, affordable child care they need. The bill comes as Republicans are acting on their plan to eliminate child care for 40,000 children to pay for massive tax breaks for billionaires.
    The need to rebuild a stronger, more robust, and more equitable child care system is greater than ever as working families across America struggle to access affordable, quality child care. But in addition to cuts to child care, the Trump Administration is conducting mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the offices at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that administer child care and Head Start programs. These layoffs will make child care even less accessible, less affordable, and less safe.
    Earlier this week, Padilla and Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) led 25 Senators in condemning the Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal employees at the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Child Care (OCC) and demanding HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. immediately reinstate these employees to full work status.
    “As a father to three boys, I understand that having access to child care isn’t a luxury, it’s a critical necessity,” said Senator Padilla. “No parent should have to miss work because they don’t have access to child care, yet too many Californians either do not live near a caregiver or cannot afford it. As President Trump and his Administration wage a war on American families and intensify our child care crisis, we must fight to ensure every family, regardless of zip code, has access to reliable, high-quality child care.”
    “At a time when families are struggling to find affordable child care so they can work and pay their bills, Republicans in Congress are making their priorities clear with 40,000 kids about to lose their child care to pay for another handout to billionaires. Taken together with the absolute gutting of HHS and the offices responsible for Head Start and child care, America’s child care crisis is on track to only grow worse,” said Senator Wyden. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Our bill invests in working families by making sure more families can get child care and new child care centers can be built to increase slots, while also guaranteeing a living wage for the essential workers who staff them. That is where priorities should lie.”
    “Parents shouldn’t have to choose between breaking the budget, cutting back their work hours, or settling for lower-quality care to make sure their kids have child care,” said Senator Warren. “I am grateful for Senator Wyden’s partnership and commitment to investing in child care so working parents have a fighting chance in our economy.”
    The price of child care continues to place a major financial burden on American families, with costs ranging from $5,357 to $17,171 per year depending on location and type of care. Additionally, the cost of center-based care for two children is more than the average mortgage in 45 states and more than the average annual rent in all 50 states plus D.C. The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act would address the child care crisis by providing new, permanent funding so states, tribes, and territories have the critical resources they need to develop a child care infrastructure that better serves all families.
    The legislation would expand guaranteed child care funding by increasing annual funding for the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES) to $20 billion per year (a $16.45 billion increase per year). It also would appropriate $5 billion to the CCES annually to provide new grants to improve child care workforce, supply, quality, and access in areas of particular need, including rural communities. Specifically, the funding can be used for Child Care and Development Block Grant purposes, including:
    Increasing child care slots in child care facilities and family child care homes;
    Establishing or expanding the operation of community or neighborhood-based family child care networks;
    Providing funding for construction and renovation of child care facilities and family child care homes;
    Providing start-up funding, technical assistance, support for improving business practices, and support navigating real estate financing and development processes;
    Providing guidance to child care providers on negotiating with landlords or applying for land or home ownership;
    Recruiting child care providers and staff;
    Supporting professional development and training for the child care workforce, including through apprenticeships, partnerships with labor unions or labor-management partnerships, and partnerships with public and nonprofit institutions of higher education;
    Contracting with an intermediary with experience securing private sources of capital financing for child care facilities or other low-income community development projects to provide technical support; and
    Maintaining an effective and diverse early care workforce by increasing total compensation, providing wage supplements or bonuses, or offering wage and retention rewards and ensuring adequate wages for staff of child care providers, including sole proprietors and independent contractors, that, at a minimum:
    Provide a living wage for all staff of such child care providers and
    Are adjusted on an annual basis or cost of living increases.

