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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government must close Glasgow company aiding Russia say Greens

    Source: Scottish Greens

    15 Mar 2025 External Affairs

    The UK must close the loopholes in the sanctions placed on Russia.

    More in External Affairs

    The UK Government must take action to end the operations of a Glasgow-based company key to Russia’s gas exports says Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer.

    Writing to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds MP, Greer accused unethical businesses of exploiting loopholes in the sanctions placed on Russia and supporting their brutal invasion of Ukraine.

    Raising the example of Seapeak Maritime Ltd, based in Glasgow and London, Greer noted that the company operates seven oil tankers which export Russian liquified natural gas from Siberia to Europe. 

    Mr Greer said:

    “It’s been three years since Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine, and over a decade since they seized Crimea. Their brutal and illegal war has left hundreds of thousands dead or wounded and forced many more to flee for safety. 

    “Scotland has taken a firm position in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but Seapeak operating from an office in Glasgow shames and undermines our efforts. 

    “The Russian war machine is dependent in no small part on the profits made by their gas exports. I’m glad the UK Government has sanctioned many individuals and companies who have aided the Kremlin, but for some reason Seapeak remains untouched. They’ve made a fortune from shipping gas out of Russia, throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war economy as a result.

    “It’s time for Seapeak’s operations here to be shut down and their ships sanctioned. Ukraine desperately needs our help if it is to survive the Russian onslaught and Trump’s betrayal. The least we do is stop companies based here from enabling Putin’s regime.”

    The Green MSP has worked with Ukrainian NGO Razom We Stand since the full-scale invasion began and it was through their efforts that Seapeak’s activities were uncovered.

    Speaking on behalf of Razom We Stand, founder and executive director of the organisation, Svitlana Romanko says:

    “Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine, we are disheartened to see that the UK and Scottish governments still allow Glasgow-based Seapeak to bring Russian gas to Europe and profit from this ongoing gas trade.

    “Let’s be brutally honest – the fossil fuel industry choosing blood money over basic human decency comes as no surprise to anyone. Every tanker of Russian gas that sets sail spits in the face of both morality and global security. They’re just counting their cash while Ukraine burns. 

    “With Seapeak’s vessels openly trading Russian LNG on the spot market, without constraints, both the UK and Scottish governments’ continued inaction is nothing short of complicity. There’s no grey area here – this is brazen war profiteering happening in Glasgow, right inside Britain itself. 

    “Each day the British and Scottish governments hesitate to curtail this home-based trade only serves to strengthen Putin’s ability to wage his war against Ukraine and Europe. 

    “This Arctic gas that Seapeak transports, represents a double catastrophe; funding Russian aggression in Ukraine and unleashing enormous carbon emissions making a mockery of our climate commitments. 

    “And it’s not only about Ukraine. The Kremlin’s continued efforts to expand its gas export infrastructure in the Arctic leads to environmental devastation and massive carbon emissions, directly undermining the urgently needed response to the climate crisis.”

    Letter to Secretary of State for Business and Trade

    Jonathan Reynolds MP
    Secretary of State for Business and Trade
    By Email

    7th March 2025

    Ending indirect support for Russia via LNG exports

    Dear Jonathan,

    As I’m sure you are aware, Russia’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is dependent to a significant extent on the economic returns generated by the export of fossil fuels. Three years into this war governments and businesses across the world, including our own, have adopted a wide range of measures to ensure that they are not complicit in Putin’s horrific crimes through engagement with the Russian energy industry. These measures remain incomplete however, and loopholes are being exploited by businesses who have no objection to supporting the Russian war economy.

    Last year my office was made aware of the case of Seapeak Maritime Ltd, operating out of Glasgow and London. Seapeak is involved with Yamal LNG, Russia’s largest LNG plant, as well as private joint stock company Novatek, their largest LNG exporter and second-largest gas producer.

    Seven LNG tankers, the Yakov Gakkel, Eduard Toll, Nikolay Yevgenov, Vladimir Voronin, Georgiy Ushakov, Rudolf Samoylovich and Seapeak Yamal appear to have been travelling from the Yamal LNG port at Sabetta in Siberia to different European destinations. The Sabetta port is a joint venture of Novatek and the Russian state. All seven of these ships are managed and operated by Seapeak Maritime Ltd and Seapeak Maritime Glasgow Ltd.

    Last year I worked with the Ukrainian NGO Razom We Stand and with Sky News to break this story. To my knowledge, Seapeak’s activities since then have not changed and they continue to play a key role in Russian LNG exports by operating roughly one third of all the tankers used for this work. I commend your expansion of sanctions against Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ and would urge you to take similar action against Seapeak and its fleet immediately.

    I would be happy to provide your officials with further information compiled by my office and Razom We Stand, if that would be of use.

    Best wishes,
    Ross Greer MSP

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ongoing medical needs amid relentless attacks in eastern Ukraine

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    In eastern Ukraine, Dobropillia, Donetsk oblast (region) — less than 20 kilometres from the frontline — has recently faced some of the worst shelling since the escalation of the war in 2022. As attacks continue, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are working to ensure urgent medical care is available to those caught in the violence.

    “We hear heartbreaking stories from our patients,” says Oleksandr Makarevych, MSF Emergency Manager in Ukraine. “People tell us how they ran out of burning houses. Some were trapped inside their flats as the fire spread and couldn’t escape. One woman told us that her neighbours died in the bathroom, where they tried to hide during the attack.”

    A former city of refuge now faces frequent attacks 

    Dobropillia, a city of miners and farmers, was once home to almost 40,000 people. Now, only 20,000 people remain, despite the growing danger. Because of its location, war-wounded and vulnerable people from nearby towns — including Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Kostiantynivka — were evacuated to Dobropillia for emergency medical care. However, now the city is under constant threat. 

    “People are living under permanent stress,” says Thomas Marchese, MSF Programme Director in Ukraine. “Missile attacks have become more frequent. When sirens go off, people have only seconds to reach shelters — and many elderly people, people with disabilities, or families with children cannot make it in time.” 

    “Even in basements, they are not completely safe. If a building collapses, people could be trapped under rubble,” says Marchese. “For the past three years of full-scale war, we’ve witnessed these devastating consequences repeatedly — in Donetsk region, Sumy, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia.”

    MSF assisting in medical evacuations

    Since 2022, MSF ambulances have been working closely with Dobropillia’s hospital, helping to transport patients to safer facilities further from the frontlines. Following the massive attack at the beginning of March, which killed 11 people and injured at least 50, MSF ambulance teams referred 25 patients from Dobropillia to hospitals in Dnipro, five of whom were in critical condition. 

    Building destroyed by shelling in Donetsk region.
    MSF

    Among those evacuated was a woman suffering severe burns to her face and eyes, along with blast injuries and head trauma. She and her husband had briefly left Dobropillia to stay with relatives in Dnipro but returned home to collect belongings — when shelling began.

    “There were so many wounded that even the hospital corridors were filled with patients,” says Serhii Tkachenko, MSF feldsher. “[The patient’s] oxygen levels were dangerously low, so we transported her with oxygen support.” 

    Another patient was a young man with an open fracture to his leg, as well as blast injuries, head, and chest trauma. 

    “He ran to help others after the first explosion but was injured when more shells landed,” says Dr Hennadii Kyslytsia, an MSF doctor. “We managed his pain and monitored his vital signs during the referral.”

    Even if the war ends tomorrow, enormous needs will remain 

    What our teams see in Dobropillia is alarming: burned-out apartment blocks, scorched land, and desperate shortages of essential medicines and services. Local authorities continue to call on residents to evacuate. The nearest transit centre for displaced people is in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, where MSF mobile clinics also operate.

    “Sometimes, patients arrive with severe injuries that were left untreated for two or three days,” says Marchese. “By the time they get to us, their condition is critical.”

    MSF teams will continue to provide emergency care, evacuate the war-wounded, and support hospitals near the frontline. Even if the war ends tomorrow, the humanitarian and medical needs in Ukraine — especially in conflict areas — will remain enormous. People will need housing, access to medical care, and psychological support to recover from trauma and stress.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Highlights Health Care Priorities to CMS Nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, laid out his health care priorities during a hearing to consider Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz committed to supporting Grassley’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs, strengthen rural health care, help kids with exceptional medical needs, preserve transitional health plans and improve the agency’s responsiveness to Congress.

    Video and excerpts from Grassley follow.

    [embedded content]

    PBMs:

    “I’ve been working to hold pharmacy benefit managers accountable to lower prescription drug costs. I expect you to work with us to hold these powerful drug middlemen accountable and support rural pharmacies.”

    Rural Health Care:

    “I expect you to protect and support access to rural health care. To help achieve this, I believe CMS could take the following actions right away:

    1. Fill the open spots in the Rural Community Hospital demonstration program,
    2. Distribute the new physician residency slots to rural hospitals as the law requires, and
    3. Ensure the Rural Emergency Hospital Program is working for rural communities.”

    Kids with Exceptional Needs:

    “I expect you to take action to improve care and reduce red tape for kids with complex medical needs. This includes working with states so they can establish health homes for these kids, as my bipartisan ACE Kids law enabled.”

    Transitional Health Plans:

    “Since 2013, CMS under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden have issued non-enforcement memos to allow transitional health plans to be maintained. About 35,000 Iowa farmers and small business owners have maintained health insurance coverage with these plans for over a decade. This is health insurance that was purchased after Obamacare became law, but before it was implemented. I expect you to keep access to these health plans.”

    Waste, Fraud and Abuse:

    “Improper payments in our major health care programs have averaged $122 billion annually over the past five years. I’m the author of major and more recent updates to the federal government’s most powerful tool in fighting fraud, the False Claims Act.

    “Since the enactment of these reforms, the federal government has recovered more than $78 billion lost to fraud. It has saved billions more by deterring would-be fraudsters. CMS with the Justice Department must aggressively go after waste, fraud, and abuse and empower whistleblowers.”

    Congressional Oversight:

    “Oversight allows us to hold bureaucrats accountable to the rule of law, and it helps keep faith with taxpayers. I expect CMS to provide timely and complete responses to congressional oversight.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Cornyn & Colleagues Introduce Outbound Investment Legislation to Counter China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    03.14.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 11 other senators have introduced the Foreign Investment Guardrails to Help Thwart (FIGHT) China Act, which would safeguard the United States’ national security against the growing threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by prohibiting and requiring notification of U.S. investment in certain technologies in China.

    “Our country’s investments in innovative technology give us an enormous advantage over the Chinese Communist Party,” said Sen. Sullivan. “But this advantage is threatened when American financial institutions invest in CCP-controlled companies that develop technology—like advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and hypersonics—that could ultimately be used to kill Americans at home and Marines in the Taiwan Strait. I’m glad to once again join Senator Cornyn on legislation to put safeguards in place to ensure that American investments don’t go to support the nefarious ambitions of dictators around the world.”

    “The threat China poses to the United States’ national and economic security continues to grow, and we have a generational opportunity to confront it with the FIGHT China Act,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By prohibiting and requiring notification of U.S. investments in certain technologies in China, this bill would help ensure American ingenuity, innovation, and investment do not end up in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party to be weaponized against us. The need to address capital flowing from the U.S. to bad actor nations was first realized during the first Trump administration, and I look forward to finishing what we started then by getting this vital priority over the finish line.”

    Senator Sullivan previously spoke on the Senate floor emphasizing the importance of transparency in foreign investments that could pose a threat to American national security.

    In addition to Senators Sullivan and Cornyn, the FIGHT China Act is cosponsored by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Col.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Dave McCormick (R-Penn.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and John Fetterman (D-Penn.).

    The FIGHT China Act would cover the following investments:

    • Acquisitions, including of limited partners, equity interest, property, or other assets;
    • Loans and debt financing;
    • Joint ventures;
    • And equity interest or debt conversions.

    The legislation would establish exemptions for:

    • Transactions determined to be de minimis or in the national interest;
    • Investments in securities, derivatives of securities, or made as a limited partner in a venture capital fund, private equity fund, fund of funds, or other pooled investment fund;
    • Ancillary transactions undertaken by a financial institution;
    • Acquisitions of entire assets or entities located outside the PRC;
    • Certain transactions secondary to a covered national security transaction;
    • And certain ordinary or administrative business transactions.

    The legislation would prohibit covered investments in the PRC for development or production of:

    • Certain advanced integrated circuits;
    • Certain AI models capable of a high number of operations;
    • Quantum computers and supercomputers;
    • Materials or components for hypersonics; and
    • Any of these technologies that are on the Munitions List, intended for use with nuclear equipment or facilities, or emerging technologies subject to export controls.

    Lastly, the legislation would require U.S. persons to notify the U.S. Department of the Treasury within 14 days when making a covered investment in the PRC for the development or production of:

    • Any non-prohibited integrated circuit;
    • And any non-prohibited AI system which is used for military, surveillance, cybersecurity, penetration, forensics, or robotic system use or which meets a certain computing standard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Oz Agrees with Sen. Warren: Cracking Down on Private Health Insurers in Medicare Advantage Will “Improve the Health Care of the American People”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    March 14, 2025

    Dr. Oz: “My goal is to improve the health care of the American people…[cutting Medicare Advantage fraud] sounds like a more rational way to do that [than cutting funding for Medicaid].” 

    The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee projects that CMS overpaid private insurers in MA by $83 billion in 2024 alone.

    Video of Exchange (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on taxpayer fraud committed by private, for-profit insurers in the Medicare Advantage program. 

    The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) projects that CMS will overpay private insurers in MA by $83 billion in 2024 alone, largely due to upcoding and favorable selection tactics by the insurers. 

    An investigation led by the Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS OIG) revealed that private insurers in MA raked in about $4.2 billion in extra CMS payments in 2022 for diagnoses from home visits the companies initiated, even though they led to no treatment. The Wall Street Journal also found that between 2018 and 2021, private insurers in MA raked in $50 billion from CMS for diagnoses that led to no treatment. 

    Dr. Oz previously called the Traditional Medicare program “highly dysfunctional” and argued that private Medicaid Advantage insurers offer cheaper and more accessible coverage. He outlined a “Medicare Advantage for All” plan, which would move all non-Medicaid eligible Americans into MA. During this time, Dr. Oz held over $500,000 in stock with the largest private insurer in Massachusetts, UnitedHealth. 

    When questioned if he would rather cut waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare Advantage, or cut funding for Medicaid during his confirmation hearing, Dr. Oz agreed that “the former sounds like a more rational way to do that.” Last month, Republicans in the House passed a spending bill with $88 billion in annual cuts to Medicaid. 

    Senator Warren has led strong oversight on Dr. Oz through his confirmation process and, ahead of his confirmation hearing, sent 176 questions demanding answers to his plan to eliminate traditional Medicare, his serious conflicts of interest, his dangerous anti-abortion views, and more.

    Transcript: Hearing to examine the nomination of Mehmet Oz, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
    Senate Finance Committee
    March 14, 2025

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, Dr. Oz, if confirmed, you would oversee Medicare coverage for more than 66 million Americans. Nearly half have traditional Medicare, where the federal government provides health care coverage directly. The other half are on Medicare Advantage, where the federal government pays a private for-profit insurer to administer the health benefits instead. And surprise, surprise, the privatized Medicare costs a whole lot more. 

    So, let’s talk about the top trick that Medicare Advantage insurers use to gouge taxpayers up coding. I understand Senator Cassidy started on this this morning, and I just want to dig a little deeper in Medicare Advantage. Taxpayers give insurers a set amount per patient. The more diagnoses, or the more codes, the patient has, the higher the payment. Now, in theory, this covers higher costs for sicker patients, but insurance companies get the money for the codes, not actually for the services they do or don’t deliver. 

    Medicare Advantage insurers have figured out that if they can add a bunch of fake diagnoses that they don’t actually have to spend money treating, they can really boost their profits. One example, last year, the Wall Street Journal identified 66,000 Medicare Advantage patients diagnosed with diabetic cataracts who had already gotten cataract surgery. Now that is, as you know, anatomically impossible. 

    So, Dr. Oz, insurers pocketed an extra $178 million in taxpayer money last year thanks to just this one fake diagnosis. Does that sound like Medicare fraud to you?

    Dr. Mehmet Oz: Senator Warren, I appreciate you spending time with me in your office. The answer is yes, anatomically impossible. 

    And I’ll give you one more example, okay, which is sending someone to your home, which you brought up in the office. If you’re going to say it, I won’t say it, but you pointed out something that’s very real, which is if you send someone to, someone to, if an insurance company sends someone to your home, there’s probably a reason for it. And so if they’re doing ultrasounds to look for minor atherosclerotic plaques, which is not really something that needs to be treated and most Americans have, it’s primarily done to upcode you. Which has two problems. One, it’s cheating, because you’re able to charge more for those patients. But then people who truly have limb-threatening peripheral vascular disease, who have that box checked in their care, those companies—insurance companies—don’t get paid more, those doctors don’t get reimbursed more for doing what is ethically correct. So it doesn’t just help the scoundrels who are stealing from the vulnerable, it’s actually hurting the people trying to take care of those vulnerable populations. 

    Senator Warren: In fact, let’s talk about how bad that upcoding is that comes from the home visits. HHS Inspector General found that in 2022 alone, United Health used these home visits to add about $2.3 billion worth of diagnoses, diagnoses that led to absolutely no treatment. 

    And I take it, you think that sounds like fraud, as well?

    Dr. Oz: We are, I think, as an agency aware of this. I haven’t been in there yet, but if confirmed, this will be one of the topics that is relatively enjoyable to go after, because I think we have bipartisan support.

    Senator Warren: I love hearing this. So, upcoding is a scandal, and overall, we know that Medicare Advantage overpayments cost at least $83 billion in a single year. So, $83 billion—remember that number. Last month, Republicans in the House passed a budget framework that sets up $88 billion in annual cuts to health care, Medicaid funding for seniors in nursing homes, and for people with disabilities who have a home health aide, and more. 

    Dr. Oz, I have a simple question: If you had the choice, would you rather cut waste, fraud and abuse by a Fortune 50 health insurance company in Medicare Advantage or cut funding for Medicaid, which covers half of all seniors in nursing homes and one in three of America’s children?

    Dr. Oz: My goal is to improve the health care of the American people, and as you create the argument, the former sounds like a more rational way to do that.

    Senator Warren: I appreciate that. You know, I am happy to work with Republicans to go after waste, fraud and abuse, but let’s cut out waste, fraud and abuse where it actually occurs, like upcoding in Medicare Advantage. Republicans cutting health care for seniors and for babies and for people with disabilities, while the waste and the fraud just roll right along for a multibillion-dollar insurance company is sickening, and I will fight that every step of the way. Thank you, Dr. Oz.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Votes No on Republican Continuing Resolution 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today voted against congressional Republicans’ Continuing Resolution (CR), which would give the Trump Administration authority to strip funding without oversight by Congress and cut billions from previously bipartisan programs and initiatives. Senator Welch released the following expanded statement on the CR: 
    “Instead of funding the government, this bill makes drastic cuts to critical programs Vermonters rely on and gives unprecedented power to President Trump and Elon Musk to continue their reckless, illegal rampage. I could not vote for a bill that makes radical cuts—totaling billions of dollars—to funding for law enforcement, infrastructure re-development, disaster response and mitigation, cancer research, and more. I could not vote for a bill that gives a blank check to President Trump to inflict more punitive tariffs on American businesses, farmers, and families. I could not vote for a bill that allows Trump and Musk to cut federal funding at their whim and defund programs entirely without congressional approval or oversight,” said Senator Welch.  
    “It’s wrong for congressional Republicans to jeopardize Vermonters’ health, safety, and financial wellbeing so they can play games with the budget process. Republicans walked away from bipartisan negotiations on a budget because President Trump told them to.  They are, yet again, ceding Congress’s constitutional authority to Donald Trump and hurting Americans in the process,” concluded Welch. 
    The Republicans’ CR makes drastic cuts to funding, and would result in fewer jobs, higher prices, and more chaos: 

    The bill cuts more than $247 million from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, which funds community safety and policing grants to local, state, and tribal governments. 
    The bill cuts congressionally directed medical research programs at the Department of Defense by more than half, totaling $859 million.  
    The bill gives an $8 million blank check to the Trump Administration to use for mass deportations.  
    The bill underfunds rental assistance by $500 million, which could result in fewer housing vouchers for Vermonters who need safe, affordable housing. 
    The bill only provides an additional $2.2 billion for FEMA’s disaster recovery, at a time when FEMA is estimated to require an additional $17 billion, in addition to the current funding levels, to respond to future natural disasters. 
    The bill will cut $1.4 billion in funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, eliminating all funds from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which Congress passed in 2021. This could put flood recovery projects supported by the Army Corps in Vermont at risk. 
    The bill will cut the budget of the Federal Public Defender program, which would prevent them from filling vacant positions and require delayed payments to private panel attorneys. 
    The bill will cut $280 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), opening a pathway for Secretary Kennedy to remove spending from:

    Infectious diseases  
    Alzheimer’s 
    Lyme Disease  
    The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program 
    Maternal Health Innovation Program 
    Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment Program 
    Cancer Prevention Programs 
    Medication assisted treatment programs 
    First Responders grants 
    Child Abuse Prevention Program  
    Runaway and Homeless Youth Program; and  
    Elder Abuse Prevention and Adult Protective Services 

    The bill will cut $1.2 billion from the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction and related agencies, and potentially strip funding from health care efforts including:

    Homelessness prevention programs 
    Rural health  
    Suicide prevention 

    The bill will cut more than $1 billion from Washington D.C.’s budget, impacting education, law enforcement, housing and more. 

    Senator Welch announced he would vote against the bill on Wednesday. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Unveils Legislative Package to Address Housing Affordability and Availability Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Unveils Legislative Package to Address Housing Affordability and Availability Crisis

    The transformative housing package addresses rising rental costs and downpayment fees, private equity’s domination of Atlanta’s housing market, and the overall lack of available housing units

    This week, Senator Reverend Warnock introduced the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, the Rent Relief Act, and the Stop Predatory Investing Act

    Senator Reverend Warnock also introduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, legislation that would build nearly three million new housing units

    During a Wednesday Senate Banking Hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock highlighted his newly introduced housing legislation and how Georgians and Americans would benefit from the legislative package

    Senator Reverend Warnock, a longtime advocate of affordable housing, has tirelessly fought to broaden the path to homeownership for hardworking Americans

    Senator Reverend Warnock during the hearing: “These are important bills that address the affordability issue and the accessibility issue around housing”

    Watch Senator Reverend Warnock at Wednesday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing HERE

    Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced a comprehensive legislative package of housing bills to address the ongoing housing affordability and availability crisis in the United States.

    The Downpayment Toward Equity Act, the Rent Relief Act, the Stop Predatory Investing Act, and the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which Senator Warnock co-led with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), are a direct response to what Senator Warnock has heard from constituents about their inability to afford a home, and a solution to the housing crisis that millions more Americans are facing across the country.

    “We have a housing affordability and availability crisis in this country and I’m especially concerned about young Americans and their ability to pay rent or buy their first home,” said Senator Reverend Warnock during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. “Last year, we actually saw the largest increase in rental costs in a decade, while the share of first-time homebuyers reached an all-time low. Tough pickings whether you’re a renter, or looking to buy. Georgia has the lowest homeownership rate in the entire Southeast.” 

    The bills introduced in the package address each of the largest hurdles for most young people trying to buy their first home.

    The Rent Relief Act would provide much needed relief to low- and middle-class Americans by subsidizing a percentage of their rents that exceed cost burden thresholds (more than 30% of their income). It would address the rising rental costs seen around the country, allowing people to save more income that could be put toward realizing the dream of homeownership.

    The Downpayment Toward Equity Act would provide funds toward downpayment and other financial assistance for first-generation homebuyers to purchase their first home, helping alleviate what is considered the chief obstacle for young people in trying to buy their first home. 

    “Ms. Willis, what are the consequences of high rental costs and lack of affordable housing on upward mobility on the broader economy?” Senator Warnock asked Renee M. Willis, who was an expert witness for Wednesday’s Banking Committee hearing.

    “I think on an individual level when people with low incomes can’t afford housing, they’re forced to make impossible trade-offs. So, we’re talking about trade-offs between paying rent and buying groceries, or medications, or investing in their children’s education,” responded Renee M. Willis, Interim President & CEO of National Low Income Housing Coalition. “But more broadly, I’d say that researchers have found housing constraints have lowered GDP growth.”

    “For first-time home buyers, what do they cite most often as the biggest barriers?” Senator Warnock asked.

    “Two words. Downpayment costs,” responded Willis.

    The Stop Predatory Investing Act, previously led by another champion of housing, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would remove tax advantages enjoyed by private equity investors to disincentivize ownership of more than 50 single-family rental properties.

    These bills together, coupled with Senators Warnock and Warren’s American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which would invest in building nearly three million new housing units, would address some of the most longstanding issues in the American housing market today.

    “These are important bills that address the affordability issue and the accessibility issue around housing,” said Senator Warnock at the hearing.

    During the hearing, Senator Warnock also questioned Dr. Edward Glaeser, a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, about the impact of the housing crisis on the American GDP.

    “Are you concerned about what you are seeing in the economic data about young Americans and homeownership?” Senator Warnock asked.

    “Senator, I certainly am,” said Dr. Edward Glaeser. “[One of my concerns] is a transfer of housing wealth, from the young to the old.

    “Massive transfers of wealth, and the inability to pass wealth from one generation to the next, it’s moving in the wrong direction, which has implications for all of us regardless of our generation,” continued Senator Warnock.

    Since coming to the Senate, Senator Warnock has worked to increase affordable housing and illuminate a path to homeownership, a cornerstone of the American Dream. As one of twelve brothers and sisters growing up in public housing in Savannah, Senator Warnock deeply understands the importance of having a place to call home and homeownership. In the past few years, Senator Warnock voted for government funding legislation that increased America’s housing supply, strengthened housing affordability, and addressed the homelessness crisis, including by: increasing the supply of affordable housing nationwide with funding to build 10,000 new rental and homebuyer units; extending funding for the Yes In My Backyard (“YIMBY”) grant program to support efforts to increase our nation’s housing supply and lower housing costs through state and local zoning changes; and delivering $275 million in new funding for Homeless Assistance Grants to help address homelessness in communities across the country and providing new resources to better connect people experiencing homelessness with health care services. Senator Warnock has also secured nearly $80 million in housing investments to provide affordable housing options for Georgians at all income levels and repair hazardous housing conditions in low-income housing units. 

    “The predatory practices of institutional investors who buy out single-family homes is a rapidly developing issue in affordable housing policy, and one that must be addressed head-on to protect the rights of tenants and help preserve the nation’s supply of affordable housing,” said NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis. “I applaud Senator Warnock for his leadership in introducing the ‘Stop Predatory Investing Act’, which will help ensure investors do not buy up available properties only to raise rents and displace tenants.” 

    In addition to Senator Warnock, the Downpayment Toward Equity Act is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act is cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ), the Stop Predatory Investing Act is co-led by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and cosponsored by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

    Watch video of Senator Reverend Warnock’s questioning at Wednesday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing HERE.

    Read the legislative package summary HERE.

    Bill text for the Downpayment Toward Equity Act can be found HERE.

    Bill text for the Stop Predatory Investing Act can be found HERE.

    Bill text for the Rent Relief Act can be found HERE.

    Bill text for the American Housing Economic Mobility Act can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Puts Dr. Oz on Record Supporting Medicaid Access for Georgians Caught in Health Care Gap During Nomination Hearing to Oversee Medicare and Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Puts Dr. Oz on Record Supporting Medicaid Access for Georgians Caught in Health Care Gap During Nomination Hearing to Oversee Medicare and Medicaid

    At Friday’s Senate Finance committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock questioned Dr. Oz, President Trump’s nominee to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
    Senator Reverend Warnock put Dr. Oz on record as supporting Medicaid access for Georgians caught in the health care gap as the state readies to apply for an extension
    The state’s renewal application comes at a moment when the Trump Administration and Hill Republicans are threatening major slashes in funding for health care programs that largely support low-income families and children
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “You’ll never get any pushback from me about the value of a work ethic and the purpose that work provides, which is why I think people ought to have health care so they can get back to work. Very often they can’t get back to work in Georgia because they can’t get the health care”

    Watch Senator Reverend Warnock at Friday’s CMS nominee hearing HERE

    Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Finance committee hearing on the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) put Dr. Oz on the record as supporting Medicaid access for Georgians caught in the health care gap. As CMS Administrator, Dr. Oz will be responsible for approving the Georgia Pathways waiver, which is due to be extended. 

    “You’ll never get any pushback from me about the value of a work ethic and the purpose that work provides, which is why I think people ought to have health care so they can get back to work. Very often they can’t get back to work in Georgia because they can’t get the health care,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Let me give you an example. There is a woman in Dalton, Georgia that I got to know a while ago, her name is Heather Payne. […] She was among those folks who were in the gap. She couldn’t afford private insurance, but she wasn’t poor enough to get conventional Medicaid. So her health challenges and the unpredictable nature of her work as a traveling nurse made it impossible for her to meet George’s onerous work verification requirements to get Medicaid. She found out she had had a series of strokes. She had to save the money to see a neurologist, and then she found out she’d had a series of strokes. Took a long time to be able to afford to go and now she’s in the gap, and she can’t meet Georgia’s onerous work requirements. Do you think Heather Payne, a traveling nurse who spent her career providing health care to others, do you think she deserves Medicaid or not?”

    Dr. Oz replied, “Yes.” 

    “I agree with you. And since we agree, I think that the Medicaid waiver that you will be responsible for reviewing, in fact, I know it, it says that Heather does not deserve Medicaid,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    The state has already started the process of applying for an extension and comes at a moment when the Trump Administration and Hill Republicans are threatening major slashes in funding for health care programs that largely support low-income families and children. 

    “Georgia’s Pathways to coverage is a roadblock to care. They’ve gotten, I don’t know, 6,000 people, I think the last time I checked. And we got over 500,000 people in the gap. So I’m gonna give you a softball if you are confirmed, will you work with me and will you keep Amanda and Heather in mind as you consider whether or not to renew Georgia’s waiver–which I think is filled with unnecessary and onerous work requirements, paperwork, filling out paperwork every single month–will you keep these two people in mind?” Senator Reverend Warnock asked.

    “Heather and Amanda should be in all of our minds and many others like them. I look forward to working with you,” Dr. Oz replied.

    If confirmed, Oz would take over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace, and manages a budget of $1.5 trillion. About a quarter of all federal spending runs through CMS, and Oz would take over the institution at a moment when Washington Republicans are threatening major slashes in funding for health care.

    Watch the Senator’s full remarks HERE.

    See below a transcript of key exchanges between Senator Warnock and CMS nominee Mehmet Oz (remarks have been lightly edited for clarity): 

    Senator Reverend Warnock (SRW): “My home state of Georgia is not only one of only ten states in the country that has still not expanded Medicaid, it also has the dubious distinction of being the only state in the country where the limited number of families who do qualify for Medicaid are required to regularly complete bureaucratic paperwork to prove they’re still working the minimum number of hours to get health care. State officials call it ‘Georgia Pathways to Coverage’. I call it ‘Georgia Pathways to Nowhere.’ The program is allowed under the state’s Medicaid waiver, which is up for renewal this year. And if confirmed as head of CMS, you would be responsible for approving or denying the state’s application to renew these onerous paperwork requirements. Dr. Oz, I’m not going to ask you to prejudge the state’s renewal application; that wouldn’t be fair, you need to see it. But since you’d oversee Medicaid if confirmed, yes or no, do you believe families should have to complete government paperwork every single month to prove they are working just to get health care when they’re sick?”

    Mehmet Oz (MO): “I am in favor of work requirements.”

    SRW: “Do you think a family should have to fill out paperwork every month just to get health care?”

    MO: “I don’t think you need to use paperwork to prove work requirements, and I don’t think that should be used as an obstacle, disingenuous effort to block people from getting on Medicaid. However, I believe we would both probably agree that there’s value in work, and it doesn’t have to be going to a job. It could be getting an education, it should be showing that you want to contribute to society. You could volunteer at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where I did a show with you once, that would, for me, fulfill the requirement.”

    SRW: “You’ll never get any pushback from me about the value of a work ethic and the purpose that work provides, which is why I think people ought to have health care so they can get back to work. Very often they can’t get back to work in Georgia because they can’t get the health care. Let me give you an example. There is a woman in Dalton, Georgia that I got to know a while ago, her name is Heather Payne. She’s a traveling nurse. And you know, as a traveling nurse, some jobs were better than others. Sometimes she had health care, sometimes she didn’t. She was among those folks who were in the gap. She couldn’t afford private insurance, but she wasn’t poor enough to get conventional Medicaid. So her health challenges and the unpredictable nature of her work as a traveling nurse made it impossible for her to meet George’s onerous work verification requirements to get Medicaid. She found out she had had a series of strokes. She had to save the money to see a neurologist, and then she found out she’d had a series of strokes. Took a long time to be able to afford to go and now she’s in the gap, and she can’t meet Georgia’s onerous work requirements. Do you think Heather Payne, a traveling nurse who spent her career providing health care to others, do you think she deserves Medicaid or not?”

    MO: “Yes.” 

    SRW: “Thank you. I agree with you. And since we agree, I think that the Medicaid waiver that you will be responsible for reviewing, in fact, I know it, it says that Heather does not deserve Medicaid.”

    […]

    SRW: “Let me tell you about another Georgian. Amanda left her two jobs in New York and moved to Warner Robins to become a full-time caregiver for her 84-year-old father, Thomas. Taking care of her father has become a full-time responsibility for Amanda. He’s 84 years old. She’s taking care of him, which means he is not in a nursing home. She’s taken on that responsibility. But with all of this, she does not have time to hold a full-time job that meets the state’s strict work requirements, and she has no income to cover her own health costs should she get sick. Dr. Oz, do you think Amanda deserves Medicaid?”

    MO: “From what you are describing, yes. These are the opportunities we have to make the system better. If we both agree that people should be trying to get off Medicaid, if they can, we should be able to create a system where we can track that, because there’s the twin paradox, which I think we touched on in the office. Two brothers are at home, one’s working every day, flipping burgers, making minimum wage. Maybe he’s cobbling together 16, $17,000, puts them right above the poverty level. And the other brother doesn’t bother working because he’ll have the exact same coverage if he doesn’t work. We want to make both of them want to move up the ladder, like every small businessman. What’s their goal? To become a big businessman.”

    SRW: “You and I have the basis for meaningful conversation. Georgia’s Pathways to coverage is a roadblock to care. They’ve gotten, I don’t know, 6,000 people, I think the last time I checked. And we got over 500,000 people in the gap. So I’m gonna give you a softball if you are confirmed, will you work with me and will you keep Amanda and Heather in mind as you consider whether or not to renew Georgia’s waiver–which I think is filled with unnecessary and onerous work requirements, paperwork, filling out paperwork every single month–will you keep these two people in mind?”

    MO: “Heather and Amanda should be in all of our minds and many others like them. I look forward to working with you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks during his visit to Cox’s Bazar [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    have come to Cox’s Bazar during this holy month of Ramadan on a mission of solidarity.

    Solidarity with Rohingya refugees.

    And solidarity with the Bangladeshi people and the local communities that so generously host them.

    Fasting and having an Iftar together with you are the proof of my deep respect for your religion and your culture.

    I am here to shine a global spotlight on the plight – but also the potential of Rohingya refugees.

    The more than one million Rohingya refugees here are proud.  They are resilient. And they need the world’s support.

    After decades of discrimination and persecution, we had a massive outflow eight years ago, following the massacres that took place in Rakhine state.  
     
    Many others arrived more recently, escaping brutal violations of human rights, triggered generalized anti-Muslim hate.

    This is especially significant as the world tomorrow officially marks International Day to Combat Islamophobia. 

    Rohingya refugees have come here for what people anywhere seek: protection, dignity, safety for them and their families. 

    I met and spoke with many of you today – and was inspired by your courage and moved by your determination.  

    Many shared harrowing accounts of their ordeals in Myanmar and their journeys here. 

    They want to go home — Myanmar is their homeland. And returning in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner is the primary solution to this crisis. 

    My message to all parties in Myanmar is clear: exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence – paving the way for democracy to take root and to create the conditions for Rohingyas to be able to go back home as they all want.   
     
    But the situation in Myanmar remains dire, including in Rakhine state.

    Until the conflict and systematic persecution ends, we must support those who need protection here in Bangladesh. 

    I have to confess that we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced cuts by several countries of their financial assistance, we are facing a dramatic risk, a risk to reduce the food rations to the Rohingya refugees to a level that would be 40 per cent of 2025. 

    That would be an unmitigated disaster that we cannot accept because people will suffer and even people will die. 

    And so, my voice will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now to support the Rohingya refugees here in Bangladesh and to make sure that the people who have already suffered so much will not have an additional problem.  We will do everything to solve the problem of food rations. 

    Humanitarian assistance is important – but we must recognize the enormous support of the Bangladeshi people sharing their land, forests, scarce water and meager
    resources.

    I was last in Cox’s Bazar in 2018 – and have seen many improvements in the camps.  

    But the challenges are great on so many levels. 

    These camps — and the communities that host them — are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

    Summers are scorching, and the chance of fires skyrocket.  

    In the cyclone and monsoon seasons – floods and dangerous landslides destroy homes
    and lives.  

    In addition to essential food aid, people here are also hungry for education, skills and opportunities for independence.
     
    Some Rohingya families feel they have no option but to risk everything on perilous sea journeys. 

    So we have a special obligation to ensure the aid reaches Rohingya refugees, and show
    that the world has not forgotten them. 

    That is why the cuts by the international community of the aid to Rohingya refugees is unacceptable. 

    I repeat: Cox’s Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need and we must do everything to make sure that that does not happen. 

    The solution must be found in Myanmar.

    We will not give up until conditions allow for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return for all refugees here. 

    Until then, I urge the international community not to reduce the support to Rohingya refugees. 

    They must step up and guarantee your well-being.   

    This is the holy month of Ramadan, the month of solidarity.  It would be unacceptable that in the month of solidarity, the international community would reduce the support to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.  We will do everything not to make it happen. 

    Ramadan Kareem. 
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Police rescue kidnapped Pakistani businessman

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Friday, March 14, 2025

    Police rescued a 55-year-old Pakistani businessman and arrested four kidnappers in different locations in Gauteng on Thursday, following an intelligence-led operation. 

    “According to a preliminary report, the victim was kidnapped in Graaff-Reinet, in the Eastern Cape, earlier last month, by an unknown group of individuals who introduced themselves to the victim as immigration officials,” the South African Police Service 9SAPS) said in a statement. 

    “The victim allegedly accompanied these individuals to the nearest police station, but never returned home,” the police said.

    The victim’s family reported the kidnapping to the police after the kidnappers had allegedly demanded a ransom for the release of the victim.

    A multi-disciplinary team comprising members from National Crime Intelligence, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in the Eastern Cape (DPCI – HAWKS), DPCI Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS), Soweto Flying Squad and private security arrested two South Africans and two Pakistani nationals.

    One kidnapper was arrested in Killarney and an unlicensed firearm was seized during the arrest. 

    The team also seized a vehicle during the operation.

    The suspect led the team to the location of the victim in Evaton where two more kidnappers were arrested.

    Further investigation resulted in the arrest of a fourth kidnapper in Benoni. A vehicle which is believed to have been used in the commission of the crime was also seized.

    The four suspects are expected to appear before a magistrate’s court soon, while further investigations continue. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks during his visit to Cox’s Bazar [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations

    I have come to Cox’s Bazar during this holy month of Ramadan on a mission of solidarity.

    Solidarity with Rohingya refugees.

    And solidarity with the Bangladeshi people and the local communities that so generously host them.

    Fasting and having an Iftar together with you are the proof of my deep respect for your religion and your culture.

    I am here to shine a global spotlight on the plight – but also the potential of Rohingya refugees.

    The more than one million Rohingya refugees here are proud.  They are resilient. And they need the world’s support.

    After decades of discrimination and persecution, we had a massive outflow eight years ago, following the massacres that took place in Rakhine state.  
     
    Many others arrived more recently, escaping brutal violations of human rights, triggered generalized anti-Muslim hate.

    This is especially significant as the world tomorrow officially marks International Day to Combat Islamophobia. 

    Rohingya refugees have come here for what people anywhere seek: protection, dignity, safety for them and their families. 

    I met and spoke with many of you today – and was inspired by your courage and moved by your determination.  

    Many shared harrowing accounts of their ordeals in Myanmar and their journeys here. 

    They want to go home — Myanmar is their homeland. And returning in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner is the primary solution to this crisis. 

    My message to all parties in Myanmar is clear: exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence – paving the way for democracy to take root and to create the conditions for Rohingyas to be able to go back home as they all want.   
     
    But the situation in Myanmar remains dire, including in Rakhine state.

    Until the conflict and systematic persecution ends, we must support those who need protection here in Bangladesh. 

    I have to confess that we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced cuts by several countries of their financial assistance, we are facing a dramatic risk, a risk to reduce the food rations to the Rohingya refugees to a level that would be 40 per cent of 2025. 

    That would be an unmitigated disaster that we cannot accept because people will suffer and even people will die. 

    And so, my voice will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now to support the Rohingya refugees here in Bangladesh and to make sure that the people who have already suffered so much will not have an additional problem.  We will do everything to solve the problem of food rations. 

    Humanitarian assistance is important – but we must recognize the enormous support of the Bangladeshi people sharing their land, forests, scarce water and meager
    resources.

    I was last in Cox’s Bazar in 2018 – and have seen many improvements in the camps.  

    But the challenges are great on so many levels. 

    These camps — and the communities that host them — are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

    Summers are scorching, and the chance of fires skyrocket.  

    In the cyclone and monsoon seasons – floods and dangerous landslides destroy homes
    and lives.  

    In addition to essential food aid, people here are also hungry for education, skills and opportunities for independence.
     
    Some Rohingya families feel they have no option but to risk everything on perilous sea journeys. 

    So we have a special obligation to ensure the aid reaches Rohingya refugees, and show
    that the world has not forgotten them. 

    That is why the cuts by the international community of the aid to Rohingya refugees is unacceptable. 

    I repeat: Cox’s Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need and we must do everything to make sure that that does not happen. 

    The solution must be found in Myanmar.

    We will not give up until conditions allow for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return for all refugees here. 

    Until then, I urge the international community not to reduce the support to Rohingya refugees. 

    They must step up and guarantee your well-being.   

    This is the holy month of Ramadan, the month of solidarity.  It would be unacceptable that in the month of solidarity, the international community would reduce the support to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.  We will do everything not to make it happen. 

    Ramadan Kareem. 
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: In Bangladesh, UN chief vows to prevent Rohingya suffering as aid cuts loom

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Humanitarian Aid

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres, during his visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, vowed to do everything in his power to prevent further hardship as drastic aid cuts threaten food supplies and other critical relief efforts.

    UN aid efforts are in jeopardy following funding reductions announced by major donors, including the United States and several European nations.

    Mr. Guterres described Cox’s Bazar as “ground zero” for the impact of these cuts, warning of a looming humanitarian disaster if immediate action is not taken.

    “We are at risk of cutting the food rations in this camp,” he said.

    “That would be an unmitigated disaster that we cannot accept because people will suffer and even people will die.”

    A mission of solidarity

    Mr. Guterres emphasised that his visit, which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, was a mission of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi people who generously host them.

    “I am here to shine a global spotlight on the plight – but also the potential – of Rohingya refugees,” he said.

    “The more than one million Rohingya refugees here are proud. They are resilient. And they need the world’s support.”

    He praised the support offered by Bangladesh and local communities who have shared their land, forests, water and resources with the refugees, calling it nothing short of “enormous.”

    Bangladesh is hosting over one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar. The largest exodus followed brutal attacks by Myanmar security forces in 2017, a series of events that the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein described as “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

    World cannot turn its back

    The Secretary-General emphasised that the international community cannot turn its back on the Rohingya crisis.

    “We cannot accept that the international community forgets about the Rohingyas,” he said, adding that he will “speak loudly” to world leaders that more support is urgently needed.

    “It is essential that the international community does everything to make sure that peace is reestablished in Myanmar and that the rights of the Rohingyas are respected, that discrimination and persecution like the one we have witnessed in the past, will end.”

    He stressed that the solution to the crisis “must be found in Myanmar.”  

    “We will not give up until conditions allow for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return for all refugees here.”

    © UNHCR/Shari Nijman

    Rohingya refugees prepare to break fast at an Iftar evening meal in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

    Frontlines of climate change

    Mr. Guterres also highlighted the dire conditions in the camps, worsened by climate change.  

    “These camps – and the communities that host them – are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Summers are scorching, and the chance of fires skyrocket. In the cyclone and monsoon seasons, floods and dangerous landslides destroy homes and lives,” he said.

    Beyond immediate aid, he stressed the need for education, skills training and opportunities for the refugees, warning that many families feel they have no option but to risk perilous sea journeys in search of a better future.

    Iftar with refugees

    Mr. Guterres ended his visit to Cox’s Bazar by participating in an Iftar meal with Rohingya refugees.

    “Fasting and having an Iftar together with you are proof of my deep respect for your religion and your culture,” he said.

    “This is the holy month of Ramadan, the month of solidarity.  It would be unacceptable that in the month of solidarity, the international community would reduce the support to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh,” he added, stressing that he would do everything to ensure it does not happen.

    © IOM/Hossain Ahammod Masum

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres joins Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, for Iftar.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Adopts Presidential Statement Condemning Recent Violence in Syria

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The Security Council today condemned the widespread violence perpetrated in Syria’s Latakia and Tartus provinces since 6 March — including mass killings of civilians among the Alawite community — calling on the interim authorities to protect all Syrians without distinction.

    Unanimously adopting a presidential statement (to be issued as document S/PRST/2025/4), the 15-nation organ also condemned attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.  It called on all parties to immediately cease all violence and inflammatory activities and ensure the protection of all civilian populations and infrastructure, as well as humanitarian operations.  Further, all parties and States must ensure full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to those affected and the humane treatment of all persons.  The Council also urged a rapid increase of humanitarian support across Syria.

    Recalling resolution 2254 (2015), the Council called on all States to respect Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and refrain from any action or interference that may further destabilize the country.  It further urged Syria to take decisive measures to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, underscoring its obligations under relevant Council resolutions related to counter-terrorism.

    Underlining the urgency of inclusive, transparent justice and reconciliation in Syria, the Council called for swift, transparent, independent, impartial and comprehensive investigations to ensure accountability and bring all perpetrators of violence against civilians to justice.  Accordingly, it took note of the Syrian interim authorities’ announcement of the establishment of an independent committee to investigate such violence and identify those responsible.  The Council also noted such authorities’ decision to establish a committee for civil peace.

    The Council further called for an inclusive political process led and owned by Syrians, facilitated by the UN and based on the principles outlined in resolution 2254 (2015).  This includes safeguarding the rights of all Syrians — regardless of ethnicity or religion — meeting their legitimate aspirations and enabling them to peacefully, independently and democratically determine their futures.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Unacceptable’ International Aids Cuts Could Force 40 Per Cent Reduction in Food Rations to Rohingya Refugees, Secretary-General Tells Ramadan Solidarity Event

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to a Ramadan solidarity event with Rohingya refugees, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: 

    I have come to Cox’s Bazar during this holy month of Ramadan on a mission of  solidarity. Solidarity with Rohingya refugees. And solidarity with the Bangladeshi people and the local communities that so generously host them.  Fasting and having an Iftar together with you are the proof of my deep respect for your religion and your culture.

    I am here to shine a global spotlight on the plight — but also the potential of Rohingya refugees.  The more than 1 million Rohingya refugees here are proud.  They are resilient.  And they need the world’s support.

    After decades of discrimination and persecution, we had a massive outflow eight years ago, following the massacres that took place in Rakhine state.  Many others arrived more recently, escaping brutal violations of human rights, triggered generalized anti-Muslim hate.

    This is especially significant as the world tomorrow officially marks International Day to Combat Islamophobia.  Rohingya refugees have come here for what people anywhere seek:  protection, dignity, safety for them and their families.

    I met and spoke with many of you today — and was inspired by your courage and moved by your determination.  Many shared harrowing accounts of their ordeals in Myanmar and their journeys here.  They want to go home — Myanmar is their homeland. And returning in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner is the primary solution to this crisis.

    My message to all parties in Myanmar is clear: exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence — paving the way for democracy to take root and to create the conditions for Rohingyas to be able to go back home, as they all want.

    But the situation in Myanmar remains dire, including in Rakhine state.  Until the conflict and systematic persecution ends, we must support those who need protection here in Bangladesh.

    I have to confess that we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced cuts by several countries of their financial assistance, we are facing a dramatic risk, a risk to reduce the food rations to the Rohingya refugees to a level that would be 40 per cent of 2025. That would be an unmitigated disaster that we cannot accept because people will suffer and even people will die.

    And so, my voice will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now to support the Rohingya refugees here in Bangladesh and to make sure that the people who have already suffered so much will not have an additional problem.  We will do everything to solve the problem of food rations.

    Humanitarian assistance is important — but we must recognize the enormous support of the Bangladeshi people sharing their land, forests, scarce water and meagre resources.  I was last in Cox’s Bazar in 2018 — and have seen many improvements in the camps.

    But the challenges are great on so many levels.  These camps — and the communities that host them — are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.  Summers are scorching, and the chance of fires skyrocket.  In the cyclone and monsoon seasons — floods and dangerous landslides destroy homes and lives.

    In addition to essential food aid, people here are also hungry for education, skills and opportunities for independence.  Some Rohingya families feel they have no option but to risk everything on perilous sea journeys.  So we have a special obligation to ensure the aid reaches Rohingya refugees, and show that the world has not forgotten them.

    That is why the cuts by the international community of the aid to Rohingya refugees is unacceptable.  I repeat:  Cox’s Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need and we must do everything to make sure that that does not happen.  The solution must be found in Myanmar.  We will not give up until conditions allow for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return for all refugees here.

    Until then, I urge the international community not to reduce the support to Rohingya refugees.  They must step up and guarantee your well-being.

    This is the holy month of Ramadan, the month of solidarity. It would be unacceptable that in the month of solidarity, the international community would reduce the support to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.  We will do everything not to make it happen.

    Ramadan Kareem.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Fresh fighting in eastern DR Congo, global trade update, elections in CAR, Pakistan train hijack

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    Fresh fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has displaced tens of thousands of families, with children particularly at risk, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday.

    Over 850,000 civilians have been displaced in South Kivu province, nearly half of them children, according to the agency.

    Many are living in precarious conditions, sheltering in schools, churches or in the open, lacking clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education.

    Grave violations against children have also sharply risen, including sexual violence, killings, maiming and their recruitment by armed groups.

    “We are facing an unprecedented protection crisis. Children are being targeted. They are being killed, recruited, torn from their families and exposed to horrific sexual and physical violence,” said Jean François Basse, UNICEF’s acting head in the DRC.

    The fighting has also disrupted vital services and humanitarian operations, with the closure of Kavumu Airport near the provincial capital Bukavu and banks delaying critical aid operations.

    The region is also witnessing an uptick in cholera, measles and mpox outbreaks.

    UNICEF is working to re-open schools and support health centres, urging all parties to respect international law and ensure unhindered aid access.

    “We call on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities, protect children, respect international humanitarian law and guarantee rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access,” said Mr. Basse.

    New risks loom for global trade, warns UN body

    While global trade started 2025 on stable ground, challenges are mounting, according to the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD.

    In its latest Global Trade Update, which covers data through early March, the UN body reported record growth in 2024, with international trade expanding to $33 trillion, but looking to 2025, new risks loom, including trade imbalances, evolving policies and geopolitical tensions.

    The trade gap between developing and advanced economies is widening. While Asia and Latin America remain key trade drivers, growth has slowed in advanced economies, UNCTAD said.

    It added that nearshoring and friendshoring – business strategies where companies relocate their operations to a country geographically closer to their main market to reduce costs – reversed in 2024.

    UNCTAD noted that some governments are expanding tariffs, subsidies and industrial policies, reshaping trade flows.

    “The United States, EU and others are increasingly tying trade measures to economic security and climate goals while China is using stimulus policies to maintain export momentum,” it added.

    UNCTAD underscored the need for global cooperation and balanced policies in the face of growing trade uncertainty.

    “The challenge in 2025 is to prevent global fragmentation – where nations form isolated trade blocs – while managing policy shifts without undermining long-term growth. The actions taken now by governments and businesses will shape trade resilience for years to come,” it said.

    © UNDP/Tamara Tschentscher

    A container ship at the Mombasa Port in Kenya, a key transit for trade in the region.

    Voter registration starts in Central African Republic

    Meanwhile, the second and third phases of voter registrations are underway in the Central African Republic (CAR), supported by the UN peacekeeping mission there, MINUSCA.

    The campaign will cover nine of the country’s 20 prefectures and overseas centres.

    “Our peacekeeping mission has actively contributed to the launch of the operations by providing logistical support, including the deployment of equipment by plane from Bangui to the regions as well as several hundred electoral agents,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the regular news briefing in New York.

    Peacekeepers are also helping secure the process by deploying to tense areas to enable all Central Africans to have access to registration centres, he added.

    Mission personnel also escorted road convoys carrying registration kits as well as electoral staff. They are also working in collaboration with UN Women to increase the number of women on the voter list by facilitating the issuance of identity documents.

    The voter registration exercise precedes local, legislative and presidential elections scheduled for later this year and in 2026.

    The local elections – to be held for the first time in nearly 40 years – are a key component of the Central African Peace Agreement and offer a unique opportunity for enhanced governance at the local level, Mr. Dujarric said.

    UN Security Council condemns Pakistan train attack

    UN Security Council members condemned Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express passenger train, which was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan.

    The armed group Balochistan Liberation Army attacked the train near the city of Sibi in Balochistan province and subsequently took its passengers hostages.

    The standoff ended on Wednesday, with Pakistani security forces conducting an operation and killing the attackers. According to media reports, 21 hostages and four members of the security forces were also killed.

    In a press statement, members of the Security Council “reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”.

    They underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of such acts of terrorism accountable and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Pakistan in this regard.

    “The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,” the statement added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Is this just a long, beautiful dream?’: Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab on her country’s future

    Source: United Nations 2

    After 14 years of war, Syria has entered a new and uncertain chapter. The country is devastated – 90 per cent of Syrians live in poverty.

    Despite the challenges up to one million people living in camps and displacement sites across the country’s northwest intend to return home within the next year.

    As those Syrians prepare to return home, they are beginning the difficult process of rebuilding and confronting the past.

    Ms. Al-Kateab, the filmmaker behind the award-winning documentary, For Sama, captured life under siege in Aleppo before fleeing the country in 2016.

    Since then, she has remained a powerful advocate for the Syrian people, co-founding Action For Sama, a campaign, advocating for human rights, dignity, and accountability for all.

    In this interview with UN News, as Syria stands at a crossroads, she shares her determination to make sure justice is not forgotten in the country’s next chapter. 

    This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

    UN News: Waad, how have you been processing the past few months?

    Waad Al-Kateab: I think it’s really confusing. We are over the moon, but at the same time, it was something that seemed so far away.

    I thought the ending of my story was dying in exile, not being able to go back, never being able to see this beautiful day. And it just happened out of the blue, without any indication. 

    © Abd Alkader Habak

    We were not ready, but that does not matter. It happened, and we are really happy.

    At the same time, the pain and grief we had to go through for the last 14 years – and for so many of us, even 50 years, when Hafez al-Assad was president – it was just too much to handle.

    I’m still thinking, is this real? Am I just having a long, beautiful dream?

    UN News: Have you been in contact with people on the ground in Syria? What have they been telling you?

    Waad Al-Kateab: Until now, because of my refugee status, I was not able to go back. But I’m working on this, and hopefully, at any second I will get citizenship in the UK, so I will be able to move freely.

    © UNICEF/Rami Nader

    My parents went back in January, and some of our friends too. I was also able to communicate with my family who were in Syria the whole time, whereas before, I couldn’t even call or send a message because I was worried of what the regime could do to them.

    It’s not easy – the country is tired, the economy is very bad, there’s no electricity, no water but what everyone has in common is the feeling that it’s definitely a new beginning.

    We’re afraid, but we’re not really scared. We can do anything we want.

    UN News: When you still lived in Aleppo, you spent years capturing both the resilience of people and the devastation around them. What moments have stayed with you from that time?

    Waad Al-Kateab: To be honest, the situation I couldn’t accept was when we were displaced out of Aleppo.

    I understood early on that we were fighting against a dictatorship that would stop at nothing. I was okay with that. I knew the risk I was taking, the risk my husband Hamza was taking, even our own daughter. 

    © UNOCHA/Mohanad Zayat

    We were fighting in our own way – me, with my camera, my husband, with his work in the hospital.

    Then came the siege – six months with no medication, no food, no basic services. And then, forced displacement. That, for me, was the most cruel thing: throw us out from our own country where we wanted to be.

    It was the moment which really broke me. Saying goodbye to everything – my home there, the hospital, the people we knew.

    For the past few years, I’ve forced myself not to picture going back because it didn’t seem possible. But now, it is.

    So many people I know went back. They send me pictures from the neighbourhood, the university: “See, it’s there. We are back.”

    And I can’t wait to be there myself.

    UN News: You talk about your excitement, your family’s excitement, and this chapter closing. Do you think the hardest part of the work has been done now?

    Waad Al-Kateab: Definitely. The hardest work has been done.

    Now, with this new chapter, there’s a lot to do, and it’s difficult in a very different way. But the shelling, the bombings – that’s over.

    There are so many important issues – transitional justice, detainees, the disappeared. There are very difficult conversations to have about revenge; and the economy – it has more than crashed.

    There are so many authorities, agendas and international players in a country starting from scratch. But now, we are in charge. It’s very heavy to carry but we’re here and we’re going to do it.

    I’m very hopeful and excited.

    UN News: You mention transitional justice, what does real accountability look like to you now?

    Waad Al-Kateab: Bashar Al-Assad was responsible, but there are many others – those who ordered killings, those who carried them out, those who helped him. And I’m not just talking about individuals, but also foreign governments and armies.

    There is no way to have a future in Syria if we don’t face what happened. For everyone responsible, it must start with an apology and end with accountability. 

    © ForSamaFilm

    Right now, militias and former regime soldiers still have weapons, trying to hide or defend themselves. This is very serious, and all weapons should be handed to the new government.

    For victims like us, now it’s about asking: what do we want? What can happen? How do we return to normal life? There is a lot to be done.

    UN News: You’ve lived in the UK for almost a decade now. You said you’d like to return. Would that be long-term?

    Waad Al-Kateab: To be honest, we never imagined this moment would happen, so we built a life away from Syria.

    Even in our conversations with our daughters, I wanted them to love Syria and understand what happened but also, I wanted to protect them.

    Now, I see they picked up way more than we realised, they picked up what we felt. For them, Syria was a place where people die.

    They don’t understand and they ask: “What if Assad is still hiding there? What if he’s waiting for us to go and then he kills us?”

    The discussion of going back has triggered many difficult things for them.

    For me and Hamza, we don’t have to think about it, we want to go back of course. So, we agreed on one visit and when we come back, we’ll talk – what we want, what they want. They definitely have an equal say.

    Whatever decision we take, one way or another, we will be back.

    UN News: With your advocacy, what role do you see yourself having in the rebuilding of Syria?

    Waad Al-Kateab:  We’ve done so much around the world – working with communities who know Syria well and others who know nothing about it. 

    For us, the biggest achievement has always been awareness and preserving the narrative of what happened. Now, more than ever, that’s a priority on the ground in Syria.

    For me, it’s not just about For Sama as a film, but about everything I’ve learned as a filmmaker – years of telling my own story and others’. Now, I want to bring it back to Syria through screenings and conversations, not just as a film event, but as a space to hear from people.

    This is part of transitional justice, especially acknowledgment – helping local communities talk to each other, understand each other’s experiences and start healing.

    UN News: What would be your message to the international community today?

    Waad Al-Kateab: Syria is not like any other conflict. People tried to compare it to Iraq or Afghanistan, but this is different. Even how the regime fell and what comes next is unknown.

    As the U.S. slashes foreign aid, Syrian civil society is at risk of collapse. Organizations that fought for justice and protected civilians for over a decade are now struggling. The international community must step up.

    A successful transition must be Syrian-led, free from armed groups or foreign influence.

    The world has a responsibility to support this in a way that reflects Syrians’ aspirations for peace, justice and accountability.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Future of Family Planning Convening Keynote Address by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Excellencies, 
    Esteemed partners, 
    Dear friends, 
    Dear young people,

    I greet you in Peace, the noble purpose of the United Nations and the fervent wish of the women and girls UNFPA serves in over 150 countries around the world. 

    Thank goodness for the forward-looking initiatives of the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. Thanks to the cohosts for bringing us together, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and FP2030.

    As you and I look to the future of family planning, we need a time frame. That outlook could span 10 years from now – which is basically tomorrow – or all the way to the end of the century. 

    For instance, I’m currently leading the Lancet Commission on 21st Century Threats to Global Health, established with co-chair Christopher Murray of IHME.  

    We need a longer-term perspective because the effects of threats like to health like pollution, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, or an inverted population pyramid will take decades to alter future trajectories. 

    Modeling at the future through the lens of our Lancet Commission, we’ve made bold to peek through the magnifying glass to discern what just might happen by the year 2100. 

    That’s why standing here with you, I have no qualms to make bold and posit what will be the features of family planning in an intermediate era, say maybe 20 to 30 years. 

    From the outset, the future of family planning is built upon the bedrock of human rights. That future we envision is one of equality for all. 

    The future of family planning will be characterized by self-agency, especially on the part of young people — who expect innovation and demand the modernization of our field. They’re impatient for safe, effective, convenient, reversible and affordable methods. On top of that, the contraceptive offerings should be products that are pleasurable, that incorporate fun.

    Let’s pose a fundamental question. Will we continue the expectation that it’s the woman with the womb who should bear eternal responsibility for planning the shape and the contours of the family of the future? 

    Which leads to another question: When will men step up and take their responsibilities? When will men be availed of reliable, quality commodities that are emblematic of sharing the burden as well as the triumphs of good family planning? 

    Second, in the future the clamor is for ready access. 

    I hope that this comes with the understanding that the risk proposition of hormonal or barrier methods will become so improved, that access will be through self-care. Through autonomous decision-making by fully empowered users of contraception who need no arbiter. Who need no permission from the husband, the significant other, the mother-in-law, the father, or any authoritative figure nominated by patriarchy. No doctor. No nurse. No gatekeeper’s intervention. 

    And of course, the means and methods to monitor and course correct must be there, if and when side effects would appear. Bodily autonomy demands just that. 

    Mind you, right now, nearly half of women lack the power to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. This must change – and we can change it – if we stand strong and stand together in upholding, protecting and advancing this fundamental human right for everyone – no exceptions, no exclusions. 

    As we contemplate the future, let’s take a look at how far we’ve come: from Bucharest in 1974, to the all-important rights-based 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (the ICPD), which put women and girls squarely at the center of development. 

    Jump to the London Summit on Family Planning in 2012, after which our collaborative efforts yielded remarkable results: 

    92 million more women in low and middle-income countries using modern contraception. 

    Since 2000, adolescent birth rates declined; maternal mortality fell by more than one-third; and globally, deaths of children under-5, halved. 

    Mothers are safer, babies are healthier, more women and couples can decide freely whether or when to have children, and more girls can stay in school and out of marriage. 

    Unfortunately, recently such progress has stalled, and in some places is actually going backwards.

    Therefore, another feature of the future of family planning is that it will support demographic resilience. 

    Voluntary, rights-based family planning is fundamental to building societies that can adapt to shifting population dynamics. 

    Did you know that two-thirds of people now live in countries where fertility rates are trending, at or below replacement level? And people are living longer, populations are aging and catering for that is of increasing concern. 

    In response, some governments are attempting to reverse universal access to contraception and instead, introducing pro-natalist incentives, telling women it’s their patriotic duty to bear more babies, even banning postpartum contraception in health facilities.  

    Such directives threaten women’s hard-won rights and choices. Furthermore, there is an abundance of evidence that shows that without child care and elder care and paid leave and social support, these types  of pro-natalist monetary incentives just won’t work. 

    Women, in all their sexual diversities, have inherent rights. These aren’t contingent on the demographic context. The solutions lie in expanding human rights, not in their constraint. 

    Next, I will also note that the future of contraception will cater for women in the direst of humanitarian circumstances. 

    Record levels of displacement are driving hardship and humanitarian need, with conflicts and climate induced disasters escalating seemingly everywhere you turn. 

    Family planning programmes must be able to continue to function during humanitarian emergencies, allowing women to make safer choices during uncertain times. 

    Consider Cecília, a mother of two daughters who UNFPA assists in Mozambique. She faced impossible choices when a cyclone destroyed her rural home and cut off essential services. Unable to access to family planning, she’s unexpectedly pregnant again, jeopardizing her ability to rebuild and get back on her feet, and she’s worried about her girls’ future. 

    The impact of humanitarian crisis is not gender-neutral. As livelihoods collapse and stress escalates, gender based violence explodes and child marriages surge.  Cecília said she dreads the nightfall, fearing for her girls’ safety in the darkness as they sleep on mats under a tree.  

    Climate change brings its own unique consequences to reproductive and maternal health. Extreme heat increases miscarriages and stillbirths, and food insecurity endangers maternal and newborn health outcomes. 

    Family planning considerations of the future should be part and parcel of humanitarian resilience and response efforts, right from the start of a crisis — and not an afterthought. 

    Dear colleagues, dear friends, 

    Ours is a time of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. Should I repeat that? 

    Rampant opposition is undermining progress on gender equality and compromising the rights and choices of women and girls all around the globe.  

    Within the halls of the United Nations, longstanding agreed language on gender, diversity, and sexual and reproductive health and rights is increasingly coming under attack. The hostility is organized, very well funded, careless and relentless. 

    Uncertainties about donor investment – notably the recent abrupt terminations of funding for major global health and humanitarian work – pose a grave threat to the well-being of millions, particularly people marginalized and already furthest behind. 

    Despite it all, lastly, I’m happy to tell you my crystal ball reveals that the future of family planning is well-resourced. 

    Despite all the turmoil, we will remain focused, and united. The opposition may be rampaging, yet our commitment to upholding women’s rights is fiercer. Our understanding of community needs is deeper. Our intellectual heft is stronger. Our willingness to defend the rights and choices of people in all their sexual diversities is steadfast. 

    And our commitment to science, to data and evidence for good planning, means we’re unconquerable.  

    UNFPA and this community have weathered many a storm before, and we will not waver in standing with women and girls, with families and communities, and with all our partners in the SRHR sector. 

    The backsliding in global funding is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about a woman walking for hours to a rural clinic, and turned away because the shelves are bare. It’s about a desperate adolescent girl, coerced into early marriage because contraception was out of her reach. Long-term sustainable financing for family planning is crucial.  It’s lifesaving.  

    The UNFPA Supplies Partnership has pioneered successful approaches through financing innovations — mechanisms like Country Compacts, Matching Funds, and Bridge Funds— with the important added benefit of accelerating country-led domestic financing.  

    I applaud the wisdom of low and middle-income countries’ unprecedented investments to safeguard their family planning supplies, and to strengthen the supply systems.  

    I urge you to work where you are and where you have influence — in academia, in government, civil society, foundations, financial and private sector institutions, religious and traditional communities.  Work to close the financing gap, to end stigma and to turn our dream of well-resourced family planning into reality! 

    So then, 30 years after Cairo and Beijing and with scarcely five years to go until 2030:  

    What is the future of family planning? 

    We’ve made significant gains, yet formidable challenges threaten future progress—pandemics, climate change, conflict, declining donor investment, and then — the systematic attacks on women’s rights and bodily autonomy.  

    Our response must match the scale of these threats. This calls for intergenerational partnerships, that transcend geographic and sectoral boundaries and that leverage diverse expertise, resources and influence. 

    It will take an estimated $60 billion in new funding annually to end the unmet need for family planning in 120 priority countries by the year 2030. There ‘is’ no better return on investment—as much as $120 for  every $1 spent, and countless lives are transformed  for the better. 

    Let me assert that the future of family planning will be determined by the choices we make today – together, unapologetically, and with the fierce urgency that this moment demands. 

    Change starts with us and leads to a future where every woman and girl can exercise her reproductive rights and choices with dignity, security, and freedom. 

    Our UNFPA vision of the future?  

    Contraceptive technology and research will significantly advance, reaching the ideal of full effectiveness and free access without limitations or boundaries.  

    Countries of the global South will lead, streamlining access to contraceptive services and information, institutionalizing policies that integrate SRHR into essential healthcare. Finally, family planning becomes part of integrated women’s health services and education. 

    Every individual, every couple, regardless of location, socioeconomic status, or background, will know where to easily turn for a full range of high-quality, affordable contraceptive offerings seamlessly integrated into maternal health, HIV, and routine wellness care and checkups. 

    In the future, family planning is recognized and acknowledged as an accelerator of gender equality, family wealth building, and of real development for people in their own home villages and urban landscapes. 

    After centuries of all-too familiar barrier methods and over a hundred years of tried and true hormonal methods, the future cries out for innovation; let’s have much more research and development of solutions designed with women and with adolescents.  

    Now that’s a bright future. Now that’s a future we can all get behind.

    Dear friends, 

    It is said that: It’s only in winter that we know which trees are evergreen. 

    Thank you for being an astute and evergreen friend to women, to adolescents and to families.  

    The threads that bind this community are strong.  They are unbreakable. We’re in this for the long haul, together, and together we shall win.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Earlier food security gains in Gaza at risk; food insecurity concerns grow in West Bank

    Source: World Food Programme

    GAZA, Palestine – The following are the latest updates on food security and WFP operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    Gaza

    • In the 42 days of the ceasefire starting 19 January, WFP delivered over 40,000 metric tons of food into Gaza and provided lifesaving assistance to 1.3 million people. In addition, over US$ 6.8 million in electronic cash assistance (e-wallets) supported nearly 135,000 people (26,600 households), helping families to buy what they needed most. 
    • Since March 2, WFP has not been able to transport any food supplies into Gaza due to the closure of all border crossing points for both humanitarian and commercial supplies.  
    • WFP currently has sufficient food stocks to support active kitchens and bakeries for up to one month, as well as ready-to-eat food parcels to support 550,000 people for two weeks.
    • WFP has approximately 63,000 metric tons of food destined for Gaza, stored or in transit in the region. This is equivalent two to three months of distributions for 1.1 million people, pending authorization to enter Gaza.
    • In the first week of March, WFP was able to sustain its activities in Gaza using stocks brought in during the ceasefire; WFP provided food assistance to some 73,000 vulnerable people across Gaza during this period.
    • As it did prior to the ceasefire, WFP is reducing the quantity of ready-to-eat food parcels provided to families to stretch its supplies and serve more people in need.
    • Right now, WFP supports 33 kitchens across Gaza providing a total of 180,000 hot meals daily.
    • A total of 25 bakeries are also supported by WFP, but on March 8 six of these bakeries were forced to close due to a shortage of cooking gas.
    • Commercial food prices have begun to surge since the March 2 closure of border crossings. In some cases, prices on staple items such as flour, sugar, and vegetables have increased over 200 percent. Traders have begun withholding goods due to uncertainty over when new supplies would arrive.  

    West Bank

    • WFP is increasingly concerned about growing food insecurity in the West Bank, where military activity, displacement, and movement restrictions are disrupting markets and limiting access to food. 
    • Tens of thousands of people in the West Bank have been displaced since mid-January.
    • These disruptions and the worsening economic conditions over the last year are putting upward pressure on prices. With rising displacement and unemployment, even basic food items have become unaffordable for many families. 
    • WFP is supporting more than 190,000 people with monthly cash vouchers and has provided one-off assistance to 16,000 people most in need. Humanitarian cash assistance can be delivered efficiently through local supply chains and markets. It also helps to stabilize the economy.   

    WFP needs US$265 million in funding for the next six months for operations to assist 1.4 million people in Gaza and the West Bank.

    Broadcast quality video available at this link.

    #                 #                   #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Inner north-east Melbourne auctions targeted in autumn blitz

    Source: Government of Victoria 2

    Our Consumer Affairs Underquoting Taskforce kicked off its autumn sales season inspection blitz on Saturday, monitoring more than 50 property auctions in the Doncaster area to check compliance with underquoting laws.

    The taskforce has been monitoring sales campaigns in Melbourne’s north-east, following complaints about real estate agent conduct in the area.

    During the blitz, taskforce officers are speaking with estate agents and consumers, checking for estate agent compliance with auction and sales rules and monitoring for potential underquoting.

    Since its launch in 2022, the taskforce has now issued more than 220 official warnings and more than 160 fines to estate agents caught breaching their obligations. Fines have totalled more than $1.8 million.

    The taskforce has now monitored more than 2,300 sales campaigns and attended more than 220 auctions.

    Investigations have also led to court proceedings for estate agent and Australian Consumer Law breaches.

    Underquoting is a still a big concern for homebuyers in Melbourne’s property market and is one of the top real estate issues reported to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

    There have been more than 3,740 complaints through the Consumer Affairs dedicated underquoting webform from purchasers, estate agents and buyers’ advocates. These reports and other intelligence are used to identify agents who may be breaking the law.

    More than 30% of the webform reports in 2024 were made by other estate agents, showing that agents doing the right thing are no longer willing to tolerate having to compete against unfair and unlawful practices in their industry.

    New laws recently passed by the Victorian Parliament and due to come into effect later this year will increase the penalties for underquoting and other related estate agent legal breaches. These will mean more protections for Victorians looking for a home and will ensure that agents who do the right thing aren’t unfairly disadvantaged.

    If you suspect underquoting, report it to us.

    Find more information about underquoting.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two charged following Henley St incident

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Two charged following Henley St incident

    Saturday, 15 March 2025 – 7:00 am.

    Police have charged a 29-year-old woman with aggravated assault and firearm offences and a 40-year-old man for damage to property and firearm offences following an isolated incident in Henley Street, Lindisfarne yesterday afternoon.
    Police were called to a residential property about 2:20pm following reports a firearm had been shot towards a house.
    The road was closed and police secured the scene, locating a firearm inside the house, and taking two people into custody.
    Both people involved are known to each other, and no one was injured in the incident.
    The woman and man have both been detained and will appear in court this morning.
    Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ELLISONS RD/CALLENDALE RD , FOX (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Homes that have been built to withstand a bushfire, and are prepared to the highest level, may provide safety.

    You may lose power, water, phone and data connections.

    Fire crews are responding but you should not expect a firefighter at your door.

    What you should do

    • Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan.
    • Protect yourself from the fire’s heat – put on protective clothing.
    • Tell family or friends of your plans.

    If you are leaving

    • Leave now, don’t delay.
    • Roads may become blocked or access may change. Smoke will reduce visibility.
    • Secure your pets for travel.
    • If you become stuck in your car, park away from bushes, cover yourself, get onto the floor as the windows may break from the intense heat.

    If you are not leaving – prepare to defend

    • Identify a safe place inside, with more than one exit, before the fire arrives. Keep moving away from the heat of the fire.
    • Bring pets inside and restrain them.
    • Move flammable materials such as doormats, wheelie bins and outdoor furniture away from your house.
    • Close doors and windows to keep smoke out.
    • If you have sprinklers, turn them on to wet the areas.
    • If the building catches fire, go to an area already burnt. Check around you for anything burning.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s humanoid robot craze sparks surge in rentals

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Two humanoid robots walk forward at the exhibition hall of Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

    In a mesmerizing display at a recent show in Hangzhou, eastern China’s leading tech hub, a dozen humanoid robots twisted and twirled in perfect sync, their joints clattering to the rhythm of joyful music as they captivated the audience and drew waves of cheers.

    The spectacle reflects a growing trend, with businesses and individuals increasingly renting humanoid robots for performances, exhibitions, and livestreams to grab public attention.

    These robots shot to fame earlier this year when a fleet from Unitree, a Chinese robotics startup, mesmerized audiences with a synchronized dance in colorful jackets at the Spring Festival Gala, one of China’s most-watched broadcasts. The overwhelming public attention and ensuing robot craze have since turned them into a sought-after commodity in the rental market.

    “Orders for Unitree’s G1 humanoid robot rentals have been surging since early February, with bookings already lined up through late March,” said Gao Lai, who has been engaged in the robot rental business for over a decade. His company provided the rented robots for the show in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.

    “The daily rental price for a humanoid robot ranges from 8,000 to 15,000 yuan (about 1,115 to 2,091 U.S. dollars). With the booming demand, we anticipate our earnings to rise by 80 percent this year,” Gao added.

    In terms of presale, Unitree’s G1 model starts at 99,000 yuan, while the H1 model has a starting price of 650,000 yuan.

    Industry insiders told Xinhua that the growing demand for robots in business events, exhibitions and shows is fueling the expansion of the robot rental market, which holds great potential.

    On Xianyu, one of China’s largest second-hand goods trading platforms, renting a Unitree robot can cost thousands of yuan, often covering transportation, machine adjustments and on-site support.

    In Hangzhou’s Yuhang District, where the recent show took place, local authorities plan to host more robot shows and tutorial sessions in rural areas by renting robots.

    “Dancing with robots grabs attention, and we hope to partner with companies to introduce AI to rural communities,” said Zhang Jingcan, a district official.

    “The concept of humanoid robots is nothing new. Since the first one was developed in Japan in the 1960s, they’ve been a focal point of global competition,” said Xiong Rong, a professor at Zhejiang University and head of Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.

    “Powered by AI, our robots are making progress faster than I anticipated,” said Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics. “We’ve upgraded the software algorithms in our humanoid robots to make them more agile and improve their dancing skills.”

    However, some uncertainties exist when applying humanoid robots in more complicated scenarios at home or in businesses that require more flexible and diverse human-robot interactions.

    “Humanoid robots will reach new heights by the end of this year, and if all goes well, we could see them deployed in some service or industrial sectors next year or the year after,” said Wang. “However, home-use models might see slower adoption due to higher security requirement.”

    Emphasizing the importance of security in robot applications, Xiong said: “Only by ensuring the safety of human-robot interactions, the robot itself, and the data can we achieve large-scale production.”

    Many industry insiders agree that the ultimate goal for humanoid robots is to evolve into general-purpose robots capable of adapting to diverse environments and performing a wide range of tasks without relying on specific sites or tools. Achieving this goal will require advancements in AI, high-end manufacturing and new materials, driven by academia and industry collaboration.

    With surging demand and continuous innovation, China’s humanoid robot market is forecast to see exponential growth in the following years, clinching a significant share of the global market.

    According to a report on the humanoid robot industry released at the 2024 World AI Conference in Shanghai, China’s humanoid robot market was estimated at 2.76 billion yuan last year. By 2029, it is expected to reach 75 billion yuan, accounting for 32.7 percent of the global market. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Ne Zha 2’ storms into all-time global box office top 5

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese animated powerhouse “Ne Zha 2” has surpassed Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to secure its spot as the fifth highest-grossing film of all time globally.

    According to data from ticketing platform Maoyan, the film’s global earnings, including presales, have exceeded 15.019 billion yuan (about 2.09 billion U.S. dollars) as of Saturday.

    The milestone was reached just 45 days after the film’s release during the Chinese New Year on Jan. 29.

    This adds to an impressive list of records for the film, which became the first film to gross 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market, the first non-Hollywood title to enter the billion-dollar club, and the highest-grossing animated movie of all time worldwide.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Italian film acclaimed in China for portrayal of women’s struggles

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The acclaimed Italian film “There’s Still Tomorrow” premiered in China recently, with its creators attending screenings in Beijing and Shanghai.

    A still from “There’s Still Tomorrow.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

    The 2023 Italian period comedy-drama film, co-written and directed by Paola Cortellesi in her directorial debut, is set in post-war 1940s Rome. It follows Delia, a working-class wife and mother who challenges traditional family norms and aspires to a better future for herself and her daughter after receiving a mysterious letter.

    Cortellesi, along with collaborating screenwriters Giulia Calenda and Furio Andreotti, attended the premiere and special screening events in Shanghai and Beijing from March 8-9, coinciding with International Women’s Day celebrations.

    “Reflecting on the past is to look forward to the future,” Cortellesi said at the Beijing event. She revealed that she drew inspiration from her grandmother’s story and the lives of countless women from that era in Italy. The June 2, 1946 referendum also played a significant role, marking the first time Italian women voted on whether Italy should be a monarchy or a republic, and elected representatives to the Constituent Assembly, a body tasked with drafting Italy’s post-war constitution. “My grandmother lived in a time when women’s rights were far inferior to men’s,” she said. “Their stories, struggles and fights should be told.”

    The director also dedicated the film to her daughter and daughters of her generation. “They should bear witness to the rights women hold today because they must understand that these rights did not naturally exist nor will they last forever,” she emphasized. “Without this awareness, they won’t be able to defend the rights they have now or fight for more in the future.”

    Creators of “There’s Still Tomorrow” pose for a photo with the audience in Beijing, March 9, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Hero Films]

    Calenda told China.org.cn that the film reflects the Italian tradition of finding humor in tragedy. “We believe that the heavier and more serious the theme, the more effectively it can be conveyed through comedy,” she said. “This film aims to give a voice to women who have never had one — women who have always worked, raised children, cared for the elderly, and managed households, yet received no recognition.”

    “Previous great Italian directors, when depicting the most severe, tragic and ugly phenomena, always approached them with absurdity and satirical humor. The power that emerged from this was often unexpected. In our creative process, we consciously — or unconsciously — drew inspiration from the post-war neorealist style,” added Andreotti.

    Shot in black-and-white, “There’s Still Tomorrow” pays homage to the neorealist style of the 1940s and 1950s. The creators chose this format to reflect the essence of the era. They conducted extensive research, hired a historian, studied films and documents, and even examined the dialect spoken in Rome during that era.

    Director Cortellesi emphasized that the film’s ending goes beyond a love story, conveying a deeper message. “Compared with the protagonist being saved by a man, I would rather see her rebirth through self-awakening,” she said. “That’s more important than love.”

    A poster for “There’s Still Tomorrow.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

    “There’s Still Tomorrow” has earned over $50 million worldwide, becoming Italy’s most successful film of 2023 and the ninth highest-grossing film in Italian history. It won six David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s top film honors, in 2024, as well as other global accolades. These included the People’s Choice Award Gala-Best Film at China‘s Pingyao International Film Festival. On China’s major review site, Douban, the film holds a high score of 9.4/10 based on more than 170,000 user reviews.

    At the Beijing premiere, Liang Hong, a scholar, writer and professor in the School of Liberal Arts at Renmin University of China, described the film as “a profoundly impactful women’s film with a touch of dark humor.” She noted: “It uses lightness to convey weight and laughter to express tears. The film’s powerful conclusion leaves a lasting impact as if the director is speaking directly to the audience, encouraging each of us to take action.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Recognition ceremony commends children and adolescents with outstanding achievements (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Recognition ceremony commends children and adolescents with outstanding achievements       
         Addressing the event, Mr To said that the award presentation ceremony, jointly organised by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the TWGHs, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Promoting a caring spirit throughout the years, the ceremony has been giving recognitions to relevant children and youths who have achieved laudable performance in different aspects, including academics, conduct, sports, arts and services. Mr To commended the awardees for setting a good model for other children and youths in the community with their courage and perseverance in facing challenges and adversities, as well as their determination to strive for a bright future.
          
         Mr To also extended appreciation to the caregivers for helping these children and adolescents to grow and thrive in a nurturing environment. He encouraged all participating children and adolescents to maintain a positive attitude, continue to pursue their dreams and realise a rewarding and blissful future.
          
         Twelve-year-old Ah Son is one of the recipients of the Best Achievement Award. He is a ward of the DSW and is now receiving residential care from the TWGHs. The grief at the loss of his father, life pressures and the difficulties arising from the pandemic have once taken Ah Son down both emotionally and academically. However, with the tender care and nurturing support from his caregivers, Ah Son has overcome the challenges and successfully enrolled in his ideal secondary school. Showing resilience and a positive learning attitude, the academic results of Ah Son in Secondary One have been outstanding. Ah Son is also talented in sports. With exceptional skills, he is now a shining star at the school’s badminton team.
          
         Another awardee of the Best Achievement Award is 19-year-old Ismael. He was made a ward of the DSW before he reached one year of age due to the divorce of his parents. Ismael has been positive in the face of life challenges. Staying focused on his studies, he also shows a passion for music and does especially well in singing and guitar. Since the completion of his secondary education in 2024, Ismael has enrolled in a bachelor of social work programme. Last summer, he visited a remote area in Thailand with a church group to serve the underprivileged.
          
         Children and adolescents are made wards of the DSW for various reasons, such as death, loss, imprisonment, long-term hospitalisation or incapability of their parents, or because they are unable or unsuitable to live with their family members. Prioritising the best interests of children and adolescents, the SWD’s social workers would, depending on individual case circumstances, apply for wardship for a case in accordance with the court procedures stipulated in the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213 of the Laws of Hong Kong), and draw up appropriate long-term welfare plans for them, such as arranging for adoption or reunion with their families, or preparing them to live independently when they become adults.

         As at the end of December 2024, there were a total of 788 children and young people who were made wards of the DSW. At the ceremony today, 44 children and youths were awarded the Best Achievement Award or the Best Progress Award.
    Issued at HKT 14:05

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: We need a Democratic House to protect the American people

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – March 12, 2025

    LEESBURG, VA — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu opened the 2025 Issues Conference alongside Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse.

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Welcome everyone. Pleasure to be joined by my colleagues and we’ll be joined by DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene here shortly. Just so thrilled to be here with Vice Chair Ted Lieu in putting this conference together. And of course, Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Assistant Leader Neguse. We could not do this without the support of the Democratic Leadership team, and we feel all that support throughout our time here. 

    In the first seven weeks of the Trump Administration, we have seen nothing but chaos, confusion and corruption coming out of the White House. House Republicans have either stayed silent as their constituents get hurt or are voting to rip away health care for millions of Americans to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires. 

    House Democrats have been united in standing up for Medicaid to keep health care more affordable. House Democrats have been united in honoring our veterans who have fallen victim to Elon Musk’s reckless cuts to the VA health care system. We’ve been united in protecting Social Security, even as the President of the United States used his joint address to lay out the groundwork for cutting these benefits—by lying to our country about the claims of 100-year-old beneficiaries. And all of us remain united in our overarching message to make Leader Jeffries, Speaker Jeffries, no later than next year. 

    We’re going to talk about all of this over the course of the next few days, and we’re going to put the needs of the American people front and center in everything that we do. The economy that House Democrats helped build is in a free fall. In 2026, we need a Democratic House to protect the American people from the costly missteps of the Trump Administration. With that, I’ll introduce Leader Jeffries.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar and Vice Chair Lieu for your leadership, for convening House Democrats and for the manner in which you have presided over the House Democratic Caucus in such an effective way during these very challenging times. 

    Donald Trump and House Republicans are crashing the American economy in real time and leading us toward a possible recession. Donald Trump and House Republicans promised that they would lower the high cost of living on day one. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is going up. The stock market is going down. Consumer confidence is going down. Consumer spending is going down. The retirement security of the American people is going down. And it’s all connected to the chaos, confusion and corruption of the Trump Administration and Extreme MAGA Republicans.

    House Democrats remain united in the effort to protect Medicaid and the health care of the American people. We remain united as it relates to protecting Social Security and Medicare. House Democrats strongly oppose the reckless Republican spending bill that will hurt families, hurt seniors and hurt veterans. House Democrats remain committed to building an affordable economy and driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans. And House Democrats are united in our understanding that we must take back the Majority next year with the fierce urgency of now. 

    One of the Members who has led us in such an extraordinary way, both as it relates to keeping Democrats together, as was the case yesterday, and of course, as it relates to the House Republican devastating budget resolution, is our dynamic Whip, the Honorable Katherine Clark.

    WHIP CLARK: Thank you so much, Mr. Leader. And to Chairman Aguilar and Vice Chair Lieu, we are so grateful to you for, once again, organizing this opportunity to come together as Democrats. 

    This is always a powerful opportunity at Issues Conference, but this year, especially, we are really grateful because we have a lot to dig into. Especially, the last 24 hours have shown a stark illustration of what we’re fighting to stop: a Republican Party that promised to put more money in the pockets of working people. They turned around and stole their money— stole from their own constituents, from their schools, their health care, their retirement—all to cut billionaire taxes and funnel corrupt contracts to Elon Musk. 

    Just look at the split screen. People can’t afford their rent. They can’t afford eggs. And what is Trump doing? He is hawking luxury car brands of his biggest donor on the White House lawn. The same day, he is slashing the Department of Education in half, going after 180,000 teachers whose jobs depend on federal funding, 7.5 million special education teachers who get federal support and the 90% of kids in this country who attend our public schools, and that’s just the start. 

    Yesterday’s defunding bill is going to wreak havoc on working families, and once again, it’s women and girls who will pay the heaviest price. The domestic violence survivors; they’re voting to evict them. The overworked VA nurses; 84% of whom are women who are either fired or being forced to take on even heavier workloads. The patients watching Republicans defund Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer and maternal mortality research. The moms who are searching for affordable child care. Whether it’s born out of cruelty, cowardice or corruption, or all three, the GOP is hell bent on making families at home unsafe. 

    So, we recognize these are brutal and scary times. But here’s our message to the American people: House Democrats stand with you. We are fighting alongside you. We are not going to let House Republicans get away with this crime spree. Every day, leaders from our Caucus are holding the line, and especially, a little preview, the extraordinary women who have joined our ranks this Caucus, that I hope you will come join me at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow to meet our freshman women. But in the meantime, I will turn it over to another remarkable leader, our field general and talented Chair of the DCCC, Suzan DelBene. 

    DCCC CHAIR DELBENE: Good afternoon, everyone. Just a little over two months into their trifecta, House Republicans are well on their way to breaking the economy. Consumer confidence is evaporating. A new CNN poll today shows the majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. A record high stock market has lost all its gains since January, and prices continue to rise at the grocery store, the gas pump and the pharmacy counter. 

    Affordability was the number one issue for voters last election, but House Republicans have done nothing to lower prices. Promises were made. Promises are broken. Their tariffs will raise prices and create massive uncertainty for businesses, small and large. A small business owner in my district recently told me he’s already losing business. He’s not sure if he can be competitive price-wise going forward. Just the uncertainty alone of whether tariffs will be there or not has caused him to lose business. And what’s more, the stop and start and chaotic nature of these tariffs continues to be extremely harmful. It’s easy to lose business. It’s hard to get it back. And House Republicans seem fine with this. They dismiss the damage they’re causing as a little disturbance. But when a farmer can’t buy the fertilizer they need during planting season right now, or export their crops, that’s not a little disturbance. It’s incredibly harmful to their business. And Republicans promise to support our businesses, our farmers and our workers, but with these tariffs, they’re doing exactly the opposite. 

    House Democrats and the American people are going to hold Republicans accountable for their broken promises, and we’re already seeing across the country people standing up and speaking out against their dangerous agenda. The public is opposed to their cuts to Medicaid. They’re opposed to the mass layoffs of firefighters, of inspectors in charge of combating bird flu, of veterans who are supporting veterans at the Veterans Administration. House Republicans know how unpopular their agenda is, which is why vulnerable House Republicans have stopped holding in person town halls. They can try to hide all they want, but they can’t hide from voters forever. 

    The frustration and anger we’re seeing across the country should send a loud message to House Republicans. People are ready for a change, and they’re ready to help House Democrats take back the gavels. So, now I want to turn it over to our incredible Vice Chair from the great state of California, Ted Lieu

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Good afternoon. Chairman Aguilar and I are excited about this year’s Issues Conference. And let me start by thanking Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Clark and Chairman Aguilar for their strong leadership and unifying the Democratic Caucus against the Republican CR. That was a strong show of force yesterday by House Democrats.

    Donald Trump, last week, came to Congress and he lied to the American people. He promised a Golden Age. Instead, we’re entering a Trump Slump. We see that prices have increased, especially egg prices. We see the stock market is down, approximately 2,500 points since Trump took office. And consumer sentiment is down, and this is because of his chaotic policies such as indiscriminate tariffs, and then his weakness and indecisiveness and flip-flopping on those tariffs that is causing a lot of chaos in the markets. He’s also doing harmful things like cutting scientists and inspectors who work on bird flu. He’s cutting funding for scientists who are working on diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s and cancer. And the American people are noticing. 

    In January, Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in Iowa that Trump had won by 21 points, and just this week, in another special election Iowa for a House Delegate seat, our candidate over performed by 24 points. 

    With our Field General Suzan DelBene, we’re going to flip the House next year, and I look forward to working with this entire Leadership team in doing so. It’s now my honor to introduce Joe Neguse who has done a fantastic job as Assistant Democratic Leader.

    ASSISTANT LEADER NEGUSE: Good afternoon. I thank you all for being here. Thank you to Chair Aguilar, Vice Chair Lieu, for convening us for the important conversations that will ensue over the next two days, and of course to Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Chairwoman DelBene for their incredible leadership over the course of these last several years.

    There’s a headline that I came across this morning that I think so well encapsulates the chaos and the dysfunction that we are living through in the precarious moment that we find ourselves in, from CBS News. The headline is this, “Lutnick says Trump’s policies are ‘worth it’, even if they lead to a recession.” The Lutnick, of course, that this article is referring to, is President Trump’s Commerce Secretary. Think about that for a second. That in his view, these reckless economic policies are worth it, even if they cause a recession. And it appears they will get their wish, as you heard Vice Chair Lieu, Chair Aguilar, Leader Jefferies, Whip Clark, Chairwoman DelBene describe the economic havoc that President Trump and his Administration have created over just the course of these last seven weeks. Stock market crashing. Job losses piling up. 401Ks vanishing. The prices for everyday goods going up across the board. Federal workers, folks at the Forest Service, wildland firefighters in my district back home in Colorado, purged from the federal government. Agencies being dismantled. All of this has real world consequences for the people that we are all so privileged to serve here in the United States Congress. 

    The time for the Trump Administration to abandon these reckless policies is now. They warrant a decisive, comprehensive response from House Democrats, which is precisely what we’ve done for the better part of the last seven weeks and we look forward to having more discussions on our response in the days ahead.

    And with that, I’ll turn it back to Chairman Aguilar. 

    Video of the full press conference can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: The American people are asking us to fight back

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    March 14, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark for a press conference on the partisan Republican funding bill.

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: I want to thank Whip Clark and Leader Jeffries for their continued leadership of House Democrats, who have been very clear what side we’re on. 

    Leader Jeffries has been consistent in saying we will always stand up for the American people. They are asking us to fight back against this slashing attempt to gut Medicaid, cut Social Security, eliminate the Department of Education, all so the billionaire class can pay less in taxes. This is a fight worth having today and tomorrow, and next week, and as long as we’re here in Congress. Our constituents are worried about how they’re going to pay the bills, how they’re going to buy a home, how they’re going to send their kids to college. They are seeing their prices go up, and these Republican policies tank the stock market. They’re not following the Beltway news of who’s up and who’s down, but they are very attuned to the Republican recession and that it could cost them their health care and their job, and they know when their elected officials are willing to fight for them. They know when someone is looking out for their own pocketbook or they’re looking out for their own self-interest. 

    That’s why House Democrats will continue this fight and to continue everything we have done to center this around the American people, and we’ll continue to do that under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries. 

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maps, Maps, Maps: Where might scientists search for minerals for microchips and other technologies in the U.S.?

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Maps, Maps, Maps: Where might scientists search for minerals for microchips and other technologies in the U.S.?

    Currently, the U.S. imports many of the minerals required to produce microchips and other advanced technologies. How does the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) support the search for potential domestic resources?  

    Our world today runs on minerals. Microchips, tiny wafer-thin surfaces that are etched with thousands of minute electronic circuits, are the “brains” of advanced technologies as diverse as smartphones, cars, satellites and artificial intelligence supercomputers. Batteries containing cobalt, manganese and rare earth elements are essential for medical devices, home appliances, and energy storage. 

    Yet, if you have used any of these technologies in the US, it is likely that much of the mineral you are relying on came from overseas.  

    Through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have been exploring where there are sources of important minerals below our own soil. But finding minerals below the ground can be like finding a needle in a haystack: just by looking at the haystack, it would be difficult to know where to start. 

    To solve this problem, USGS scientists developed the “Mineral Systems Map” to predict broad areas where minerals might be.  

    “There are different recipes for minerals. Different suites of minerals form where the right “ingredients” come together to create a mineral deposit.” said Jane Hammarstrom, an emeritus USGS Geologist who worked on developing the Mineral Systems Map. “Mineral systems are areas with similar geologic characteristics and histories that might produce the same suite of minerals.”  

    In 2019, USGS scientists worked with State geological surveys to identify 23 mineral systems across the US that contain critical minerals. The map they produced is used to guide more focused mapping efforts through the Earth MRI. This mapping is accelerating USGS’ ability to conduct nation-wide assessments of critical mineral resources and may ultimately result in the discovery of new mineral resources.  

    The mineral systems map can also show decision makers where local economic opportunities might arise in their area, such as whether their area might contain minerals needed to manufacture advanced technologies. While more data collection is needed to determine whether these areas actually contain undiscovered mineral deposits, and whether those mineral deposits are economically feasible to produce, these maps help guide data collection and investments.  

    Microchips translate electronic pulses into instructions for devices to follow. They are the foundation of electronics in our modern world, allowing our cell phones, computers and even planes and satellites to operate.  

    This map shows areas with the potential for key critical minerals needed for microchip manufacturing. It was made by identifying areas with the same mineral system as a location with a known deposit.   

    High-capacity batteries are foundational to modern energy needs. They store energy for use in advanced consumer and defense technologies, and to power homes by renewable energy sources.   

    This map shows areas in the US with the potential for key minerals needed to manufacture high-capacity batteries.  

    USGS, through the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, has been exploring the 23 mineral systems outlined in the map, collecting geophysical, geochemical, geologic and topographic data to get a higher resolution picture of potential mineral resources. The Initiative has already led to the discovery of a previously unknown deposit of niobium and rare earth elements in Maine.  

    “These maps may be pragmatic tools in the hunt for domestic mineral resources, but they are also beautiful representations of the potential for resource discovery in the US.” said Dr. Colin Williams, program manager for the USGS Mineral Resources Program.  

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  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Illinois Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by the Tatra Multi-Family Apartment Complex Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – In response to an administrative disaster declaration issued March 13, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for Illinois businesses, nonprofits and residents affected by the Tatra Multi-Family Apartment Complex fire occurring on Jan. 25.  

    The disaster declaration covers Cook County, which is eligible for both Physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will; as well as Lake in Indiana.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.    

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.    

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.    

    SBA’s EIDL program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for PNPs, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Beginning Wednesday, March 19, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Cook County to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov. The DLOC hours of operation are listed below:

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) 
    Cook County

    Chicago Ridge Village Hall

    10455 S Ridgeland Avenue

    Chicago Ridge, Illinois 60415

    Opening:  Wednesday, March 19, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Hours: Monday – Friday – 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Saturday – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

    Closed: Sunday  

    “SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) have consistently proven their value to business owners and homeowners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Homeowners and Business owners can visit the DLOC to meet face-to-face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

    To apply online, visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.  

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 12, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 15, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to New York Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by the Wallace Avenue Apartment Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – In response to a request from Gov. Kathy Hochul on March 10, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an administrative disaster declaration and announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to businesses, nonprofits, and residents in New York affected by the Five Alarm Apartment Building Fire occurring Jan. 10. 

    The disaster declaration covers the primary county of Bronx, which is eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: Nassau, New York, Queens and Westchester, as well as Bergan County in New Jersey. 

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.    

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.    

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises. 

    “SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster. 

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. 

    Interest rates can be as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to  disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. 

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 12. The deadline to return economic injury applications is December 15. 

    ### 

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –