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  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Exposes Big Tech as Willing Collaborators in Censorship: ‘They Own It’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Tuesday, March 25, 2025

    Today in a hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) exposed how Big Tech uses its market power to squelch competition, suppress conservative voices, and even sway voters and control elections, such as when they buried the infamous Hunter Biden laptop story just days before the 2020 presidential election. 
    “It was their decision. They own it. And truthfully Facebook and others had a pattern of censoring long before this,” Hawley said, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claim that the company was pressured into censorship by the Biden Administration. “They have been avid participants in this censorship campaign.”
    [embedded content]
    “Companies like Facebook, Meta have enormous structural power that Mark Zuckerberg has spent [. . .] billions of dollars amassing. He has worked to destroy competitors who might break that power up or challenge that power in any way. He has used that power to stifle competition. He’s using it to stifle views he doesn’t like,” Senator Hawley continued. “This is a textbook example of what happens when a monopoly that has a political agenda [. . .] uses that monopoly in order to try to control other competitors and also to try to control the information that flows to the American people.” 
    Senator Hawley concluded that until these companies are stripped of their power, nothing will change. 
    Senator Hawley has been vocal about holding Big Tech accountable. Earlier this month, he held a hearing to highlight Big Tech’s role in facilitating child exploitation on their platforms. He has also advocated for those victimized by Big Tech and harmful AI, including having their voice and images used without their consent. 
    Watch the full exchange here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia stands firm behind its foreign aid in the budget, but the future remains precarious

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne

    This week’s budget will come as a relief to Australia’s neighbours in the Indo-Pacific that rely on development assistance. The Albanese government did not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in cutting its foreign aid.

    The Trump administration froze foreign assistance and dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID) when it came into office. Meanwhile, the UK announced 40% aid cuts of its own.

    It is to Australia’s credit this has not happened here. Australia’s development budget remains intact this year and in forward estimates.

    Sensible policymakers seem to recognise that Australia’s strategic circumstances are different. As a nation surrounded by low- and middle-income countries, Australia cannot vacate the field on development issues without enormous reputational, diplomatic and strategic damage.

    This budget shows Australia is committed to its region – with 75% of the foreign assistance budget flowing to the Indo-Pacific – and sees development partnerships as a way to solve shared problems.

    What’s in the budget for aid and development

    The details of the development budget show Australia has been listening to its partners to identify critical gaps and reprioritise funds.

    In the Pacific, funding has risen to a historic high, with no country receiving less aid. There have been changes in focus to respond to the US funding cuts, including programs on HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea and Fiji and gender-based violence in the Pacific.

    This fits with Australia’s desire to be a partner of choice – and to prevent an increased Chinese presence in the region.

    In Southeast Asia, Australia has increased its aid to all countries and has shifted funding, particularly in health where the US was a major donor.

    This is in Australia’s interest. A new program on Indonesian human and animal health, for example, will help prevent health system failures in areas such as tuberculosis and polio elimination on Australia’s doorstep.

    Funds have also been reallocated to support civil society organisations working in vital areas like media freedom and human rights, which would have been a casualty in the US cuts.

    There was also a shift in humanitarian funding to Myanmar and Bangladesh, where the US aid withdrawal has left Rohingya refugees in a desperate state.

    Importantly, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is helping local organisations survive US cuts by allowing temporary flexibility in the use of grant funding to help them continue to deliver essential services.

    Beyond these reprioritisations, the other heartening thing about the budget is its normality.

    It maintains funding for assistive technology for people with disabilities and an Inclusion and Equality Fund to support LGBTQIA+ civil society organisations and human rights defenders. There are programs on maternal health, including reproductive rights.

    The future is still precarious

    However, it would be wrong to think this budget will fill the gaps left by the US withdrawal.

    The ANU Development Policy Centre estimates that traditional OECD donors will cut at least 25% of their aid by 2027. It said, “when that much of a thing goes missing, it’s clearly at risk of collapse”.

    Some development organisations will close their doors, potentially including household names that Australians have donated to for years. This is a time of huge transformation for the sector.

    Another future problem will be maintaining multilateral institutions that rely on US funding – including the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, World Bank and Asian Development Bank. This will require a concerted effort with other countries.

    So, while the Australian budget shows a government deploying current funding as intelligently as possible, there will eventually be limits to this approach.

    In the “new world of uncertainty” described in the treasurer’s budget speech, it simply won’t be possible to meet Australia’s strategic aims and keep development spending at its current rate. It is still far away from 1% of the federal budget.

    At some point, Australia must rethink the trajectory of its international commitments.

    Analysis by the Development Intelligence Lab, a think tank working on development cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, has shown that over the last 25 years, the international parts of the federal budget – defence, intelligence, diplomacy and development – have held steady at around 10%.

    In a time of disruption, this might need to change. In 1949, for example, Australia invested almost 9% of the federal budget on development and diplomacy alone – not including defence.

    Those in the foreign aid sector can celebrate Australia has not pulled back on its commitments like the US and UK. At the same time, we should expect the next government will inevitably be called on to do more.

    Melissa Conley Tyler is Executive Director at the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D), an initiative funded by the foreign affairs and defence portfolios and hosted by the Australian Council for International Development..

    – ref. Australia stands firm behind its foreign aid in the budget, but the future remains precarious – https://theconversation.com/australia-stands-firm-behind-its-foreign-aid-in-the-budget-but-the-future-remains-precarious-253028

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Cuddles for crims out, rights for victims in

    Source: ACT Party

    Welcoming the third-reading passage of sentencing reforms today, ACT Justice spokesperson Todd Stephenson says:

    “Cuddling criminals didn’t work, so ACT campaigned on restoring consequences for crime, and rights for victims. Now, that’s written into law,” says Mr Stephenson.

    “The reforms passed today deliver on ACT coalition commitments to create new aggravating factors for crimes against people working sole charge, or in a business attached to the family home.

    “We also committed to giving greater weight to the needs of victims and communities over offenders. That’s come to pass with the principles of sentencing amended to include requirement to take into account information provided to the court about victims’ interests.

    “Protecting the safety and property of New Zealanders is the government’s first and most important job. That’s why ACT is restoring balance to a system that has become too focused on criminals instead of victims.”

    On retail crime:

    “People working alone feel especially vulnerable, as do those who work in a business attached to the family home, because they can’t flee without putting loved ones at risk,” says ACT Ethnic Communities spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

    “I’ve met with shop workers and retailers in Auckland, who have taken costly security measures just so they feel safe as they provide for their families. It is heartbreaking because many people come to New Zealand and take these jobs with the understanding that this is a safe country.

    “Now, these workers’ vulnerability is recognised in law. It is a great example of how ACT celebrates the contribution of peaceful and productive communities.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PSNA calls on NZ govt to condemn renewed Israel air strikes on Gaza – 320 killed

    Asia Pacific Report

    A national Palestinian advocacy group has called on the Aotearoa New Zealand government to immediately condemn Israel for its resumption today of “genocidal attacks” on the almost 2 million Palestinians trapped in the besieged Gaza enclave.

    Media reports said that more than 320 people had been killed — many of them children — in a wave of predawn attacks by Israel to break the fragile ceasefire that had been holding since mid-January.

    The renewed war on Gaza comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis that has persisted for 16 days since March 1.

    This followed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to block the entry of all aid and goods, cut water and electricity, and shut down the Strip’s border crossings at the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

    “Immediate condemnation of Israel’s resumption of attacks on Gaza must come from the New Zealand government”, said co-national chair John Minto of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) in a statement.

    “Israel has breached the January ceasefire agreement multiple times and is today relaunching its genocidal attacks against the Palestinian people of Gaza.”

    Israeli violations
    He said that in the last few weeks Israel had:

    • refused to negotiate the second stage of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas which would see a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza;
    • Issued a complete ban on food, water, fuel and medical supplies entering Gaza — “a war crime of epic proportions”; and
    • Cut off the electricity supply desperately needed to, for example, operate desalination plants for water supplies.

    ‘Cowardly silence’
    “The New Zealand government response has been a cowardly silence when the people of New Zealand have been calling for sanctions against Israel for its genocide,” Minto said.

    “The government is out of touch with New Zealanders but in touch with US/Israel.

    “Foreign Minister Winston Peters seems to be explaining his silence as ‘keeping his nerve’.

    Minto said that for the past 17 months, minister Peters had condemned every act of Palestinian resistance against 77 years of brutal colonisation and apartheid policies.

    “But he has refused to condemn any of the countless war crimes committed by Israel during this time — including the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war.

    “Speaking out to condemn Israel now is our opportunity to force it to reconsider and begin negotiations on stage two of the ceasefire agreement Israel is trying to walk away from.

    “Palestinians and New Zealanders deserve no less.”

    A Netanyahu “Wanted” sign at last Saturday’s pro-Palestinian rally in “Palestinian Corner”, Auckland . . . in reference to the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued last November against the Israeli Prime Minister and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Image: APR

    ‘Devastating sounds’
    Al Jazeera reporter Maram Humaid said from Gaza: “We woke up to the devastating sounds of multiple explosions as a series of air attacks targeted various areas across the Gaza Strip, from north to south, including Jabalia, Gaza City, Nuseirat, Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis.”

    Protesters picket outside the US Consulate in Auckland today in protest against Israel resuming air strikes on the besieged Gaza enclave. Image: Kathy Ross/APR

    “The strikes hit homes, residential buildings, schools sheltering displaced people and tents, resulting in a significant number of casualties, including women and children, especially since the attacks occurred during sleeping hours.

    The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 232 people had been killed in today’s Israeli raids.

    The Palestinian resistance group Hamas called on people of Arab and Islamic nations — and the “free people of the world” — to take to the streets in protest over the devastating attack.

    Hamas urged people across the world to “raise their voice in rejection of the resumption of the Zionist war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip”.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Shareholder activism: reflections on the current, and future, landscape

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Campaigns keep evolving, with more high stakes ahead 11 min read

    Last year was another big one for shareholder activists globally, with investor sentiment in 2024 taking its cues from disruption across the broader economic and geopolitical landscape. Closer to home, activity was more stable in Australia—as it typically is, owing to our smaller footprint, more stringent company laws and stable markets—but campaigns continue to evolve, with activists refining their strategies to both capitalise on financial opportunities and seek redress for governance concerns.

    We expect high stakes for the rest of the year as the Trump administration’s policies upend commercial and regulatory settings and potentially tip the scales in favour of activists. While shareholder activism is now a standard part of the investment landscape in the US, the practice is reverberating around Australia and the rest of the world.

    In this Insight, we bring together the key takeaways from 2024 and provide our thoughts on what we see ahead.

    A snapshot of the numbers

    Activist activity has well and truly bounced back from the subdued levels brought about by the pandemic.

    Over 1000 companies were targeted by activist campaigns worldwide for the second consecutive year.1 The US continues to be the epicentre of activity, with nearly 600 US-listed companies facing activist demands, marking a 7% increase from 2023 and 16% from 2022. There was a strong showing from non-traditional and first-time activists—a record-breaking 160 different investors launched campaigns in the US in 2024, which included 45 first-time activists, also a record.

    Activity in Asia was similarly strong (particularly in Japan and South Korea), though Europe trended down, owing to ongoing disruption brought about by the conflict in Ukraine and generally subdued economic activity. There, the United Kingdom hosts the lion’s share of activity, with 42% of campaigns targeting British companies.

    Australia saw a modest rise in activity year on year, with 56 companies targeted, up nominally from the 54 campaigns recorded in 2023. While the volume of campaigns remained steady, the effectiveness of Australian activists improved—activists were assessed as having achieved their objectives in 25% of resolved campaigns, up from 16% in 2023.

    Despite this, Australian activists struggled to secure board representation in target companies, with only seven board seats gained in 2024, down significantly from 26 in 2023. This divergence suggests that although activism remains a powerful force for corporate engagement, the dominant institutional investors and influential proxy advisors remain selective and largely hesitant in delivering changes at the board level.

    All up, campaign volumes continue to be strong, though success is trickier to measure. Whether the public demands of activists are met is one tangible way of assessing effectiveness, but the overall impact of a campaign can often manifest in less direct ways. For example, the opportunity cost of management in responding to a campaign, the inherent value derived from the ensuing publicity and any derivative or other trading in the target securities—and, of course, the concessions that play out behind closed doors—often contribute to the effectiveness of shareholder activism.

    Stories from the front line

    These are some of the headline-grabbing campaigns that played out in the last year or so that have set the tone for activist causes.

    One of the most closely watched activist campaigns was Glenview Capital’s attempt to gain board representation at CVS Health. Glenview increased its stake in CVS in the third quarter of 2024 by 31%, making its US$635 million holding (equivalent to 1% of the stock) the largest of all three activist hedge funds with an interest in the company. The intervention came following a 27% drop in share price since the beginning of 2024, a market reaction reportedly attributed to higher medical costs in CVS’s insurance segment caused by an influx of medical procedures delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Glenview secured four board seats in November 2024, including Glenview CEO Larry Robbins. It was reported that the board appointments were made amid the prospect of Glenview initiating a public and more aggressive proxy fight. This case highlights the increasing sophistication of activist investors targeting high-profile global companies, and underscores the importance of clear, proactive shareholder engagement strategies—a strategy that Australian boards should observe as activism intensifies.