    U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) lead the legislation. In addition to Senator Padilla, the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07) introduced companion legislation in the House.
    A one-page summary of the legislation is here.
    Ful text of the bill is available here.
    The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation of Teachers, Caring Across Generations, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Child Care for Every Family Network, Community Change Action, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC), Family Values at Work, First Five Years Fund, First Focus Campaign for Children, KinderCare, MomsRising, National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Education Association, National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA), National Women’s Law Center, Save the Children, SEIU, Small Business Majority, ZERO TO THREE, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Family Forward Oregon, First Children’s Finance, Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children, Little Miracles Early Development Center, Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAAEYC), Maine Association for the Education of Young Children, Maine People’s Alliance, Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (MDAEYC), Montana Family Childcare Network, New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children, NJ Communities United, Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (ORAEYC), Our Children Oregon, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, Prevent Child Abuse America, Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC), Southwest Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, Trying Together, Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children, Virginia Organizing, and Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.
    “Right now, this country is facing a serious child care crisis–parents are struggling to find or afford child care, child care workers are making poverty wages, and child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open and make ends meet. Republicans’ only proposal is to make this crisis even worse by cutting child care funding and putting more wealth in the hands of billionaires over supporting our families,” said Andrea Paluso and Erica Gallegos, Executive Directors of the Child Care for Every Family Network. “But there is another way. Senator Wyden and Warren’s Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will boost child care funding, instead of taking a hatchet to it. We are proud to endorse this critical bill that will invest in our child care supply, support the child care workforce, and help make child care easier to find and afford. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: support for care or support for cuts. Instead of non-stop Republican threats to cut child care, Congress must pass the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act.”
    “Families across the country are sending us a clear message that child care prices are too high and they need help,” said Julie Kashen, Senior Fellow and Director of Women’s Economic Justice at the Century Foundation. “Instead of tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, we should work towards child care solutions that give parents room to breathe, providers wages they deserve, and children the opportunity to grow and flourish. The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act would be a big step in the right direction walking the walk for families and workers, not just talking the talk.”
    “America’s moms support the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, and applaud its sponsors, cosponsors and champions,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising Together. “Millions of young families simply can’t access quality, affordable child care in our country today. Without it, children miss opportunities to learn, moms are pushed out of the workforce, businesses go without the workers they need, families can’t contribute and make ends meet, and our economy suffers terribly. Moms want Congress to support this bill to stabilize the child care infrastructure and improve wages for educators – not give even more tax breaks to billionaires and wealthy corporations.” 
    “At a time when President Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing dramatic cuts to child care, the Building Child Care for A Better Future Act provides meaningful investments that would make a real dent in addressing the child care crisis,” said Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. “With families at a breaking point with the soaring costs of child care, we need real, sustained investment to make care more affordable and to invest in the early learning workforce. If Congress is serious about lowering child care costs, they’ll pass this bill instead of pretending that small tax credits—which provide only a fraction of relief that families need—are a real solution.”
    “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will make child care more affordable for families and invest in the workforce that makes it all possible. By ensuring sustainable and reliable funding and bolstering the supply of child care, we can build a stronger, more equitable child care sector,” said Stephanie Schmit, Director of Child Care and Early Education at Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). “This legislation is an essential step toward a much-needed child care system that meets the diverse needs of all children and families.”
    “Child care is essential for parents who are continuing to struggle with long waitlists and skyrocketing costs. Providers are barely scraping by due to the ever-rising costs of providing safe and quality care,” said Samantha Cadet, Legislative Director for ZERO TO THREE. “ZERO TO THREE is proud to support the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, which addresses the root issue of chronic underinvestment by increasing mandatory funding for child care so that states, tribes, and territories have the resources they need to build a child care infrastructure that works for everyone.”
    “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act is a powerful step forward in ensuring that Tribal Nations have meaningful access to the resources needed to strengthen child care in our communities. By increasing dedicated funding and continuing the flexibility in how those funds are used, this bill honors the sovereignty of Tribal Nations to lead the development of early care and education systems that reflect our unique cultures, needs, and priorities,” said Jennifer Rackliff, Executive Director of National Indian Child Care Association (Cherokee Nation — Anisahoni Clan). “We commend this legislation for recognizing that lasting solutions come from within the community—and for giving Tribes the tools to build the systems our children and families deserve.”
    “As a national coalition of child care providers, education service providers, and state child care associations, ECEC is pleased to endorse the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act. This legislation recognizes that the child care workforce is the workforce behind the workforce—without well-qualified and compensated child care educators and staff, many parents cannot go to work with the comfort that their children are being educated and cared for in safe and healthy environments. Furthermore, the legislation takes needed steps to help provide support to providers that serve communities that are most in need of high-quality early education,” said Radha Mohan, Executive Director of ECEC. “The long-term investments proposed in the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will better equip our nation’s child care system to serve all who rely on it every day, and support the continued growth of the American economy.”
    “Virtually every segment of our population is struggling with access to childcare, and small businesses are no exception. In fact, Small Business Majority’s research found that most small business owners said a lack of access to quality, affordable childcare for their own children made it difficult to start and grow their business. These business owners also said childcare challenges are an ongoing problem that have forced many to take time away from work, miss out on opportunities or hire additional help,” said John Arensmeyer, Founder and CEO of Small Business Majority. “We support the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act because it will improve our nation’s childcare infrastructure to more effectively address the needs of America’s small businesses.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Joins Effort to Expand Telehealth Access, Make Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    CONNECT For Health Act holds broad bipartisan support, most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress; Current flexibilities set to expire September 30 without Congressional action

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined bipartisan group of 60 senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.

    “Telehealth is transforming the way Americans access health care, especially in rural communities like those in West Virginia. The flexibilities put in place during the pandemic proved how effective and efficient virtual care can be. This legislation ensures that patients can continue to receive timely, quality care no matter where they live,” Senator Capito said.

    Telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in a month, according to the most recent available data.

    The CONNECT for Health Act would:

    • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    • Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    • Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

    ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.

    Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio).

    The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations, including: the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Joins Push to Expand Telehealth Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined a bipartisan group of 60 senators led by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) to introduce the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act would expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 without an extension from Congress. 

    “Telehealth keeps access to care within reach for Arkansans, especially those in rural and underserved communities. It is a proven tool that continues to transform the delivery of medical care and enhance patients’ well-being. There is widespread agreement that we should make this 21st century option a permanent tool to maximize and expand its positive impact,” Boozman said.

    “While telehealth use has rapidly increased in recent years, our laws have not kept up,” said Schatz. “Telehealth is helping people get the care they need, and it’s here to stay. Our comprehensive bill makes it easier for more people to see their doctors no matter where they live.”

    “We live in a digital world, and our health services should reflect that. In the past decade, telehealth has made medical care more accessible for patients across the state and country,” said Wicker. “It is time to make telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients so that more Americans, especially those in rural Mississippi, have access to health care.” 

    Telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in a month, according to the most recent available data.

    The CONNECT for Health Act would:

    • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    • Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    • Remove the unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Peter Welch (D-VT) John Barrasso (R-WY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Jim Justice (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Todd Young (R-IN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Susan Collins (R-ME), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) have cosponsored the bill.

    The CONNECT for Health Act also has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics and American Telemedicine Association.

    Click here for full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Awards $27,500 in Funds to United Caring Services Through FHLBank Indianapolis Grant Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Federal Savings Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBank Indianapolis), awarded United Caring Services $27,500 in grant funds through the Community Multiplier – Member Match Program

    The $27,500 grant will support United Caring Services’ mission to help transition individuals out of homelessness and into permanent housing solutions.

    “We are proud to partner with United Caring Services in support of their vital mission to help individuals transition out of homelessness and into stable, permanent housing,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP, Marketing Manager at First Federal Savings Bank. “Through programs like Care Ride and essential assistance in obtaining Social Security, VA, and other benefits, United Caring Services provides a path forward for those in need. This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting long-term, sustainable solutions that strengthen lives and our community as a whole.”

    “This partnership with First Federal Savings Bank comes at a critical time when funds are needed to help get our guests to these vital services,” said Ryan Rigg, Executive Director of United Caring Services. “The majority of guests do not have transportation which is often a barrier to transition out of homelessness and this program will help us to overcome that barrier.”  

    The Community Multiplier – Member Match program is FHLBank Indianapolis’ newest program offering, designed to support targeted affordable housing initiatives that fall outside of FHLBank Indianapolis’ other grant programs.  Community Multiplier offers grants between $25,000 and $125,000 for non-profit organizations headquartered in Indiana or Michigan who partner with an FHLBank Indianapolis member financial institution on targeted affordable housing initiatives. With a 10% matching funds commitment from the member financial institution, FHLBank Indianapolis is providing grants between $25,000 and $125,000. The program opened March 27, 2025 with a $5 million allocation and is available until October 1, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.

    You’re Invited

    To celebrate this meaningful partnership, First Federal Savings Bank and United Caring Services will host a press conference and check presentation ceremony on Tuesday, April 8 at 2:00 PM CST at First Federal Savings Bank’s corporate headquarters located at 5001 Davis Lant Drive Evansville, IN 47715. We invite the members of the media, community partners, and the public to join us as we present a $27,500 contribution in support of United Caring Services’ mission to help individuals transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing solutions.

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis: Building Partnerships. Serving Communities.

    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester demand Trump rescind illegal executive order threatening federal employee collective bargaining agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging President Donald Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus. In their letter, Senator Coons, Senator Blunt Rochester, and their colleagues blasted the move as a “gross overreach” of presidential authority, asserting that the executive order is a clear attempt to gut the federal merit-based civil service and implement a system of political cronyism. They stressed that the order poses a grave threat to the ability of over 1 million federal workers to carry out their missions and deliver important services for the American people, and thus should be rescinded immediately.

    “We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA),” the senators wrote. “This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people. They care for our veterans, deliver disaster assistance, prevent wildfires, help farmers improve crop yields, manage health benefits for 9/11 first responders, research treatments and cures for diseases, keep air travel safe, process tax returns, staff our national parks and much, much more. Nearly one third of these dedicated civil servants are veterans seeking to continue their service to our country out of uniform.”

    “The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs,” the senators added. “There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference.”

    “This administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants. We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution,” the senators concluded.

    The senators’ letter is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

    In addition to Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester, the letter was also signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    You can read the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Norma Torres Blasts Trump’s Tariffs for Harming California Families and Businesses

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    April 04, 2025

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Norma Torres today condemned President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs, warning that they represent an existential threat to working families and businesses in California’s 35th Congressional District.

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs are a direct tax on working families, and we’re already paying the price. This is an economic nightmare that will force businesses to slash costs, which means layoffs, higher prices, and an impending recession,” said Congresswoman Torres. “The residents of my district—many of whom are already scraping by—cannot afford the chaos Trump is creating.”

    California’s Inland Empire, a key economic engine for the state, relies heavily on trade and manufacturing industries such as agriculture, logistics, and construction. These sectors will be obliterated by Trump’s tariffs. Businesses that depend on imported goods will face immediate cost hikes that could bankrupt them, resulting in widespread job losses and economic collapse. Union jobs, the lifeblood of working-class families, will be first on the chopping block as businesses struggle to survive.

    “He’s not just hurting businesses—he’s jeopardizing the futures of millions of seniors,” Torres continued. “Just look at the stock market today—retirement accounts are hemorrhaging, and for millions of Americans, their life savings are disappearing. These are people who’ve worked their entire lives, only to be told by Trump that they’ll never retire with dignity. For seniors on fixed incomes, like Social Security, the damage is immediate and irreversible. These price hikes will crush them—forcing them to choose between food, medicine, or basic necessities. And for those with their savings tied up in 401(k)s, retirement is slipping farther out of reach. This is financial ruin for the most vulnerable among us. This is economic malpractice, and I will fight it with everything I’ve got!”

    The ripple effect of Trump’s tariffs will be catastrophic. As people lose their retirement savings, they will cut back on spending, throwing local economies into a tailspin. Small businesses will close, and demand for goods and services will plummet. This isn’t just a downturn—it’s an economic meltdown. If Trump’s tariffs are allowed to stand, the damage will devastate California’s economy for years to come, increase inflation, and raise the cost of housing. This will hit hardest in the communities that can least afford it.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scalise: Senate Must Do Their Part to Pass Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox Business Network’s Varney and Co. to discuss the need for the Senate to act quickly to pass the House budget bill in order to move on President Trump’s whole agenda, following last night’s Joint Address. Leader Scalise highlighted how the resolution looks out for American families, workers, and small businesses by extending President Trump’s tax cuts and avoiding massive tax hikes that target lower and middle-income Americans.

    Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
    On the importance of securing tax cuts:“[Trump tax cuts have] to get done. In fact, that’s why we came together in the House, Stuart, and passed the budget last week to lay the foundation not just for border and energy policy but for tax cuts. There was this debate over one bill versus two. I was always advocating for one, meaning let’s do it all in one big bill. Taxes are part of that because you’re not going to get certainty in the economy. You’ll see the stock market go up, go down, bounce all around until we have the certainty that there won’t be a massive tax hike on the American workers and small businesses of this country. That’s why it’s important we put that tax provision in the bill that also secures the border, funds the wall, border technology, energy policy, and regulatory reform.”On President Trump’s call to action for the Senate to pass the budget bill to prevent tax hikes:“Well, we continue to meet and work with them as we do with every element of our caucus on the Republican side. You go back and look at last week’s vote. Nothing is easy. We have a two-vote margin. One member voted no. If two members voted no, the bill would have been dead. And so we worked with everybody for weeks and weeks to thread that needle and get the budget passed. The Senate has it now, by the way. They need to do their part. They need to move. And I think last night was a call to action by President Trump to the Senate to say, look, the house delivered on my full agenda, it’s over in the Senate. Let’s get it moved through the Senate so we can get this agenda working for the American people. “The Democrats aren’t going to help us. They showed that last night. Sadly, they want to sit on their hands while American families face a massive tax hike. This isn’t the millionaires and billionaires we’re talking about. You’re talking about middle and low-income families.No tax on tips. The average tip worker makes about $32,000 a year. Elon Musk doesn’t make tip money, so it’s not people like him that would benefit. It’s the waiter and waitress working at your local restaurant that the Democrats don’t want to help. We will help them.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scalise Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) issued the following statement after President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:“Tonight’s Joint Address from President Trump was a welcome change from what we heard for the last four years. In less than two months, President Trump has already taken action at a whirlwind pace to turn our country around, reversing the damage done by President Biden and Vice President Harris, and making serious down payments on the promises he made to the American people to put America first. President Trump is working tirelessly for families that have been struggling for four years, from securing the border, to combating Bidenflation and cutting wasteful spending, to unleashing American energy, and reinstating common sense in Washington.  “Starting on day one, President Trump issued critical executive orders to reverse the Biden border crisis, with immediate results: in February, Border Patrol recorded only 8,326 encounters and apprehensions at the southern border – the lowest documented numbers in history – compared to 189,913 in February 2024 under President Biden. That represents an over 90% drop in illegal border crossings in just one full month of Donald Trump’s Presidency!“President Trump has also begun dismantling the Biden Administration’s anti-American energy agenda, rescinding Biden’s production-killing regulations, pushing policies that unleash American energy, shoring up our energy security, and empowering consumer choice in everything from vehicles to household appliances.  “Through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the President has taken major strides to return common sense to the way Washington spends taxpayer money, cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from the government agencies, even while far left Washington progressives fight him at every turn. He also passed executive orders to cut harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mandates and reinstate merit-based hiring. To protect women, President Trump issued an executive order preventing biological males from participating in women and girls’ sports, preserving fairness and safety for female athletes. “Under the leadership of President Trump, America once again commands respect on the world stage. President Trump has stood up to terrorists, from Hamas to Mexican drug cartel members, and made clear that the United States will pursue peace through strength on a global level. As America’s greatest negotiator, he has fought against unfair trade policies and agreements that take advantage of the United States, empowering American workers and businesses. “Thanks to President Trump, the state of our union is finally getting stronger. Our President has already accomplished so much in just a few weeks, but the best is yet to come. There is much work left to do, and House Republicans will continue working closely with President Trump to enact his America First agenda and usher in the golden age of the United States of America. The renewal of the American Dream is finally here!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK 11 WINS: President Trump Unleashes Economic Prosperity

    Source: The White House

    It was another highly successful week for the American people as President Donald J. Trump continues his relentless pursuit of strength, prosperity, and peace — and lays the foundation for America to be the global powerhouse for generations to come.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 11:

    • Illegal crossings hit a stunning new record low — down 95% over last year.
      • The number of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children also reached a record low.
      • Los Angeles Times: “California-Mexico border, once overwhelmed, now nearly empty”
      • Bloomberg: “US-Bound Migration Plunges 99% Along Panama Jungle Route”
    • President Trump continued to rid our communities of illegal immigrant criminals.
      • The Trump Administration directed the successful arrests of three illegal immigrant MS-13 gang members in Florida, wanted on first-degree murder charges, and another high-ranking MS-13 member in New York, linked to 11 murders.
      • The Trump Administration directed the transfer of 17 violent illegal immigrant terrorists from the U.S. to El Salvador.
      • The Trump Administration, with state and local law enforcement, successfully arrested more than 40 individuals in a Texas operation targeting the brutal Tren de Aragua gang.
      • The Trump Administration deported an illegal immigrant “influencer” who infamously encouraged fellow illegal immigrants to become squatters.
      • Since taking office, the Trump Administration has arrested 113,000+ illegal immigrants, deported 100,000+ illegal immigrants, and released just nine illegal immigrants into the U.S. — a staggering 99.995% decrease over the same period last year under Biden.
    • President Trump implemented his bold plan for reciprocal trade as he seeks to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.
      • Coalition for a Prosperous America: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership.”
      • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef.”
    • Americans saw early results of President Trump’s declaration that the days of economic surrender are over.
      • Nissan abandoned plans to eliminate a shift at its Tennessee production facility.
      • General Motors announced it will increase truck production at its Indiana assembly plant.
      • Guardian Bikes announced it will expand its production capacity and grow its U.S.-based investment.
      • Equipment giant JCB committed to doubling the size of its new U.S. manufacturing facility.
      • Ford Motor Company and Stellantis both announced they will offer U.S. consumers employee pricing on their vehicles.
    • President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
      • President Trump deployed additional military assets to the Middle East as a warning to the Iranian regime.
      • The Trump Administration inked a $2 billion air defense deal with Poland.
      • President Trump secured a pledge from Finland to raise its defense spending to 3% of its GDP.
      • President Trump held a successful call with Egyptian President El-Sisi to discuss the immense progress the U.S. has made in eliminating Houthi terrorists.
      • President Trump had a “productive call” with Vietnamese leader To Lam, who expressed willingness to cut the country’s tariffs on U.S. imports.
    • President Trump’s economic agenda delivered more relief for Americans.
      • The latest jobs report shattered expectations for the second straight month — highlighted by massive private sector job growth, a spike in full-time employment, wage growth, and an expanding labor market.
      • CNBC: “Private companies added 155,000 jobs in March, more than expected”
      • Wholesale egg prices continued to drop, falling to an average price of $3 per dozen — or nearly 60% since January amid the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat the avian bird flu and repopulate the chicken supply.
    • President Trump secured the release of two U.S. citizens detained in Mexico.
    • President Trump signed an executive order to crack down on price gouging and ticket scalping in the entertainment industry.
    • President Trump established the United States Investment Accelerator to attract and facilitate billion-dollar investments in the U.S.
    • The Department of Energy unveiled plans to use thousands of acres of its land — including national laboratory campuses, nuclear sites, and former enrichment plants — to quickly develop data centers that will power the artificial intelligence revolution.
    • The Department of Energy removed additional regulatory barriers on liquefied natural gas exports.
    • The Department of the Treasury launched a new public-private partnership to safeguard the financial system against illicit activities by the Iranian regime and announced additional sanctions against Iran as part of the Trump Administration’s maximum pressure strategy.
    • The Department of the Treasury leveled new sanctions against financiers of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which has flooded our country with deadly fentanyl.
    • The Department of the Treasury announced additional sanctions against a network of Houthi terrorist facilitators.
    • The Department of the Treasury withdrew burdensome, duplicative climate-based financial risk guidelines from the banking industry.
    • The Department of the Interior announced its next oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of America, fulfilling President Trump’s pledge to unleash American energy.
    • The Department of the Interior implemented President Trump’s executive order to enhance public safety, clean up lands, protect federal parks, and preserve historic monuments in the District of Columbia.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services launched a department-wide restructuring to realign with its core mission and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services announced states can bar welfare recipients from using taxpayer dollars to purchase unhealthy soft drinks.
    • The Department of Labor announced it will return $1.4 billion in unused COVID funds back to the U.S. Treasury.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a record number of new agent applications under its new leadership.
    • The Department of Justice dismissed a Biden-era lawsuit against common-sense, effective Georgia election law reforms.
    • The Department of Justice launched investigations into DEI initiatives at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, Irvine.
    • The Department of Justice said it will pursue the death penalty for the accused cold-blooded killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency continued cutting wasteful spending, shuttering a politicized museum erected by the Biden Administration, consolidating office space, and eliminating duplicative grants and contracts — saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Defense directed a review of the military’s physical fitness standards to ensure it remains the strongest, most lethal fighting force on the planet.
    • The Department of Education and the Department of Justice launched a joint effort to ensure rapid investigations into violations of women’s civil rights.
    • The Department of Education issued a final warning to Maine over its ongoing refusal to comply with Title IX by forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Education warned states with unlawful K-12 “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs that they are at risk of losing federal funding.
    • The Department of Education encouraged state education officials to leverage federal funds to support school choice initiatives — a key part of President Trump’s education agenda.
    • The Department of Agriculture paused federal funding to Maine over its unlawful policies forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Agriculture announced sweeping reforms to protect forests and boost domestic timber production.
    • The Department of Transportation announced an updated Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, eliminating DEI and environmental justice requirements that prevented money from getting where it is needed.
    • The Department of Transportation continued making progress on the unprecedented backlog of unfulfilled grants left over by the Biden Administration.
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a streamlined website that efficiently provides vital information to Americans and saves taxpayers in the long run.
    • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services formally removed the option of a third gender on immigration paperwork, further restoring common sense to government.
    • Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Matthew Whittaker was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO — continuing the rapid pace at which President Trump’s nominees receive final approval.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Leads Bipartisan Legislation with Senators Cantwell and Grassley to Stop the Tariff Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    Follows Senate passage of Klobuchar’s bipartisan bill with Senators Kaine and Warner to end President Trump’s tariff taxes on Canada
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to introduce the Trade Review Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would restore congressional oversight over President Trump’s tariff taxes. The bill aims to bring stability and accountability to U.S. trade policy by reestablishing limits on the president’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs without the approval of Congress.
    In addition to Klobuchar, Cantwell, and Grassley, the legislation was cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Warner (D-VA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Peter Welch (D-VT).;
    This legislation follows Senate passage of Klobuchar’s bipartisan resolution with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to end President Trump’s tariff taxes on Canadian goods. It comes amid sharp economic fallout from the President’s new across-the-board tariff taxes on all imports, which triggered a nearly 5% drop in the stock market yesterday—the steepest decline since the pandemic crash in March 2020—and additional losses today. Altogether, Trump’s tariff taxes will raise consumer costs by nearly $4,000 per household—representing the largest tax increase since 1968.
    “President Trump’s tariff tax is raising costs for Americans and creating economic uncertainty. The erratic way these tariffs have been announced, un-announced, and re-announced has made it difficult for families and businesses to plan for the future. That is why I’m introducing bipartisan legislation to restore sanity and stability to our trade policy by ensuring they are subject to additional review and approval.” 
    The Trade Review Act of 2025 reaffirms Congress’ authority over tariffs, as granted in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on presidential tariff actions:
    The president must notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a tariff on imported goods.
    The congressional notification must include the reasoning behind the tariff, and an analysis of the potential economic impact on American businesses and consumers.
    Any new tariff will expire after 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval.
    Congress may terminate any imposed tariffs at any time through a joint resolution of disapproval.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Irish national charged in multistate home repair fraud scheme

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An Irish national illegally residing the United States and initially arrested for immigration violations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been ordered detained on criminal wire fraud and conspiracy charges related to an alleged scheme to defraud homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

    Prior to making an initial appearance April 3 for criminal charges in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, John O’Brien, 28, was arrested for immigration violations on March 28 for violating the terms of his admission and failing to depart the United States as required by October 2021.

    Charging documents allege that O’Brien and others defrauded property owners by inducing them to pay for home repairs that were not needed and often not completed. O’Brien misrepresented the need for the repairs and services, as well as the qualifications of his purported construction business, Traditional Masonry & Construction.

    O’Brien’s alleged fraud scheme came to the attention of law enforcement when an 83-year-old Warwick resident, identified in court documents as Victim 1, contacted the Warwick Police Department to complain that he had been defrauded by a contractor. Victim 1 reported that O’Brien told him that, while doing work in the neighborhood, he observed cracks in Victim 1’s foundation. O’Brien offered to professionally repair the damage to the foundation. O’Brien collected $9,500 from Victim 1. As work proceeded, O’Brien allegedly claimed that further damage was discovered. O’Brien allegedly revised the costs for repairs and sought an additional $80,000 from the victim. A home inspector hired by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island later reviewed the property and found no evidence of a need for these extensive foundation repairs.

    As described in court documents, other alleged victims have been identified who described similar interactions with O’Brien that began with initial, unsolicited recommendations for small home repairs, followed by O’Brien’s purported discovery of major repairs needed, and often a representation that the homeowner’s foundation was in urgent need of repairs. It is estimated that this scheme has defrauded homeowners out of over $1,000,000.

    At the time of O’Brien’s arrest, investigators allegedly seized from his vehicle hundreds of Traditional Masonry & Construction flyers, identical to the ones handed out to the victims in this case, and four binders containing quotes, contracts, and invoices for Traditional Masonry & Construction. The documents and contracts are dated between April 2024 through March 2025, and range from $300 to $205,000. The approximate value of the contracts contained within the binders totaled $1,987,650.00.

    The scheme O’Brien is alleged to have been executing is becoming increasingly common throughout the United States. It has come to be known as Traveling Conman Fraud. According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, Conmen Travelers are groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally. Once in the United States, they go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work. The members often quote a low price and after further inspection, demand much more money and convince the homeowner that their property is in need of major repairs. The fraudsters often hire day laborers; do not have work authorization documents or pull permits; and do low quality, unnecessary, or incomplete work, sometimes damaging homeowners’ residences.

    A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Providence and the Warwick and East Providence Departments.

    ICE HSI and the United States Attorney’s Office recommend consumers follow a few simple rules to lessen the likelihood of being defrauded by this organization or others:

    • Be very cautious with offers from contractors who visit unsolicited saying they noticed a problem that needs to be fixed.
    • Don’t fall victim to high pressure scare tactics. Proceed cautiously before you commit to allowing work to be done.
    • Get at least one second opinion and cost estimate.
    • Check that contractors have a legitimate business address and consider visiting to verify that the business does exist.
    • Verify that the contractor is licensed before agreeing to have any work started. In Rhode Island, confirm licensing information on the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board website; in Massachusetts check the website of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
    • Ensure that the contractor obtains permits to do the work from your local city or town before work begins. Ask to see the permit and verify its authenticity with your city or town.
    • Beware of schemes where work is begun with a relatively small job and then the contractor claims to have found far greater damage that will cost significantly more money to repair
    • Don’t leave new or unfamiliar contractors alone at your house, even if they’re working outside. Bad actors may intentionally cause damage. Keep a close eye on work being done.

    If you or someone you know believes they may have fallen victim to the Traveling Conman Fraud scheme, you are urged to contact ICE HSI via email at HSINewEnglandVictimAssistance@hsi.dhs.gov or via the ICE Tipline by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lubbock Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a 10-year-old Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who sexually abused a child for over two years was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    Alec Mendoza, 26, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in May 2024.  He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to enticement of a minor and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

    According to court documents, Mendoza first met the victim, “Jane Doe” and Doe’s mother at a party in 2020 when Doe was 10 years old, and Mendoza was 22 years old.  Mendoza began messaging Doe online and on Valentine’s Day 2021, Mendoza began sexually abusing Doe.  At the time, Doe was 11 years old, and Mendoza was 23 years old.

    Soon after Mendoza began abusing Doe, Mendoza moved into Doe’s family home.  For the next two and a half years, Mendoza had sexual intercourse with Doe approximately 30-50 times.  Mendoza would also send messages to Doe discussing sex and would remind Doe to delete her messages.

    In December 2023, Mendoza was caught sending text messages to Doe in the middle of the night from his bedroom down the hall.  Doe’s mother confronted Mendoza about the messages and Mendoza admitted to having an ongoing sexual relationship with Doe.

    At sentencing, the government noted that following his conviction, Mendoza agreed to take a polygraph examination.  Mendoza failed the polygraph.  In his post-polygraph interview, Mendoza confessed to also sexually abusing a second child.  A search warrant of Mendoza’s phone also revealed Mendoza to be in possession of 20 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).  Mendoza admitted to law enforcement to receiving and distributing CSAM over the Internet.

    At sentencing, Judge Hendrix told Mendoza that he could not “capture with words the trauma you caused that will last for lifetimes.”  In imposing a life sentence, Judge Hendrix said: “I have to make a lot of difficult decisions.  This is not one of them.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Cosponsors Bill to Restore Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cosponsored a bipartisan bill today to restore Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. The Trade Review Act of 2025 would require congressional approval of unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch. The bill was introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). 
    “I have continually emphasized that a trade war is not in the best interest of American households and businesses. Regardless of intentions, tariffs are bad policy. Tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for consumers an average of an additional $1,200 per year. Free trade is essential to Kentucky’s economic success. Many thousands of jobs in our biggest industries – auto manufacturing, bourbon production, and agriculture – rely on America’s export economy,” said Senator McConnell. “I am proud to join my colleagues in support of bipartisan legislation to reinstate the role of Congress in U.S. trade policy, which would require Congress to approve any new trade policies and tariffs.” 
    The bipartisan bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8. Under this legislation: 
    To enact a new tariff, the president must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours.
    The congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and
    Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers.
    Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline.
    Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
    Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ethnic Communities Minister outlines key priorities

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Distinguished guests, community leaders, business representatives, and faith leaders.
    It is my pleasure as the Minister for Ethnic Communities to address you today. 
    New Zealand is home to speakers of more than 170 languages, and while I would love to greet you in each one, for now let me extend a warm welcome to you all with a simple “Kia ora. Tēnā koutou, katoa.”
    I would like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to everyone here today.  Your dedication and contributions continue to strengthen the fabric of our nation.
    I also wish to thank those of you who have shared your insights and experiences, providing valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities. Your input is critical in shaping policies and initiatives that reflect the needs of all New Zealanders.
    It is a privilege to serve as the Minister for Ethnic Communities. When the Prime Minister invited me to take on this role, I was deeply honoured and excited by the opportunity to support and champion the diverse communities that make up our nation.
    Almost one in four people in New Zealand belong to an Ethnic Community. In Auckland, that number rises to one in three. These communities contribute immeasurably to our country—bringing expertise, knowledge, and cultural vibrancy that enriches every aspect of New Zealand life.
    I was fortunate enough to become Minister just in time to host the Lunar New Year event at Parliament, which was a vibrant and wonderful celebration.
    And in a couple of days, I will be hosting Eid celebrations as well, and I look forward to recognising and celebrating the many other significant cultural events that unite our communities throughout the year. 
    Today, I would like to outline my priorities as your Minister and share my vision for how we can work together to achieve meaningful outcomes.  I will get to that shortly.  First, a bit about myself. 
    I bring my own experience to this role.  I have lived in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. I have lived and worked in many communities sharing the challenges they faced and immersing myself in the culture and history of their countries.
    I am constantly learning but my experience has helped me understand where our ethnic communities come from, what is important to them, some of the challenges and complexities of making a new country home, and the richness and value they have brought to New Zealand, whether they arrived a week ago or 100 years ago. 
    Recently at an event celebrating EID I was able to talk to 3 young 2nd generation Somali Kiwis about Somalia. The beauty of the country, rich in history and with so much potential but facing continued challenges.
    They love being Kiwis and love New Zealand but remain so proud of their Somali heritage. 
    My message is I’m a 4th generation Kiwi of Irish descent and very proud of both being Kiwi and of my Irish heritage. I have the privilege of not just looking through the eyes of our ethnic communities through a New Zealand lens but also in many cases through the country-of-origin lens. 
    I believe this experience will help me be an informed, effective, passionate Minister and advocate, providing loyal service to our Ethnic Communities.
    My priorities
    There are four key areas that I will focus on as Minister to ensure that Ethnic Communities thrive in New Zealand: economic growth, security and resilience, emergency management, and social cohesion.
    Economic growth
    First, economic growth.
    Many of you will have seen the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech.  In that speech, the PM focused almost exclusively on economic growth as the main priority for our Government.
    Why? Because economic growth is vital for improving quality of life. For delivering better infrastructure. For providing Kiwis with more choices. And for giving a sense that better days lie ahead.
    Ethnic Communities already make a huge contribution to our economy.
    In 2021, this contribution was estimated at $64 billion. The average value of export goods for ethnic businesses is more than double the New Zealand average.  However, there are barriers that need to be addressed to unlock the full potential of these businesses.
    At the Ethnic Xchange business symposium the Ministry facilitated last year, people identified what the Government could do to increase foreign investment.  Business owners said long waiting times with the Overseas Investment Office and a lack of coordination between agencies put off foreign investors.
    The Government is taking action. We are setting up Invest New Zealand to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ to attract and promote foreign investment. 
    We are making changes to the Overseas Investment Act to make investment rules less restrictive and more welcoming of investment.
    The changes will ensure that for many investments, decisions will be made in just 15 days, where the application isn’t contrary to New Zealand’s national interest. 
    And we announced changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa to simplify the categories, increase the scope of acceptable investments and remove other potential barriers to investment, such as the English language requirement.
    Last month, we held a global infrastructure investment summit to showcase New Zealand’s infrastructure pipeline and growth sectors.
    You may be aware that I recently travelled to India with the Prime Minister.
    During that trip I saw first-hand the value and strength of the relationship between New Zealand and India, and our trading relationship was very clear.  All of this shows the Government’s commitment to growing the economy.
    Security and resilience
    Second, I want to talk about security and resilience.
    Foreign interference affects the safety and security of everyone in New Zealand.  The Government is clear that we do not condone foreign interference in New Zealand. It is particularly concerning that some members of our Ethnic Communities are experiencing undue pressure and suppression of rights from foreign states. This is unacceptable.
    As Minister, I want to acknowledge that Ethnic Communities’ resilience is a national security asset to all of New Zealand.  I’m committed to delivering practical support that will help our communities to withstand foreign interference and to ask for help when they need it.
    We’ve released resources in 24 languages to raise awareness about foreign interference in New Zealand. Including case studies, information about your rights, keeping safe online and how to report foreign interference.
    This is only the beginning of the work. I know the Ministry for Ethnic Communities is working hard, including looking internationally, to ensure what it produces for our communities is world-class.
    While we’ve started to shine a light on foreign interference there is more to be done.  Work will continue with a range of communities to develop and release more resources later this year.
    Emergency management
    Third, I want to talk about emergency management.
    We can’t get away from the fact that New Zealand is prone to emergencies. Many of us have experienced the devastating impacts of floods, cyclones and earthquakes, and have learned about them first hand.
    Recent events have highlighted gaps in the system, particularly in how emergency responses account for the linguistic, cultural, and religious needs of Ethnic Communities.
    The support provided was often not responsive to language, cultural or religious needs. And important information in different languages was slow in getting to the people who needed it.
    The Government has committed to making changes to the emergency management system to ensure it is fit for purpose. 
    The changes will build capability and capacity, support local government and help different parts of the system to work better together.  They are based on the idea that everyone needs to be part of preparing and responding to emergencies and recovering afterwards.
    Our Ethnic Communities often stand up in times of emergencies to provide life services for the entire community.  I have asked NEMA to make sure this important role is formally recognised and codified in the new Emergency Management legislation. 
    There has been positive progress made in recent years.  The Get Ready website, which provides information about what to do before, during and after an emergency, is translated into 14 languages. This proved to be a valuable resource during Cyclone Gabrielle.
    NEMA have also told me they are close to completing a resource about what support is available and where to find it. 
    This resource can be distributed to communities in multiple languages as soon an emergency happens, rather than taking days to develop and translate.
    You can have confidence that the needs of Ethnic Communities will be reflected in NEMA’s work. 
    Social cohesion
    Finally, I want to talk about social cohesion.
    New Zealand is becoming increasingly diverse.  With Ethnic Communities expected to make up one-third of the population in the next two decades, it is essential that we build cohesive and safe communities.
    We must build an inclusive society where all communities feel a sense of belonging and where discrimination and prejudice have no place. 
    I have heard concerns from many of you about experiences of harassment, Islamophobia, and antisemitism. These are issues we must confront directly.
    I’m also particularly concerned about the impact geopolitical events overseas are having on domestic social cohesion.
    It’s important we don’t let overseas tensions and conflict play out between our communities here.
    I am committed to listening, learning and taking action to deliver relevant and tangible initiatives that will make a difference for Ethnic Communities.
    Ensuring that we don’t just talk about social cohesion but do things to actively strengthen it.
    I want to explore more ways to foster Ethnic Communities’ sense of belonging to and integration with New Zealand society.
    I would like better ways to bring faith and community leaders together to build bridges and unite communities.
    The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is actively fostering social cohesion through community engagement, interfaith dialogue, and targeted funding. And I am committed to continuing these efforts and identifying further ways to strengthen ties between communities.
    Other issues
    While some issues fall outside my direct ministerial responsibilities, I remain committed to advocating for the needs of Ethnic Communities.
    For example, mental health remains a pressing concern. 
    Research indicates that Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African youth face disproportionately high rates of mental health struggles, yet cultural barriers often prevent individuals from seeking help. 
    I will work closely with the Minister for Mental Health to ensure that culturally appropriate support services are accessible to all who need them.
    Closing
    New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities make an invaluable contribution to our society—socially, culturally, and economically. My commitment as Minister is to ensure that these contributions are recognised, valued, and celebrated.
    By working together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive nation—one where diversity is seen as a strength, and where every community has the opportunity to thrive.
    Thank you for being here today.  I look forward to continuing these important conversations and strengthening our relationships.
    Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Awards $27,500 in Funds to Habitat for Humanity Through FHLBank Indianapolis Grant Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Federal Savings Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBank Indianapolis), awarded Habitat for Humanity $27,500 in grant funds through the Community Multiplier – Member Match Program.

    The $27,500 grant will support Habitat for Humanity’s educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners.

    “We are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in support of their educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP, Marketing Manager at First Federal Savings Bank. “Homeownership is a cornerstone of financial stability, and by investing in these programs, we are helping individuals and families build stronger, more secure futures. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering communities through financial education and support.”

    Beth Folz, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Evansville stated “We were excited to hear from First Federal Savings Bank that we had been selected to receive this wonderful grant from the Community Multiplier program. We are thrilled for the future Habitat homeowners who will be impacted by the financial education programs that we can offer due to this tremendous support.”

    The Community Multiplier – Member Match program is FHLBank Indianapolis’ newest program offering, designed to support targeted affordable housing initiatives that fall outside of FHLBank Indianapolis’ other grant programs. Community Multiplier offers grants between $25,000 and $125,000 for non-profit organizations headquartered in Indiana or Michigan who partner with an FHLBank Indianapolis member financial institution on targeted affordable housing initiatives. With a 10% matching funds commitment from the member financial institution, FHLBank Indianapolis is providing grants between $25,000 and $125,000. The program opened March 27, 2025 with a $5 million allocation and is available until October 1, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.

    You’re Invited

    To celebrate this meaningful partnership, First Federal Savings Bank and Habitat for Humanity of Evansville will host a press conference and check presentation ceremony on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:30 PM CST at First Federal Savings Bank’s corporate headquarters located at 5001 Davis Lant Drive Evansville, IN 47715. We invite the members of the media, community partners, and the public to join us as we present a $27,500 contribution in support of Habitat for Humanity’s mission to provide educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis: Building Partnerships. Serving Communities.

    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: World premiere of Vancouver director Lyana Patrick’s feature documentary Nechako at DOXA. Lantern Films/Experimental Forest Films/NFB co-production follows two Indigenous Nations fighting for our collective future.

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    April 3, 2025 – Vancouver – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

    Stellat’en First Nation filmmaker Lyana Patrick’s feature doc Nechako: It Will Be a Big River Again will be making its world premiere in her home base of Vancouver in the DOXA Documentary Film Festival’s Justice Forum.

    A Lantern Films/Experimental Forest Films/National Film Board of Canada (NFB) co-production, Nechako will be presented at the VIFF Centre (1181 Seymour Street) on Saturday, May 3, at 5 p.m., followed by a panel discussion with the director and special guests.

    About the film

    • When the Kenney Dam was built in the 1950s, 70 percent of BC’s Nechako River was diverted into an artificial reservoir, severely impacting the lives of local Stellat’en and Saik’uz Nations. What followed were decades of resistance, including legal actions against the Canadian federal and provincial governments and Rio Tinto Alcan, a subsidiary of a global mining conglomerate.
    • Nechakofollows the people fighting today to restore a river and a way of life: Nations going up against industry, community leaders advocating for their people, Elders documenting their histories and community members living off the land.

    About the director

    • Committed to elevating Indigenous stories, Lyana Patrick studied film at the Native Voices Program, University of Washington. Her acclaimed short films A Place to Belongand The Train Station have been showcased at prestigious festivals like Hot Docs, DOC NYC and the Vancouver International Film Festival.

    – 30 –

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlement with California-Based HomeOptions over Predatory Real Estate Scheme

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    HomeOptions must terminate all liens and contracts in California and pay over $570,000 in penalties and restitution to homeowners 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced reaching a settlement with HomeOptions, a realty company based in Oakland that engaged in a predatory real estate scheme impacting over 500 California homeowners, and its Chief Executive Officer. In partnership with Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley and Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch, Attorney General Bonta launched an investigation into HomeOptions that found the company lured financially vulnerable homeowners with an immediate payment of a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars in exchange for the exclusive right to be the homeowner’s real estate listing agent for the next 20 years, entered into unlawful contracts with those homeowners, deceptively recorded liens against the homeowners’ homes, and forced homeowners to pay tens of thousands of dollars in illegal fees to remove those liens so that they could transfer title or obtain home loans. HomeOptions misrepresented the nature of its agreements, included unlawful breach and early termination penalty terms in its contracts, and violated California’s Real Estate Law, state and federal telemarketing laws, and federal lending laws. As part of the settlement, HomeOptions has agreed to terminate all liens and contracts in California, pay full restitution to victims, and pay civil penalties. 

    “HomeOptions’ business practices can be summed up in one word: predatory. This settlement holds the company accountable and provides immediate relief to California homeowners,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Homeowners will regain full control over their homes, without having to worry about a HomeOptions lien ever again. And homeowners who have already paid early termination penalties to HomeOptions will get all of their money returned. Let there be no doubt that, in California, we will enforce the law against unscrupulous businesses that exploit vulnerable consumers.”

    “Napa will not stand mute to the predation of those who victimize our citizenry,” said Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley. “I am gratified that by our action, all the exclusive listing agreements with California consumers are rendered void and unenforceable.”

    “Homeowners are entitled to be safe in their homes and not fall prey to scams intended to extract their home equity,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch. “This settlement rightly provides full restitution to all victims and prevents HomeOptions and its CEO from engaging in these practices again.” 

    The settlement announced today requires HomeOptions to: 

    • Terminate all liens that it recorded on California homeowners’ homes. Because these liens clouded title, homeowners often could not transfer title or obtain home loans without paying HomeOptions to terminate those liens. By requiring termination of all liens, the settlement will likely save impacted homeowners tens of thousands of dollars each.
    • Void all contracts that it entered into with California homeowners. These contracts required homeowners to pay steep fees if they did not use HomeOptions real estate agents. By voiding these contracts and requiring HomeOptions to stop any enforcement or collection efforts on these contracts, the settlement allows homeowners to list their homes with any real estate agent of their choosing and releases them from all obligations and payments to HomeOptions.
    • Pay full restitution, totaling over $400,000, to homeowners who previously paid HomeOptions illegal fees, including to remove their liens.
    • Pay approximately $170,000 in civil penalties.

    California has passed legislation to prohibit predatory schemes like the one HomeOptions engaged in. On October 8, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 1345, which Attorney General Bonta sponsored and went into effect on January 1, 2024. AB 1345 imposes a two-year limit on residential exclusive listing agreements and prohibits the filing of those agreements with a county recorder. HomeOptions ceased entering into California homeowner agreements in 2024. 

    A copy of the complaint can be found here. A copy of the stipulated judgment can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –