Category: housing

MIL-OSI Russia: “Active Citizens” will help diversify the “Book in the City” project

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

“Active Citizen” invites residents of the capital to take part in a new voting, the results of which will help to diversify the program of events of the city project “Book in the City”They are held at three project sites. “Summer in Moscow” — in Pushkin Square, near the Vitali Fountain and on Sretensky Boulevard.

The venues are open from 12:00 to 22:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. They feature open-air libraries, master classes, lectures, literary readings, meetings with writers, poets and artists – in total more than 700 cultural events. Free admission.

Residents of the capital can choose which of the presented event formats they like the most, as well as representatives of which professions they would like to meet. In addition, city residents will suggest which of the outstanding Muscovites should be invited to participate in public speeches.

“Active citizens” will share their reading habits, including choosing a convenient book format – electronic, audio or printed. And the survey participants will also talk about their favorite places to read and the most interesting literary genres. The wishes and interests of city residents will be taken into account when forming the program of events for the project.

As part of the “Book in the City” project, a book was also prepared for “active citizens” thematic action. Its winners will receive colorful editions as a gift. “Moscow House of Books”, as well as a unique opportunity to personally communicate with famous artists – participants of the project.

To take part in the promotion, users must share their opinion in the above-mentioned forum by July 29 inclusive. voting, and then enter the promo code KNIGA2025 in the special field in your profile on website or in the project’s mobile application. Then, 30 lucky winners will be selected using a random selection program. The list of winners will be published no later than July 31 in news project “Active Citizen”.

The award ceremony for the winners will take place in early August at the venues of the Book in the City project. After the ceremony, there will be creative meetings with invited stars. The winners of the event will be able to get an autograph and take memorable photos with the artists.

“A library is an atmosphere.” Olga Larina on children’s reading in a modern city “Book in the City”: from June 1, the capital will have areas for reading, communication and creativity

“Moscow House of Books”— is the country’s largest state-owned chain of bookstores, continuing the traditions of book trade for more than half a century. Since its opening, the flagship store on Novy Arbat has become an important cultural venue in the capital.

Project “Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful events will be added to traditional festivals and events.

Project “Active Citizen” has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined it, and over seven thousand votes have been held. Every month, the city implements from 30 to 40 decisions made by Muscovites. The project is being developed by the State Institution “New Management Technologies” and the capital Department of Information Technology.

The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: More than 1,100 houses built according to individual projects will be renovated in Moscow

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Residential development in Moscow, especially given the architectural diversity of the central districts, is conventionally divided into two types: standard buildings and houses built according to individual projects. At the same time, unique architectural solutions are not only pre-revolutionary Art Nouveau or Soviet neoclassicism. Later and modern residential buildings were also often built according to individual projects. This year, specialists from the Moscow City Services Complex will overhaul more than 1,100 such houses.

One of these buildings is located in Veskovsky Lane (house 4). It was built in 1901 in the eclectic style. The facades have decorative elements, and neighboring houses adjoin the ends. The first floor is separated from the upper part by a profiled cornice. There is a crowning cornice along the perimeter of the building. The building is also crowned with pinnacles.

The façade, roof and entrances are currently being restored. The Moscow Capital Repairs Fund has developed an individual project for this building, which involves the use of modern domestic materials and technologies.

The work began with cleaning the facade, treating the wet areas with antifungal compounds and restoring the brickwork. Then the builders will return the walls to their original peach cream color. The sandriks and pilasters will be painted signal white.

The balconies will be put in order, the ebbs and slopes will be replaced. The entrances and basement will be repaired, a new external drainage system will be hung on the building. The walls and ceilings in the entrances will be painted and plastered, and the roof covering and lathing will be replaced on the roof. For a comfortable microclimate, mineral wool slabs will be installed, and all wooden structures will be treated with a fire-retardant composition. A new electrical network has already been laid in the building.

The work will be carried out in an 11-story residential building on Narodnogo Opolcheniya Street (building 54). It was built according to an individual project in 1968. Specialists are putting the facade, roof, and engineering systems in order.

The repair of the brick façade began with washing the exposed surfaces from accumulated dirt. Then the craftsmen restored the damaged areas of the brickwork and filled the weathered seams with a special compound. Wet areas were treated with antiseptic solutions. At the next stage, the walls will be covered with an invisible protective film that can withstand temperature changes.

The entrances and basement will be put in order, the slopes will be repaired and modern double-glazed windows will be installed in common areas. The roofing will be replaced on the roof of the building. The builders will also update the power supply system, water mains, central heating risers, cold and hot water supply.

This year, a panel building erected in Odoevskogo Passage (house 7, block 7) according to an individual project in 1996 will be put in order. Work in the 24-story building will be carried out using façade electric cradles. In order to minimize inconvenience for residents, the work was divided into several stages.

First, the builders thoroughly washed the panels and cleared the interpanel seams from the old filling. The next stage will involve treating wet areas and insulating the interpanel seams, after which it will be time for sealing. The facade will be painted in shades of “pale sienna”, “rust” and “signal white”.

At the final stage, the builders will replace the balcony screens and floor covering, install modern window units in common areas, repair the basement, and also install a new asphalt concrete blind area.

The Moscow City Services Complex noted that the regional housing stock capital repair program being implemented in the capital is in line with the goals and objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: A new building under the renovation program is being erected on Velozavodskaya Street

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

In the Danilovsky district in the south of the capital, construction of a house under the renovation program has begun. Its total area will exceed 15.5 thousand square meters. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.

The building is being erected at the address: Velozavodskaya Street, land plot No. 2, on the site of the vacated house 2, building 2.

“In the Danilovsky district, construction of a house has begun

renovation program for 176 apartments. It will fit into the existing development and infrastructure, providing future residents with a comfortable urban environment. Nearby are educational, medical institutions, shopping centers, metro stations “Dubrovka” and “Avtozavodskaya”, as well as the stations of the same name of the Moscow Central Circle. At present, the excavation of the pit and installation of sheet pile fencing are being completed at the site, and the foundation slab is being installed,” noted Vladislav Ovchinsky.

The building will have four elevators, two of which will connect the underground parking with the residential levels. The ground floor will house a spacious lobby, a concierge room and a stroller room, while the rooms with a separate entrance will be able to accommodate pharmacies, shops, cafes or other commercial facilities.

“In March

Mosgosstroynadzor issued a permit for the construction of a facility under the renovation program on a land plot of almost 0.4 hectares. The developer has already sent a notice to the committee about the start of work on the site, after which inspectors have drawn up a program of on-site inspections. During these events, the quality of work and materials will be assessed to meet the requirements of the design documentation and the architectural and urban planning solution,” added the chairman of the capital’s State Construction Supervision Committee Anton Slobodchikov.

Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin spoke about resettlement under the renovation program in Khoroshevo-Mnevniki.

The program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Sergei Sobyanin ordered to increase the pace of implementation of the renovation program intwice.

Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction volumes. High rates of housing construction correspond to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

Quickly find out the main news of the capital inofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden Applauds Committee Passage of FY26 National Defense Authorization Act
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Navy SEAL veteran Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) released the following statement after voting to pass the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of the House Armed Services Committee:

“Under the Biden administration, the world was a much more dangerous place due to sheer incompetence and mismanagement. The Department of Defense (DoD) had gone so far off mission it put our servicemembers, national security, allies, and every single American at grave risk.

“With President Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and Secretary Hegseth leading the DoD, we are restoring readiness and lethality in our Armed Forces. Passage of this year’s NDAA is a critical step to delivering on President Trump’s promise of delivering Peace through Strength and ensuring our servicemembers have every tool and resource they need to meet any challenge and defend our interests at home and abroad.”

Rep. Van Orden championed multiple provisions in the FY26 NDAA:
- Inclusion of the Strengthening Our Servicemembers with Milk Act, which requires milk be available at dining facilities on military installations.
- Inclusion of the TAP Promotion Act to provide veterans with information on Veteran Service Organizations who assist with the transition into civilian life and help navigate benefits available to servicemembers and their families.
- Dental care coverage under TRICARE for reservists.
- Codifying the DoD authority for joint task forces to support law enforcement agencies and other federal agencies conducting counterterrorism and counter transnational organized crime activities.
- Codifying and expanding the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) as a centralized database of servicemembers’ occupational and environmental exposure data.
- Prohibiting the use of DoD funds to promote or endorse CRT in military academies, servicemember training, or professional military education.
- Establishing formal contracting goals for DoD in contracting with small businesses owned and controlled by veterans.
- Requiring DoD to produce a briefing on the access levels and obstacles, and recommend improvements to ensure innovative companies can fully participate in national defense modernization.
Other priorities of Rep. Van Orden in the bill include:

Modernizing the Armed Forces:
- $10 million for robotic training targets to enhance National Guard lethality.
- $2.5 million for modernization and manufacturing of engines for traditional Collaborative Combat Aircraft platforms.
Enhancing Air Force Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (SRT) Capabilities:
- Requiring use of commercial data analytics to provide the Air Force with tactical SRT capability to the combatant commands.
- Requiring the Air Force to establish the SRT commercial data analytics program as a program of record.
Elevating Defense Technology:
- Creating a pilot program to accelerate development and procurement of innovative technology and equipment to enhance operational capabilities of Special Forces.
- Requiring briefing on enhancing operational lethality through AI-enabled unmanned systems.
Strengthening Cooperation Operations with Our Allies:
- Establishing an emerging technology cooperation program with Israel and other partner countries.
- Broadening the U.S.-Israel C-UAS cooperation to include unmanned systems in all domains and extends authority through 2028.
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MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sara Jacobs Votes Against NDAA Due to Lack of Constraints on Military’s Role in Domestic Law Enforcement
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)
July 15, 2025

Following the lack of meaningful reforms and constraints to the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act, Rep. Sara Jacobs voted against the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee.

Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Like so many Americans, I’m horrified and disturbed by President Trump’s abuse of the military to silence dissent, intimidate immigrant communities, and assist in domestic law enforcement. The military-civilian divide is a bedrock of our democracy, intended to protect civil rights and liberties and prevent the emergence of an authoritarian police state. In Los Angeles, we’ve already seen the military – at President Trump’s urging – use excessive force, commit questionable detentions, wield intimidation tactics, and violate people’s legal rights. This is only a glimpse of what could happen nationwide if President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act and turns U.S. troops on civilians. And our service members deserve better than to be used as political pawns in President Trump’s authoritarian games.

“The warning signs are here, and the American people are demanding that Congress do something. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee abdicated their responsibility to the Constitution and their constituents to rein in the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act. It’s wildly disappointing but sadly unsurprising that they would rather stay in President Trump’s good graces than stop the democratic backsliding that’s happening right before our eyes. While I’m proud of the provisions I secured to expand military access to child care, housing, and fertility services and ensure transparency and accountability of the Pentagon’s use of AI, I can’t in good conscience support a bill that fails to put guardrails on the use of our military in such unprecedented times.”

Rep. Sara Jacobs secured the following provisions in the FY26 NDAA:

Improving Military Child Care
- Extends the “Child Care in Your Home” (CCYH) pilot program that provides financial assistance to eligible military families, especially those with non-traditional work hours, large families, or children with special needs, for in-home child care.
- Urges the Secretary of Defense to create a grant program to cover up to 75% of the cost for eligible civilian child care providers to expand their infant and toddler child care capacity
- Establishes a pilot program to raise the military fee assistance provider cap for children 24 months or younger by 30% near installations that face high child care costs
Improving Access to Affordable Military Housing
- Studies how the Basic Allowance for Housing can properly represent densely populated, expensive cities and rural communities
- Excludes the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the calculation of gross household income of an eligible member of the Armed Forces, so it doesn’t hurt their access to the Basic Needs Allowance
- Requires Privatized Military Housing landlords to report on their insurance policies, including their costs, and the amount of money made through remedial payments to landlords.
Strengthening Access to Fertility Services
- Establishes TRICARE coverage of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, for all active duty service members and their dependents and creates parity between service member and Member of Congress fertility services
Helping Military Families Make Ends Meet
- Increases the Family Separation Allowance to a mandatory $400 to reflect the rising cost of living and burdens on military families
Upholding Human Rights, Enforcing Domestic and International Laws, and Preventing Conflict
- Requires a report from the Department of Defense on its implementation of the Global Fragility Act (GFA), planned funding levels, and challenges and lessons learned from GFA implementation
- Requires notification to Congress anytime the Department of Defense enters into a basing agreement with a foreign military that includes whether any unit of that military has committed gross human rights violations
- Authorizes full funding, consistent with FY25 levels, for institutional capacity building of partner militaries through the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) and for humanitarian support and demining through Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA)
- Requires JAGs to be stationed at all combatant commands to ensure military operations follow domestic and international laws
- Reinstates the requirement that Military JAGs be at the rank of 3-stars, making sure they have a seat at the table where critical strategic decisions are made
Ensuring AI Transparency and Accountability
- Studies how AI could be used to reduce civilian casualties
- Requires a report from the Department of Defense with support from the Department of Energy on any efforts to incorporate non-Department AI data centers onto Department of Defense land, its plans for doing so, and potential impacts and consequences
- Requires a report from the Department of Defense about the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s contract with xAI to ensure transparency and accountability
- Requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress within 30 days of issuing any waiver under DoD Directive 3000.09 on autonomous weapons systems. The notice must include the rationale, description of the system, and expected duration.
- Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, to brief Congress on how the Department ensures humans authorize each use of force in autonomous and semi-autonomous weapons systems. The briefing must outline current policies, identify gaps, and describe steps being taken to maintain human oversight.
- Requires a report from the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer on how AI-enabled decision aides are being integrated into non-lethal, daily DoD operations. The report must include use cases, lessons learned, and recommendations for scaling, training, and addressing ethical or cybersecurity issues, followed by a congressional briefing.
- Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, to assess how AI models are influencing national security policy decisions, including risks like automation bias and lack of transparency. Requires a report and briefing covering current efforts, gaps in responsible AI integration, oversight of waivers from key AI policies, and a plan to address identified issues, including potential follow-up studies.
- Establishes requirements for the Department of Defense to promote competition, data security, and responsible use of government data in contracts for AI, cloud computing, and data infrastructure. It also mandates public reporting on innovation and barriers in defense tech procurement and restricts the use of government data for training commercial AI without explicit authorization.
Advancing Improved and Accountable Procurement at DoD
- Opens up cloud and AI contracts to real competition and blocks vendors from training their commercial models on Pentagon-owned data without explicit permission.
- Gives Congress a faster warning when a weapons program busts its budget by cutting the Nunn-McCurdy notification window to 30?days and requiring DoD to consider canceling runaway projects.
- Requires every major weapons program to pinpoint parts that can shift to 3-D printing or other advanced manufacturing and deliver a plan to slash cost and lead time within two years.
- Stops the Pentagon from labeling purchases of more than 500 units a “prototype,” ensuring that large purchases receive full competition and oversight.
- Places significant “Other Transaction” projects under the same documentation and milestone reviews as traditional acquisition programs, shedding light on a growing loophole.
- Delivers the Pentagon’s first-ever “Right to?Repair” for major weapons systems. Contractors must hand over the parts, tools, and technical data DoD needs to fix its own gear—breaking decades-old vendor lock-ins, slashing sustainment costs, and speeding repairs that keep jets flying and ships sailing.
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MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor of London warns UK must not ‘pull up the drawbridge to international students’ in landmark speech
Source: Mayor of London
- Mayor shares new analysis of major economic benefits from international students in speech hosted by Imperial College London’s new Ghana hub
- City Hall projections put annual economic benefit of overseas students at UK universities around £55bn, with £12.5bn from those based in London
- Sadiq will warn that ministers who want to “pull up the drawbridge to international students” would “slow down growth and leave working people in Britain worse off” as he stresses economic benefits of attracting the best global talent to study, work and live here
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is urging the government not to make it harder for international students to study in the UK as he reveals new analysis showing they contribute £12.5bn to the capital and £55bn to the national economy every year.

The Mayor is in Ghana today (Wednesday 16 July) as part of his historic five-day trade mission to Africa, banging the drum for the capital as a place to invest and strengthening ties with countries across the continent. A major speech in Accra will see Sadiq make the case for welcoming students from around the world, and warn that proposals for a new levy on their university fees would be damaging to London and the UK’s economy.

The UK Government is currently considering a new levy on income that English universities generate from international students as part of its immigration whitepaper, which could not only put students off coming here from overseas but also create a substantial extra financial burden for already stretched universities. The Mayor’s speech today will warn that this levy would be “an act of immense economic self-harm”.

Today the Mayor will deliver a keynote speech on the power of education, innovation and entrepreneurship to Ghanaian students hosted at Imperial College London’s Accra hub. With five per cent of London’s higher education population coming from Africa [1], he will stress that London is open to global talent and make the positive case for international study.

Latest analysis by London Economics revealed a more than £10 billion rise in the economic contribution of international higher education students to the UK economy, from £31.3bn in 2018/19 to £41.9bn in 2021/22 – leading City Hall economists to project it could hit £55bn in the current academic year on the basis of historical trends [2].

London accounts for almost a quarter of this national impact, representing around £10bn in the latest data and projected to reach £12.5bn this year [3]. International students in the capital created an average net benefit of £1,040 per Londoner over the course of their studies, as beyond their university fees they contribute by spending in all sectors of the economy and bringing family or friends to visit [4].

This positive economic impact spreads across the UK, with international students making a £58m net contribution to the national economy per parliamentary constituency during their studies – providing an equivalent £560 benefit for each local resident [5]. They also bring a longer-term labour market value, as many stay here after their studies to work in key economic sectors from tech and AI to finance and creative industries.

Imperial is the first UK university with a permanent base solely focused on science, technology and innovation in Africa – building on the rapidly rising number of advancements and breakthroughs Imperial has made working with researchers in Ghana over recent years. Imperial Global Ghana serves as an academic hub to support high-impact collaboration in cutting-edge fields from medical diagnostics to urban health and AI to climate science.

As well as current students, the Mayor will meet recent graduates including Shirgade Laryea, a Ghanaian alumna of Imperial College London’s Business School who is now a rising star in the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce. Other alumni success stories include Affinity bank founder Tarek Mouganie, Liquify fintech platform COO Alberta Asafa-Asomoah and former Anglo Gold Ashanti CEO Sir Sam Jonah.

The Mayor is expected to say in his speech: “There are people at home who believe we should pull up the drawbridge to international students, or punish universities that choose to welcome people from around the world.

“Our new analysis shows international students bring in tens of billions for our economy each year over the course of their studies, including £12.5 billion in London alone. And when they graduate, they go on to make our city – and our country – a better place to be.”

The Mayor will add: “Closing our country to global talent would be an act of immense economic self-harm – one that would slow down growth and leave working people in Britain worse off than before. That’s why I’m calling on our Government not to make it harder for international students to study in the UK.

“On my watch, London will be as open as ever… but I think we must do more. We cannot simply wait for the world to come to London; we must bring London to the world.”

Imperial College London President, Professor Hugh Brady, said: “Imperial Global Ghana creates a bridge between London and Accra so you get a flow of ideas, talent and capital. The hub supports hundreds of entrepreneurs and scientists in West Africa, and enables talented students to further their studies in London.

“International students are an essential part of Imperial’s global community. They bring diverse perspectives, new ideas, and fresh approaches to tackling today’s most complex challenges. We are pleased that London and the UK remains a top destination and welcoming environment for international students.”

Imperial Global Ghana Associate Director, Clare Turner, said: “A truly global city – and its universities – thrive when people with different cultural, social and intellectual perspectives come together. At Imperial Global Ghana, our focus is on building long-term equitable research and education partnerships that both inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators, and work towards a greater understanding of complex global challenges – such as climate change, the energy transition, and access to quality healthcare.”

University of Ghana Vice Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said: “It is a great honour to welcome the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, to Ghana and to the University of Ghana. His presence underscores the growing importance of global partnerships in shaping the future of education and innovation; we look forward to deepening these ties as we empower the next generation of changemakers on the continent and beyond.

“We are especially proud of our collaboration with Imperial College London – one that continues to thrive through initiatives such as the Impact Hub and other areas such as digital diagnostics, innovation and entrepreneurship, public health, environmental sustainability, and vaccine manufacturing clearly stipulated in a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024. This innovative cooperation is hinged on our five strategic priorities: transformative student experience, impactful research, commitment to our faculty and staff, engagement and partnerships, as well as sustainable resource mobilisation and stewardship.”

London Higher CEO, Liz Hutchinson, said: “London’s universities are world-leading because they are international, with overseas students enriching not just the economy but also the learning experience and the vibrant, creative communities that the capital is famous for. International graduates are crucial to London’s talent pipeline, joining the many businesses based here or as entrepreneurs.

“This is a time when we should be strengthening our position as a hub for talented individuals from across the world. The government’s proposed levy on international students does the opposite. With our partners in the sector, in industry and in London, we stand ready to collaborate with Government and sector colleagues to find alternative solutions that enhance rather than damage London’s international competitiveness.”

Universities UK Chief Executive, Vivienne Stern, said: “The Mayor of London will see first-hand the global reach of UK universities and their contribution to the cutting-edge research tackling shared challenges. He is right to champion the power of education, and this new analysis once again highlights the economic value of international students to the UK.

“We are fortunate to be a destination of choice for students from all over the world; they contribute to our research landscape and our communities, as well as enabling UK students to benefit from diverse perspectives. We should be proud of this and work hard to make sure that international students feel welcome.”

Business LDN Chief Executive, John Dickie, said: “At a time when some of our rivals are closing their doors to international students, the UK should do all it can to reinforce its attractiveness to talented people from across the globe.

“London is the world’s best city to study, but the Government’s plans to introduce a new levy on the income generated by overseas students risks damaging our competitiveness. Ministers should scrap these plans to avoid damaging growth, exacerbating the higher education sector’s financial challenges and undermining our soft power.”

Over the course of five days Sadiq will visit four cities – Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Cape Town – to boost trade links with London and build on extensive connections with the capital’s growing African diaspora. The Mayor’s growth agency London & Partners will also host a trade delegation of 27 London-based companies that are looking to grow their businesses and access opportunities in this dynamic and important region of the world.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Votes to Pass National Defense Bill, Delivering Military Strength and Wins on NM Priorities
Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 15, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) – a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) – voted in favor of the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“It is vital that we ensure America’s armed forces have the training, equipment, and resources they need to carry out their missions,” said Vasquez. “This bipartisan bill includes my legislation to improve health care for our rural veterans, give our troops a pay raise, recognize New Mexico’s Downwinders, and add many additional provisions that support service members and their families across our state.”

The Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA includes $882.6 billion in defense spending, national security investments, and support for our military. This includes funding for research and development, a 3.8% pay increase for our troops, and investments to support service members and their families. The bill passed out of Committee by a vote of 55-2 and will now head to the House floor for consideration.

Included in the NDAA are Vasquez’s TRICARE Travel Improvement Act and Downwinder Commemoration Act, which ensure New Mexicans’ needs are met and interests are reflected through the nation’s defense investments.
- The TRICARE Travel Improvement Act helps military families serving in remote areas access health care by reducing the travel reimbursement threshold under TRICARE Prime from 100 miles to 50 miles for active-duty service members and their families. Currently, families stationed at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base who travel nearly 100 miles to El Paso for medical care are denied reimbursement due to being just under the threshold. This bill is a step toward fairness and affordability for New Mexico’s military families.
- The Downwinder Commemoration Act recognizes the harm endured by New Mexico’s Downwinders following the 1945 Trinity Test — the first nuclear detonation in U.S. history. It directs the Departments of Defense and Interior to place commemorative monuments in publicly accessible areas at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. Despite their exposure to radioactive fallout, Downwinder families were excluded from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) until Rep. Vasquez’s successful push to reauthorize and expand RECA to include New Mexico’s Downwinders. This bill helps deliver long-overdue recognition by permanently commemorating their suffering while preserving their legacy for future generations.
In addition to these two measures, Rep. Vasquez secured the following priorities in NDAA:

Infrastructure & Safety:
- White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Power Grid: $38.5 million for power generation and a microgrid at WSMR under the Energy Resiliency and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP)
- Kirtland Air Force Base Space HQ: $83 million for Space Rapid Capabilities Office Headquarters construction at Kirtland Air Force Base
- Holloman Air Force Base Test Track: Report language highlighting the importance of Holloman’s High Speed Test Track and requiring a report on the timeline for constructing a new parallel track
- Cannon Air Force Base Dorms: $90 million for dorms at Cannon Air Force Base
- PFAS Cleanup: Language protecting mandated annual reports on DOD PFAS contamination and cleanup efforts, to ensure states like New Mexico have continued visibility into PFAS contamination
- PFAS Technology: Report language requiring DOD to partner with universities like NMSU to develop cutting edge technology to detect and cleanup PFAS contaminants
Unexploded Ordinance:
- Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program: Report language holding DOD accountable for cleaning up unexploded ordinance (UXO) on Tribal lands like the Pueblo of Isleta
Rural Issues:
- Rural Housing: Report language requiring DOD to partner with local housing authorities in rural areas to address shortages of housing around remote and isolated installations like WSMR and Holloman Air Force Base
- Specialty Healthcare at Rural Bases: Report language highlighting the challenges service members and families face at rural installations when accessing specialty healthcare and requiring a report on ways the Department can improve specialty provider accessibility
- Holloman Air Force Base Childcare: Report language encouraging DOD to expand the in-home childcare pilot program to four rural installations, including Holloman Air Force Base
National Labs/DOE:
- Los Alamos: $1.55 billion for plutonium operations, including ensuring the capacity to produce 30 plutonium pits annually
Other Bill Highlights:
- Pay Raise: 3.8% pay raise for all service members
- Housing: $1.5 billion for new construction of dorms, barracks, housing, and child development centers
- Ukraine: $300 million for Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative
- Environment: $460 million for environmental cleanup and $684 for the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program
“As this critical legislation continues to make its way through the House, I will keep working to improve it,” Vasquez added. “To maintain U.S. military superiority, we cannot afford to politicize our policies for recruiting, developing, and retaining the best and brightest.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Press Administration on Conflicting Orders Fueling Uncertainty for Afghans Living in U.S.

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-04) and 73 of their colleagues in pressing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for answers on the Trump Administration’s inconsistent policies regarding the legal status of Afghan refugees living in the U.S. – many of whom played important roles in supporting American service members during the war in Afghanistan over two decades.

In the letter, the lawmakers point out that the justifications for the decisions to implement a large-scale travel ban, which applies to Afghanistan, and terminate Temporary Protected Status conflict with one another. The lawmakers ask Secretary Rubio how the State Department arrived at these determinations and whether it can guarantee that Afghans who may be forced to leave the U.S. will not face danger upon their return to their home country – should the termination of Afghanistan’s TPS designation be upheld.

The lawmakers quoted the determination that Secretary Rubio made upon consultation over the decision to include Afghanistan in the Administration’s travel ban proclamation, writing, “Specifically, the proclamation bans most entry into the United States from Afghanistan, stating the following as justification: ‘The Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, controls Afghanistan. Afghanistan lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.’”

The lawmakers’ concerns over the safety of Afghan nationals who may be forced to leave the U.S. stem from a recent State Department human rights report covering Afghanistan finding that the Taliban has increased restrictions on freedom of expression and significantly eroded women’s rights. Additionally, Afghanistan remains gripped by violence and instability; the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties.

“As you are aware, many Afghan allies that received TPS stood shoulder to shoulder with American servicemembers for nearly two decades during the war in Afghanistan. Many fled to the United States out of fear of persecution by the Taliban or retaliation for such cooperation with the United States. It is unsafe for political targets of the Taliban to be forced to return against their will. TPS protections must be maintained for Afghan nationals in the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.

Read the full letter here.

The first and only Latina senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported immigrant communities in Nevada, calling on both administrations to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. Last month, the Senator helped introduce the SECURE Act to provide qualified TPS and DED recipients a path to legal permanent residency. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 16, 2025
India offers help to restore Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Bangladesh

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Indian government has expressed regret over the reported demolition of the ancestral house of iconic filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, and has offered its support for its restoration.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.”

The ministry confirmed India’s willingness to work with Bangladesh to repair and reconstruct the site, which is presently owned by the Bangladesh government and reportedly in a state of disrepair.

Highlighting its cultural significance, India urged Bangladesh to reconsider any plans to demolish the building. “Given the building’s landmark status, symbolising the Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh,” the MEA added.

Satyajit Ray, born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921, is regarded as one of India’s most influential filmmakers. His acclaimed works include The Apu Trilogy, Pather Panchali, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Ray was also an accomplished screenwriter, essayist, illustrator, magazine editor, and composer.

Throughout his illustrious career, he received numerous accolades, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, international honours at major film festivals, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. That same year, he was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

(ANI)

July 16, 2025
‘Severance,’ ‘The Penguin’ lead nominations for TV’s Emmy awards

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Psychological thriller “Severance” from Apple TV+ and HBO’s crime drama “The Penguin” stacked up the most nominations for Emmy Awards on Tuesday, outpacing “The Studio” and “The White Lotus” in the contest for television’s highest honors.

“Severance” received a leading 27 nominations and was nominated for the top prize of best drama alongside Star Wars series “Andor,” “The Pitt,” “The White Lotus” and others.

“The Penguin,” set in the DC Comics universe and starring Colin Farrell, earned 24 nominations and will compete for best limited series against Netflix NFLX.O hit “Adolescence,” among others.

Hollywood satire “The Studio,” an Apple TV+ show featuring Seth Rogen as a nervous film executive, and HBO’s “The White Lotus,” about murder and misdeeds at a luxury resort in Thailand, received 23 each.

“What the heck?!! We never thought this would happen,” Rogen said in a statement.

Comedy nominees included defending champion “Hacks,” previous winner “The Bear,” “Nobody Wants This” and “Abbott Elementary.”

The 23 nominations for “The Studio” tied the record for a comedy in a single season, set last year by Chicago restaurant tale “The Bear.”

Winners of the Emmys will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony held in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS PARA.O on September 14. Comedian Nate Bargatze will host.

The television industry is undergoing a contraction as media companies curtail the sky-high spending they shelled out to compete in the shift to streaming platforms led by Netflix.

Longtime Emmy favorite HBO and the HBO Max streaming service topped all programmers with 142 nominations, a record for the network.

Walt Disney DIS.N collected 137 nominations, including six for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” one of the few broadcast shows in the Emmy mix. “Andor,” on Disney+, received 14.

Netflix garnered 120 nods and Apple scored 81, its highest total since launching its streaming service in 2019.

“Severance” tells the story of office workers who undergo a procedure to make them forget their home life at work, and vice versa.

“It’s distinctive in every way – in terms of its storytelling, in terms of style, in terms of its directing, its tone,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+.

Star Adam Scott, a best actor nominee, said the cast had been unsure of how viewers would respond.

“The fact that it’s resonated at all has been just such an incredible feeling,” Scott said. “We thought it was something that might be too weird.”

WYLE, FORD IN THE RUNNING

Noah Wyle received his first Emmy nomination since 1999 for his role as an emergency room doctor on “The Pitt.” Wyle was nominated five times for “ER” but never won.

“I’m humbled and grateful,” Wyle said of the recognition for “The Pitt,” which received 13 total nominations.

Harrison Ford, 83, earned his first Emmy nod, for playing a grumpy therapist on “Shrinking.”

Ron Howard, the former “Happy Days” star turned Oscar-winning director, also landed his first acting nomination, a guest actor nod for playing himself on “The Studio.”

“Who says nice guys finish last?!” Howard wrote on Instagram.

He will compete with fellow director Martin Scorsese, another guest star on “The Studio.”

Other notable acting nominees included Farrell and Cristin Milioti for “The Penguin,” “The Bear” actors Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, Kathy Bates for “Matlock,” “Hacks” stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, and Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey for “The Last of Us.”

Eight “White Lotus” actors were recognized.

“This is a bunch of cherries on the icing on the cake that was the gift of playing such a tortured and lonely human,” said Jason Isaacs, who portrayed a suicidal father facing financial ruin on the show.

Beyonce also made the Emmys list. Her halftime performance during a National Football League game on Netflix was nominated for best live variety special.

Missing from the field was Netflix’s popular Korean drama, “Squid Game,” while the final season of previous drama winner “The Handmaid’s Tale” received just one nod.

Winners will be chosen by the roughly 26,000 performers, directors, producers and other members of the Television Academy.

(Reuters)

July 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has extended the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) starting from mid-2022 and gradually installed smart recycling bins and gift redemption units in some Recycling Stations and Recycling Stores since the end of that year. Starting from March 2023, smart recycling bins have also been progressively set up in housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities, government venues, etc. The number of application points under the Pilot Programme has been increased from four locations in the initial phase to more than 800 locations at present. In addition, smart recycling bins support 24-hour operation and are equipped with sensors to enable recyclables collection service contractors (the contractors) to monitor the overflowing of recycling bins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that some members of the public have relayed that they find from time to time that the smart recycling bins are overflowing, and despite their complaints, the follow-up actions taken by the authorities concerned have been slow, and they are often forced to take the recyclable items back home and thus reducing their incentives for recycling, of the respective numbers of such complaints received, number of cases with follow-up actions completed and average time taken to handle a complaint by the EPD in each month since March 2023;

(2) whether the authorities have put in place a regular monitoring mechanism to assess and review the contractors’ handling of complaints about the overflowing of smart recycling bins as well as their general service performance, and require the contractors to make improvements within a specified period of time; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) with the gradual increase in the number of smart recycling bins application points under the Pilot Programme, whether the authorities will allocate additional resources at the same time to step up inspections and random checks, thereby ensuring that the smart recycling systems can serve their functions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) launched the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) in the fourth quarter of 2020, to test different smart recycling devices in phases, including smart recycling bins, smart balances and gift redemption units. As at end-June 2025, in addition to installing smart balances at all GREEN@COMMUNITY recycling facilities, the Pilot Programme has installed 159 sets of smart recycling bins at different locations across Hong Kong for testing, including GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities, public rental housing estates, private housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities and government venues, for providing self-service recycling.

     The reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok is as follows:

(1) The property management companies or cleaning companies of the premises concerned are responsible for the clearance of the smart recycling bins set up at respective locations, as well as arranging recyclers for collection and recycling of recyclables.

Smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue. When a bin reaches its full capacity, the system will remind the property management company and/or cleaning contractor again for immediate action. Property management companies usually clear the collected recyclables regularly or shortly after receiving alert messages. The EPD also monitors the situation through the big data platform for timely follow-up actions. Data shows that the time which smart recycling bins was temporarily suspended due to overfilled bins accounts for about 7 per cent of the overall operating time of smart recycling bins. In addition, most premises with smart recycling bins are equipped with conventional recycling bins at the same time, which allow the public to place recyclables in these bins when the smart recycling bins are full.

From March 2023 to end-June 2025, the number of complaints received by the EPD regarding overfilled smart recycling bins are provided in the table below. Upon receipt of each complaint, the EPD would follow up immediately and request the concerned property management company or cleaning contractor to empty the smart recycling bin and resume its functions as soon as possible. The EPD will continue to monitor the operation of smart recycling bins at all locations, and liaise with the concerned property management companies as needed for timely adjustments to the arrangements for clearance of recyclables.

Month	No. of complaint cases on overfilled smart recycling bins
Month	2023	2024	2025
January	N/A	7	3
February	N/A	1	1
March	0	0	0
April	1	2	2
May	0	0	4
June	0	1	2
July	0	3	N/A
August	4	1
September	2	4
October	3	2
November	2	1
December	3	0
Total	15	22	12

(2) As mentioned above, smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue, who should arrange clearance as soon as possible upon receiving the message. We will review the arrangements for clearance of smart recycling bins and explore ways to further enhance clearance efficiency. In addition, we are arranging to test the addition of a compression function in smart recycling bins to enhance the recycling capacity so as to reduce the frequency of clearance required and further reduce the downtime of the bins due to being full, thereby improving the service quality.

(3) The EPD’s service contracts require the contractors of smart recycling bins to provide operational monitoring data and arrange staff to conduct regular inspections to ensure proper operation of the devices. The EPD will also continue to monitor the usage of smart recycling bins and conduct inspections and spot checks from time to time to ensure that the contractors’ services meet the contract requirements. We will review the contract requirements and strengthen the performance indicators on maintenance services in the new contracts to enhance efficiency. With the increase in the number of application points, the EPD will deploy resources to step up inspections based on the actual situation, so that the entire smart recycling system can operate at its optimal level.

On the other hand, to further enhance the operation and services of smart recycling devices, the EPD is actively preparing for introducing a new feature on displaying the real-time recycling status of smart recycling bins in the GREEN$ mobile app and the Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website, with a view to facilitating the public to plan for their recycling activities. This new feature is expected to be launched by the end of 2025.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 16, 2025

AIDS program funding preserved ahead of US Senate vote on Trump cuts

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The U.S. Senate late on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump’s request to slash billions in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting previously approved by Congress, the latest test of Trump’s control over his fellow Republicans.

However, PEPFAR, a global program to fight HIV/AIDS launched in 2003 by then-Republican President George W. Bush, is being exempted after objections from lawmakers in both parties, bringing the size of the package of cuts to $9 billion from $9.4 billion.

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters after lunch with Republican senators that Trump could accept a change in the measure to exempt PEPFAR.

“There is a substitute amendment that does not include the PEPFAR rescission and we’re fine with that,” Vought said.

In initial votes on Tuesday, Republicans narrowly fended off solid Democratic opposition and cleared the bill over two procedural hurdles. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break a 50-50 tie in each of those tallies.

Further votes were expected this week.

Congress has until Friday to pass the rescissions package, originally a request to claw back $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. Otherwise, the request would expire and the White House will be required to adhere to spending plans passed by Congress.

Three of the Senate’s 53 Republicans voted against moving the legislation closer to passage – Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine.

“You don’t need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska moderate, said in a Senate speech.

She said the Trump administration also had not provided assurances that battles against diseases such as malaria and polio worldwide would be maintained, along with programs including family planning and pandemic prevention. But most of all, Murkowski said, Congress must assert its role in deciding how federal funds were spent.

If the Senate passes the bill without the PEPFAR cuts, the measure must go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, a Republican, said he expected the House would act quickly to pass the measure.

The amounts at stake are extremely small in the context of the sprawling federal budget, which totaled $6.8 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30. Yet the proposed cuts have raised the hackles of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who saw an attempt to erode Congress’s constitutionally mandated authority over spending.

They also represent only a tiny portion of all of the funds approved by Congress that the Trump administration has held up as it has pursued sweeping cuts to the federal government, including slashing thousands of jobs.

As of mid-June, Trump was blocking $425 billion in such funds, according to Democratic lawmakers tracking frozen funding.

LIFESAVING PROGRAMS

The foreign aid initiatives in Trump’s request for cuts included lifesaving support for women and children’s health and the fight against HIV/AIDS that have long had strong bipartisan support. PEPFAR is credited with saving 26 million lives.

The package also cuts funds supporting public broadcasting, which can be the main source of news and emergency information in rural parts of the U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, was concerned about funding cuts to Native American radio stations, but said on Tuesday he would support the rescissions package after the administration promised to fund some tribal broadcasters separately.

Democrats also have said the U.S. withdrawal of “soft power” efforts from the international stage, such as limited emergency assistance after an earthquake in Myanmar, strengthens global adversaries like Russia and China.

“It still leaves an enormous vacuum that China and Russia will fill,” Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chamber’s Democratic leader, said.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, had said she opposed Trump’s request to cut the PEPFAR funding. After the lunch meeting with Vought, she said she still wanted detailed information about the proposals.

FUNDING POWER

Standalone presidential rescissions packages have not passed in years, with lawmakers reluctant to cede their constitutionally mandated control of government spending. During Trump’s first term in 2018, Congress members rejected Trump’s request to revoke $15 billion in spending.

Trump’s Republicans hold narrow majorities in the Senate and House. So far, they have shown little appetite for opposing his policies.

The rescissions legislation passed the House by 214-212 last month. Four Republicans joined 208 Democrats in voting against it.

These cuts would overturn bipartisan spending agreements most recently passed in a full-year stopgap funding bill in March. Democrats warn a partisan cut now could make it more difficult to negotiate government funding bills that must pass by September 30 to avoid a shutdown.

Appropriations bills require 60 votes to move ahead in the Senate, but the rescissions package needs just 51, meaning Republicans can pass it without Democratic support.

“We’re going to have to work our way through that issue,” Rounds said on Tuesday, adding he felt confident Trump’s budget office would follow funding guidelines to redirect dollars to tribal media stations.

[REUTERS]

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Mobile applications to assist with travel for persons with disabilities

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

     Regarding mobile applications to assist with travel for persons with disabilities (PWDs), will the Government inform this Council:

(1) which funded projects under the current government funding schemes for software and application development are related to assistance with barrier-free travel for PWDs (set out in a table);

(2) of the Government’s plans (e.g. provision of funding support) in place to integrate, enhance and link up existing mobile applications that assist with barrier-free travel for PWDs, so as to optimise the use of resources and enable such applications to more effectively serve PWDs; and

(3) given that since 2020 the Lands Department has been developing a set of 3D Digital Map with functions including provision of barrier-‍free route planning for people with different commuting needs, how the Government promotes the best use of such digital map among the public and private sectors and identifies access points in need of improvement, so as to lay down a foundation for future improvement and update of the relevant software and hardware (e.g. the relevant mobile applications and barrier-free facilities)?

Reply:

President,

     The Government is committed to providing appropriate support and assistance to persons with disabilities in need so as to facilitate their travel and help them fully integrate into the community. Having consulted the relevant bureaux, I set out below a consolidated reply to the Member’s question –

(1) Both the Smart Traffic Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund set up by the Government have provided funding for projects that assist barrier-free travel for persons with disabilities. Information on the relevant projects is at Annexes 1 and 2 respectively.

(2) Regarding the mobile applications developed by the Government, the Digital Policy Office has promulgated the “Practice Guide for Developing Mobile Apps”, requiring bureaux/departments (B/Ds) to conduct regular reviews after launching mobile applications, and to update and consolidate existing mobile applications in a cost-effective manner.

     For instance, in 2016, the Lands Department (LandsD) launched a mobile application “VoiceMapHK”, which is specifically designed for the visually impaired, providing audio output that reads out information about nearby locations on the map. The visually impaired can also make use of the voice function of their mobile phones to issue commands, and the application will respond by reading out the corresponding results. To optimise the use of resources, the LandsD plans to integrate the functionalities of the “VoiceMapHK” into the GeoInfo Map, another map application under its management. With the launch of the “iAM Smart” mini-program platform later this year, all B/Ds must consider to prioritise migrating their mobile applications or integrating the core functions into the “iAM Smart” platform, so that members of the public can easily access the required application services without the need to download additional applications, thereby enhancing the consolidation of Government mobile applications.

     In addition, in 2021, the Development Bureau (DEVB), with the support of various non-governmental organisations, the MTR Corporation Limited and some iconic shopping malls in Kowloon East, developed a “Smart Navigation Tool for The Visually Impaired/People in Need” Proof-of-Concept, providing barrier-free navigation experience. This tool utilises indoor maps to provide indoor and outdoor seamless navigation, which helps users easily navigate and interact with the environment, and increases their independence and mobility. In January 2023, this tool was incorporated into the “MyKE” mobile application as the “Walking Assistant” function. The DEVB will continue to explore scaling up this Proof-of-Concept to cover more areas, so as to enable those in need to commute more freely.

     In response to the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission on enhancing the overall accessibility of Hong Kong, the Transport Department has also enhanced the function of accessible route option of the mobile application HKeMobility since April 2024 by expanding the accessible route option from walking mode to public transport mode. When members of the public choose to travel by public transport, the HKeMobility can plan routes with visual aids or mobility aids to enable the public to identify barrier-free accesses (such as locations of lifts, ramps and footbridges) along the way to transport stations, so that persons with disabilities can plan their journeys more efficiently and travel on their own.

     In addition, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has been actively pursuing web accessibility design over the years. The HKO’s in-house developed mobile application “MyObservatory” has already incorporated guidelines on accessibility features and functions, including screen reader compatibility, alternative texts for images and selectable font size, so as to facilitate all sectors of the community (including persons with disabilities) to browse the “MyObservatory” to get the latest weather conditions before traveling. The HKO will continue to incorporate accessibility features and functions in the mobile application, providing enhanced weather services.

(3) The LandsD and the Spatial Data Office (SDO) of the DEVB have been promoting the application of 3D Digital Map to public and private organisations through various channels (such as public talks and workshops), to highlight the development opportunities it brings. As a key component of the 3D Digital Map, the 3D Pedestrian Network provides a wealth of useful information, such as road names, gradient and length of road sections, distribution of en-route obstacles and opening hours of public lifts, as well as wheelchair accessibility data at entrance to government facilities and public lifts. This enables barrier-free route planning for people with different commuting needs. The LandsD and the SDO of the DEVB will continue to engage with various stakeholders (including social welfare organisations and groups serving persons with disabilities), communicate with relevant public and private organisations based on stakeholder needs, promote cross-agency information exchange and collaboration, and jointly optimise the 3D Pedestrian Network to enhance the convenience of public mobility.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Preventing child abuse

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

     It has been reported that Hong Kong has recently witnessed a series of shocking cases of child abuse, including a recent incident where a deliveryman repeatedly abused his biological daughter, leading to her death. The defendant was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, and he was sentenced to imprisonment of six years and five months for his child abuse offence. There are views that as the current maximum penalty of child abuse is only ten years, it fails to fully reflect its severity and effectively prevent child abuse from taking place, and, given that Hong Kong has seen cases of child abuse resulting in death in the past, it is imperative for the authorities to significantly increase the maximum penalty for child abuse offence, so as to enhance deterrence and protect children. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the following information regarding child abuse cases successfully prosecuted by the authorities last year: (i) number of cases, (ii) date of prosecution, (iii) date of sentence, (iv) whether the perpetrator was a direct relative of the victim, (v) whether the abuse resulted in the death of or grievous bodily harm to the child, and (vi) term of imprisonment in cases where imprisonment was imposed; and

(2) whether it has plans to review relevant legislation to increase the maximum penalty for child abuse offence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy to protect children from harm or abuse. Apart from identifying and intervening in child abuse cases at an early stage to protect children, the Government also supports families at risk of child abuse to prevent child abuse at source. The consolidated reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with Security Bureau, is as follows:

     At present, there are many pieces of legislation in place that protect children from harm and abuse, including the Offences against the Person Ordinance (Cap. 212), the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), the Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance (Cap. 579) and the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213).

     Section 26 of the Offences against the Person Ordinance (Cap. 212) provides that any person who unlawfully abandons or exposes a child under the age of 2 years, whereby the life of such child is endangered, or the health of such child is or is likely to be permanently injured, shall be guilty of an offence; and section 27 provides that any person over the age of 16 years who wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons or exposes any child or young person under the age of 16 years under the person’s custody, charge or care in a manner likely to cause such child or young person unnecessary suffering or injury to his health shall be guilty of an offence. Among the cases concluded in 2024, the number of persons prosecuted and convicted under the two above-mentioned provisions, as well as the sentences for the persons convicted are at Annex. The Security Bureau does not maintain information about the relationship between the defendant and the victim, and the statistics of the death or severe bodily harm caused in the aforementioned cases.

     The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) will come into effect in January 2026. To strengthen early identification and intervention of child abuse cases, the Ordinance mandates specified professionals in the social welfare sector, education sector and healthcare sector to report serious child abuse cases, thereby creating a wide and effective protection web for children and sending a strong deterrent to potential perpetrators that their abuse behaviours will easily be exposed. To tie in with the commencement of the Ordinance, the Government launched the Child Protection Campaign in January this year to enhance the mandated reporters and the general public’s understanding of the Ordinance and raise their awareness of child protection. In addition, to strengthen prevention of child abuse from source, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) will convert four Children and Youth Centres into Community Parents and Children Centres on a pilot basis to promote parent-child interaction through play-based services and instil positive parenting skills in parents, render support for families with parenting needs, and refer families with other needs to appropriate government and community services. Through home visits and referrals from healthcare or welfare service units, the SWD will approach families of socio-economic deprivation and provide them with further support via in-depth casework and group work, including therapeutic counselling and systematic and tailor-made group programmes.

     The implementation of the mandatory reporting regime and the setting up of Community Parents and Children Centres mark an important milestone in child protection. The Government will continue to ensure that the various support measures are properly put in place, and will monitor the effectiveness of the above measures after their implementation to consider how to further enhance child protection work, including the need to increase the maximum penalties for child abuse offences.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Solidifies U.S. Position as Leader in AI

US Senate News:

Source: US Whitehouse
President Donald J. Trump is making America the undisputed world leader in artificial intelligence — and today marked a massive leap forward with the announcement of over $90 billion in groundbreaking AI and energy investments in Pennsylvania.
Joined by leaders of the nation’s premier tech and energy giants, administration officials, and lawmakers, President Trump showcased the investments this afternoon at the first-ever Energy and Innovation Summit — underscoring the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to innovation, job creation, and American dominance.
The announcement covered tens of billions of dollars in AI and energy investment, including Google’s $25 billion investment in data centers and infrastructure, Blackstone’s $25 billion investment in data centers and natural gas plants, and CoreWeave’s $6 billion investment in data center expansion.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Solidifies U.S. Position as Leader in AI

US Senate News:

Source: US Whitehouse
President Donald J. Trump is making America the undisputed world leader in artificial intelligence — and today marked a massive leap forward with the announcement of over $90 billion in groundbreaking AI and energy investments in Pennsylvania.
Joined by leaders of the nation’s premier tech and energy giants, administration officials, and lawmakers, President Trump showcased the investments this afternoon at the first-ever Energy and Innovation Summit — underscoring the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to innovation, job creation, and American dominance.
The announcement covered tens of billions of dollars in AI and energy investment, including Google’s $25 billion investment in data centers and infrastructure, Blackstone’s $25 billion investment in data centers and natural gas plants, and CoreWeave’s $6 billion investment in data center expansion.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi meets heads of foreign delegations attending SCO council of foreign ministers meeting 2025-07-16 09:56:13 Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met in Beijing with foreign ministers and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) who are in China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SCO Member States.

Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with foreign ministers and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) who are in China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SCO Member States at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met in Beijing with foreign ministers and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) who are in China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SCO Member States.

He noted that over the past 24 years since its founding, the SCO has always upheld the Shanghai Spirit, grown into a mature and robust organization, and demonstrated strong vitality.

China has always prioritized the SCO in its neighborhood diplomacy, and is committed to making the organization more substantive and stronger, safeguarding regional security and stability, promoting the development and prosperity of member states and building a closer community with a shared future, Xi said.

He added that since China assumed the rotating presidency last July, it has actively carried out activities and advanced cooperation, with all parties taking solid steps to jointly build a better home for the SCO.

With the SCO Summit set to take place this year in China’s Tianjin, Xi expressed his hope to meet the leaders of other member states at the event to discuss the future development of the SCO.

He stressed that in the face of a turbulent and changing international landscape, the SCO must stay focused, remain confident, act efficiently and play a more proactive role in injecting greater stability and positive energy into the world.

Xi called on the SCO to take trust and mutual benefit as the foundation of cooperation, equality and consultation as the way of engagement, respect for diverse civilizations as a means to promote harmony and inclusiveness, and common development as a path toward shared prosperity, to ensure that the Shanghai Spirit continues to light the way in building an SCO community with a shared future.

The organization should respond to the people’s aspirations and be doers in deepening cooperation, Xi said, calling for improving mechanisms to address security threats and challenges, better alignment of member states’ development strategies with cooperation initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, and facilitating personnel exchanges and people-to-people ties.

Xi also called for joint efforts to firmly oppose hegemony, power politics, and bullying in order to promote a more equal and balanced multipolar world. He emphasized the need for extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits to advance a more inclusive and universally beneficial economic globalization.

The SCO should unite and lead the Global South in building a more just and equitable global governance system, pooling immense strength for the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.

Wang Yi, as the chair of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Member States, reported on the progress made in various aspects of work since China assumed the rotating presidency, as well as the preparations for the SCO Summit in Tianjin.

On behalf of the foreign delegations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that through its steadfast commitment to the Shanghai Spirit, the SCO has achieved notable cooperation outcomes and gained increasing international appeal.

Practice has proven that the Shanghai Spirit, which is characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development, aligns with member states’ shared interests and demonstrates robust vitality, he added.

Lavrov said that since China assumed the SCO rotating presidency, it has hosted numerous events driving the organization’s new progress.

Facing a complex global landscape, the SCO should uphold multilateralism and promote the international order toward greater justice and equity, said Lavrov, adding that all parties stand ready to support China’s work as chair, forge greater consensus, and ensure the success of the upcoming SCO Summit in Tianjin.

MIL OSI China News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: ExxonMobil’s landmark chemical complex begins operation in China

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

This undated aerial file photo shows a view of ExxonMobil’s chemical complex in Huizhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Energy giant ExxonMobil on Tuesday began operation of its landmark chemical complex in southern China, the country’s first major petrochemical project wholly owned by a U.S. company.

The move highlights ExxonMobil’s confidence in the world’s second-largest economy and comes amid China’s ongoing efforts to promote high-standard opening up and attract foreign investment.

Located in the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Park in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, the first phase of the project consists of a flexible feedstock steam cracker with an annual capacity of 1.6 million tonnes of ethylene, a key building block for plastics and fibers used in a wide range of products like packaging.

The site also houses production units for high-performance polyethylene and polypropylene.

Hailing the establishment of this complex as “the latest chapter” in the long story of ExxonMobil’s presence in China, the company’s senior vice president Jack Williams said at the launch ceremony that the project will serve as an anchor for Guangdong to develop a robust petrochemical industry.

Construction of the Huizhou complex began in April 2020 and involves two phases. Remarkably, the project progressed from negotiations to groundbreaking in just 18 months, a process that typically takes five years.

Li Xingjun, chairman of ExxonMobil (Huizhou) Chemical Co., Ltd., attributed this rapid progress to Guangdong’s pro-business environment, calling the province “one of the world’s leading manufacturing hubs, with a strong industrial base, comprehensive supply chains, and a high degree of market openness.”

“The easing of foreign investment restrictions and institutional innovation have created a more transparent, fair and predictable investment environment, which has strengthened our confidence in the Chinese market,” he said.

Huizhou, a coastal city in southern China, is home to a cluster of major petrochemical companies, including Shell, BASF and Clariant. Within this ecosystem, the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Park has become one of China’s leading refining and chemical production centers, with an annual oil refining capacity of 22 million tonnes and ethylene production capacity of 3.8 million tonnes.

ExxonMobil’s chemical complex is expected to boost China’s ethylene production capacity and elevate the technological standards of its petrochemical sector, supporting key industries such as electronic chemicals, fine chemicals and biomedicine, said Ji Hongbing, vice president of the Guangdong Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association.

The launch comes amid China’s ongoing efforts to improve access for foreign investors. The country has twice reduced its negative list for foreign investment since 2021. All restrictions on foreign access to the manufacturing sector have been lifted, and further liberalization has occurred in agriculture and services. Pilot initiatives in healthcare and value-added telecommunications have opened new opportunities for foreign businesses.

ExxonMobil is among a number of multinational firms investing in China, where GDP grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2025.

Earlier this year, Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced a 2.04 billion yuan (about 285 million U.S. dollars) investment in a new biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, while German chemical company BASF also committed 500 million yuan to expand its Cellasto plant in the city.

In the first five months of 2025, 24,018 new foreign-invested enterprises were established on the Chinese mainland, up 10.4 percent year on year.

MIL OSI China News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Macao’s historic center marks 20 years as living world heritage

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

China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Tuesday began a series of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the Historic Center of Macao being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Designated on July 15, 2005, at the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Durban, South Africa, the district embodies over four centuries of maritime history and cultural fusion.

CHRONICLE OF CULTURAL BLEND

From the Guia Fortress to the A-Ma Temple, the Historic Center of Macao spans 22 landmarks and eight plazas — an enduring tapestry of East-West exchange.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s vividly represent the heart of the legacy. Erected in the early 1600s, the monument resembles a traditional Chinese “Paifang” while bearing Western motifs.

“You can see the blend of East and West,” said Ung Vai Meng, guest professor at the Macao University of Science and Technology. “The way grey bricks are embedded in rammed earth walls reflects Chinese craftsmanship merged with European structural ideas,” he told Xinhua.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s was originally part of St. Paul’s College, which at that time drew inspiration from European universities and trained scholars to carry the Chinese language and philosophy to Europe, while introducing Western science and culture to China.

“It was a two-way bridge of enlightenment,” noted Wu Zhiliang, president of the Macao Federation of Cultural Circles. Their influence went beyond theology — it reached education and cultural identity, he added.

Another pillar of the historic center is the former residence of Qing Dynasty reformist Zheng Guanying, known as the Mandarin’s House. Nestled in the southwest of the old town, it remains Macao’s largest traditional residential compound. “Here, we feel Lingnan culture firsthand,” Ung said. “Oyster-shell windows speak to southern Chinese traditions, while Western columns and decorative carvings hint at global influence.”

Within those walls, Zheng penned Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity, an urgent call for political and economic reform at that time. “He shifted from a traditional gentry to an advocate of modernization at this place,” Wu said, noting that “his thinking profoundly influenced a generation.”

REVITALIZING HISTORIC TREASURE

Built in the 1800s and opened to the public in 1958, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library houses over 20,000 classical volumes. Towering ancient trees and the rockery fountain complement each other, cloaking this historic building in a veil of nature. Tang Mei Lin, chief of the department of public library management, Macao SAR government’s cultural affairs bureau (IC), told Xinhua that the library is not only a place for reading and studying, but also a popular spot where many locals come to unwind.

“We offer unique activities, such as a one-day librarian experience and hands-on workshops in ancient book restoration,” Tang said, noting that it’s a great example of successful revitalization.

In 2022, the Macao World Heritage Monitoring Center was established, equipping the city with over 170 environmental sensors. “Our teams can conduct real-time checks using mobile apps and analyze data through a centralized platform,” said Ho Cheok Fong, an official of the department of cultural heritage under the IC.

Revitalization has become a hallmark of Macao’s heritage approach. Events like the 2025 Macao International Parade in March — launched from the Ruins of St. Paul’s — transformed the old streets into vibrant stages. With performers from 15 countries and regions joining local troupes, the event animated cultural dialogues.

“The parade is more than a spectacle,” said Leong Wai Man, head of the IC, adding that “it creates real connections between local, national, and global cultures.”

“It’s nice to see a city keeping its old culture and old buildings alive,” Dale Page, a tourist from the United Kingdom, told Xinhua at the Mandarin’s House. Another visitor from the Chinese mainland, Xiao Hui, reflected: “This architectural legacy isn’t just Macao’s treasure but a gift to world heritage.”

Data showed that as of 11 a.m. on July 8, the number of visitor arrivals in Macao this year has surpassed 20 million — 26 days earlier than last year. The Macao SAR government’s tourism office said that with the summer holiday underway, a variety of events and performances will be held to attract more visitors.

MIL OSI China News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 16, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 16, 2025.

How a drone delivering medicine might just save your life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland Flystock/Shutterstock Drones can deliver pizza, and maybe one day your online shopping. So why not use them to deliver urgent medicines or other emergency health-care supplies? Trials in Australia and internationally have shown

Why it’s important young, unemployed Australians get a good job instead of just ‘any’ job
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Churchill, ARC Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Sociology, The University of Melbourne Lightfield Studios/Shutterstock We often hear young people need to get a job – any job – but what if the problem isn’t whether they’re working or not, but the kind of job

Why do some autistic people walk differently?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Rinehart, Nicole Rinehart, Professor, Clinical Psychology, Director of the Neurodevelopment Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people’s brains develop and function, impacting behaviour, communication and socialising. It can also involve

How to approach going to the cinema like a philosopher
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alain Guillemain, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, Deakin University Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and values. One “does philosophy” when they respond to such questions in ways that engage critical thought and inquiry. Many of us will often respond philosophically to the world

Australia’s census is getting a stress test – keeping it going is good for everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University GoldPanter/Shutterstock The Australian Bureau of Statistics will roll out a large-scale census test next month. About 60,000 households will take part across the country to stress test the bureau’s collection processes and IT systems, ahead

How safe are the chemicals in sunscreen? A pharmacology expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide aquaArts studio/Getty Last week, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released its safety review of seven active ingredients commonly used in sunscreens. It found five were low-risk and appropriate for use in sunscreens at their current concentrations. However, the

Control fire and ferals in Australia’s tropical savannas to bring the small mammals back
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Research Adjunct in Conservation Ecology, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Alyson Stobo-Wilson In remote central Arnhem Land, finding a northern brushtail possum is encouraging for the local Indigenous rangers. Though once common, such small native mammals are now rare. Many

Florida is fronting the $450M cost of Alligator Alcatraz – a legal scholar explains what we still don’t know about the detainees
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Schlakman, Senior Program Director, The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads a tour of the new Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility for President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

As house prices drop, will the retirement nest egg still be such a safe bet?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Dale, Research Fellow, the Pensions and Intergenerational Equity (PIE) research hub, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau MonthiraYodtiwong/Getty Images Changes to KiwiSaver, global economic uncertainty and predictions house prices could drop by as much as 20% by 2030 all mean retirement is looking very different to

Fiji govt offers NZ$1.5m settlement to former anti-corruption head for ruined career
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior reporter The Fiji government looks set to pay around NZ$1.5 million in damages to the disgraced former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency FICAC. The state is offering Barbara Malimali an out-of-court settlement after her lawyer lodged a judicial review of her sacking in the High Court in Suva.

Federal Court rules Australian government doesn’t have a duty of care to protect Torres Strait Islanders from climate change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Hicks, Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne Australian Climate Case The Federal Court has handed down its long-awaited judgement in a four-year climate case brought by Torres Strait Islanders. Elders Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai took the Australian government to court on behalf

No more card surcharges: what the Reserve Bank’s proposed changes mean for your wallet
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University That extra 10c on your morning coffee. That $2 surcharge on your taxi ride. The sneaky 1.5% fee when you pay by card at your local restaurant. These could all soon be history. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has

President Xi Jinping tells Albanese China ready to ‘push the bilateral relationship further’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Anthony Albanese China stands ready to work with Australia “to push the bilateral relationship further”, in their meeting in Beijing on Tuesday. During the meeting, Albanese raised Australia’s concern about China’s lack of proper

Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Classical Greece and China dealt with it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny. This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the

A person in the US has died from pneumonic plague. It’s not just a disease of history
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock A person in Arizona has died from the plague, local health officials reported on Friday. This marks the first such death in this region in 18 years. But it’s a stark reminder that this historic

Supermarket treatments for depression don’t require a prescription. But do they work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University Australians have long been some of the highest users of herbal and nutritional supplements that claim to boost mood or ease depression. These include omega-3s (found in fish oil), St John’s wort, probiotics and vitamin D. In fact,

Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here’s how Ancient Greece and China dealt with it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast Panasevich/Getty Images We’re just a few months into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny. This may all feel very new to Americans, and

After a hopeful start, Labor’s affordable housing fund is proving problematic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Raynor, Director of the Centre for Equitable Housing, Per Capita and Research Associate, The University of Melbourne When the Albanese government announced the A$10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund in 2023, the news reverberated through the housing sector. A new funding facility to help build 30,000

The southern hemisphere is full of birds found nowhere else on Earth. Their importance has been overlooked
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthias Dehling, Researcher, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Matthias Dehling The snow petrel, a strikingly white bird with black eyes and a black bill, is one of only three bird species ever observed at the South Pole. In fact, the Antarctic is the only place on

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH76 Brougham Street construction begins
Source: New Zealand Government

Work is set to start on major upgrades to State Highway 76 (SH76) Brougham Street in Christchurch that will support economic growth and make it safer and easier for people to move through the city, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.

“Earlier this year the Government confirmed Crown funding for this Road of Regional Significance, and being in Christchurch to turn the first sod today is an exciting step forward,” Mr Bishop says.

“Congestion and safety on SH76 Brougham Street have been issues of concern for Christchurch for some time now. Projects like this one are being prioritised by this Government because they’ll significantly improve how people, vehicles and freight get from A to B, and because of the flow-on productivity benefits to the wider roading network and our economy.

“SH76 Brougham Street is one of Christchurch’s busiest streets. It carries more than 45,000 vehicles per day, and it also serves as the main freight route to the South Island’s largest port at Lyttelton.

“There are also several schools and a retirement home close by, so the first stage of the project will focus on a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over Brougham Street at Collins Street and Simeon Street. This bridge will provide a safe crossing for kids getting to and from school, and for people with impaired mobility.

“Fulton Hogan will deliver the first stage of the project, with the bridge expected to be completed in about two years.

“The second stage of the upgrades will include improved traffic signals, T2 lanes (for vehicles with two or more occupants), new signalised crossings, and a shared path along the south side of Brougham Street.

“The Brougham Street upgrades are great example of the Government’s drive to deliver transport projects that will make a real difference for New Zealanders.”

Notes to editors:
- Cabinet has confirmed funding for the SH76 Brougham Street upgrades to be a drawn down from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2024 to enable NZTA to bring forward priority projects that would otherwise be phased to begin from 2027 onwards.
- Further detail about the planned SH76 upgrades can be viewed at: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh76-brougham-street-upgrade/
MIL OSI New Zealand News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

This week I will join international counterparts for the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings in Durban, South Africa.

There could not be a more important time for G20 nations to work together and for Australia to be part of that collective effort.

Australia is a big believer in these multinational opportunities and a big beneficiary of global economic cooperation and free and open markets.

We engage enthusiastically with the world in the interests of Australian workers, industries and our economy.

Subdued global growth, extreme uncertainty and fragmentation demands more engagement, more collaboration and more resilience and that’s what guides our strategy.

Together we are navigating a world where volatility, uncertainty and unpredictability are now the norm, not the exception.

Conflict in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and escalating trade tensions pose substantial threats to the international economic outlook.

My priorities at these meetings are strengthening ties, bolstering supply chains and capital flows, and making the most of the global net zero opportunity.

I will also engage with G7+ countries on critical minerals, and meet individually with six of my international counterparts, including:
- Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati
- Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Katō
- Canadian Minister of Finance François‑Philippe Champagne (our first in‑person meeting after a productive phone call last month)
- United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves
- South African Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana
- German Vice‑Chancellor and Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil (our first meeting)
The Australian economy is not immune from global uncertainty but we are well‑placed and well‑prepared to face the challenges ahead.

Inflation has moderated in a substantial and sustained way, unemployment remains near historic lows, real wages are growing again, and we’ve delivered the biggest nominal budget turnaround in our history.

Last year, Australia was one of only two G20 nations to achieve the trifecta of continuous growth, inflation with a 2 in front of it and unemployment in the low 4s.

Under Labor, our budget position has gone from the fifth‑weakest to the fifth‑strongest among G20 nations and our debt is now the fifth‑lowest.

Our international engagement recognises that the global economic environment will be the main factor shaping the choices we make in our second term of government.

These meetings will provide important perspectives on the global outlook and help us to make further progress at home and with our key international partners.

MIL OSI News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Why do some autistic people walk differently?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Rinehart, Nicole Rinehart, Professor, Clinical Psychology, Director of the Neurodevelopment Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people’s brains develop and function, impacting behaviour, communication and socialising. It can also involve differences in the way you move and walk – known as your “gait”.

Having an “odd gait” is now listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a supporting diagnostic feature of autism.

What does this look like?

The most noticeable gait differences among autistic people are:
- toe-walking, walking on the balls of the feet
- in-toeing, walking with one or both feet turned inwards
- out-toeing, walking with one or both feet turned out.
Research has also identified more subtle differences. A study summarising 30 years of research among autistic people reports that gait is characterised by:
- walking more slowly
- taking wider steps
- spending longer in the “stance” phase, when the foot leaves the ground
- taking more time to complete each step.
Autistic people show much more personal variability in the length and speed of their strides, as well as their walking speed.

Gait differences also tend to occur alongside other motor differences, such as issues with balance, coordination, postural stability and handwriting. Autistic people may need support for these other motor skills.

What causes gait differences?

These are largely due to differences in brain development, specifically in areas known as the basal ganglia and cerebellum.

The basal ganglia are broadly responsible for sequencing movement including through shifting posture. It ensures your gait appears effortless, smooth and automatic.

The cerebellum then uses visual and proprioceptive information (to sense the body’s position and movement) to adjust and time movements to maintain postural stability. It ensures movement is controlled and coordinated.

Differences occur in the cerebellum and basal ganglia.
grayjay/Shutterstock

Developmental differences in these brain regions relate to the way the areas look (their structure), how they work (their function and activation) and how they “speak” to other areas of the brain (their connections).

While some researchers have suggested that autistic gait occurs due to delayed development, we now know gait differences persist across the lifespan. Some differences actually become clearer with age.

In addition to brain-based differences, the autistic gait is also associated with factors such as the person’s broader motor, language and cognitive capabilities.

People with more complex support needs might have more pronounced gait or motor differences, together with language and cognitive difficulties.

Motor dysregulation might indicate sensory or cognitive overload and be a useful marker that the person might benefit from extra support or a break.

How is it managed?

Not all differences need to be treated. Instead, clinicians take an individualised and goals-based approach.

Some autistic people might have subtle gait differences that are observable during testing. But if these differences don’t impact a person’s ability to participate in everyday life, they don’t require support.

An autistic person is likely to benefit from support for gait differences if they have a functional impact on their daily life. This might include:
- increased risk of, or frequent, falls
- difficulty participating in the physical activities they enjoy
- physical consequences such as tightness of the Achilles and calf muscles, or associated pain in other areas, such as the feet or back.
Some children may also benefit from support for motor skill development. However this doesn’t have to occur in a clinic.

Given children spend a large portion of their time at school, programs that integrate opportunities for movement throughout the school day allow autistic children to develop motor skills outside of the clinic and alongside peers. We developed the Joy of Moving Program in Australia, for example, which gets students moving in the classroom.

Our community-based intervention studies show autistic children’s movement abilities can improve after engaging in community-based interventions, such as sports or dance.

Community-based support models empower autistic children to have agency in how they move, rather than seeing different ways of moving as a problem to be fixed.

Where to from here?

While we have learnt a lot about autistic gait at a broad level, researchers and clinicians are still seeking a better understanding of why and when individual variability occurs.

We’re also still determining how to best support individual movement styles, including among children as they develop.

However there is growing evidence that physical activity enhances social skills and behavioural regulation in preschool children with autism.

So it’s encouraging that states and territories are moving towards more community-based foundational supports for autistic children and their peers, as governments develop supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The authors thank the late Emeritus Professor John Bradshaw for his early input into this piece.

Nicole Rinehart receives funding from: Moose Happy Kids Foundation, MECCA M-Power, the Grace & Emilio Foundation, Ferrero Australia, as part of the global Kinder Joy of moving program, Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd, Jonathan and Simone Wenig, Adam Krongold, the Grosman Family Foundation, the Shoreline Foundation, the Victorian Department of Education, the NSW Department of Education, and the Department of Social Services – Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program, and has worked in partnership with the Australian Football League.

Chloe Emonson works on projects that receive funding from: Moose Happy Kids Foundation, MECCA M-Power, the Grace & Emilio Foundation, Ferrero Australia, as part of the global Kinder Joy of moving program, Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd, Jonathan and Simone Wenig, Adam Krongold, the Grosman Family Foundation, the Shoreline Foundation, the Victorian Department of Education, the NSW Department of Education, and the Department of Social Services – Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program, and has worked in partnership with the Australian Football League.

Ebony Lindor works on projects that receive funding from: Moose Happy Kids Foundation, MECCA M-Power, the Grace & Emilio Foundation, Ferrero Australia, as part of the global Kinder Joy of moving program, Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd, Jonathan and Simone Wenig, Adam Krongold, the Grosman Family Foundation, the Shoreline Foundation, the Victorian Department of Education, the NSW Department of Education, and the Department of Social Services – Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program, and has worked in partnership with the Australian Football League.

– ref. Why do some autistic people walk differently? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-autistic-people-walk-differently-231685
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Scott, Colleagues Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act—Democrats Advocate for Affordable Child Care While Trump & Republicans Blow Up Debt on Billionaire Tax Cuts and Attack Head Start and Federal Child Care Programs
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

As Republicans deliver fresh tax breaks for billionaires and kick Americans off their health care, Democrats continue their fight to help families find and afford child care

***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, joined their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.

Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Senator Murray in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 39 additional cosponsors in the Senate—the most in the bill’s history.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) joined Representative Scott in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 80 additional cosponsors in the House.

“Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray. “It’s an outrageous betrayal, and instead of wasting billions on handouts for the richest people on earth, Democrats are going to keep fighting to help working families afford the basics and get ahead—including by passing my Child Care for Working Families Act to ensure every family can find and afford the child care they need. Just about everyone now recognizes how urgent an issue the child care crisis is—and how badly it hurts families and our economy—so I invite my Republican colleagues to join us to finally deliver the actual reform we need to address this crisis. This is an ambitious and commonsense plan to build child care centers, hire and retain more early childhood educators, and make sure every family can afford child care—with the typical family paying less than $15 a day. Not only that, we’d finally set this country on the path to universal Pre-K. People actually want Congress to do this—don’t tell me we can’t afford to invest in child care and bring down costs for every family after Republicans just blew up the national debt to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them.”

“Our economy forces too many workers to choose between their jobs and caring for their children. Without investments in the care economy, jobs will remain unfilled because too many workers, especially women, will have to remain at home and our economy will never reach its full potential,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “Let’s be clear. The child care crisis cannot be solved without sustained public funding. The Child Care for Working Families Act makes the investments we need to turn our child care system around and meet the needs of children, parents, and child care workers. We must finally pass this bill and expand access to affordable, quality early learning opportunities, provide child care workers with the support they deserve, and give parents the freedom to pursue rewarding careers and contribute to our economic growth.”

As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance, and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the child care crisis. The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray and Scott have introduced every Congress since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.

“Families should not have to break the bank to afford child care. Democrats are fighting to ensure working families can access the child care they need, and that hardworking child care workers get paid what they deserve,” said Leader Chuck Schumer. “Republicans have a different priority – giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by cutting health care and food assistance for millions of families. The contrast couldn’t be clearer and Republicans couldn’t be crueler. We hope Republicans will join us in moving forward legislation that will actually help working people and invest in kids and families.”

“Child care enables parents to work and kids to thrive. But right now, it’s impossibly expensive,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “In the richest nation on earth, no parent should have to choose between groceries and child care. Under this bill, the typical family will pay no more than $15 a day for care. Ultimately, this bill is about giving every family a fair shot at the American Dream. I want my Republican colleagues to look parents in the eye and explain how they can oppose that.”

“The child care crisis is holding our families, businesses, and economy back,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I’ve heard from parents in every corner of Virginia about how they’re being locked out of the workforce because they can’t find affordable care for their kids, and from passionate child care workers who are pressured to leave their field because of low wages. Especially as we contend with the economic chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump, Congress can and must do more to address this issue and put affordable care within reach. By raising salaries for low-wage child care employees and capping child care costs at seven percent of working families’ incomes, we can make child care more accessible and affordable, support passionate workers in the field, and strengthen our economy.”

“Throughout our country, too many working and middle class families struggle to find access to high-quality, affordable child care, forcing parents to make tough sacrifices for their children,” said Senator Mazie Hirono. “Child care is essential to the strength of our communities, and every family should be able to access the affordable care they need and deserve. That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide a long-term investment in our children as an important step forward in tackling our country’s child care crisis.”

“Parents and working families are struggling under an affordability crisis being made worse by the Trump administration — many without any childcare options they can afford or reasonably get their kids to every day,” said Senator Andy Kim. “This bill is the comprehensive reform we need to tackle the childcare shortage, deliver families immediate relief, and make sure we better support the workers who go above and beyond to deliver this high-quality care.”

“We are experiencing a child care crisis in this country. Child care—if folks can even find it—is pushing families into poverty, and Trump’s Big Ugly bill will only exacerbate the struggles our families are dealing with,” said Representative Summer Lee. “The Child Care for Working Families Act is a means to putting an end to this crisis. We have to make sure families have access to child care slots, that no family spends more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that all early childhood educators make a livable wage. I am grateful for Ranking Member Bobby Scott and Senator Patty Murray for their partnership on this bill, and I look forward to seeing it over the finish line.”

The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
- Make child care affordable for working families.
  
  The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
  
  No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
  
  Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
  
  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
  
  Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
  
  Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
  
  Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
  
  Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
- Support higher wages for child care workers.
  
  Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
  
  Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
- Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
  
  States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
  
  States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
  
  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by 44 Senators: Senators Murray, Kaine, Hirono, Kim, Schumer, Alsobrooks, Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Blunt Rochester, Booker, Cantwell, Coons, Cortez-Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gallego, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Kelly, King, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Peters, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schatz, Schiff, Shaheen, Slotkin, Smith, Van Hollen, Warnock, Welch, Whitehouse, Wyden.

In the House, the bill is cosponsored by 83 lawmakers: Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Betty McCollum (MN-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Seth Moulton (MA-06), William R. Keating (MA-09), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), and Sharice Davids (KS-03).

A fact sheet on the legislation is available HERE.

Text of the legislation if available HERE.

“As Child Care Aware of America’s report, Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply shows, in every region of the country, there are far too many families that do not have access to affordable and high-quality child care. The high price of child care is often one of the largest household expenses for families. And yet, our educators and programs struggle to make ends meet. Current federal investment in child care is not meeting the needs faced by families across the country. The Child Care for Working Families Act would help ensure more families have access to high-quality and affordable child care,” said Child Care Aware of America.

“For far too long, children, families, and providers have borne the burden of a broken child care sector. The Child Care for Working Families Act would make access to child care more equitable and affordable for families across the country while also better valuing and compensating the child care workforce. Families need relief from untenable child care prices. Children need reliable education and care settings. Providers need increased education supports, consistent employment, and higher wages. This bill will deliver necessary improvements to America’s child care sector,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

“Recognizing and supporting child care as a true public good simply requires the political will from our elected leaders because the political will from families across the country is already there. Americans agree we should have equal opportunities to engage in the workforce regardless of gender and parental status and making that a reality shouldn’t break the bank for families. I want to thank Senator Murray, Rep. Scott and the child care champions leading the way on the Child Care for Working Families Act. The bill builds on the excellent foundation of its previous iterations, incorporates lessons from the pandemic, ARPA, and the experience of nearly achieving historic child care and early learning policy during the Build Back Better debate. Children, families, and America’s economic growth cannot wait,” said TCF Senior Fellow and Director of Women’s Economic Justice Julie Kashen.

“Making child care more affordable isn’t just good for families—it’s essential for a thriving economy, strong businesses, and vibrant communities,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “Instead of working to pass legislation that will increase costs for families while giving tax breaks to billionaires, Congress should pass the Child Care for Working Families Act. This billwould lower costs for families, raise wages for early educators, and tackle the child care crisis head on.”
MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Scott, Colleagues Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act—Democrats Advocate for Affordable Child Care While Trump & Republicans Blow Up Debt on Billionaire Tax Cuts and Attack Head Start and Federal Child Care Programs
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

As Republicans deliver fresh tax breaks for billionaires and kick Americans off their health care, Democrats continue their fight to help families find and afford child care

***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, joined their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.

Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Senator Murray in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 39 additional cosponsors in the Senate—the most in the bill’s history.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) joined Representative Scott in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 80 additional cosponsors in the House.

“Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray. “It’s an outrageous betrayal, and instead of wasting billions on handouts for the richest people on earth, Democrats are going to keep fighting to help working families afford the basics and get ahead—including by passing my Child Care for Working Families Act to ensure every family can find and afford the child care they need. Just about everyone now recognizes how urgent an issue the child care crisis is—and how badly it hurts families and our economy—so I invite my Republican colleagues to join us to finally deliver the actual reform we need to address this crisis. This is an ambitious and commonsense plan to build child care centers, hire and retain more early childhood educators, and make sure every family can afford child care—with the typical family paying less than $15 a day. Not only that, we’d finally set this country on the path to universal Pre-K. People actually want Congress to do this—don’t tell me we can’t afford to invest in child care and bring down costs for every family after Republicans just blew up the national debt to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them.”

“Our economy forces too many workers to choose between their jobs and caring for their children. Without investments in the care economy, jobs will remain unfilled because too many workers, especially women, will have to remain at home and our economy will never reach its full potential,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “Let’s be clear. The child care crisis cannot be solved without sustained public funding. The Child Care for Working Families Act makes the investments we need to turn our child care system around and meet the needs of children, parents, and child care workers. We must finally pass this bill and expand access to affordable, quality early learning opportunities, provide child care workers with the support they deserve, and give parents the freedom to pursue rewarding careers and contribute to our economic growth.”

As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance, and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the child care crisis. The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray and Scott have introduced every Congress since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.

“Families should not have to break the bank to afford child care. Democrats are fighting to ensure working families can access the child care they need, and that hardworking child care workers get paid what they deserve,” said Leader Chuck Schumer. “Republicans have a different priority – giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by cutting health care and food assistance for millions of families. The contrast couldn’t be clearer and Republicans couldn’t be crueler. We hope Republicans will join us in moving forward legislation that will actually help working people and invest in kids and families.”

“Child care enables parents to work and kids to thrive. But right now, it’s impossibly expensive,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “In the richest nation on earth, no parent should have to choose between groceries and child care. Under this bill, the typical family will pay no more than $15 a day for care. Ultimately, this bill is about giving every family a fair shot at the American Dream. I want my Republican colleagues to look parents in the eye and explain how they can oppose that.”

“The child care crisis is holding our families, businesses, and economy back,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I’ve heard from parents in every corner of Virginia about how they’re being locked out of the workforce because they can’t find affordable care for their kids, and from passionate child care workers who are pressured to leave their field because of low wages. Especially as we contend with the economic chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump, Congress can and must do more to address this issue and put affordable care within reach. By raising salaries for low-wage child care employees and capping child care costs at seven percent of working families’ incomes, we can make child care more accessible and affordable, support passionate workers in the field, and strengthen our economy.”

“Throughout our country, too many working and middle class families struggle to find access to high-quality, affordable child care, forcing parents to make tough sacrifices for their children,” said Senator Mazie Hirono. “Child care is essential to the strength of our communities, and every family should be able to access the affordable care they need and deserve. That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide a long-term investment in our children as an important step forward in tackling our country’s child care crisis.”

“Parents and working families are struggling under an affordability crisis being made worse by the Trump administration — many without any childcare options they can afford or reasonably get their kids to every day,” said Senator Andy Kim. “This bill is the comprehensive reform we need to tackle the childcare shortage, deliver families immediate relief, and make sure we better support the workers who go above and beyond to deliver this high-quality care.”

“We are experiencing a child care crisis in this country. Child care—if folks can even find it—is pushing families into poverty, and Trump’s Big Ugly bill will only exacerbate the struggles our families are dealing with,” said Representative Summer Lee. “The Child Care for Working Families Act is a means to putting an end to this crisis. We have to make sure families have access to child care slots, that no family spends more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that all early childhood educators make a livable wage. I am grateful for Ranking Member Bobby Scott and Senator Patty Murray for their partnership on this bill, and I look forward to seeing it over the finish line.”

The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
- Make child care affordable for working families.
  
  The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
  
  No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
  
  Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
  
  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
  
  Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
  
  Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
  
  Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
  
  Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
- Support higher wages for child care workers.
  
  Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
  
  Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
- Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
  
  States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
  
  States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
  
  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
- Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by 44 Senators: Senators Murray, Kaine, Hirono, Kim, Schumer, Alsobrooks, Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Blunt Rochester, Booker, Cantwell, Coons, Cortez-Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gallego, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Kelly, King, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Peters, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schatz, Schiff, Shaheen, Slotkin, Smith, Van Hollen, Warnock, Welch, Whitehouse, Wyden.

In the House, the bill is cosponsored by 83 lawmakers: Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Betty McCollum (MN-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Seth Moulton (MA-06), William R. Keating (MA-09), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), and Sharice Davids (KS-03).

A fact sheet on the legislation is available HERE.

Text of the legislation if available HERE.

“As Child Care Aware of America’s report, Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply shows, in every region of the country, there are far too many families that do not have access to affordable and high-quality child care. The high price of child care is often one of the largest household expenses for families. And yet, our educators and programs struggle to make ends meet. Current federal investment in child care is not meeting the needs faced by families across the country. The Child Care for Working Families Act would help ensure more families have access to high-quality and affordable child care,” said Child Care Aware of America.

“For far too long, children, families, and providers have borne the burden of a broken child care sector. The Child Care for Working Families Act would make access to child care more equitable and affordable for families across the country while also better valuing and compensating the child care workforce. Families need relief from untenable child care prices. Children need reliable education and care settings. Providers need increased education supports, consistent employment, and higher wages. This bill will deliver necessary improvements to America’s child care sector,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

“Recognizing and supporting child care as a true public good simply requires the political will from our elected leaders because the political will from families across the country is already there. Americans agree we should have equal opportunities to engage in the workforce regardless of gender and parental status and making that a reality shouldn’t break the bank for families. I want to thank Senator Murray, Rep. Scott and the child care champions leading the way on the Child Care for Working Families Act. The bill builds on the excellent foundation of its previous iterations, incorporates lessons from the pandemic, ARPA, and the experience of nearly achieving historic child care and early learning policy during the Build Back Better debate. Children, families, and America’s economic growth cannot wait,” said TCF Senior Fellow and Director of Women’s Economic Justice Julie Kashen.

“Making child care more affordable isn’t just good for families—it’s essential for a thriving economy, strong businesses, and vibrant communities,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “Instead of working to pass legislation that will increase costs for families while giving tax breaks to billionaires, Congress should pass the Child Care for Working Families Act. This billwould lower costs for families, raise wages for early educators, and tackle the child care crisis head on.”
MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Federal Arrests of Spokane Residents for Protests Against ICE

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

ICYMI from June: Senator Murray Statement on Protests in Response to Immigration Arrests in Spokane

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the news, reported by the Spokesman-Review, that federal agents arrested and searched the homes of Spokane residents who took part in a protests in Spokane on June 11^th. The protests in June were sparked by the sudden detention of two asylum-seekers whose work visas were abruptly revoked days before.

“The Trump administration is abusing the force of the law to intimidate Americans exercising their First Amendment rights—whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this is wrong and we all need to speak out against this disturbing perversion of justice.

“If you are as angry as I am about Trump’s unconstitutional and cruel assault on immigrants, we need to speak out peacefully against inhumane policies. We lose our democracy when our voices fall silent.

“Let’s be perfectly clear about Trump’s unconstitutional immigration crackdown: he is diverting limited federal resources away from pursuing violent criminals to instead round up individuals with no criminal record—and now, apparently, he’s going after peaceful protestors as well. We cannot be silent and I will be contacting DOJ directly regarding this gross abuse of federal resources.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Federal Arrests of Spokane Residents for Protests Against ICE

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

ICYMI from June: Senator Murray Statement on Protests in Response to Immigration Arrests in Spokane

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the news, reported by the Spokesman-Review, that federal agents arrested and searched the homes of Spokane residents who took part in a protests in Spokane on June 11^th. The protests in June were sparked by the sudden detention of two asylum-seekers whose work visas were abruptly revoked days before.

“The Trump administration is abusing the force of the law to intimidate Americans exercising their First Amendment rights—whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this is wrong and we all need to speak out against this disturbing perversion of justice.

“If you are as angry as I am about Trump’s unconstitutional and cruel assault on immigrants, we need to speak out peacefully against inhumane policies. We lose our democracy when our voices fall silent.

“Let’s be perfectly clear about Trump’s unconstitutional immigration crackdown: he is diverting limited federal resources away from pursuing violent criminals to instead round up individuals with no criminal record—and now, apparently, he’s going after peaceful protestors as well. We cannot be silent and I will be contacting DOJ directly regarding this gross abuse of federal resources.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Mourns Death of Haverhill Man, Champions Bills to Support People in Mental Health Crisis
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act Take a Public Health Approach to Public Safety

Press Conference Video

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), issued the following statement on the death of Haverhill resident Francis Gigliotti after an encounter with police this weekend. Earlier today, Congresswoman Pressley joined Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), colleagues, and advocates to launch the Community Safety Agenda, an evidence-informed approach to public safety that prioritizes care, connection, and prevention over punishment, control, and isolation. Included in the agenda are two bills championed by Rep. Pressley, the People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act, that take a public health approach to public safety and support individuals in mental health crisis.

“My heart breaks for Francis Gigliotti, his loved ones, and everyone in the Haverhill community impacted by his tragic loss. What we’ve learned so far is that Francis was experiencing a mental health crisis and should have been met with care and compassion. I join my colleagues at the federal, state, and local levels calling for a swift and thorough investigation into what happened and what protocols were or were not followed.

“For too long, our approach to public safety has centered criminalization, resulting in a shameful mass incarceration crisis and harm. Tragedies like this one are a painful reminder of why we need policies like our Mental Health Justice Act and People’s Response Act—which would help save lives by centering de-escalation, mental health interventions, and a public health approach to public safety.

“Unfortunately, we’ll never be able to deliver justice for Francis Gigliotti—for in a just world, Francis would be alive today, at home with his fiancée and family—but we can and must provide accountability and policy change. I look forward to seeing a transparent and independent investigation led by District Attorney Tucker so the community writ-large can get the answers and healing they deserve.”

The People’s Response Act is groundbreaking legislation that would advance an inclusive, holistic, and health-centered approach to public safety by creating a public safety division within the United States Department of Human Health and Services (JHHS) and launching a federal first responders unit to support states and local governments with emergency health crises. The bill would promote alternative approaches to public safety, including coordination of research and policies that are being implemented across HHS and other agencies to center health-based and non-carceral responses throughout the federal government.

The Mental Health Justice Act would reduce violence against individuals with mental illness and disabilities by helping states, tribes, and localities establish mental health responder units to support individuals in crisis, instead of police. The bill would create a grant program that allows states, tribes, and localities to hire, train, and dispatch mental health professionals to respond to mental health emergencies when 911, 988, or another emergency hotline is called; empower the Civil Rights Division at DOJ and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at HHS to provide technical assistance to grant recipients; require a study on the effectiveness of the grant program; and establish best practices for mental health professionals responding to mental health emergencies.

The Community Safety Agenda is supported by over 100 civil rights, public health, racial justice, housing, violence prevention, and economic justice groups and prioritizes policies that invest in people and communities, not police and prisons, to keep people safe.

Joining Reps. Pressley and Lee in launching the agenda are Representatives Steven Horsford (NV-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Lucy McBath (GA-06), along with Thea Sebastian, Executive Director for The Futures Institute; Liz Komar, Sentencing Reform Counsel for The Sentencing Project; Kevin Beckford, PhD, Senior Associate for the Pretrial Justice Institute; Nick Wilson, Senior Director of Gun Violence Prevention for American Progress; Beatriz Beckford, National Director of Youth and Family for MomsRising; Michael Huggins, Deputy Senior Director for Color of Change.

Video of their press conference unveiling the agenda is available here.

The People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act are informed by Congresswoman Pressley’s People’s Justice Guarantee, her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. She has introduced over a dozen pieces of precise legislation informed by the People’s Justice Guarantee to fundamentally redefine what justice looks like in America.
- In June 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12)unveiled the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing.
- In May 2023, Rep. Pressley reintroduced her Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act to improve maternal health care and support for pregnant individuals who are incarcerated. It was originally introduced in March 2020 and reintroduced in February 2021 as part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Package—a suite of 12 bills aimed at addressing the Black maternal health crisis.
- In May 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus, requested the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to research post-traumatic prison disorder and share findings related to prevention and treatment for people returning from behind the wall.
- In April 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) re-introduced their Ending Qualified Immunity Act, legislation that would eliminate the unjust and court-invented doctrine of qualified immunity and restore the ability for people to obtain relief when state and local officials, including police officers, violate their legal and constitutionally secured rights. Rep. Pressley originally introduced the bill in June 2020 with Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI) and reintroduced it with Sen. Markey in March 2021.
- On April 6, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Hank Johnson led 25 of their colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to address racial disparities in traffic enforcement.
- In April 2023, Rep. Pressley, in partnership with Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), re-introduced the Ending PUSHOUT Act, their legislation to end the punitive pushout of girls of color from schools. It was originally introduced in December 2019 and reintroduced in March 2021.
- In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) and 27 Members of Congress, alongside more than 300 advocacy organizations and community leaders, reintroduced the New Way Forward Act, a landmark piece of legislation that addresses some of the most harmful provisions of immigration law that drive racist enforcement practices, expanded incarceration in immigration detention centers, and unjust deportations. It was originally introduced in December 2019 by Reps. Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Karen Bass (CA-37) and was reintroduced in January 2021.
- In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues re-introduced the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act to stop federal entities’ use of facial recognition tools and prohibit federal support for state and local law enforcement entities that use biometric technology. They reintroduced the bill in June 2021.
- In December 2022, the House passed Congresswoman Pressley’s amendment to strengthen maternal health care for people who are incarcerated.
- In December 2021, Rep. Pressley unveiled the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation to transform our nation’s clemency system and address the mass incarceration crisis.
- In March 2021, Rep. Pressley sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to consider H. Res. 266, the People’s Justice Guarantee, as a framework for embedding justice in our criminal legal system and building integrity in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
- In February 2021, October 2020, Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Mental Health Justice Act with Reps. Katie Porter (CA-45), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), to support the creation of mental health first responder units that would be deployed in lieu of law enforcement when 911 is called due to a mental health crisis. The lawmakers originally introduced the legislation in October 2020.
- In January 2021, she reintroduced the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021 with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level, and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The lawmakers originally introduced the bill in July 2019.
- In August 2020, she introduced the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and others, requires federal, state, and local prisons and jails to collect and publicly report COVID-19 data. The legislation was reintroduced in 2021.
- In July 2020, she introduced the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), to prohibit federal funds to support the increased presence of police in K-12 schools and supports school districts that invests in counselors.
- In June 2020, she introduced the Dismantle Mass Incarceration for Public Health Act with Reps. Tlaib (MI-13) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to require decarceration to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails.
- In June 2020, she introduced the Andrew Kearse Accountability for Denial of Medical Care Act with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ed Markey (D-MA), to hold police officers criminally liable for denying care to those in medical distress.
- In May 2020, she introduced a resolution with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Karen Bass (CA-37) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to condemn any and all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and militarization and over-policing of Black and brown communities.
- In July 2019, she introduced the No Biometric Barriers Housing Act with Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology.
- In June 2019, in conjunction with Gun Violence Awareness Month and the 5th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, she introduced a resolution to honor survivors of homicide victims by establishing National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month.
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MIL OSI USA News –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Space’s influence on economy and security grows, as new projects announced in Manchester
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Space’s influence on economy and security grows, as new projects announced in Manchester

From supercharged 5G systems to a funding boost for local space clusters, new projects have been announced today (Wednesday 16 July) by the UK Space Agency, as figures show growing dependence on satellite technologies.
As set out recently in the government’s Industrial Strategy, demand for space-based and space-enabled capabilities is growing fast globally.

New figures, released on the opening day of the UK Space Conference in Manchester, confirm the nation’s increasing dependence on space. Space and satellite services are now estimated to support wider industrial activities worth £454 billion to the economy, or 18% of GDP. This is an increase of £90 billion on the previous year.

The government has identified satellite communications as one of five national space capability priorities, and the UK Space Agency has awarded four new projects £4.5 million to push the boundaries of satellite-based 5G and 6G systems.

Among these, MDA Space UK’s SkyPhi mission aims to deliver 5G and 6G connectivity capabilities directly to devices via low Earth orbit satellites. Orbit Fab’s Radical project is focused on developing in-orbit refuelling systems for telecommunications satellites. SSTL’s lunar communications system will enable deep-space communications capabilities, while Viasat’s hybrid GEO-LEO network is designed to provide global 5G Direct-to-Device coverage.

These new projects aim to enhance satellite performance, reduce infrastructure costs, and position the UK at the forefront of next-gen connectivity.

An additional £1.6 million will go to the UK’s space cluster network to stimulate innovation and economic growth. This funding will enable space clusters to collaborate in areas of shared capability, supporting space companies to forge stronger local partnerships and take advantage of expertise across the whole of the UK, supporting future growth.

With more than 55,000 people employed by the space sector across the UK, and a further 81,000 jobs in the supply chain, there is significant potential for the sector to drive economic progress across the country.

Space and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

The innovations on display at the UK Space Conference demonstrate our strengths in key technologies that will shape Britain’s future, from seamless connectivity and data services to advanced manufacturing and launch.

With satellite technologies supporting more than £450 billion in annual economic activity, and crucial to climate monitoring and national security, it’s vital that we are coordinating right across Government to unlock space’s incredible potential. We’re committed to working closely with this vibrant sector to accelerate our Plan for Change.

The UK Space Conference opens its doors in Manchester today, convening leading players in the UK space sector and beyond to discuss future growth plans and renew the sector’s focus on generating economic growth and advancing national security goals.

Industry Milestones and International Projects

During the conference, a new partnership between UK-based Viasat, SSTL, and MDA Space will be announced, as part of the European Space Agency’s Moonlight programme. The project will develop the first commercial lunar communications and navigation system, effectively establishing a data highway on and around the Moon. This infrastructure will support a wide range of exploration missions by enabling seamless, cost-effective communications between Earth and the lunar surface.

The UK will also spotlight its role in international climate science with the upcoming launch of MicroCarb, Europe’s first dedicated mission to measure atmospheric CO₂ on a global scale. A joint project between CNES (France’s space agency) and the UK Space Agency, the satellite, which will launch on 25 July, will provide crucial data on carbon sources and sinks, supporting efforts to meet Net Zero targets.

With its ability to distinguish between natural and human-made emissions, MicroCarb will be instrumental in helping policymakers craft effective climate strategies. Its advanced “city-scanning” mode can map emissions at an urban scale, a critical feature as the world intensifies its response to climate change.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency said:

The Industrial Strategy recognises we are living in the age of space, with satellite services hardwired into the UK economy and security. The UK Space Agency’s budget uplift to £682 million will help us drive forward our work to build stronger national capabilities and catalyse more private investment, in close collaboration with the sector, wider government bodies and international partners.

Together we are creating jobs, driving economic growth and tackling the key challenges. The UK Space Conference in Manchester is a powerful reminder that space is not just about looking up, it’s about moving forward.

Space Sector Growth and National Capabilities

The latest Size and Health of the UK Space Industry report, which analysed the 2022/23 financial year, shows the number of space organisations grew to 1,907, and employment increased by 7%. This is despite the wider economic challenges of that time and increased competitive pressures in the sector, particularly in the satellite communications market.

These challenges underline the importance of taking a more strategic approach to public space investments, with a renewed focus on the space capabilities necessary to drive economic growth and national security.

Analysis shows that UK Space Agency activity catalysed a total of £2.2 billion in investment and revenue in the UK space sector in the last financial year. A new report, also published today, shows that every £1 public investment in ESA programmes leads to £7.49 directly benefiting the UK economy.

Earlier this month, the UK Space Agency initiated a £75.6 million tender for the nation’s first mission to actively remove defunct satellites from orbit. This process will secure home-grown expertise and strengthen UK leadership in In-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing, another key capability area.

Inspiring the next generation

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with British astronauts and reserve astronauts: Tim Peake, Rosemary Coogan, John McFall and Meganne Christian. These astronauts support the UK’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers, and reflect the spirit of innovation and resilience that defines the UK’s space ambitions.

Manchester is the 2025 host city, reflecting its strong industrial heritage and growing space cluster. The north west comprises more than 180 organisations and 2,300 space professionals, with companies including graphene specialists Smart IR and MDA Space UK expanding operations near Manchester Airport. The region is also home to the Jodrell Bank Observatory and hosts the global headquarters of the Square Kilmore Array Radio Telescope.

The UK Space Conference 2025 builds on the success of previous events in Newport and Belfast, with the latter generating £1.7 million in visitor spending alone.

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Published 16 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Regenerating Glasgow’s industrial heart

Source: Scottish Government

High value businesses to boost growth and tackle poverty.

New jobs will be created and derelict sites regenerated in Glasgow’s former industrial heartland with the help of funding announced by First Minister John Swinney.

Urban regeneration company Clyde Gateway is to receive £3.5 million to support the continued redevelopment of the former Shawfield Chemical Works site into a hub for high value manufacturing businesses. It is part of the company’s ongoing plan to develop homes, hotels and business premises on land equivalent in size to 130 football pitches in Rutherglen and the East End of Glasgow.

The First Minister made the announcement ahead of a visit to the Innovation Shawfield, another Clyde Gateway regeneration scheme, where he will see Scotland’s first renewable district heating system of its kind. The site is expected to become one of the largest office parks in the UK and the heating system, which is also capable of cooling buildings, will provide occupants with low-cost energy.

The project has been supported by £660,000 from the Scottish Government and sees power generated from sources including solar and heat pumps.

The First Minister said:

“Regenerating our industrial heartlands of the 20^th century is an integral part of transforming Scotland’s economy in the 21^st and Clyde Gateway is a shining example of what can achieved. Its ambition is creating jobs, improving communities and tackling poverty.

“I am delighted to be able to announce funding to help it continue that work and also to see first-hand this innovative project which will provide affordable green energy to businesses. This part of Glasgow has a proud industrial past and the Scottish Government is determined that it will have a strong economic future.

“I want to see these benefits continue to spread across Scotland and this financial year we are providing £62.15 million towards regeneration projects that will revitalise town centres, derelict sites and green spaces.”

Martin Joyce, Executive Director for Regeneration at Clyde Gateway, said:

“This £3.5 million investment will accelerate our efforts to transform the East End of Glasgow and Rutherglen. Working alongside the Scottish Government and other key partners, we have already remediated nearly 750 acres of contaminated land, supported the creation of more than 8,000 jobs and delivered 4,000 much needed new homes, helping to build vibrant communities where people can live, work and play.”

Background

The Scottish Government has supported Clyde Gateway’s regeneration programme with more than £200 million since 2007.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 16, 2025

Category: housing

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Space’s influence on economy and security grows, as new projects announced in Manchester

Industry Milestones and International Projects

Space Sector Growth and National Capabilities

Inspiring the next generation

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