    The activist campaign led by Elliott Investment Management resulted in a change of CEO at Starbucks and a correspondent increase in share value by 24%, equating to US$26 billion in value and marking the company’s most successful day since its initial public offering in 1992.

    In July 2024, it was reported that Elliott had become one of the largest investors in Starbucks, and sought to leverage its position by presenting a proposal to the board for an overhaul of domestic and international strategy. The move followed the stock price having declined by 24% since the former CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, was appointed in March 2023. While Elliott approached the board in private and did not publicly advocate for a replacement CEO, there were persistent leaks to the media, which commentators assessed as likely prompting the decision. On 13 August 2024, the board announced the appointment of Brian Niccol, former CEO of restaurant chain Chipotle, who is credited with Chipotle’s modernisation and an increase in its stock price by 770% since 2018.

    The campaign illustrates that one response strategy in dealing with activists, particularly high-profile investors, can be to move pre-emptively to instigate change before the issues are forced.

    In June 2024, Elliott also disclosed an 11% economic stake in Southwest Airlines worth US$1.9 billion, and converted enough of its derivate holdings in September to amass a 10% common stock holding that enabled Elliott to call a special meeting. Conversely to its approach for Starbucks, it engaged in a more public campaign, by proposing that ‘enhancing the board, upgrading leadership and a comprehensive business review’ were necessary to increase Southwest’s stock price. In October 2024, it was announced that Southwest would appoint five independent directors nominated by Elliott in addition to another board member, and that the former chief executive and then chairman would accelerate his retirement. Following the announcement of the personnel changes, Elliott withdrew its demand for a special shareholder meeting intended to replace 10 members of Southwest’s 15-person board. Elliott’s influence has continued to grow since then, with Southwest disclosing on 19 February 2025 that the company’s agreement with Elliott has been amended to increase the maximum aggregate economic exposure that Elliott may acquire, from 14.9% to 19.9%, but limit it from acquiring more than 12.49% of outstanding common stock until 1 April 2026. When Elliott disclosed its position in June 2024, the Southwest stock price was US$29.70, and as at 14 March 2025, it was US$31.73.

    Consistent with the sentiments of the Trump administration’s focus on rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, a group of Apple shareholders submitted on 25 February 2025 a proposal titled ‘Request to Cease DEI Efforts’. This was rejected at Apple’s shareholder meeting in February 2025, with 97.67% of the vote being against the proposal. The campaign against Apple is one of several anti-DEI proposals that have been levied against prominent companies, including Costco, where the proposal was defeated by 98% of votes, and farm equipment maker John Deere, where the proposal was defeated by 98.7%. These proposals have attracted significant attention, by harnessing viral social media campaigns advocating for customer boycotts, inundating company social media accounts with negative comments, and lobbing the threat of lawsuits alleging that DEI initiatives constitute a breach of fiduciary duty. Despite the spotlight (or perhaps because of it?), shareholders of the world’s most valuable listed company voted overwhelmingly not to abandon its DEI initiatives.

    Activist themes

    We see two broad themes that motivate activists at the moment. For the reasons set out in the next section, we think the global economic and geopolitical settings provide an opportunity to shape activist behaviours.

    First, there is the more traditional activist strategy where professional investors identify companies that they perceive could optimise their performance or enhance their governance structures, and then seek to exert influence to encourage the company to focus on increasing shareholder returns. They do this by pushing for one or a combination of:

    Second, there is the rising influence of public sentiment and political undercurrents playing out in the theatre of public markets, and the volatility that comes with it. Activist campaigns are increasingly becoming a proxy for broader societal dissatisfaction.

    In Australia, this dual-track activism—balancing financial imperatives with political and social influences—reinforces the heightened investor expectations for action and accountability for these issues at the board level.

    For instance, shareholder dissent on pay has markedly increased in Australia recently, seeing over 40 strikes among ASX 300 companies in 2023 and 2024, compared with 22–26 strikes recorded between 2018 and 2022.2 Among those receiving a strike was the Australian Securities Exchange itself, with 26.15% of votes against the adoption of the remuneration report. Commentators assessed that the vote was an expression of shareholder dissatisfaction with the $250 million write-down and anticipated cost of a further $300 million to replace the CHESS technology system. Although 13 companies in the ASX 300 received a second strike in 2024, not a single board spill proposal came close to succeeding, with none receiving more than 20% of votes in favour.3 This demonstrates that while strikes are increasing, this is not being accompanied by momentum to trigger broader change to leadership structures—it would appear that shareholders are looking to use their vote to send a shot across the bow as an appropriate warning, rather than achieve a fundamental governance reset.

    Shareholders and special interest groups have also used the proxy forum to express dissatisfaction regarding climate action, reflecting broader societal concerns around environmental sustainability and climate change. Last year, Market Forces led an activist campaign against Woodside Energy, advocating for an overhaul to its climate transition action plan and encouraging other shareholders to push for further board renewal at the 2025 AGM. At the AGM in April 2024, 58.4% of proxies cast were against the transition strategy, following three hours of questions. Earlier this month, another activist shareholder group, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, advised investors to vote against the re-election of all three directors standing at the 2025 AGM and continues to integrate climate concerns into its analysis of shareholder returns.

    There is a similar experience in the UK, where Shell shareholders are still asked to vote on resolutions brought by activists to align the company’s medium-term emissions reduction targets with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and to factor ‘Scope 3’ emissions from fuels burnt by consumers into such calculations. Although the resolution received just 18.6% support from shareholders in 2024 (down 1.4% from 2023), the sustained pressure and media exposure may have contributed to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) proposals instead advanced by Shell’s board.

    For a more detailed analysis of the specific tactics that activists deploy pursuing these issues and how companies can prepare, see our earlier Insight.

    Our expectations for the road ahead

    Economic and geopolitical disruption to fuel activity

    The global economy is currently experiencing disruption. The focal point is, of course, the US, where the combination of (promised) tax cuts and deregulation will free up capital for investors to pursue short-term opportunities. As the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Chair, John Lonsdale, remarked in his recent address at the Australian Financial Review Banking Summit, ‘what happens in the world’s biggest economy has implications for the world, and therefore for Australia’. We thus expect the positive conditions for activists will spill across borders, and perhaps the momentum will too—the Australian Securities and Investments Commission recently outlined its first steps towards easing compliance obligations for directors.

    The hoped-for spike in M&A activity creates the opportunity for shareholder activism, so we anticipate elevated volumes of activity in the near term. At the same time, the imposition of tariffs and other protectionist policies—and the market volatility and trade war they may set off—will create winners and losers, with companies that struggle in the turbulence becoming targets for activists.

    A reckoning on ESG and DEI initiatives

    There has been mounting pushback on ESG and, more recently, DEI policies of corporations, with activists querying their necessity and appropriateness. Critics, who may not be shareholders, will be even more emboldened by the priorities and tone of the Trump administration.

    We expect that activists will continue to seek out opportunities to make high-profile examples of some companies. However, while proponents of these initiatives have attracted significant attention, we haven’t yet seen this noise translate into strong shareholder support for campaigns, as the recent experience with Apple demonstrates.

    The anti-anti-ESG and DEI cause

    While some activists are seeking to challenge ESG and DEI initiatives as a corporate priority, we anticipate others that may already be frustrated with perceived slow progress on sustainability, diversity and broader governance issues will look to double down and push for companies to stay the course.

    This sentiment will be particularly emboldened if governments consider rolling back regulations or shifting priorities. If it is perceived that lawmakers and regulators aren’t creating the framework to manage these issues, then we expect activists to take matters into their own hands by using shareholder meetings as forums or otherwise turning to the courts.

    Scrutiny of board composition and director accountability

    We are seeing investors pay closer attention to the fitness for office of individual board members, by using their vote to signal dissatisfaction and impose accountability for governance missteps when directors stand for election or re-election. This can be in relation to a company that has experienced an issue, or could follow individual directors to unrelated companies.

    Expect to see closer scrutiny of board composition and more protest votes against director elections. Even if candidates still easily obtain the ordinary majority needed to carry the resolution, this is a far cry from the near 100% backing candidates would typically receive, and, particularly for larger companies, shows at least some institutional investors (whose holding may have previously been seen as more passive) are sending a message.

    Leveraging technology and AI in activist strategies

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed a number of different fields, and has a role to play in the shareholder activism space as well, by making campaigns data driven and, as a consequence, more cost effective.

    AI can be deployed by activists to monitor and analyse tremendous amounts of data associated with corporate disclosures and financial performance, and to recognise the vulnerabilities and patterns in would-be candidates for a campaign. As these tools grow in sophistication, we expect to see activists be able to penetrate the market more deeply, and move with greater efficiency and precision in identifying opportunities.

    Activism has never been a simple strategy. We anticipate a continued evolution of the activist playbook in light of the above.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey, Rep. Schakowsky Introduce Legislation to Protect Clean Water and Wastewater Utilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (March 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) today introduced the Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act, legislation that would provide funding for clean water and wastewater utilities to become members of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). The WaterISAC is a critical source of information and best practices for water systems to protect against, mitigate, and respond to threats.

    “The essential water systems that provide us with water to drink, cook, and clean are increasingly facing threats from extreme weather, cyber attacks, and even terrorism,” said Senator Markey. “The Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act will secure and protect our water systems against these threats by expanding access to the critical Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which helps water utilities of all sizes share information, best practices, and response techniques. I thank Congresswoman Schakowsky for her partnership on this important legislation.”

    “Every person should have access to clean water to meet their basic needs. As the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increase and cyber security threats against our infrastructure emerge, we must work together to protect our nation’s water systems,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky. “I am proud to join Senator Ed Markey in reintroducing the Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act. This bill will help assist local water systems in gaining access to the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC), a non-profit clearinghouse for information regarding threats to water safety. This kind of information sharing is critical to ensuring the health and safety of communities’ drinking water across the country.”

    The Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act is endorsed by American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association of Water Companies, and Water Environment Federation.

    “In recent years, our nation’s drinking water and wastewater utilities have faced mounting threats from cyber attacks and infrastructure vulnerabilities that pose national security concerns and public health hazards,” said Tom Dobbins, CEO of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. “The Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act will enable more utilities to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to dangerous security threats by facilitating access to WaterISAC’s critical resources. AMWA is proud to support this legislation.”

    “WaterISAC is a vital resource for public clean water utilities seeking to strengthen their preparedness and resilience against natural hazards, physical and cyber security threats,” said Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. “The Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber (Water ISAC) Threat Protection Act will expand utility participation in WaterISAC, ensuring water systems of all sizes have access to its essential tools and resources.”

    “WaterISAC helps drinking water and wastewater systems of all sizes stay attuned to emerging threats by disseminating vulnerability alerts, sharing subject matter expertise, and recommending effective response actions,” said John P. Sullivan, Chief Engineer of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and Chairman of the WaterISAC Board of Managers. “The WaterISAC Threat Protection Act will enhance federal efforts to support WaterISAC participation and will help get threat information and best practice guidance into the hands of more water and wastewater systems across the country.”

    Senator Markey is a champion for improving access to clean water. In December 2022, Senator Markey secured federal investments in Massachusetts water resources and infrastructure projects so that residents can access safe, reliable, and clean drinking water. In November 2022, Senator Markey called on Holtec to publicly commit to abide by the Environmental Protect Agency’s (EPA) regulations and not discharge any effluent water from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay without prior authorization by modifying its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. In October 2022, Senator Markey helped secure nearly $2.5 million in federal funding from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Safe and Clean Communities Grant Program for the UMass Lowell’s clean drinking water project.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Senators Moran and Hawley Introducing Legislation to Provide Affordable, Reliable Energy to Kansas and Other States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) in introducing the Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act, which would help stabilize energy rates and improve the electric grid to states in the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA), including Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. 
    Specifically, the SWPA would be granted the authority to operate on a self-funding, revolving fund. This change would allow SWPA more stable funding to lower customer rates, which can fluctuate because of market demands and severe weather. Additionally, the SWPA would have the ability to plan long-term infrastructure and power replacement improvements to avoid drastic and unnecessary spikes in power rates.
    “Kansans – especially our farmers and ranchers – need reliable and affordable power,” said Senator Marshall. “Consumers have suffered from high energy costs for too long, and this bill will help deliver stable and affordable power while improving our power grid infrastructure. I am proud to stand with Senators Jerry Moran and Josh Hawley in supporting this important legislation.”
    “It is critical that Kansans have access to reliable electricity at stable rates, especially during extreme and dangerous weather,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation will provide funding stability that will allow energy providers to make needed infrastructure improvements and prevent Kansans from suffering mass power outages.”
    “After the devastating tornadoes last weekend that left victims without power for days, Missourians deserve consistent and affordable energy,” said Senator Hawley. “This legislation will ensure that every Missourian has access to power they can rely on.”
    The legislation is supported by the Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Southwestern Power Resources Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and American Public Power Association.
    “Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and its member co-ops have strongly supported the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act for its ability to provide appropriated dollars that will improve grid reliability while helping to stabilize rates,” said Lee Tafanelli, CEO, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. “We thank our home state Sens. Moran and Marshall for bringing forward legislation that will have a positive impact on our rural electric cooperatives and their consumer-members.”
    “Federal hydropower is a reliably renewable generation resource,” said Nicki Fuller, Executive Director, Southwestern Power Resources Association. “This legislation recognizes the value of protecting that resource throughout the six-state region, making sure that these important assets are maintained. This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring grid reliability and affordably throughout the region for millions of homes, farms, and small businesses. I thank Sens. Moran and Marshall for introducing this important bill that represents good business sense.”
    “NRECA supports the Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act. The self-financed revolving loan fund authorized by this bill would allow the Southwestern Power Administration to better manage infrastructure needs while being more responsive to market conditions and electric demands created by extreme weather events,” – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
    “The American Public Power Association applauds the introduction of the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act. Since 1943, not-for-profit public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives have successfully partnered with the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) to bring reliable hydropower produced at Army Corps dams to millions of customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. While SWPA customers pay all costs of generating and transmitting the electricity in their power rates, a complicated funding process has increasingly failed to provide the financial certainty necessary to steady power rates to customers during drought and extreme weather events. The Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act would streamline this process in a manner that would help avoid rate spikes and economic hardship for communities served by public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives while continuing to ensure that SWPA customers pay all costs associated with generating and transmitting hydropower produced at Corps dams. It is a win-win for the federal government and communities served by not-for-profit electric utilities,” – American Public Power Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How Netflix has shaped (and shattered) our content landscape over the past decade – and what comes next

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Research Fellow, Media & Communication, RMIT University

    Shutterstock

    To mark 10 years since Netflix began operating in Australia, we and our colleagues at the Streaming Industries and Genres Network have published a report that looks at the state of Australia’s streaming industry today – and back at the platforms that have failed over the years.

    It once seemed like Netflix was the be-all and end-all of streaming in Australia. But a decade of competition with other streamers, and stress on local content, paint a very different picture.

    The streaming wars rage on

    Australia’s “streaming wars” kicked off in early 2015 with the arrival of Stan and Netflix, joining smaller players already on the scene. At the time, some industry insiders predicted the new streaming video-on-demand services would quickly consolidate – that there was room for only two major players: Netflix and one other.

    These early assumptions were proven wrong. Instead, Australia has sustained numerous streamers of different sizes, audiences and ownership. The larger, more generalist services such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ compete directly with each other for exclusive content.

    Other niche genre players such as Shudder (horror) and Hayu (reality TV) have managed to stay afloat by catering to a specific audience segment and keeping their prices low.

    There have also been a few fatalities along the way. Quickflix and Presto were early to the market. Both services had gained considerable ground by 2014, with Quicklix leading the way. But they were eventually viewed as sluggish and limited in comparison to Netflix.

    Netflix always on top

    Netflix has always been the most popular streaming service in Australia. One million users had access to the platform within just three months of its arrival in 2015.

    In 2020, analytics firm Ampere Analysis identified Australia as the most highly-penetrated Netflix market in the world, then available in 63% of Australian homes, compared to 50% in the United States.

    In the first half of 2024, it was used by 67% of Australian adults, including some 800,000 people with an ad-tier subscription.

    The global behemoth has produced some notable local titles.

    In January of last year, the series adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe became Netflix’s most successful Australian-made show in its first two weeks on the platform.

    Later in April, the second season of the Heartbreak High reboot debuted at number one in Australia and stayed on the Global Top 10 English TV Series list for three consecutive weeks.



    Read more:
    Streaming, surveillance and the power of suggestion: the hidden cost of 10 years of Netflix

    Collectively, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+ and Stan spent A$225.2 million on 55 commissioned or co-commissioned Australian programs in the 2023–24 financial year.

    That said, their commitment to the local production sector over the last decade has been limited, as they have no obligation to invest in local content.

    A lack of regulation decimates local genres

    The lack of streaming regulation in Australia, alongside the gradual watering-down of commercial broadcaster obligations, has resulted in the collapse of investment in local content.

    Children’s TV, documentary, drama TV programming and Australian film have all suffered as a result.

    The introduction of multi-national streamers has radically shifted financing practices in Australia, leaving our production sector in distress.

    Last year, we partnered with ACMI to pull together a symposium where streaming industry insiders discussed the deeper implications of streaming on local genres, as well as the opportunities and challenges ahead.

    We heard from Andy Barclay, manager of business and legal affairs at Screen Producer Australia, who said the traditional “jigsaw puzzle” of finance planning based on international territories was all but gone in favour of major streamers offering full funding and “a little premium” upfront.

    But this comes at a cost, as the streamers then control global distribution and hold a tight grip on viewership data. It also means local production can become beholden to the whims of US business interests. As Barclay explain:

    These huge [streaming] companies, their Australian businesses […] we don’t drive their business decisions. It’s what happens over in the United States that drives their business decisions.

    Nonetheless, having fresh, cash-rich and risk-taking players in the Australian content market has led to opportunities for some local creators.

    As Sam Lingham of Australian comedy group Aunty Donna remarked on the same panel:

    Netflix, creatively, were pretty hands-off. We pitched them the show and they were like, ‘yeah, go do that’.

    What’s on the horizon?

    The streaming sector in Australia is now poised to splinter even further.

    Warner Bros Discovery will launch its streaming platform, Max, next week. It will be a real blow to the Foxtel-owned streamer, Binge, which has long touted its exclusive rights to much of the Warner catalogue.

    There are also concerns about the access and affordability of sport. This year, a new AFL broadcast agreement with Fox Sports and Channel Seven saw Saturday night games move behind a paywall. People will now need Kayo Sports or Foxtel to watch these games live.

    Big streamers have also entered the fray. Back in 2016, Netflix said it had no intention of investing in live sport. But we’re now seeing it and other players such as Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube buy into sports rights around the world.

    According to Free TV Chief Executive Bridget Fair

    we saw it [in 2023] with Amazon hoovering up the whole of the World Cup cricket and it’s going to keep happening […] people who previously got a lot of stuff for free are going to have to start paying.

    Finally, many streamers – Netflix, Binge, Prime Video and Stan – have introduced or announced that they will introduce ad-tier subscriptions. Streamers can expect to see better profit margins on their advertising-supported offerings, compared to the monthly subscription model.

    Cheaper, ad-supported subscriptions may prove to be a popular option for viewers stacking multiple subscriptions. Already, 800,000 Australians have signed up to Netflix’s A$7.99 + ads option. But this does make for a disrupted, broadcast-like viewing experience (and one you still have to pay for).

    As the last 10 years of streaming in Australia has shown, the future can be hard to predict when it comes to new players entering established markets. One thing seems certain though – Netflix is here to stay.

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

    – ref. How Netflix has shaped (and shattered) our content landscape over the past decade – and what comes next – https://theconversation.com/how-netflix-has-shaped-and-shattered-our-content-landscape-over-the-past-decade-and-what-comes-next-251471

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PNG’s Marape and NZ’s Luxon sign new partnership marking 50 years

    RNZ News

    The prime ministers of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a new statement of partnership marking 50 years of bilateral relations between the two countries.

    The document — which focuses on education, trade, security, agriculture and fisheries — was signed by Christopher Luxon and James Marape at the Beehive in Wellington last night.

    It will govern the relationship between the two countries through until 2029 and replaces the last agreement signed by Marape in 2021 with then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

    Marking the signing, Luxon announced $1 million would be allocated in response to Papua New Guinea’s aspirations to strengthen public sector institutions.

    “That funding will be able to support initiatives like strengthen cooperation between disaster preparedness institutions and also exchanging expertise in the governance of state owned enterprises in particular,” Luxon said.

    In his response Marape acknowledged the long enduring relationship between the government and peoples of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

    He said the new statement of partnership was an important blueprint on how the two countries would progress their relationship into the future.

    “Papua New Guinea brings to the table, as far as our relationship is concerned, our close proximity to Asia. We straddle the Pacific and Southeast Asia, we have an affinity to as much as our own affinity with our relations in the Pacific,” Marape said.

    “Our dual presence at APEC continues to ring [sic] home the fact that we belong to a family of nations and we work back to back on many fronts.”

    Meeting Peters
    Today, Marape will meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and leader of the opposition Chris Hipkins.

    Later in the week, Marape is scheduled to travel to Hamilton where he will meet with the NZ Papua New Guinea Business Council and with Papua New Guinea scholarship recipients at Waikato University.

    James Marape is accompanied by his spouse Rachael Marape and a ministerial delegation including Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Trade Minister Richard Maru, Minister for Livestock Seki Agisa and Higher Education Minister Kinoka Feo.

    This is Marape’s first official visit to New Zealand following his re-election as prime minister in the last national elections in 2022.

    According to the PNG government, the visit signals a growing relationship between the two countries, especially in trade and investment, cultural exchange, and the newly-added Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme that New Zealand has extended to Papua New Guineans to work in Aotearoa.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Budget delivers cheaper medicines and more bulk billing but leaves out long-term health reform

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University

    Less than two months from an election, the Albanese government last night presented a budget that aims to swing the voting pendulum its way.

    Headline health expenditure includes:

    • $8.5 billion to encourage more GP bulk billing and to train doctors and nurses
    • $1.7 billion to help public hospitals reduce their waiting lists
    • $644 million to establish 50 more urgent care clinics
    • $689 million to reduce the price of prescriptions to $25 for non-concessional patients
    • $793 million for women’s health, to provide greater access to contraception, treatment for urinary tract infections and greater access to perimenopause and menopause care.

    These announcements were already strategically made over the past month to maximise media coverage and build election momentum.

    Australians want more access to affordable health care – and the budget delivers this for many. But it doesn’t push the process of health reform forward, which is needed to secure the health system’s long-term sustainability.

    How does this compare to previous health budgets?

    While the budget contains large health expenditure items, a significant amount was not strictly new funding, but already provided for by the government.

    Consequently, the budget only allocates an additional $7.7 billion to health compared to actual spending for 2024-25.

    This increase aligns with steady long-term spending trends from previous years. It reflects a 6.6% increase in nominal spending (when inflation is included), but only a 3.9% increase in real spending (when inflation is taken out).

    Actual and estimated expenditure from the health portfolio

    Health spending as a proportion of the budget is reducing.
    Treasury

    The proportion of the budget spent on health could be considered historically low, projected to be 15.9% for 2025-26.

    It’s unclear whether Australians want more of the budget allocated to health, but there is certainly a need for greater investment.

    Will this health budget improve Australians’ health?

    The Albanese government is trying to kill three birds with one stone with this health budget. It wants to reduce the cost of living, improve health outcomes, and win an election.

    Keeping the cost of living down and improving health services are the top two most important issues for this election. Headline health announcements directly address these two issues.

    However, they also deliver a political benefit by shifting the media spotlight away from Opposition leader Peter Dutton. He was unable to legitimately counter attack headline health announcements given his unpopularity when he was a health minister. Instead, he promised to match some health announcements if elected.

    Increasing bulk-billing rates and reducing prescription prices will directly reduce out-of-pocket costs for many Australians. This will mostly be for people without a concession card.

    Increasing access to urgent care clinics will also help reduce cost of living pressures because they deliver services free of charge.

    Making health care cheaper for patients will also improve health outcomes. Many Australians sometimes choose not to access health care because of its cost, which can lead to worse health outcomes and expensive hospital care.

    The magnitude of any health improvement will depend on how patients respond to cheaper health care.

    More health benefit will go to patients who start seeing their GP rather than staying at home and trying to manage their condition themselves.

    The health benefit will be less for patients who start seeing their GP instead of an emergency department or urgent care clinic, because they are substituting one place of care for another.

    Is this good health policy?

    There is an “opportunity cost” every time the government spends money. Using the health budget to reduce the cost of living means less money to improve the health system elsewhere.

    In that context, this health budget has missed an opportunity to build a more sustainable health system.

    Medicare is not the best way to fund community care from GPs, nurses and allied health providers. It imposes barriers to establishing seamless multidisciplinary team-based care. These include restricting the types of services non-GP clinicians deliver, and not funding enough care coordination. People with chronic disease, such as diabetes and heart disease, often fall through the cracks and become sicker.

    A review of general practice incentives submitted to the health department last year recommended transition towards new funding models. This could include funding models that pay for a bundle of services delivered together as a team, rather than a fee for every service delivered by each team member.

    But payment reform is extremely hard. Medicare has not substantially changed since 1984 when it was first introduced.

    Given this budget allocated $7.9 billion to increase bulk billing alone, and $2.4 billion ongoing, this budget has a missed opportunity to start the payment reform process. This extra funding will reinforce current payment structures, and could have been used as leverage to get GPs over the line on reforming Medicare.

    The government also missed an opportunity to start reforming the health workforce. An independent review, also submitted last year, sought to improve access to primary care, improve care quality, and improve workforce productivity.

    It outlined 18 recommendations, including payment reform, to remove barriers to increase access to care delivered by multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses and allied health providers such as psychologists and physiotherapists.

    Again, there was nothing in this budget to suggest this will be pursued in 2025-26.

    What happens next?

    What next usually depends on which party wins the election.

    In this case, Dutton has agreed to match the health budget spending on bulk billing and price reductions for PBS scripts. But the Coalition has not committed to 50 more urgent care clinics.

    Whichever party wins, there is an urgent need to substantially reform health care if our health system is to remain one of the world’s best.



    Read more:
    At a glance: the 2025 federal budget

    Henry Cutler was a member of the Expert Advisory Panel that delivered its final review of general practice incentives mentioned in this article. He received remuneration from the Department of Health and Aged Care for this role.

    – ref. Budget delivers cheaper medicines and more bulk billing but leaves out long-term health reform – https://theconversation.com/budget-delivers-cheaper-medicines-and-more-bulk-billing-but-leaves-out-long-term-health-reform-251921

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tamatha Paul needs to talk to normal people

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT Police spokesperson Todd Stephenson is calling on Green MP Tamatha Paul to host a public meeting on law and order in her electorate to find out what normal people think about the Police.

    At an event promoting – in her own words – ‘radical police abolition’, Paul recently stated:

    ‘Wellington people do not want to see police officers everywhere, and, for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe. It’s that constant visual presence that tells you that you might not be safe there, if there’s heaps of cops.’

    ‘All they do is walk around all day, waiting for homeless people to leave their spot, packing their stuff up and throwing it in the bin.’

    “It’s easy to be anti-Police, until you need to call them yourself,” says Mr Stephenson.

    “Tamatha Paul has spent so much time hanging out with radical left-wing student groups that she’s got law and order completely backwards. It’s criminals who are the problem, not the Police who catch them.

    “Tamatha Paul is the MP for Wellington Central, but she clearly hasn’t spent much time listening to her constituents, who are regularly victimised by crimes and need help from Police. Last year in Wellington City, there were 1,413 assaults, 124 sexual assaults, six abductions, and 1,804 burglaries.*

    “If she’s serious about her law and order portfolios, she should host a public meeting in her electorate and hear what normal people – including victims of crime – think about the Police.”

    *Police Crime Snapshot, 1 Jan 2024 – 31 Dec 2024

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to Project Auckland Luncheon

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks, Murray, for that introduction.  

    It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you here in New Zealand’s capital city of growth, at this launch of the Project Auckland report.  

    Can I start by acknowledging my parliamentary colleague Hon Simeon Brown. He is unquestionably the biggest advocate for Auckland I know – and is a staunch advocate for you all around the Cabinet table.  

    I also want to acknowledge Project Auckland Editor Fran O’Sullivan, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, and my former parliamentary colleague and boss Simon Bridges.  

    While I am a boy from Lower Hutt, I want to reassure you that I know and love this city, having lived here for two years, having many friends who live here, and am at the moment almost a weekly visitor. 

    Auckland is critical to New Zealand’s future. We are not going to be successful in growing our economy if we don’t think carefully about how we enable Auckland, as our largest and most important city, to grow and thrive. 

    That’s why government is investing heavily into transport in Auckland, through new Roads of National Significance, new busways, and commuter rail. 

    Without question, the largest of these planned investments is a second harbour crossing.  

    In fact, it will be one of the most expensive infrastructure investments in New Zealand history.  

    Our existing bridge is old, and even with the clip-on lanes, it’s expected to struggle with forecast increases in demand.   

    Despite the daunting cost, and the other challenges that come with the project, advancing an additional harbour crossing is a priority for this Government.  

    Right now, there is a barge in the harbour undertaking geotechnical, environmental, and utilities investigations of the Harbour floor – the first-time studies of this kind have been done.  

    NTZA are about to kick off early market soundings on this project, largely to help us make the decision every Aucklander is waiting for: bridge or tunnel. We expect to make that decision mid-2026. 

    Being realistic, this project won’t be built for a while yet – but Auckland doesn’t need to wait that long to experience a transformational transport project.  

    Everyone in this room knows the potential City Rail Link has to enable the growth Auckland needs. 

    Once open next year, CRL will double Auckland’s rail capacity and reduce congestion across the city, enabling Aucklanders to get to where they want to go faster. 

    It is critical for the city’s future that we take advantage of CRL and ensure that the maximum benefits are felt by Aucklanders.  

    We must focus high density, mixed-use developments around CRL stations – with as many jobs, houses, services and amenities within walking distance as possible.  

    This approach is known as transit-oriented development, and has been adopted by the world’s best and most liveable cities – think Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore. 

    Cities that embrace transit orientated development consistently outperform those that don’t across multiple metrics: they experience increases in productivity, lower unemployment, higher population growth, increased availability of homes, and more stable rents. 

    And with CRL, we have a once in a generation chance to embrace this in Auckland. 
     

    Consent decline 

    This is why I was so frustrated last week to see a resource consent application to build a $100m office building on K Road – within walking distance of the new CRL station – was denied by commissioners.   

    Frankly, this decision made me feel physically ill.  

    How can it possibly be that an 11-story building, which includes retail spaces and food and beverage stores, alongside office and commercial spaces for more than 400 people, is turned down in the centre of New Zealand’s biggest city? 

    The site it is currently planned to be on is a gravel pit. You heard that correctly. Our current planning laws are so fundamentally broken that a gravel pit in the CBD of Auckland is unable to be developed into a new office building.  

    The commissioners’ report said “The principal concern for the board is the scale of the development.” 

    Which might be more understandable if that was said about a development in a small regional town, but is astounding when there is a 20 story building within 100 metres.     

    Putting it simply, and excuse the RMA language, the commissioners when declining this application concluded that the adverse effects related to built form and appearance, streetscape, and historic heritage had not been sufficiently avoided such that the effects on the environment were considered ‘more than minor’.  

    This is precisely why we are scrapping the RMA, and replacing it with a radically more enabling system predicated on property rights. As you will have hopefully seen, I announced the architecture for our new system earlier this week.  

    A number of the changes we are progressing would have likely led to this K-Road development being approved rather than declined.  

    Our planned standardised zoning approach will help us move away from considering matters such as built form and appearance, or streetscape.  

    It will be clear what you can build and where, with fewer restrictions encouraging increased creativity in our built form – likely improving the look of our cities.    

    What I want to see in our new planning system is that development like this, due to its proximity to rapid transit and the central city, would be able to proceed without the need to gain approval at all – instead proceeding as a permitted activity through a standardised zone.  

    The other, more technical change we are proposing to make is the removal of what is known as non-complying activity status. The RMA states that a consent can only be granted for a non-complying activity if the adverse effects of the activity are minor, or the activity will not be contrary to objectives and policies of a plan. 

    In layman’s terms, this creates a barrier to some of these larger projects, with a much higher bar for approval, which sometimes is insurmountable.   

    This K-Road development was one of these non-complying activities. Remember that McDonalds in Wanaka that was declined a few weeks ago? Also a non-complying activity. That Southland windfarm that was declined last week? You guessed it: non-complying activity.  

    8-10% of all resource consent applications every year are for non-complying activities – and therefore face this sometimes impossibly high-bar.  

    By removing non-complying activities in our new system, alongside narrowing the effects considered in the planning system, we will making it substantially easier for these big projects to get approval.  
     

    PC 78 

    Moving on from K-Road – another issue that has been causing significant uncertainty for Auckland Council, as well as Aucklanders, has been the ongoing saga with it’s current plan change process, known as PC 78.  

    Auckland Council has been progressing PC 78 since mid-2022. This was the vehicle that was intended to implement the National Policy Statement on Urban Development – more commonly known as the NPS-UD, and the Medium Density Residential Standards – more commonly known as the MDRS. Apologies for the acronym soup. 

     

    The idea was that the MDRS, which enabled more density in the suburbs, and the NPS-UD, which enabled more density around CBDs and rapid transit, were both meant to be adopted by councils quickly – and the last Government gave them new planning tools to achieve this.   

    This, however, did not quite pan out. Fast forward to today, years after these were introduced, Auckland Council are still going through their plan change process to implement them. 

    In fairness to them, there have been significant challenges along the way. Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding events, and the change in Government has now made the progress of PC 78 tricky, to say the least.  

    I think Mayor Brown put it best when he called the current situation “a bit like RMA gymnastics”. 

    Following the floods, Auckland Council has seen the need to address a number of new natural hazard areas prone to flooding.  

    Unfortunately, and frankly, annoyingly, the plan change process they had to use for PC 78, does not allow downzoning. It wasn’t envisaged at the time that councils would need to do anything other than upzoning using this process, and now they are stuck.  

    The other issue is the light rail corridor. Auckland Council left this blank in PC 78, anticipating new station location announcements, which obviously did not come, as we won the election, and scrapped this wasteful project as promised. 

    We also have also communicated changes to the rules around the MDRS, as we campaigned on, therefore changing Auckland Council’s approach to PC 78 yet again. 

    These things have left Auckland Council in a very confusing situation not entirely of their own making – although I do want to say, that if they had they delivered this plan change on the timeframes originally required of them, a number of these issues would be much easier to manage now.  

    With us about to introduce a new RMA system, and this having dragged on for frankly far too long already, we want Auckland Council to bank some quick-wins for density and development now. Aucklanders have waited for too long.  

    That’s why I can confirm today that I have changed my legal  “direction”, made under the RMA, on Auckland Council on the timing and sequencing of decisions on PC 78. 

    This change will bring forward decisions on the city centre, by ten months from the previously required date of March 2026 to May 2025.  

    This will almost immediately support the enablement of thousands of dwellings and significant development potential in the heart of Auckland – where basically everyone accepts this kind of growth is critical.  

    We are able to do this because the city centre parts of PC 78 are discrete from the rest of the changes and have been through submissions and hearings already.  

    Locking in this part of the plan change as soon as possible is a massive win for our biggest city, and a massive win for economic growth.  

    For the time being, the remainder of PC 78 will still need to be completed by March 2026 as per the law.  

    I note that Auckland Council, in their submission on the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which is currently before the Environment Select Committee, have asked for changes to enable the immediate withdrawal of the remaining parts of PC 78.  

    As this Bill is currently before Select Committee, and due to come back to Parliament later in the year, I am unable to provide comment on whether these suggestions will be incorporated.  

    However, I can confirm this is something that is being considered as part of the Committee’s process, and I’ll have more to say on this in due course.  

    I am grateful to the work of Mayor Brown and his council in advancing housing and urban outcomes for our great city of Auckland.  

    In my experience, Mayor Brown has been steadfast in his support for sensible density in the city centre, in Auckland’s metro-centres, and near key transport connections. I want to thank him for his leadership, and for bringing sense back into the density debate in Auckland.  

    This situation has without a doubt been the most complex I have had to deal with as a Minister. If anything, it underscores the urgent need for our replacement planning system.  

    Aucklanders shouldn’t need a PhD in planning or a team of lawyers to understand the progress of a major zoning change going on in their backyards. Our new system will have plans that are much more streamlined and simple, clearly communicating what Kiwis can do on their own property, without the years and years of backwards and forwards.  
     

    Conclusion  

    In conclusion, I want to repeat what I have said in my column in the Project Auckland report we are all here to launch today:  

    Auckland has a bright future. Whenever I visit Auckland, I get a palpable sense of opportunity knocking. Auckland isn’t waiting, it’s getting on with the mission of growth. It is bursting at the seams with opportunities — now, it is the responsibility of all of us to help make it happen.  

    Thank you – I will now take your questions.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Real consequences for crime restored

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kiwis can now feel safer knowing serious criminals will spend longer in prison with the Government’s sentencing reforms passing final reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 
    “This Government promised to restore real consequences for crime. That’s exactly what we’re delivering.
    “In recent years, courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences, despite an alarming increase in violent crime, ram raids and aggravated robberies.
    “We know that undue leniency has resulted in a loss of public confidence in sentencing, and our justice system as a whole. We developed a culture of excuses for crime. That ends today. 
    “Communities and hardworking New Zealanders should not be made to live and work in fear of criminals who clearly have a flagrant disregard for the law, corrections officers and the general public.
    “This is a significant milestone in this Government’s mission to restore law and order. It signals to victims that they deserve justice, and that they are our priority.”
    The reforms strengthen the criminal justice system by:

    Capping the sentence discounts that judges can apply at 40 per cent when considering mitigating factors unless it would result in manifestly unjust sentencing outcomes.
    Preventing repeat discounts for youth and remorse. Lenient sentences are failing to deter offenders who continue to rely on their youth or expressions of remorse without making serious efforts to reform their behaviour.
    Responding to serious retail crime by introducing a new aggravating factor to address offences against sole charge workers and those whose home and business are interconnected, as committed to in the National-Act coalition agreement.
    Encouraging the use of cumulative sentencing for offences committed while on bail, in custody, or on parole to denounce behaviour that indicates a disregard for the criminal justice system, as committed to in the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.
    Implementing a sliding scale for early guilty pleas with a maximum sentence discount of 25 per cent, reducing to a maximum of 5 per cent for a guilty plea entered during the trial. This will prevent undue discounts for late-stage guilty pleas and avoid unnecessary trials that are costly and stressful for victims.
    Amending the principles of sentencing to include requirement to take into account any information provided to the court about victims’ interests, as committed to in both coalition agreements.  

    Two aggravating factors are also included.
    These respond to: 

    Adults who exploit children and young people by aiding or abetting them to offend;
    Offenders who glorify their criminal activities by livestreaming or posting them online.

    “We are committed to ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029, alongside a 15 per cent reduction in serious repeat youth offending,” Mr Goldsmith says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump silences Voice of America – end of a propaganda machine or void for China and Russia to fill?

    ANALYSIS: By Valerie A. Cooper, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Of all the contradictions and ironies of Donald Trump’s second presidency so far, perhaps the most surprising has been his shutting down the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) for being “radical propaganda”.

    Critics have long accused the agency — and its affiliated outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia — of being a propaganda arm of US foreign policy.

    But to the current president, the USAGM has become a promoter of “anti-American ideas” and agendas — including allegedly suppressing stories critical of Iran, sympathetically covering the issue of “white privilege” and bowing to pressure from China.

    Propaganda is clearly in the eye of the beholder. The Moscow Times reported Russian officials were elated by the demise of the “purely propagandistic” outlets, while China’s Global Times celebrated the closure of a “lie factory”.

    Meanwhile, the European Commission hailed USAGM outlets as a “beacon of truth, democracy and hope”. All of which might have left the average person understandably confused: Voice of America? Wasn’t that the US propaganda outlet from World War II?

    Well, yes. But the reality of USAGM and similar state-sponsored global media outlets is more complex — as are the implications of the US agency’s demise.

    Public service or state propaganda?
     The USAGM is one of several international public service media outlets based in Western democracies. Others include Australia’s ABC International, the BBC World Service, CBC/Radio-Canada, France Médias Monde, NHK-World Japan, Deutsche Welle in Germany and SRG SSR in Switzerland.

    Part of the Public Media Alliance, they are similar to national public service media, largely funded by taxpayers to uphold democratic ideals of universal access to news and information.

    Unlike national public media, however, they might not be consumed — or even known — by domestic audiences. Rather, they typically provide news to countries without reliable independent media due to censorship or state-run media monopolies.

    The USAGM, for example, provides news in 63 languages to more than 100 countries. It has been credited with bringing attention to issues such as protests against covid-19 lockdowns in China and women’s struggles for equal rights in Iran.

    On the other hand, the independence of USAGM outlets has been questioned often, particularly as they are required to share government-mandated editorials.

    Voice of America has been criticised for its focus on perceived ideological adversaries such as Russia and Iran. And my own research has found it perpetuates stereotypes and the neglect of African nations in its news coverage.

    Leaving a void
     Ultimately, these global media outlets wouldn’t exist if there weren’t benefits for the governments that fund them. Sharing stories and perspectives that support or promote certain values and policies is an effective form of “public diplomacy”.

    Yet these international media outlets differ from state-controlled media models because of editorial systems that protect them from government interference.

    The Voice of America’s “firewall”, for instance, “prohibits interference by any US government official in the objective, independent reporting of news”. Such protections allow journalists to report on their own governments more objectively.

    In contrast, outlets such as China Media Group (CMG), RT from Russia, and PressTV from Iran also reach a global audience in a range of languages. But they do this through direct government involvement.

    CMG subsidiary CCTV+, for example, states it is “committed to telling China’s story to the rest of the world”.

    Though RT states it is an autonomous media outlet, research has found the Russian government oversees hiring editors, imposing narrative angles, and rejecting stories.

    A Voice of America staffer protests outside the Washington DC offices on March 17, 2025, after employees were placed on administrative leave. Image: Getty Images/The Conversation

    Other voices get louder
     The biggest concern for Western democracies is that these other state-run media outlets will fill the void the USAGM leaves behind — including in the Pacific.

    Russia, China and Iran are increasing funding for their state-run news outlets, with China having spent more than US$6.6 billion over 13 years on its global media outlets. China Media Group is already one of the largest media conglomerates in the world, providing news content to more than 130 countries in 44 languages.

    And China has already filled media gaps left by Western democracies: after the ABC stopped broadcasting Radio Australia in the Pacific, China Radio International took over its frequencies.

    Worryingly, the differences between outlets such as Voice of America and more overtly state-run outlets aren’t immediately clear to audiences, as government ownership isn’t advertised.

    An Australian senator even had to apologise recently after speaking with PressTV, saying she didn’t know the news outlet was affiliated with the Iranian government, or that it had been sanctioned in Australia.

    Switched off
     Trump’s move to dismantle the USAGM doesn’t come as a complete surprise, however. As the authors of Capturing News, Capturing Democracy: Trump and the Voice of America described, the first Trump administration failed in its attempts to remove the firewall and install loyalists.

    This perhaps explains why Trump has resorted to more drastic measures this time. And, as with many of the current administration’s legally dubious actions, there has been resistance.

    The American Foreign Service Association says it will challenge the dismantling of the USAGM, while the Czech Republic is seeking EU support to keep Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty on the air.

    But for many of the agency’s journalists, contractors, broadcasting partners and audiences, it may be too late. Last week, The New York Times reported some Voice of America broadcasts had already been replaced by music.

    Dr Valerie A. Cooper is lecturer in media and communication, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington.  This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A $33 billion vote-grabber or real relief? Examining the Albanese government’s big housing pledge

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University

    Man As Thep/Shutterstock

    The Australian housing market is in crisis: soaring prices, increasing rental stress, declining home ownership rates and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness.

    In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $33 billion housing investment plan as part of his government’s latest budget.



    Read more:
    At a glance: the 2025 federal budget

    This is a central plank of Labor’s re-election pitch, aimed at showing housing commitment by:

    Making it easier to buy, better to rent, and building more homes faster.

    What are the key features of the plan?

    The plan includes two headline measures aimed at boosting housing supply and helping buyers:

    1-Expanding ‘Help to Buy’ for first-home buyers:

    The Help to Buy program provides shared-equity loans to first-time homebuyers so they can purchase properties with smaller deposits. Under this program, the government buys a portion of the property to lower the required mortgage amount for buyers.

    Under the initial terms of the scheme, the Commonwealth offered up to 30% of the price for existing homes and 40% for new constructions, while restricting eligibility to households within specific income and property value ranges.

    Now, the Albanese government has raised cap levels to enable more people to become eligible. The income ceiling for single buyers will increase from $90,000 to $100,000, while the maximum income limit for couples and single parents will rise from $120,000 to $160,000.

    These higher caps mean more than five million Australian properties would fall under the scheme’s scope, significantly expanding buyers’ choice.

    2-Investing in prefabricated and modular homes:

    In November 2024, the Albanese government announced a $900 million productivity fund to reward states and territories that boost housing supply by removing barriers to prefab and modular construction.

    And now, the Albanese government is budgeting another $54 million for the advanced manufacturing of prefab and modular housing industry. This includes $5 million to create a national certification system to streamline approvals and eliminate red tape.

    This aims to speed up home construction through off-site manufacturing technologies, which produce components in factories before assembling them on-site.

    Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic claims these homes can be finished in half the time of conventional construction. Even a 20–30% time saving would be significant.

    These buildings are also more energy efficient, more resilient and cheaper.

    A crane lifts part of a modular home into place.
    benik.at/Shutterstock

    Can these measures fix the problem?

    The big picture problem is, Australia has simply not been building enough homes for its growing population.

    According to the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s State of the Land Report 2025, the federal government will fail (by 400,000 dwellings) to meet its target of constructing 1.2 million new homes by 2029.

    Prefab building methods make up just 8% of new housing developments in Australia.

    Some countries use it much more: Sweden boasts more than 100 years of prefab construction experience, where more than 80% of homes are produced in factories and then assembled at their destinations.

    Modular housing can be described as a promising step forward. But while they offer potential improvements in speed and cost efficiency, it cannot solve the massive housing deficit on its own without structural policy reforms in the near future.

    What about the Help to Buy scheme?

    Shared-equity loans tackle a different side of the problem: affordability for buyers.

    Experts describe Help to Buy as a “modest” but useful “piece of the puzzle” in solving the housing crisis.

    While its impact on general house prices and universal housing affordability is minimal, policymakers worry that programs like these unintentionally push up prices by boosting demand.

    Federal v state roles

    Housing policy in Australia is a shared responsibility.

    State governments control planning, zoning and most of the levers that determine how quickly homes can be approved and built (such as releasing land for development or approving apartment projects).

    The federal government mainly controls funding and high-level programs, so the success of the Albanese government’s plan will depend a lot on cooperation with the states and territories.

    However, there’s some inherent tension here: Canberra can set targets and provide incentives (funding), but it can’t directly build houses or force local councils to approve projects faster.

    That’s one reason behind the prefab certification idea: it removes one potential regulatory hurdle at a national level.

    Political timing

    The timing of this housing plan announcement is no coincidence.

    Australia will have a federal election by May 2025. Most voters will likely consider housing costs and cost-of-living to be primary issues.

    The expansion of Help to Buy enables Labor to target first-home buyers, which may be important in the election.

    The new housing plan is ambitious in scope and certainly a welcome effort to turn the tide on housing affordability.

    However, renters and prospective buyers are unlikely to experience quick benefits from these housing initiatives, as it will require sustained action and cooperation well beyond the upcoming election cycle.

    The Help to Buy program will begin later in 2025, and the positive effects of investing in prefabricated/modular housing will require a period of time before they become apparent.

    It is unclear whether these measures will effectively persuade voters and produce substantial improvements.

    Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad has received funding from both national and international organisations to support research addressing housing and climate crises. His most recent funding on integrated housing and climate policy comes from the James Martin Institute for Public Policy.

    – ref. A $33 billion vote-grabber or real relief? Examining the Albanese government’s big housing pledge – https://theconversation.com/a-33-billion-vote-grabber-or-real-relief-examining-the-albanese-governments-big-housing-pledge-252915

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Novacrest Introduces Structured, Risk-Managed Real Estate Investment Fund for Passive Investors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kissimmee, FL, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Novacrest, a diversified real estate investment firm, has announced the launch of its structured real estate investment fund, designed to provide secure, high-yield passive income opportunities. This fund offers accredited investors a simplified way to benefit from real estate without direct involvement in property management, leveraging a risk-managed approach across various investment vehicles.
    With increasing demand for alternative investments, Novacrest’s model offers a compelling option for those seeking consistent returns while minimizing traditional real estate investment complexities. By diversifying capital into fix-and-flip properties, structured real estate notes, and development projects, the fund optimizes growth and wealth preservation.

    A Smarter Approach to Passive Real Estate Investing

    Traditional real estate investment often requires hands-on management, market expertise, and significant time commitments. Novacrest’s structured investment model removes these barriers, allowing investors to participate in high-performing real estate markets without active involvement.
    Key advantages of Novacrest’s real estate investment fund include:

    • Diverse Investment Vehicles – Capital is allocated across fix-and-flip projects, land development, and structured real estate notes, balancing risk and reward.
    • Risk-Managed Strategy – Investments are backed by data-driven market analysis, ensuring capital is deployed in high-performing real estate markets.
    • Tax-Advantaged Returns – Structured investments offer potential tax-free growth, making them attractive alternatives to traditional real estate income.
    • Complete Investor Transparency – Monthly performance reports, a secure investor dashboard, and clear insights into fund allocations.
    • 100% Passive Investment – Investors benefit from real estate appreciation and profits without dealing with tenants, property maintenance, or legal complexities.

    “We created Novacrest’s real estate investment fund to give investors a smarter, more secure way to build wealth through real estate,” said Kiani Kharfan, CEO of Novacrest. “By combining risk management with strategic asset allocation, we make real estate investing truly passive while delivering strong returns.”

    The Advantage of Florida’s Real Estate Market

    Florida remains one of the most lucrative real estate markets in the U.S., with house flipping and structured real estate investments generating high returns. Recent industry data highlights:

    • 28.7% average ROI on house flipping in Q2 2024, with an average gross profit of $70,250 per flip. (Source: Fool.com)
    • 141.5% ROI on flipped properties in Ocala, positioning Florida as a prime market for investment. (Source: Fool.com)
    • Strong profit margins in Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa, reinforcing the state’s reputation as a real estate investment hotspot.

    Novacrest leverages real-time market analytics to identify high-potential opportunities, ensuring optimal investment performance.

    Structured Investments vs. Traditional REITs

    Unlike publicly traded REITs, Novacrest’s private investment fund offers greater control, lower volatility, and direct exposure to real estate-backed assets. By structuring investments across multiple property types, the firm delivers higher, more predictable returns compared to market-dependent REITs.

    Why Investors Are Turning to Novacrest

    With a focus on wealth preservation and strategic growth, Novacrest has positioned itself as a leading alternative investment platform. Investors are drawn to:

    • Higher returns than traditional REITs
    • Asset-backed security
    • Predictable, structured income streams
    • Elimination of property management responsibilities
    • Access to exclusive real estate markets

    “Passive investors deserve a secure, high-yield investment vehicle that works for them,” added Kharfan. “We built Novacrest to be that solution—delivering structured real estate growth without the hassle of direct ownership.”

    How to Get Started

    Novacrest’s real estate investment fund is exclusively available to accredited investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with risk-managed real estate assets. To learn more, visit: Novacrest.

    About Novacrest

    Novacrest is a multi-industry investment firm specializing in real estate development, flipping, structured real estate investments, carbon credits, data centers, and capital raising. The company offers alternative investment opportunities tailored for accredited investors seeking secure, high-yield wealth-building strategies.

    Disclaimer: The expert opinions presented in this PR/Story are based on the extensive experience and knowledge of the source company. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the news distribution company and its distribution partners. There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. The news distribution company and its distribution partners do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information shared by the guest. Viewers are encouraged to consult with their own experts or conduct their own research when making decisions related to topics of this nature. The source company is the one issuing this release. Please contact them directly for further information.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Members Padilla, Morelle Secure Reversal on Damaging Plan to Close Federal Buildings With Congressional Offices

    US Senate News:

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

    Ranking Members Padilla, Morelle Secure Reversal on Damaging Plan to Close Federal Buildings With Congressional Offices

    Padilla and Morelle: “We are relieved that GSA and DOGE have heeded our strong objections and reversed course”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, followed up on their March 7 letter to the General Services Administration (GSA), welcoming its abandonment of joint efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cancel leases or sell federal buildings that host Congressional or other Legislative Branch offices. The Members continued to press GSA on their reckless efforts to close or sell off hundreds of other federal facilities at the direction of President Trump and Elon Musk and the indiscriminate firings of GSA Congressional support and regional management staff.
    “Members of Congress utilize offices across the country to carry out their constitutional duties within their home states and districts,” wrote the lawmakers. “We reiterate that closing facilities that host Congressional offices and forcing them to relocate would directly interfere with Congress’s constitutional duties, pose significant security risks, and cause disruption to essential constituent services. We are relieved that GSA and DOGE have heeded our strong objections and reversed course.”
    Trump’s GSA failed to respond to the lawmakers’ March 7 letter and still refuses to be transparent or accountable to Congressional oversight over these potential plans to cancel leases and sell off federally owned facilities.
    “This lack of responsiveness to Congress is unacceptable. GSA is funded and overseen by Congress and is accountable to the American people and their duly elected representatives in Congress,” wrote the lawmakers. “A lack of transparency, combined with uncoordinated and chaotic policy announcements and execution, is the opposite of ‘government efficiency.’”
    The lawmakers condemned the sweeping firings of GSA staff for entire regions and of GSA’s Congressional Support Program staff, who are critical to establish and maintain in-state Congressional offices. While the plans to sell off federally owned buildings in the Legislative Branch have been called off, these offices need a strong workforce to maintain essential operations.
    “DOGE and GSA have continued their indiscriminate firing of GSA Congressional Support staff and regional building management staff, leaving dozens of federal buildings with Congressional tenants without adequate support,” continued the lawmakers. “DOGE and GSA should similarly reverse course on these untargeted and short-sighted staff reductions that risk disrupting congressional operations.”
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Acting Administrator Ehikian:
    We write to follow up to our March 7 letter regarding the General Services Administration’s (GSA) ongoing efforts to cancel leases and sell off federally owned facilities in concert with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). We remain particularly concerned with the unacceptable impacts that would result from the unilateral forced relocations of Congressional offices or other Legislative Branch agencies.
    Unfortunately, GSA has failed to respond in a timely way. This lack of responsiveness to Congress is unacceptable. GSA is funded and overseen by Congress and is accountable to the American people and their duly elected representatives in Congress. A lack of transparency, combined with uncoordinated and chaotic policy announcements and execution, is the opposite of “government efficiency.”
    Nevertheless, we are encouraged by reports and information that we have received through other channels that GSA has stopped its misguided plans to cancel leases or divest buildings that host Legislative Branch agencies and offices. We are also pleased that GSA and DOGE are no longer pursuing lease terminations or taking steps to divest buildings that host Members of Congress offices in their home states and districts. These reports were confirmed by GSA’s press release issued Friday afternoon on March 21 with a reduced list of buildings identified for divestment.
    As noted in our March 7 letter, Members of Congress utilize offices across the country to carry out their constitutional duties within their home states and districts. We reiterate that closing facilities that host Congressional offices and forcing them to relocate would directly interfere with Congress’s constitutional duties, pose significant security risks, and cause disruption to essential constituent services. We are relieved that GSA and DOGE have heeded our strong objections and reversed course.
    However, DOGE and GSA have continued their indiscriminate firing of GSA Congressional Support staff and regional building management staff, leaving dozens of federal buildings with Congressional tenants without adequate support. DOGE and GSA should similarly reverse course on these untargeted and short-sighted staff reductions that risk disrupting congressional operations.
    We all share the stated goals of ensuring efficient use of federal office space and being responsible stewards of taxpayer funds. GSA should consult with Legislative Branch tenants and reach appropriate agreements that ensure safety, security, and avoid disrupting operations. If DOGE and GSA again consider unilaterally terminating leases or divesting buildings that host Congressional or other Legislative Branch offices, you should immediately notify Congressional leadership, the Senate and House Sergeants-at-Arms, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Committee on House Administration on a bipartisan basis.
    Thank you for your continued attention to these important considerations when it comes to Legislative Branch use of GSA facilities.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 25 March 2025 News release New WHO guidance calls for urgent transformation of mental health policies

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched new guidance to help all countries reform and strengthen mental health policies and systems. Mental health services worldwide remain underfunded, with major gaps in access and quality. In some countries, up to 90% of people with severe mental health conditions receive no care at all, while many existing services rely on outdated institutional models that fail to meet international human rights standards.

    The guidance provides a clear framework to transform mental health services in line with the latest evidence and international human rights standards, ensuring quality care is accessible to all.

    “Despite rising demand, quality mental health services remain out of reach for many people,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This new guidance gives all governments the tools to promote and protect mental health and build systems that serve everyone.”

    A blueprint for mental health care transformation

    While effective prevention and treatment interventions exist, most people living with mental health conditions do not have access to these. The new WHO guidance sets out concrete actions to help countries close these gaps and ensure mental health is promoted and protected, with a focus on:

    • protecting and upholding human rights, ensuring mental health policies and services are aligned with international human rights standards;
    • promoting holistic care with an emphasis on lifestyle and physical health, psychological, social, and economic interventions;
    • addressing social and economic factors that shape and affect mental health including employment, housing and education;
    • implementing prevention strategies and promote population-wide mental health and well-being; and
    • ensuring people with lived experience are empowered to participate in policy planning and design to ensure mental health policies and services are responsive to their needs.

    The guidance identifies five key policy areas requiring urgent reform: leadership and governance, service organization, workforce development, person-centred interventions, and addressing social and structural determinants of mental health.

    A tailored approach to strengthening mental health systems

    The WHO guidance serves as a critical tool for governments, policymakers, and stakeholders working to strengthen mental health systems and improve access to mental health care.

    By offering a menu of policy directives, strategies and actions to guide reform efforts, the guidance supports policy makers to prioritize and tailor policies to their specific national context, in line with their available resources and operational structures.

    “This new WHO guidance provides practical strategies for countries to build inclusive, responsive and resilient mental health systems. Designed to be flexible, it allows all countries – whether low- middle- or high-income – to adapt their approach to mental health care based on national context, needs, and priorities,” said Dr Michelle Funk, Unit Head, Policy, Law and Human Rights in the WHO Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

    Developing and implementing the guidance

    The guidance was developed in consultation with global experts, policymakers and individuals with lived experience. The policy guidance also builds on the resources, guidance and tools developed under the WHO QualityRights initiative, aiming to promote a person-centred, recovery-oriented and rights-based approach to mental health. WHO will support countries in implementing the guidance through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Digital is the best way to lodge partnership SODs

    Source:

    Statements of distribution (SODs) must be lodged for all partnerships. Accurate and timely completion of these enables us to data match and assess if partners have returned their partnership income correctly. Incomplete or incorrect statements may result in partners being unnecessarily subjected to compliance activities.

    Our recent analysis and compliance activities have identified basic errors tax practitioners make with SODs. To avoid these mistakes, make sure you’ve gathered the necessary lodgment information before preparing SODs, and complete all required information for each partner in the SOD labels, including:

    • the name of each individual or entity
    • tax file numbers
    • residential or business addresses
    • date of birth for individuals
    • Australian business numbers for other entities.

    SOD data helps us cross-check and assure that partners are correctly reporting their income in their income tax returns. This is even more important with our increased focus on compliance with Practical Compliance Guideline PCG 2021/4 Allocation of Professional firm profits – ATO compliance approach. It also helps us target our compliance actions more accurately. 

    We strongly recommend digital lodgment of SODs. For partnerships of up to 160 partners, you can already lodge digitally through your lodgment software (Practitioner lodgment service and Standard Business Reporting-enabled software). From 1 July, you’ll be able to digitally lodge 2024–25 and future returns for all partnerships, including those with more than 160 partners. We’ll provide more information on this change closer to that date.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 5 ways to enjoy Auckland after daylight saving ends

    Source: Auckland Council

    Daylight saving ends on 6 April and it’s natural to feel a shift this time of year. But shorter days don’t mean shorter experiences. There’s plenty to do to make the most of Auckland, even when there are fewer hours of sunshine. Take the opportunity to embrace this season of change with new ideas to boost your mood, from maximising vitamin D to rediscovering the warmth of a brisk walk.

    For those who work or study indoors, the end of daylight saving time can often mean that, in the height of winter, your days start and end in darkness. Reduced daylight hours can limit your ability to produce vitamin D, which is not only linked to bone health and muscle function, but has been shown to affect the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s key for mood regulation and happiness.

    One way to squeeze more vitamin D into your day is by spending your lunch break outdoors. It’s hip to be square when it comes to lunchtime eating options for workers in the central city. Auckland’s well-known public squares include Aotea Square, Te Komititanga at the bottom of Queen Street, and Britomart’s Takutai Square where you can enjoy your lunch while relaxing on beanbags. If you feel the need to be close to the water, Queens Wharf is also an ideal spot to enjoy your lunchtime with some seaside views. 

    The beanbags get put out at Takutai Square in Britomart on sunny days – a great spot to have a relaxing lunch.

    If you prefer the park life, then Myers Park is an urban oasis, packed with park benches poised for sandwich or sushi eating. Alternatively, you can eat your lunch while admiring the fountain and heritage trees at Albert Park. In Freyburg Place, the table and chairs outside the Ellen Melville Centre offer a great spot to chat with a coworker, while the tiered seating opposite is a sunny spot not far from many great High Street eateries (in case you left your lunch at home).

    While long summer evenings can get busy, autumn and winter are a chance to reclaim some ‘me time’ by taking a night class. If you’re keen to develop your artistic side, try the Contemporary Painting Class at Te Tuhi in Pakuranga, or get your hands dirty at the Fundamentals of Clay class at Corban Estate Arts Centre or Evening Clay Making at Mairangi Arts Centre.

    If you’d like to combine your art with exercise, try the yoga and art immersion class at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Or maybe you’d prefer to spend your evenings learning a language – why not drop in to Kōrero Mai! at Mt Roskill Library and improve your conversational te reo Māori?

    The quieter months in autumn and winter are great times to visit spots that are very popular over summer such as Karekare in Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Karekare Falls is only a five-minute walk from the carpark, and is great if combined with a beach walk along the rugged coastline where The Piano was filmed.

    A family-friendly winter walk opinion is Te Ara Tahuna / Ōrewa Estuary Path on the Hibiscus Coast. This 80-minute scenic loop path is scooter, bike, pram and skateboard friendly (the track even goes past a skateboard park). If you’re bored over the weekend why not tread the boards – boardwalks that is. There are many to try, including the recently upgraded Shepherds Park in Beach Haven, Bucklands Beach Path where you can enjoy Rangitoto views, Mangawhau / Mt Eden overlooking the city – there’s even a boardwalk at Auckland Zoo if you’d prefer to go ape!

    The boardwalk at Shepherds Park is ideal for a weekend walk.

    When you put your clocks back on 6 April, take the opportunity to have a fitness reset. Even when the weather is wet, there are heaps of ways to stay active at Auckland Council Pool and Leisure centres. Reach your daily step count on the treadmill or improve bone density with weight-bearing exercises in one of the Council’s gym facilities. For extra motivation, try a group fitness class – such as cardio and core – or if you want to dance with somebody, try a dance-based class like Zumba and Barre. For a wheelie good time, try a stationary bike class. If team sports are more your jam, then prove your net worth with sports such as basketball, pickleball or badminton.

    The fitness centre at Albany Stadium Pool features cardio equipment such as treadmills and rowing machines, as well as free weights and other exercise machines.

    After all that exercise, you deserve a rest. The cooler months are the perfect time to make a dent in your reading list. Keen to get your hands on that book everyone is talking about?

    Visit your local Auckland Council library and explore the Bestie collection, which features new and bestselling books available with no holds or renewals, meaning you can pick up a copy and read it right away.

    Set up a cosy reading cocoon at home with a thrifted mug and warm blanket from your local Community Recycling Centre (CRC), or bring a mat and a warm coat to a park and read outdoors – perhaps enjoying the autumn leaves as you leaf through a book? Great parks to enjoy autumn colour include the Pukekawa / Auckland Domain, Albert Park and Victoria Park.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Budget support for cost of living, health and vulnerable communities welcomed – AMES

    Source: AMES

    Migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia has welcomed measures announced by the federal government in its 2025 budget which provide cost of living relief, support for diverse communities while promoting social cohesion and maintaining Australia’s commitment to resettling refugees.

    CEO of migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia also welcomed budget measures that supported access to healthcare, especially for women, as well as cost of living relief for vulnerable families and communities.

    “We welcome the measures in the budget that support migrants and refugees and their communities, who are among the most vulnerable to cost of living pressures and barriers to accessing healthcare,” Ms Scarth said.

    “The government’s investment in extending bulk billing and keeping medicines affordable will be welcomed by the communities we work with and support.

    “The modest tax cuts delivering $268 a year to families and the extension of power bill relief, saving households $150 a year, will also have a positive impact,” she said.

    Ms Scarth said the health measures in the budget would be felt in diverse communities.

    “We know that people from diverse communities can struggle to access healthcare, so the $8.5 billion boost to Medicare aimed at extending bulk-billing target of nine out of ten GP visits by 2030 is welcome,” Ms Scarth said.

    “Also welcome is the $650 million in the budget for urgent care clinics and the $573 million for women’s health. The measure to limit the costs of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to no more than $25 will help many families.

    “The women’s health measures are particularly important because they focus on areas such as contraception, endometriosis and menopause care,” she said.

    AMES Australia also welcomed the $178.4 million investment in the budget over five years to strengthen social cohesion, including $10 million for independent multicultural media and $44.8 million in grants for community projects.

    The budget also commits $21.4 million to strengthen support for victim-survivors of sexual violence, which builds on existing programs aimed at improving access to critical legal and non-legal support for victim-survivors.

     

    And it allocates funds to maintain Australia’s world-leading refugee programs.

     

    “The budget maintains Australia’s commitment to settle 20,000 refugees each year at a time when many countries are closing their borders to those fleeing war or persecution, and while an increasing number of global conflicts are driving record human displacement,” Ms Scarth said.

     

    “Overall, the budget is inclusive. It recognises that when people feel they are valued members of society, there is a dividend in stronger social cohesion and a stronger society,” she said.  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock Leads Bipartisan Effort to Lower Housing Costs for Servicemembers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock Leads Bipartisan Effort to Lower Housing Costs for Servicemembers

    Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Warnock (D-GA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are introducing a bipartisan bill that will help servicemembers across Georgia, Alaska, and the country obtain sufficient and affordable housing
    A stalwart champion for Georgia’s veterans, military families, and servicemembers, Senator Reverend Warnock has actively worked in the Senate to strengthen federal support for Georgia’s military communities
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Our bill will help ensure military families who sacrifice so much to serve our nation can access safe, dignified housing”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to lower housing costs for servicemembers in Georgia, Alaska, and across the country. The bipartisan Basic Allowance for Housing Restoration Act will ensure servicemembers and their families receive their full housing allowance. In Fiscal Year 2015, Congress cut servicemembers’ housing allowance, decreasing Base Allowance for Housing (BAH) coverage from 100% of estimated housing costs to 95%. This cost-sharing has hurt military families, many of whom already face issues of food insecurity and other expenses. Companion legislation was also introduced in the House by Reps. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) earlier in the month.
    “Georgia is a military state, and with all that we ask from our servicemembers and their families, ensuring they have quality, affordable housing is the least we can do,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I have long been a champion for our servicemembers in Georgia and across the nation, which is why I am proud to partner with Senator Murkowski to champion the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Restoration Act. Our bill will help ensure military families who sacrifice so much to serve our nation can access safe, dignified housing, and I look forward to introducing companion legislation in the Senate.” 
    “Alaska is home to many critical military installations with serious missions, but our servicemembers and their families face some of the highest costs-of-living in the country – especially when it comes to housing.” said Senator Murkowski. “No member of our military should have to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket costs to have a roof over their head while serving our nation. It’s time for Congress to address this and take care of our servicemembers by raising the Basic Allowance for Housing back to 100 percent.”
    “Access to affordable housing is one of the top issues I hear from servicemembers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Servicemembers are priced out of options to live near their bases, putting strain on our military families,” said Rep. Strickland. “When the Department reduces the housing allowance, it exacerbates economic, food access, and readiness issues. Restoring the BAH to 100% provides servicemembers and their families with stability and shows that meeting their basic needs is a national security priority.”
    “Our service members and their families should not have to struggle to find and afford housing. When they volunteer to put their lives on the line for their country, we should be able to guarantee that they will have access to clean and comfortable housing within the allowance they are given,” said Rep. Bacon. “Restoring BAH to 100% will help improve the quality of life for those that are willing to sacrifice so much.”
    The legislation is endorsed by the Military Officers Association of America, the Military Housing Association, The American Legion, the Military Family Advisory Network, and the National Military Family Association.
    Senator Warnock has long been a leading advocate in the Senate for Georgia’s military families. In 2022, Senator Warnock helped to pass the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of veterans’ health benefits in decades. He was also successful in securing multiple important wins for military families in the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, including securing two of his provisions in the NDAA that will make housing more affordable for military families and ease the burden of relocation for military families. In the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA, the Senator helped secure a 14.5% raise for junior troops, who will now earn about $3,000 to $6,000 more per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Votes “No” on Dr. Oz Nomination, Raises Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Votes “No” on Dr. Oz Nomination, Raises Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

    Today, during a Senate Finance committee vote, Senator Reverend Warnock voted “NO” on advancing the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz for full Senate consideration to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
    If confirmed, Dr. Oz expressed no indication he would defend Medicaid from Washington Republicans who are threatening major slashes in funding for health care
    In Georgia, Medicaid covers two in five children and one in ten veterans
    Senator Reverend Warnock believes access to health care for working or low-income Georgians is too important to gamble with nominees unable to unequivocally defend Medicare and Medicaid from partisan attacks 

    Watch Senator Reverend Warnock’s remarks HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) announced he was voting “no” to advance the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to become the next Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Senator cited grave concerns that Dr. Oz would not defend Medicaid, which covers two in five Georgia children and one in ten Georgia veterans, from Washington Republicans looking to make devastating cuts to the program.
    “Let me be really clear that I’m voting against Dr. Oz. I think he is knowledgeable, certainly more knowledgeable than Secretary Kennedy about the program that he’s tasked to lead, but we’ve got to take seriously the needs of millions of Americans who will lose their health care. And so, I’m voting no for his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same,”said Senator Reverend Warnock. 
    In his remarks during the committee hearing, Senator Warnock highlighted how Washington Republicans are proposing to gut almost $900 billion from Medicaid to give millionaires and billionaires an additional tax cut, potentially kicking millions of Americans off of their health care insurance.
    “Here’s the deal, Republicans need a whole lot of money to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, and they know if you give people enough bureaucratic hoops to jump through, then enough working people will get tripped up by the red tape and lose their health care. And so that’s the plan, less money spent on a working mom’s cancer treatment because she didn’t fill out the right form every month by the right deadline, so you have more money for billionaire tax cuts. We know this because I live in Georgia. Georgia is the only state with work reporting requirements in its Medicaid program, and all this program has to show for itself five years later, is 6,500 people enrolled. We’ve got nearly 600,000 Georgians who are in the Medicaid gap. The governor’s program has enrolled a whopping 6,500 people,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
    Interested media can read a transcript of the senator’s remarks below and watch them HERE.
    “Before entering the Senate I was fighting for my state to expand Medicaid, which would give an estimated 600,000 Georgians access to affordable health care. But here we are, 15 years almost to the day of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law, and still Georgia has not expanded Medicaid. Georgia continues to deny its citizens access to this program that’s being supported by the tax paying Georgians. To make matters worse, now, Washington Republicans have proposed to gut almost $900 billion from Medicaid to give millionaires and billionaires an additional tax cut, potentially kicking millions of Americans off of their health care insurance. Medicaid covers almost 40 million children across the country, two in five children in Georgia, one in 10 veterans, 63% of seniors in nursing homes. Medicaid also supports 1/5 of all hospital spending, especially in communities without many hospital options.”
    “Washington Republicans and Dr. Oz say they want to make Medicaid more efficient by requiring people who get their health insurance through Medicaid to fill out government paperwork each month to prove that they are working. Here are the facts: nearly all adults enrolled in Medicaid are either working, in school, or caregivers. By and large, if they can work, they do work. I know that may be hard to believe in a country that increasingly maligns poor people for being poor, but by and large, these folks already work, or their caregivers or their students. They are construction workers. They are restaurant service, and mechanics. They are doing exactly what Dr. Oz and Washington Republicans want them to do. But here’s the deal, Republicans need a whole lot of money to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, and they know if you give people enough bureaucratic hoops to jump through, then enough working people will get tripped up by the red tape and lose their health care. And so that’s the plan, less money spent on a working mom’s cancer treatment because she didn’t fill out the right form every month by the right deadline, so you have more money for billionaire tax cuts.”
    “We know this because I live in Georgia. Georgia is the only state with work reporting requirements and its Medicaid program, and all of this program has to show for itself five years later, is 6,500 people enrolled. We’ve got nearly 600,000 Georgians who are in the Medicaid gap. The governor’s program has enrolled a whopping 6,500 people. Mr. Chair. I know I’m running out of time, but as I close, and nobody believes the Baptist preacher when he says as I close, let me be really clear that I’m voting against Dr. Oz. I think he is knowledgeable, certainly more knowledgeable than Secretary Kennedy about the program that he’s tasked to lead, but we’ve got to take seriously the needs of millions of Americans who will lose their health care. And so, I’m voting no for his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor, industry leaders, stakeholders focus on railway, hearing safety during 2025 Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON  — The first university-owned feed mill in Iowa was the site for the kickoff of the 2025 Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, an annual training and educational event that reminds agriculture industry employers and workers about the potentially deadly hazards present in confined spaces, including grain engulfment.

    This year’s event, held March 24-28, is a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Alliance Program, the Grain Handling Safety Council, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, and the National Grain and Feed Association. At the Iowa State University in Ames, the opening event focused on worksite housekeeping, hearing conservation, preventing struck-by incidents, and railway safety. 

    OSHA’s Alliance Program, in collaboration with state workplace safety officials and industry leaders, helped reduce fatal grain entrapments by 25.7 percent from 2022 to 2023. Despite those efforts, half of reported grain entanglements in 2024 were fatal. 

     “Every worker should be able to go home safe at the end of the day,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Amanda Wood Laihow. “By working together with our alliance and industry partners, we’re making grain handling safer and raising awareness to protect the people who produce our nation’s vital food supply.” 

    Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week features open discussions and daily interactive webinars with experts on OSHA regulations and topics including fatigue, emergency safety planning, worksite housekeeping, railway safety, and alternative grain storage. Learn more, register for the webinars, and find local live event information.

    Alliance members will share information through newsletters, emails, the Stand Up 4 Grain Safety webpage, and social media using the hashtag #StandUp4GrainSafety.

    OSHA’s Grain Handling Safety Standards address six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, struck-by incidents, combustible dust explosions, and electrocution. Learn more about agriculture safety resources. and learn about OSHA. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Supports Challenge to Trump Administration’s Early Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Venezuelans

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Leads multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief in Haitian-Americans United v. Trump

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, leading a multistate coalition, filed an amicus brief in Haitian-Americans United v. Trump in support of a challenge to the early termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haitians and Venezuelans. TPS is a critical humanitarian program that allows immigrants of designated countries to remain in the United States due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home countries. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has taken the unprecedented and unlawful action of attempting to cancel TPS for more than 800,000 immigrants fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries. 

    “The Trump Administration seeks to strip more than 50% of all TPS holders of legal protections that allow them to live lawfully in this country. In doing so, it threatens to force these individuals to choose between living in the shadows here in America or returning to dangerous conditions in their home countries,” said Attorney General Bonta. “TPS holders are neighbors and co-workers, teachers and students, entrepreneurs and job-creators. They are integral parts of their communities and important contributors to our economy. I urge the court to prevent the Trump Administration’s heartless and unlawful attempt to revoke their legal immigration status.” 

    In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition urge the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to prevent the Trump Administration’s order from going into effect, arguing that the termination of Haitian and Venezuelan TPS is unlawful and will:

    • Result in irreparable harm to families, stripping members of work authorization and exposing them to the threat of deportation.
    • Harm states’ economies and workforces as TPS holders, including the Haitian and Venezuelan communities, are dynamic contributors to California and other states’ economies.
    • Raise healthcare costs and pose substantial risks to public health.
    • Create challenges for jurisdictions across the country in enforcing their criminal codes and protecting public safety.

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to upholding the rights and protections of all of California’s residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home. He has defended pathways for legal immigration for those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home counties, supported a challenge to the early termination of the TPS designation for Venezuela, and secured a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit challenging the President’s unlawful executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

    Attorney General Bonta, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and New York Attorney General Letitia James, leads the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin in filing the brief.  

    A copy of the brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Colleagues Press USDA to Not Take Food Away from Food Banks and Hungry Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) — U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and 24 of their Senate colleagues in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explain the reported cancellation of previously-approved funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers. This cancellation would take food away from hungry Americans already facing high grocery prices and hurt American farmers who are being squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets. 

    In the letter, the lawmakers wrote: “We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy.”  

    They continued: “If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance. In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges.” 

    The full letter is available here.   

    In addition to Shaheen and Klobuchar, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT),  Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woodbury Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Armed Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Alfonso Lee Seals, a Woodbury man, has been sentenced to 182 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon and interfering with commerce by robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on June 14, 2023, Minneapolis police responded to a 911 call reporting a shootout between two cars along University Avenue Northeast. Responding officers found an abandoned car crashed into a utility pole. On the floorboard of the driver’s seat, law enforcement discovered a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol with a “switch” or “auto-sear” attached to it, making it fully automatic. Forensic testing confirmed that that the defendant, Alfonso Lee Seals, 28, possessed the pistol. On November 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s brother’s home where they recovered a Taurus model G2S 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported stolen from Mounds View, Minnesota, in October 2022.  Forensic testing confirmed that the defendant possessed that pistol as well. On October 17, 2023, the defendant and an accomplice robbed a convenience store at gunpoint in Oakdale, Minnesota. Security camera footage showed the defendant ordering the victim cashier to his knees, placing a semiautomatic firearm to the cashier’s back, forcing him to open a cash register, and repeatedly threatening to kill the cashier during the robbery.

    On December 23, 2024, Seals pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of interfering with commerce by robbery. In his plea agreement, Seals admitted that he knowingly and willingly possessed both firearms and that he possessed the Glock in connection with two other felonies—felony drive-by shooting and intentionally discharging a firearm under circumstances that endanger the safety of another. He also admitted that he and his accomplice robbed the convenience store at gunpoint and threatened to kill the victim cashier. Because Seals has multiple prior felony convictions for assault in both Hennepin and Dakota Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

    “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for armed and violent career criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This behavior is shocking and unacceptable.  My office will continue to hold Seals—and others who would terrorize our community—accountable.”  

    Seals was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Oakdale Police Department, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: RAA and Duck Creek Technologies announce new SaaS core insurance delivery technology partnership

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SYDNEY, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, the global provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, has announced a new SaaS core insurance delivery technology partnership with South Australia’s largest personal lines insurer, RAA.

    Duck Creek’s solutions, including Policy, Rating, Billing, Claims and Clarity (data and insights), served via their OnDemand cloud-delivery platform, will replace RAA’s incumbent on-premises legacy technology for their personal motor and home insurance products.

    Duck Creek’s platform, featuring open and flexible architecture, line-of-business kits, local layers, and simple integrations will help RAA improve speed to market for new products, and provide an increasingly modern and seamless digital user experience for their 825,000+ members.

    James Galdes, Chief Technology Officer at RAA said, “We’re excited to welcome Duck Creek as our core insurance technology partner for our personal and motor insurance products. As South Australia’s largest personal lines insurer, our members’ needs and expectations are continually evolving, and we require a more flexible, nimble and sustainable insurance delivery platform. We’ve found this with Duck Creek Technologies. Their future-proof SaaS core insurance delivery technology will help us unlock efficiencies and uplift our staff and members’ experiences now, and into the future.”

    In addition to allowing RAA to deliver its members more innovative products, and more value, RAA will also receive significant operational benefits and increased efficiencies from the new solutions.

    “Duck Creek’s cloud-native SaaS will help reduce our data center footprint whilst improving scalability and availability. It will simplify regulatory compliance thanks to the platform’s security that’s been built for the Australian context. The fortnightly silent updates through active delivery will eliminate disruptive upgrades and costly downtime. This means we can focus more on delivering coverage, confidence, value and greater member experiences, and focus less on technology,” according to Mr. Galdes.

    Christian Erickson, Managing Director APAC, Duck Creek Technologies said the new partnership represents a significant milestone for Duck Creek Technologies.

    “As a member-based organisation, RAA required more than just protection for policyholders. They pride themselves on delivering value to members. RAA has a big vision and high expectations and will be pushing the boundaries of innovation and possibilities. We’re looking forward to the challenge of supporting and enabling this,” said Erickson.

    RAA’s decision came following a thorough evaluation process. “We leveraged our strategic partners in Gartner and Deloitte to lead a comprehensive market evaluation process. Duck Creek’s evergreen architecture, strong partnership ethos, local product support, and pre-built marketplace connectors were recognised as distinct advantages,” according to Mr. Galdes.

    This announcement follows recent news of a new strategic partnership between RAA and Allianz Australia. Under the 20-year partnership, RAA will be responsible for the marketing and distribution of insurance products, while Allianz will be responsible for product, pricing, claims and underwriting.

    About Duck Creek Technologies 

    Duck Creek Technologies is the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X. 

    Media Contacts: 
    Chris Hamilton 
    chris.hamilton@duckcreek.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 03/25/2025 Blackburn, Schatz, Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Boost U.s. Cultural Trade Amid Competition From China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Cultural Trade Promotion Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s creative industries and expand cultural exports. By bolstering the creative economy, this legislation will help U.S. businesses—including Native-owned, small, and rural enterprises—reach new global markets, create jobs, and strengthen America’s influence abroad amidst increasing competition from China.
    “We cannot allow China to continue to outpace the United States in overall cultural exports, and Tennessee is home to countless creative entrepreneurs who need support to export their products and grow their businesses,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Cultural Trade Promotion Act would improve access to international shipping services for these small businesses to strengthen our economy and promote high-quality American goods.” 
    “America’s creative industries are a powerful force, driving jobs at home and shaping perceptions of our country abroad. Recently, China has doubled down on promoting its cultural exports, and we’ve been falling behind,” said Senator Schatz. “This bipartisan bill will help us level the playing field by expanding export opportunities for American businesses everywhere from Maui to Memphis so that our creative economy remains the global leader.”
    Over the past decade, China has aggressively expanded its cultural trade through coordinated government investments and programs. In 2014, China surpassed the United States in overall cultural exports, and it continues to leverage cultural promotion as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile, America’s cultural trade surplus has declined, dropping from $31.5 billion in 2019 to $17.8 billion in 2021 before rebounding slightly to $21 billion in 2022, according to the National Endowment for the Arts.
    The Cultural Trade Promotion Act would direct the Foreign Commercial Service to promote U.S. creative economy goods abroad and require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee to include the creative economy in its annual governmentwide strategic plan. The bill would also improve access to international shipping services for small businesses by facilitating collaboration between the International Trade Administration and the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, it would promote products from American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian-owned businesses and include a representative of the creative industries on the Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Maritime truce would end a sorry war on the waves for Russia that set back its naval power ambitions

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Colin Flint, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Utah State University

    A warship is seen docked in the port of the Black Sea city of Sochi. Mikhail Mordasov/AFP via Getty Images

    Away from the grueling land battles and devastating airstrikes, the Ukraine war has from its outset had a naval element. Soon after the February 2022 invasion, Russia imposed a de facto naval blockade on Ukraine, only to see its fleet stunningly defeated during a contest for control of the Black Sea.

    But that war on the waves looks like it could be ending.

    Under the terms of a deal announced on March 25, 2025, by the U.S. and agreed upon in Saudi Arabia, both sides of the conflict committed to ensuring “safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea,” according to a White House statement.

    The naval aspect of the Ukraine war has gotten less attention than events on land and in the skies. But it is, I believe, a vital aspect with potentially far-reaching consequences.

    Not only have Russia’s Black Sea losses constrained Moscow’s ability to project power across the globe through naval means, it has also resulted in Russia’s growing cooperation with China, where Moscow is emerging as a junior party to Beijing on the high seas.

    Battle over the Black Sea

    The tradition of geopolitical theory has tended to paint an oversimplification of global politics. Theories harkening back to the late 19th century categorized countries as either land powers or maritime powers.

    Thinkers such as the British geopolitician Sir Halford Mackinder or the U.S. theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan characterized maritime powers as countries that possessed traits of democratic liberalism and free trade. In contrast, land powers were often portrayed as despotic and militaristic.

    While such generalizations have historically been used to demonize enemies, there is still a contrived tendency to divide the world into land and sea powers. An accompanying view that naval and army warfare is somewhat separate has continued.

    And this division gives us a false impression of Russia’s progress in the war with Ukraine. While Moscow has certainly seen some successes on land and in the air, that should not draw attention away from Russia’s stunning defeat in the Black Sea that has seen Russia have to retreat from the Ukrainian shoreline and keep its ships far away from the battlefront.

    As I describe in my recent book, “Near and Far Waters: The Geopolitics of Seapower,” maritime countries have two concerns: They must attempt to control the parts of the sea relatively close to their coastlines, or their “near waters”; meanwhile, those with the ability and desire to do so try to project power and influence into “far waters” across oceans, which are the near waters of other countries.

    The Black Sea is a tightly enclosed and relatively small sea comprising the near waters of the countries that surround it: Turkey to the south, Bulgaria and Romania to the west, Georgia to the east, and Ukraine and Russia to the north.

    Control of the Black Sea’s near waters has been contested throughout the centuries and has played a role in the current Russian-Ukraine war.

    Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 allowed it to control the naval port of Sevastopol. What were near waters of Ukraine became de facto near waters for Russia.

    Controlling these near waters allowed Russia to disrupt Ukraine’s trade, especially the export of grain to African far waters.

    But Russia’s actions were thwarted through the collaboration of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey to allow passage of cargo ships through their near waters, then through the Bosporus into the Mediterranean Sea.

    Ukraine’s use of these other countries’ near waters allowed it to export between 5.2 million and 5.8 million tons of grain per month in the first quarter of 2024. To be sure, this was a decline from Ukraine’s exports of about 6.5 million tons per month prior to the war, which then dropped to just 2 million tons in the summer of 2023 because of Russian attacks and threats. Prior to the announcement of the ceasefire, the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture had forecasted a decline in Ukrainian grain exports for 2025.

    But efforts to constrain Russia’s control of Ukraine’s near waters in the Black Sea, and Russia’s unwillingness to face the consequences of attacking ships in NATO countries’ near waters, meant Ukraine was still able to access far waters for economic gain and keep the Ukrainian economy afloat.

    For Putin, that sinking feeling

    Alongside being thwarted in its ability to disrupt Ukrainian exports, Russia has also come under direct naval attack from Ukraine. Since February 2022, using unmanned attack drones, Ukraine has successfully sunk or damaged Russian ships and whittled away at Russia’s Black sea fleet, sinking about 15 of its prewar fleet of about 36 warships and damaging many others.

    Russia has been forced to limit its use of Sevastopol and station its ships in the eastern part of the Black Sea. It cannot effectively function in the near waters it gained through the seizure of Crimea.

    Russia’s naval setbacks against Ukraine are only the latest in its historical difficulties in projecting sea power and its resulting tendency to mainly focus on the defense of near waters.

    In 1905, Russia was shocked by a dramatic naval loss to Japan. Yet even in cases where it was not outright defeated, Russian sea power has been continually constrained historically. In World War I, Russia cooperated with the British Royal Navy to limit German merchant activity in the Baltic Sea and Turkish trade and military reach in the Black Sea.

    In World War II, Russia relied on material support from the Allies and was largely blockaded within its Baltic Sea and Black Sea ports. Many ships were brought close to home or stripped of their guns as artillery or offshore support for the territorial struggle with Germany.

    During the Cold War, meanwhile, though the Soviet Union built fast-moving missile boats and some aircraft carriers, its reach into far waters relied on submarines. The main purpose of the Soviet Mediterranean fleet was to prevent NATO penetration into the Black Sea.

    And now, Russia has lost control of the Black Sea. It cannot operate in these once secure near waters. These losses reduce its ability to project naval power from the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean Sea.

    Ceding captaincy to China

    Faced with a glaring loss in its backyard and put in a weak position in its near waters, Russia as a result can project power to far waters only through cooperation with a China that is itself investing heavily in a far-water naval capacity.

    Joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in July 2024 are evidence of this cooperation. Wang Guangzheng of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Southern Theater said of the drill that “the China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields.” And looking forward, he claimed the exercise “effectively enhanced the ability to the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats.”

    Warships of the Chinese and Russian navies take part in a joint naval exercise in the East China Sea.
    Li Yun/Xinhua via Getty Images

    This cooperation makes sense in purely military terms for Russia, a mutually beneficial project of sea power projection. But it is largely to China’s benefit.

    Russia can help China’s defense of its northern near waters and secure access to far waters through the Arctic Ocean – an increasingly important arena as global climate change reduces the hindrance posed by sea ice. But Russia remains very much the junior partner.

    Moscow’s strategic interests will be supported only if they match Chinese interests. More to the point, sea power is about power projection for economic gain. China will likely use Russia to help protect its ongoing economic reach into African, Pacific, European and South American far waters. But it is unlikely to jeopardize these interests for Russian goals.

    To be sure, Russia has far-water economic interests, especially in the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa. And securing Russian interests in Africa complements China’s growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean to secure its own, and greater, global economic interests. But cooperation will still be at China’s behest.

    For much of the Ukraine war, Russia has been bottled up in its Black Sea near waters, with the only avenue for projecting its naval power coming through access to Africa and Indian Ocean far waters – and only then as a junior partner with China, which dictates the terms and conditions.

    A maritime deal with Ukraine now, even if it holds, will not compensate for Russia’s ongoing inability to project power across the oceans on its own.

    Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article originally published by The Conversation U.S. on Oct. 3, 2024.

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

    – ref. Maritime truce would end a sorry war on the waves for Russia that set back its naval power ambitions – https://theconversation.com/maritime-truce-would-end-a-sorry-war-on-the-waves-for-russia-that-set-back-its-naval-power-ambitions-253089

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –