NewzIntel.com

Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lake Tuggeranong closed due to contamination

    Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 05/02/2025

    Lake Tuggeranong is closed until further notice due to sewage and oil contamination. The cause of the contamination is currently being investigated.

    Action has been taken under section 22 of the Lakes Act 1976 (the Act) to close all areas of Lake Tuggeranong based on the advice from Health Protection Services (HPS).

    The lake is closed to all water activities pending water sample testing. The results of the tests will determine the next course of action.

    This includes primary and secondary activities such as swimming, windsurfing, rowing, fishing, boating and canoeing.

    Contact with water should be avoided and clothing that has been in the water should be washed immediately. Pet owners should not allow their animals to swim in or drink the water.

    Water users should look for signage which indicates the status of all waterways and lakes in the ACT. Warning signs are located at public access areas.

    For more information on lake closures, please visit www.cityservices.act.gov.au.

    – Statement ends –

    ACT Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Directorate Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Funding to improve the transitioning and rehoming of animals used in research

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    5 Feb 2025

    Three NSW based animal welfare organisations will share in $2.45 million to fund the rehoming of animals following their contribution to important scientific research projects.

    The Minns Labor Government’s Research Animals Rehoming Grant Program supports organisations to find forever homes for cats, dogs, guinea pigs and other animals after they have completed their involvement in research.

    With this investment and a suite of initiatives, including the recent passing of the Puppy Farm Bill introducing mandatory regulation of dog breeders, the Government is delivering on its commitment to modernise and strengthen the state’s animal welfare environment.

    The animal rehoming organisations to receive funding are:

    • Animal Welfare League (AWL) – $825,000
      The AWL will continue its re-homing pilot program including building a wing at its site for dogs and cats from research establishments to transition them and then find new homes post-retirement.
    • Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre – $800,000
      The centre plans to build a “real life room” at their current facility. The room will simulate a home environment to allow animals previously used in research to undertake rehabilitation and help them move on to the next phase of their lives.
    • Liberty Foundation Australia – $825,000
      Liberty Foundation will scale up its rehoming work with small animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice, including new education and volunteer programs to raise awareness and encourage more people to adopt an animal from research.

    The Rehoming Grant Program funding is part of a broader $7 million investment to enhance positive welfare outcomes for animals, both during and after use in research, including identifying alternatives to replace animals in research.

    The vast bulk of cats and dogs used in research are either part of programs designed to taste test new pet foods or as part of animal medicine test programs run through vet clinics with the approval of the animal’s owner.

    Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to improving the welfare outcomes of all animals and in this case that of research animals.

    “This $2.45 million in funding will make a real and proven difference and is dedicated to improving animal welfare outcomes by supporting specialist organisations to successfully rehome research animals.

    “Effective rehoming requires education and a coordinated, cooperative approach, and that is why the NSW Government is supporting this by working with research, rehoming and animal welfare organisations to achieve the best outcome for research animals when they retire.”

    NSW CEO Animal Welfare League Stephen Albin said:

    “AWL NSW is pleased to be one of the recipients of funding from this important program, it will assist us rehome the animals that come into our care, regardless of their origins.

    “Our commitment involves enhancing each animal’s socialisation skills by understanding their past, respecting their individual needs, and providing a safe and protected sanctuary here at our Kemps Creek Shelter.

    “We offer every animal, including those from research, high-quality veterinary care, behavioural improvements, including walking animals four times daily, nutritional enhancement and careful matching with potential owners.

    “Our unique ‘Hope to Love’ journey allows for prolonged stays demonstrating our dedication to animal welfare.”

    Paula Wallace, Director Liberty Foundation Australia said:

    “Liberty Foundation is delighted to be awarded funding as part of this unique grant program, which will help us provide a lifeline for animals moving from research establishments into the community.

    “We know that small animals coming out of research settings can transition well into people’s homes as pets and companions and this funding means we can provide this opportunity to more animals.

    “This funding comes at a crucial time, when more research establishments than ever before are wanting to work with us to provide the best possible outcomes for animals after their time in research.

    “Funding like this is vital for small charities like Liberty Foundation to give us the helping hand we need to scale up our activities and share the wonderful message of rehoming with more people.”

    Brad Bunting Mayor of Blacktown City said:

    “This NSW Government grant will further support Blacktown City Council’s vision to help animals transition to happy, comfortable lives while changing community perceptions around rehoming pets.

    “The ‘real life room’ at the Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) is a practical step toward easing the transition of retired research animals back into the real world, giving them the chance to live happy and comfortable lives.

    “BARC is a state-of-the-art facility built to give animals the best chance at finding loving permanent homes. Designed with world-leading research, it sets a new standard for animal welfare, creating a welcoming space where pets in need and families searching for their perfect companion can come together.

    MEDIA: Michael Salmon | Minister Moriarty | 0417 495 018

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the 21st Meeting of High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV)

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today attended the 21st High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s Post 2025 Vision (HLTF-AVC), co-chaired by Malaysia and the Philippines, in Manila, the Philippines. The HLTF-ACV discussed the draft Kuala Lumpur Declaration to adopt the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the Strategic Plans of the three Community Pillars and ASEAN Connectivity, as well as the way forward, with the view to ensuring that the draft ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans are adopted during the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia later this year.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the 21st Meeting of High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV) appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch, Daines Lead Bill to Defend Firearm Businesses and the Second Amendment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Steve Daines (R-Montana) introduced the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination (FIND) Act to prohibit the federal government from entering into contracts with groups that discriminate unfairly against firearm associations or businesses.

    “Taxpayer dollars should not support businesses that unfairly target law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. Full stop,” said Crapo.

    “We cannot allow businesses with anti-Second Amendment policies and rhetoric to benefit from taxpayer-funded government contracts,” said Risch.  “The FIND Act ensures the federal government doesn’t line the pockets of businesses working against Idahoans’ right to keep and bear arms.”

    “Democrats and woke corporations have proven over and over again that they want to carry out an unconstitutional, overreaching gun-grabbing agenda, and under no circumstances should our federal government use taxpayer dollars for these efforts.  Doing business with anti-Second Amendment corporations erodes Americans’ trust and infringes on law-abiding citizens’ Constitutional rights. It must stop,” said Daines.

    The legislation was co-sponsored by Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama).

    ?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on Meeting With CMS Administrator Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Published: February 04, 2025

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released the following statement after meeting with Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee to be Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator:
    “I had a constructive meeting with Dr. Oz, where we discussed his approach to health care policy and vision for CMS.  I value his advocacy for consumer choice and his commitment to expanding Americans’ access to affordable, high-quality health care.  I look forward to considering his nomination before the Finance Committee.”

    Save image here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on Pam Bondi Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed, by a vote of 54-46, Pam Bondi to be the United States Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ):

    “Under the previous Administration, the DOJ weaponized the justice system against the Left’s perceived political enemies.  Notably, it targeted pro-life individuals and President Donald Trump in frivolous, politically-motivated lawsuits.  Pam Bondi has promised to return our federal law enforcement to its rightful job of prosecuting crimes and carrying out justice without regard to political identity.  She will restore order to an agency facing significant bureaucratic backlogs and she will uphold the rule of law.  I congratulate Attorney General Bondi on her confirmation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy At Treasury: The Senate Should Not Vote For A Single Nominee That Will Participate In This Fraud

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 04, 2025

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday joined Democratic members of Congress outside the U.S. Treasury Department to call out Elon Musk’s alleged illegal takeover of the Treasury’s payment systems. Murphy blasted Musk for conspiring with Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies to hijack the federal government for the ultra-rich—putting Social Security, tax refunds, and other essential programs millions of Americans depend on at risk.

    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:

    MURPHY: “So it feels like the people of America have woken up. We are wide awake to the fraud that is being perpetuated on this country inside this building, and we are not going to stand for it. And I don’t know about you, but I think the United States Senate shouldn’t vote for a single nominee that’s going to participate in this fraud. 

    “When we open up the Senate every single morning, we don’t pledge allegiance to the billionaires. We don’t pledge allegiance to Elon Musk. We don’t pledge allegiance to the creepy twenty-two-year-olds working for Elon Musk. We pledge allegiance to the United States of America. I want to make sure that my mother gets her Social Security check, not because she pledges allegiance to Elon, but because she pledges allegiance to the United States of America. I want to make sure your neighbor gets their tax refund, not because they pledge allegiance to the billionaire class, but because they pledge allegiance to the United States of America. 

    “And so we have work to do right now. Every single one of us has a responsibility to stand up to this fraud. And it is true, we have to reach out to everyone in this country –conservatives, liberals, Republicans, Democrats – and tell them that we have not months, we have not weeks, but we have days to stop the destruction of our democracy. We have work to do. 

    “And so we will fight. We will fight with you to make sure that in this country, it is the people that rule. It is the people that rule, not the billionaires. We are taking back this country from Elon Musk. Thank you, everybody.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 35 Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos At Critical National Security Agencies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 04, 2025

    WASHINGTON–U.S Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 35 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability.
    Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.
    “…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” the senators wrote.
    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”
    “Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” the senators added.
    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”
    U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Angus S. King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) also signed the letters.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists create a database of samples from the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” on the CoGIS platform

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Employees Scientific and educational center “Evolution of the Earth” Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, Novosibirsk State University are creating a database that will combine information about all samples located in open exhibits and storage facilities. The result of this work should be the creation of a website for all those interested in geology and mineralogy. Third-party visitors will be able to see exhibits of the Evolution of the Earth Scientific and Educational Center here, and professional geologists and NSU employees will be able to obtain information about samples from the faculty’s closed storage facilities. Work on creating the database and the website is being carried out with the support of the program “Priority 2030”The software product is being created by the Novosibirsk IT company Data East, which employs graduates of the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of NSU.

    — The domestic geoinformation platform CoGIS allows specialists to create websites from ready-made modules without resorting to the services of programmers. They design the database themselves, create object cards and thus document museum exhibits. Each object contains a description and multimedia information — photos, videos, presentations. The interface is so simple that it can be easily mastered by both a scientist and a schoolchild. We expect that the CoGIS platform for the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” and for the university as a whole will become a universal environment for storing and processing scientific and practical information, useful for student term papers and diploma papers, industrial practices, as well as for the implementation of research programs of the university, — said Mikhail Zadorozhny, GIS specialist at Data East.

    — At the moment, the database is only being created and functions only for internal use. We have digitized all the samples exhibited in the expositions of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” — both inside its premises and in display cases located in the adjacent corridors. The samples that are in the faculty’s storage facilities have also been partially digitized. To date, the database contains information on more than three thousand samples. About the same number has been digitized, but has not yet been entered into the database. To do this, we, together with specialists from Data East, have created sample cards, in each of which we place an image of a mineral or rock and a number of its geological characteristics: name, chemical composition, weight, size, date of receipt in the storage of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth”, place and date of extraction, name of the extractor. Of course, not every sample is provided with a full list of this data — often some characteristics are unknown to us. Not all samples are provided with a photo image — only the exposition ones and the most impressive in appearance. The rest will be accompanied only by descriptions at the first stage, said Olga Khokhryakova, a research fellow at the Evolution of the Earth Scientific and Educational Center.

    The database compilers still have a lot of work ahead of them. Many of the specimens that require detailed descriptions and photographs are under glass, so the database contains incomplete data and “rough” photographs. The specimens from the Alexander Godovikov collection, located in the passage next to the exhibition halls of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth”, have full descriptions. The remaining specimens, which are stored packed in boxes, will not be accompanied by photographs for now.

    — The storage facilities of the Geological and Geophysical Faculty contain thousands of undescribed samples brought back from student practices and expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s. Before the creation of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” in the new building, there was an educational museum at the Geological and Geophysical Faculty (it was located in the laboratory building), and now its samples make up a significant part of the faculty’s collection. All the exhibits placed in display cases had descriptions and labels. In the new building, the collection was replenished with new samples. We also enter them into our database. But a considerable part of the minerals and rocks still remain unsorted. The samples are in boxes wrapped in old newspapers from the Soviet era. Now we sort them out, describe the contents and put them on the balance sheet. The most spectacular samples have been selected for placement in museum display cases or in educational collections intended for classrooms, — said Olga Khokhryakova.

    In addition, the staff of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” work with unaccounted samples brought from geological practices and trips of the members of the student mineralogical society “Crystal”. For several decades, these samples were stored in the laboratory building of NSU, and now they have been transported to the storage facilities of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth”. Some parcels with samples have not yet been unpacked. The most interesting and beautiful samples were previously selected and placed in display cases of the museum of the SMO “Crystal”, the rest did not have time to be sorted out. Now NSU geologists have taken up this work, dividing the samples into several categories. They combine samples, for example, by place of discovery, chemical composition or area of application. The volume of the collection to be sorted out is calculated not in the number of boxes, but in cubic meters. At the moment, there are 10 of them.

    — We classify, systematize, arrange all the samples that come to us by storage location and enter them into the database, which allows us to quickly and easily find them in the storage facility when there is a need to form exhibitions, replenish educational collections or present them as illustrations on the Internet. We understand that a methodical description of all the samples will probably take a decade, so we decided to take a different approach: first, we select those samples that are interesting to us from an exhibition or educational point of view, and work with them. We will move on to less interesting samples later. We fill the database gradually, as we describe the samples, — Olga Khokhryakova explained.

    According to the plan of the staff of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth”, the database they are creating will not only be used internally. Access to the database is via the Internet, adding and viewing information occurs within the framework of the geoportal, which presents the mineralogical and paleontological expositions of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth”. Different levels of access – for employees who can edit data, and for visitors who will visit the site to admire photographs of sparkling crystals and multi-colored stones, and at the same time learn interesting facts about them – are configured using CoGIS. Visitors to the geoportal will be able to familiarize themselves with the contents of the exhibition showcases of the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” and with each exhibit presented on them separately. It is assumed that NSU employees and students will be able to see more information than all other visitors. For example, they will be able to get acquainted with archival and educational collections.

    — Our website, thanks to its impressive design and beautiful photo illustrations, will attract the attention of schoolchildren and teachers. Having learned about us, teachers will be able to contact the Scientific and Educational Center “Evolution of the Earth” with a request for educational mineralogical collections, which would present, for example, minerals and rocks that are often found in our region, or samples necessary for mastering the curricula in geography and chemistry. Our employees form school collections at the request of teachers. One of them was transferred to Novosibirsk School No. 112 in November last year, — said Olga Khokhryakova.

    The website, which contains a database of mineralogical and paleontological samples, is expected to become available to a wider audience later this year.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Govt’s lack of a plan shows in soaring unemployment stats

    Source: Green Party

    The latest labour market figures confirm unemployment has risen to levels not seen since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “This Government lacks a plan for creating jobs, its only plan is entrenching poverty for our poorest communities,” says the Green Party’s Social Development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March.

    “Our country has the means to build an economy that works for everyone and leaves nobody behind. We can invest in the public services and infrastructure which support our communities into meaningful jobs and livelihoods.

    “The latest stats lay bare the poverty trap this Government is setting for our communities. Cutting thousands of jobs and undermining support for people doing it tough is setting our communities up to fail.

    “There are not enough jobs – this is by design. We can’t use austerity to condemn people into deeper poverty due to hard times

    “The Government has introduced new benefit sanctions while they push more people into unemployment, knowing full well there aren’t enough jobs for every single person on the benefit, and will never be while it’s in power.

    “Where is the workforce planning desperately needed for our country, with its many challenges including the huge infrastructure deficit and meeting the needs of an ageing population? Nowhere to be seen under this coalition for the rich.

    “We have a plan for a Future Workforce Agency to strategically upskill New Zealanders and coordinate industrial planning.

    “The Greens would end poverty with a Guaranteed Minimum Income, more training opportunities, and restarting public investment in healthcare, schools, and building housing that creates good jobs. Our jobs for nature plan will also be a central plank for providing people with meaningful and stable work.

    “The Government needs to boost benefits and abolish sanctions, so that the increasing number of unemployed New Zealanders aren’t left to languish in poverty, and aren’t punished for struggling to find work in National’s barren economy,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Public Works Act overhaul fails to protect Māori land

    Source: Green Party

    The Government’s so-called overhaul of the Public Works Act will fail to prevent further injustices around the confiscation of Māori land.

    “Now is the time for this Government to be brave and ensure not one more acre of Māori land is stolen by the Crown,” says Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon.

    “The Government is failing to address what remains a source of great injustice for Māori – that’s why I’m calling on all political parties to support my bill to protect Maori land from confiscation under the Public Works Act.

    “Māori have already lost a significant amount of land and that includes for public purposes. But the plans for the overhaul of the Act give Māori no ability to say no to the state taking their land for public works.

    “Adding the Minister of Māori Development into the hierarchy controlling approvals for compulsory acquisition of whenua gives no comfort to Māori. We’ve already seen with Fast-Track, having multiple ministers signing off on things is hardly a protection for whenua or te taiao.

    “What’s more, the inadequate compensation package announced by the Minister is a bitter pill for Māori who have already lost so much. 

    “The Government’s neglect of Māori concerns is an insult to injury compounded by the Prime Minister’s absence at Waitangi this week.

    “Don’t think for one second that the confiscation of land is just a memory of the Land Wars and their legacy – it’s something still confronting us in the present.

    “The Waitangi Tribunal found that the Crown must actively protect Māori interests, and this is what my Bill seeks to do, by protecting the small amount of Māori land left from compulsory acquisition – thus giving primacy to Article Two of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

    “The Green Party’s Hoki Whenua Mai commitment would prevent whenua Māori being taken in future, and provide a clearer path for the return of land previously taken.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Hawke’s Bay Expressway, Napier

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Motorists are advised to expect delays at Greenmeadows, near Napier, after a serious crash on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway.

    Emergency services were called to the collision, involving a car and motorbike, about 3.50pm. It happened in the southbound lane, between Kennedy Road on-ramp and Meeanee Road off-ramp.

    One person is understood to have critical injuries.

    Motorists are advised to expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road blocked, SH1, Tamahere

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    State Highway One/Waikato Expressway is blocked following a single vehicle crash this afternoon.

    Police were alerted to the crash before the Tamahere Road off-ramp at around 4pm.

    There are no reports of injuries at this stage.

    The southbound lane is blocked and motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on February 04, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 5,70,710.87 6.32 0.01-6.80
         I. Call Money 17,135.14 6.50 5.10-6.65
         II. Triparty Repo 3,90,143.40 6.27 6.10-6.48
         III. Market Repo 1,61,386.03 6.42 0.01-6.70
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,046.30 6.73 6.70-6.80
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 234.45 6.28 6.05-6.61
         II. Term Money@@ 101.00 – 6.50-6.80
         III. Triparty Repo 1,530.65 6.39 6.25-6.40
         IV. Market Repo 485.07 6.70 6.55-6.75
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Tue, 04/02/2025 1 Wed, 05/02/2025 25,001.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Tue, 04/02/2025 1 Wed, 05/02/2025 378.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 04/02/2025 1 Wed, 05/02/2025 1,58,816.00 6.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -1,33,437.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 14 Fri, 07/02/2025 1,62,096.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       9,556.71  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     1,71,652.71  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     38,215.71  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on February 04, 2025 8,84,724.53  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending February 07, 2025 9,12,544.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ February 04, 2025 25,001.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on January 10, 2025 -40,102.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2024-2025/2076

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Welcomes Pam Bondi’s Confirmation as U.S. Attorney General

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement regarding the Senate’s confirmation of Pam Bondi to be Attorney General of the United States. Bondi was confirmed by a vote of 54-46.

    “Pam Bondi’s confirmation is a victory for the rule of law and a promise that safer days are ahead. Ms. Bondi is a career prosecutor who’s dedicated her professional career to pursuing justice. As Florida’s Attorney General, she didn’t shy away from hard work or complicated problems. I expect her to take the same tough, unbiased approach as U.S. Attorney General.

    “Bondi is committed to upholding the constitutionality of the False Claims Act – which has rescued over $78 billion from the hands of government fraudsters – and vowed to enthusiastically support government transparency. You can be sure my congressional oversight of the Department of Justice will continue. Under Ms. Bondi’s leadership, I look forward to seeing enhanced accountability at the DOJ and improved responsiveness to Congress and the American people.”

    Grassley spoke on the Senate floor earlier today in support of Bondi’s nomination. See his full remarks HERE.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley: The Senate Judiciary Committee is Moving Forward with Kash Patel’s Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement regarding the Minority’s request to hold a second hearing on Kash Patel’s nomination to be FBI Director:

    “Kash Patel testified before the Committee for more than five hours, disclosed thousands of pages of records and media appearances, and provided 147 pages of responses to written questions. Further hearings on his nomination are unnecessary. 

    “No one was convinced by the Minority’s baseless efforts to mischaracterize and malign Kash Patel. It’s additionally outrageous to assert that a nominee should come before the Senate to answer for government actions that occurred prior to their time at an agency.

    “The Senate Judiciary Committee will not fall for Democrats’ delay tactics. I intend to hold a final committee vote on Patel’s nomination as soon as next week.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2

    Source: The White House

    MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
                  THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
                  THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
                  THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
                  THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
                  THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
                  THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
                  THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OF STAFF
                  THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
                  THE UNITED STATES PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE
                     UNITED NATIONS
                  THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
                  THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
                     AGENCY
                  THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
                     BUDGET
                  THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL
                     SECURITY AFFAIRS
                  THE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
                  THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC
                     POLICY
                  THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
                  THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF
                     INVESTIGATION

    SUBJECT: Imposing Maximum Pressure on the Government of
           the Islamic Republic of Iran, Denying Iran All
           Paths to a Nuclear Weapon, and Countering Iran’s
           Malign Influence

    As President, my highest priority is to ensure the safety and security of the United States and the American people.  Since its inception in 1979 as a revolutionary theocracy, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared its hostility to the United States and its allies and partners.  Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa’ida, and other terrorist networks.  The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is itself a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    The Iranian Government, including the IRGC, is using agents and cyber-enabled means to target United States nationals living in the United States and other countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder.  Iran has also directed its proxy groups, including Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization, to embed sleeper cells in the Homeland to be activated in support of this terrorist activity.   

    Iran bears responsibility for the horrific Hamas massacres committed on October 7, 2023, and bears responsibility for continued Houthi attacks against the United States Navy, allied navies, and international commercial shipping in the Red Sea.  Since April 2024, the regime has twice demonstrated its willingness to launch ballistic and cruise missile attacks against the State of Israel. 

    Iran commits grievous human rights abuses and arbitrarily detains foreigners, including United States citizens, on spurious charges without due process of law, subjecting them to abuse.  The United States stands with the women of Iran who face daily abuse by the regime. 

    Iran’s nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world.  A radical regime like this can never be allowed to acquire or develop nuclear weapons, or to extort the United States or its allies through the threat of nuclear weapons acquisition, development, or use.  Iran today stands in breach of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations by concealing undeclared nuclear sites and material as required by its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  Iran has obstructed IAEA access to its military sites or sites tied to the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, also known as SPND, and to interview nuclear weapons scientists still employed by SPND.  Public reports indicating that Iran may now be engaged in computer modeling related to nuclear weapons development raise immediate alarm.  We must deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and end the regime’s nuclear extortion racket. 

    Iran’s behavior threatens the national interest of the United States.  It is therefore in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups. 

    Section 1.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States that Iran be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles; that Iran’s network and campaign of regional aggression be neutralized; that the IRGC and its surrogates be disrupted, degraded, or denied access to the resources that sustain their destabilizing activities; and to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities. 

    Sec. 2.  Enacting Maximum Pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.  (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall:

                  (i)    immediately impose sanctions or appropriate enforcement remedies on all persons for which the Department has evidence of activity in violation of one or more Iran-related sanctions;

                  (ii)   implement a robust and continual sanctions enforcement campaign with respect to Iran that denies the regime and its terror proxies access to revenue;

                  (iii)  review for modification or rescission any general license, frequently asked question, or other guidance that provides Iran or any of its terror proxies any degree of economic or financial relief;

                  (iv)   issue updated guidance to all relevant business sectors including shipping, insurance, and port operators, about the risks to any person that knowingly violates United States sanctions with respect to Iran or an Iranian terror proxy; and

                  (v)    maintain countermeasures against Iran at the Financial Action Task Force, evaluate beneficial ownership thresholds to ensure sanctions deny Iran all possible illicit revenue, and evaluate whether financial institutions should adopt a “Know Your Customer’s Customer” standard for Iran-related transactions to further prevent sanctions evasion. 

    (b)  The Secretary of State shall:

                  (i)    modify or rescind sanctions waivers, particularly those that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief, including those related to Iran’s Chabahar port project;

                  (ii)   implement a robust and continual campaign, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and other relevant executive departments or agencies (agencies), to drive Iran’s export of oil to zero, including exports of Iranian crude to the People’s Republic of China;

                  (iii)  lead a diplomatic campaign to isolate Iran throughout the world, including within international organizations, including the denial of freedom of movement or safe haven to the IRGC or any terror proxy of Iran wherever such may operate outside Iran’s borders; and

                  (iv)   take immediate steps, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and other relevant agencies, to ensure that the Iraqi financial system is not utilized by Iran for sanctions evasion or circumvention, and that Gulf countries are not used as sanctions evasion transshipment points. 

    (c)  The United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations shall:

                  (i)    work with key allies to complete the snapback of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran;

                  (ii)   hold Iran accountable for its breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and

                  (iii)  regularly convene the United Nations Security Council to highlight the myriad threats posed by Iran to international peace and security. 

    (d)  The Secretary of Commerce shall conduct a robust and continuous export control enforcement campaign to restrict the flow of technology and components used by the regime for military purposes.   

    (e)  The Attorney General shall:

                  (i)    pursue all available legal steps to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute financial and logistical networks, operatives, or front groups inside the United States that are sponsored by Iran or an Iranian terror proxy;

                  (ii)   pursue all available legal steps to impound illicit Iranian oil cargoes;

                  (iii)  pursue all available legal steps to identify Iranian governmental assets in the United States and overseas, and help American victims of terrorism, including Gold Star Families, collect on Federal judgments against Iran;

                  (iv)   pursue all available legal steps to indict and prosecute the leaders and members of Iranian-funded terrorist groups and proxies that have captured, harmed, or killed American citizens and, where possible and in coordination with the Secretary of State, seek their arrest and extradition to the United States; and   

                  (v)    use all criminal, regulatory, and cyber authorities and tools to vigorously investigate, prosecute, and disrupt efforts by the Iranian government to conduct espionage or obtain military, intelligence, government, or other sensitive information, compromise the Homeland and our critical infrastructure, evade sanctions and export controls, obtain material support for terrorism, exert foreign malign influence, and threaten harm and infringe on First Amendment-protected speech, including efforts designed to sow anti-Semitism.

      Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

                  (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

                  (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.   

         (b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.   

         (c)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Maximum Pressure on Iran

    Source: The White House

    RESTORING MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON IRAN: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) restoring maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon, and countering Iran’s malign influence abroad.

    • The NSPM establishes that:
      • Iran should be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles;
      • Iran’s terrorist network should be neutralized; and
      • Iran’s aggressive development of missiles, as well as other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, should be countered.
    • The NSPM directs the Secretary of the Treasury to impose maximum economic pressure on the Government of Iran, including by sanctioning or imposing enforcement mechanisms on those acting in violation of existing sanctions.
      • The Treasury Secretary will also issue guidance for all relevant business sectors – including shipping, insurance, and port operators – about the risks to any person that knowingly violates U.S. sanctions with respect to Iran or an Iranian terror proxy.
      • The Secretary of State will also modify or rescind existing sanctions waivers and cooperate with the Secretary of Treasury to implement a campaign aimed at driving Iran’s oil exports to zero.
      • The United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations will work with key allies to complete the snapback of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.

    PROTECTING THE HOMELAND FROM IRAN: The previous Administration’s tolerance of Iran’s threats to American citizens and companies ends now.

    • The Attorney General will pursue all available legal steps to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute financial and logistical networks, operatives, or front groups inside the United States that are sponsored by Iran or an Iranian terror proxy.
      • The Attorney General will prosecute leaders and members of Iranian-funded terrorist groups that have captured, harmed, or killed American citizens and seek their arrest and extradition to the United States.

    TAKING IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM OFF THE TABLE: President Trump will not tolerate Iran possessing a nuclear weapons capability, nor will he stand for their sustained sponsorship of terrorism, especially against U.S. interests.

    • In 2020, President Trump declared that “as long as [he is] President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”
    • Today’s NSPM fulfills the President’s 2020 vow to contend with Iran’s pernicious influence across the globe:
      • “For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond.  Those days are over.  Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world.  We will never let that happen.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States helped found the United Nations (UN) after World War II to prevent future global conflicts and promote international peace and security.  But some of the UN’s agencies and bodies have drifted from this mission and instead act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism.  As in 2018, when the United States withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the United States will reevaluate our commitment to these institutions.

    Three UN organizations that deserve renewed scrutiny are the UNHRC; the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

    UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State (Secretary) as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.  UNHRC has protected human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny, while UNESCO has demonstrated failure to reform itself, has continually demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade, and has failed to address concerns over mounting arrears.

    Sec. 2.  UNHRC and UNESCO Participation.  (a)  The United States will not participate in the UNHRC and will not seek election to that body.  The Secretary shall terminate the office of United States Representative to the UNHRC and any positions primarily dedicated to supporting the United States Representative to the UNHRC. 

    (b)  The United States will also conduct a review of its membership in UNESCO.  This review shall be led by the Secretary, in coordination with the United States Representative to the United Nations (UN Ambassador), and must be completed within 90 days of the date of this order.  The review will include an evaluation of how and if UNESCO supports United States interests.  In particular, the review will include an analysis of any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.  

    Sec. 3.  Funding.  (a)  Executive departments and agencies shall not use any funds for a contribution, grant, or other payment to UNRWA, consistent with section 301 of title III, division G, of Public Law 118-47 (March 23, 2024).  The Secretary shall withdraw the determination previously made under section 7048(c)(1) of title VII, division F, of Public Law 118-47.  Accordingly, of the funds appropriated for a contribution to the UN Regular Budget under the heading “Contributions to International Organizations” of Public Law 118-47, as most recently continued by Public Law 118-158 (December 21, 2024), the Secretary shall withhold the United States proportionate share of the total annual amount of UN Regular Budget funding for the UNHRC, consistent with section 7048(c) of title VII, division F, of Public Law 118-47.

    (b)  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, in consultation with the UN Ambassador, shall conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organizations of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding or other support, and all conventions and treaties to which the United States is a party, to determine which organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States and whether such organizations, conventions, or treaties can be reformed.  Upon the conclusion of that review, the Secretary shall report the findings to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and provide recommendations as to whether the United States should withdraw from any such organizations, conventions, or treaties. 

    Sec. 4.  Notification.  The Secretary shall inform the UN Secretary General and the leadership of UNRWA and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that the United States will not fund UNRWA or the UNHRC and that the United States will not satisfy any claims to pay 2025 assessments or prior arrears by these organizations.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,

        February 3, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Withdraws from Anti-American UN Organizations

    Source: The White House

    ENDING U.S. SUPPORT FOR RADICAL ANTI-AMERICAN UN ORGANIZATIONS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibiting any future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA).

    • The Executive Order also requires the Secretary of State to review and report to the President on which international organizations, conventions, or treaties promote radical or anti-American sentiment.
      • The UN Educational, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in particular, will undergo a review under an expedited timeline due to its history of anti-Israel bias.
    • The Executive Order will prohibit the United States from providing any additional funding to UNRWA, which has consistently shown itself to be anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, as evidenced by the number of its staff members who took part in the horrific October 7th terrorist attacks against Israel.
      • UNRWA facilities have repeatedly been used by Hamas and other terrorist groups to store weapons and build tunnels.

    STANDING UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has not fulfilled its purpose and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violations.

    • The UNHRC has demonstrated consistent bias against Israel, focusing on it unfairly and disproportionately in council proceedings.
    • In 2018, the year President Trump withdrew from the UNHRC in his first administration, the organization passed more resolutions condemning Israel than Syria, Iran, and North Korea combined.

    BUILDING ON PAST SUCCESS: During his first administration, President Trump stopped funding the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and withdrew the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    • President Trump in 2017: “The United Nations must reform if it is to be an effective partner in confronting threats to sovereignty, security, and prosperity.”
    • After the U.S. withdrew from UNESCO, the organization took steps to improve its relationship with Israel.
    • President Trump successfully stopped U.S. funding to UNRWA during his first administration. The Biden Administration initially resumed funding until being forced to confront UNRWA’s corruption after the October 7th attacks, and President Trump is once again taking action to stand up for human rights by withdrawing the United States from this corrupt organization for good.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Explore the best summer spots at Auckland Regional Parks

    Source: Auckland Council

    We’re pretty lucky here in Tāmaki Makaurau, to have access to such epic scenery right in our own backyard. With a whopping 45,000 hectares, Auckland’s 28 regional parks have plenty on offer. They span bush, beach and farmland and can satisfy anyone from the picnic seekers and beach-goers to water sport junkies, adventurous hikers and campers alike. 

    Wherever you fall on the adventure spectrum – get inspired here for your next outing with friends and whānau, ready to enjoy the outdoors your way. 

    BEST REGIONAL PARKS FOR CAMPING: 

    Ātiu Creek  

    If you’re keen on horsing around (with a permit), check out Ātiu Creek Regional Park and campground – the only campsite in an Auckland regional park where you can stay overnight with your horse secure in a nearby paddock.

    If you’re more keen on mountain biking or walking, you too can make the most of 843 hectares that make up Ātiu Creek, Auckland’s third-largest regional park, which sits right on the shores of Kaipara Harbour.

    Safe to say there’s plenty of prime picnic spots and epic lookout points throughout as well.  

    Explore the serene environment of Āitu Creek Regional Park.

    Āwhitu  

    Located on the southwest shores of Manukau Harbour, and only 90 minutes from Auckland, you’ll find Āwhitu Regional Park. With its two campgrounds, a golf course, historic homestead, picnic and barbecue areas, and safe swimming beaches, this is the prime spot for a weekend getaway.  

    Wenderholm 

    Head south towards the mouth of the Puhoi River, to find the region’s best example of mainland coastal forest in Wenderholm Regional Park. You can set up camp for the night at Schischka campground, before exploring the various walking tracks, viewing spots and historic house museum known as Couldrey House. Be sure to check out either the Pūhoi River, Hauraki Gulf and/or Mahurangi Harbour by boat or kayak! 

    Ōmana 

    Further southeast is Ōmana Regional Park where you’ll find breathtaking views of Tīkapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf. With accessible concrete paths that lead to shelly beaches decorated by pōhutukawa, the Clifftop campground makes for the perfect home away from home. 

    Waharau 

    For something unique, head out to Waharau Regional Park’s Tainui campground, which supplies power and hot showers – a luxury for remote campgrounds!

    You’ll be surrounded by nature out at the Blackberry campground, which sits next to a calming river, mature native bush and delightful birdsong.

    This location is also the start/finish point of the Te Ara Moana/Kayak Trail, which takes kayakers down the coast with camps at five different regional parks along the way. 

    BEST COASTAL WALKS 

    If a multi-day adventure isn’t on the cards, how about heading southeast to the quiet and scenic coastal parks Auckland has to offer. Consider your next day trip sorted!  

    Duder and Waitawa 

    For farm and coastal walks, check out Duder Regional Park which consists of a number of trails varying from 30-minute walks to 3hr loop trails and is located on the scenic pōhutukawa-fringed Wahakakaiwhara Peninsula. Dogs aren’t allowed at Duder, but they’re welcome at the nearby Waitawa Regional Park where you can walk, mountain bike, ride your horse, fish and even play disc golf. 

    Tawhitokino 

    Tawhitokino Regional Park is praised by having what some call the most beautiful beach in Auckland, the catch is that it’s only accessible at low tide. This means a trip to this small coastal park – at the end of Kawakawa Bay Coast Road – needs careful planning. The walk through the low tide section will take up to 30 minutes. Dogs are allowed off leash (including the adjoining beach) but prohibited near the campgrounds. 

    The seaside views from Tawhitokino Regional Park are a must-see!

    Motukorea/Browns Island 

    Another regional park that needs careful planning beforehand is Motukorea / Browns Island. One of two island regional parks in Tāmaki Makaurau (the other is Whakanewha Regional Park on Waiheke), Motukorea is only accessible via boat or kayak, so keeping a close watch on the weather is recommended. Some places offer guided kayak tours to the island too.  

    Orere Point and Tāpapakanga  

    Spend some time at Auckland’s smallest regional park, Orere Point Regional Park, before heading 10 minutes down the road to Tāpapakanga Regional Park. Marvel at the stunning coastal and farm walks available.

    One of these tracks takes you to the highest point in the park, where you can get gorgeous views across to Coromandel Peninsula.

    Further along the Firth of Thames is the dog friendly Waharau Regional Park where you can pick from the vast farmland, riverbanks and forest for camping, picnics and walking. 

    The coastline of Tāpapakanga Regional Park is one of the most gorgeous in the Auckland region.

    HIDDEN TREASURES 

    Te Rau Pūriri  

    Hidden treasures abound in Tāmaki Makaurau! Did you know the largest and deepest of the sand-dune lakes is found along Auckland’s west coast? Check out Lake Ototoa located in Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park, South Head, which spans 340 hectares and conveniently also offers a beach to its visitors. 

    Take in the majestic views from the hilltops of Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park.

    Mutukāroa/Hamlins Hill 

    How about a spot where you can see both the East and West coasts from the same point? Check out Mutukāroa/Hamlins Hill Regional Park for this hidden gem of a spot, and a historic strategic location for Iwi, and part of the portage route when moving waka from the Waitematā to the Manukau and vice versa. This epic park, located between Penrose and Mount Wellington, is visible from the southern motorway and holds great importance to mana whenua. Archaeological features include pits, middens and terraces where crops once grew.  

    Scandrett 

    For the history buffs, visit Scandrett Regional Park, home to two headland pā sites, on the Mahurangi Peninsula. Shipbuilding took place here in the 1850s, and from the 1860s it was a farm noted for its concrete, rather than kauri, buildings. Restored farm buildings remain and have become features of the park that was still used as farmland until 1998. 

    Shakespear 

    Make the most of Auckland’s most accessible open sanctuary! Located on the tip of Whangapāraoa Peninsula, you’ll find a stunner of a place in Shakespear Regional Park where conservation, recreation and farming come together to provide a unique experience. Keep an eye out for glow-worms and kiwi or set up camp behind the sand dunes at the eastern end of Te Haruhi Bay. 

    BEHOLD THE RANGES! 

    Waitākere Ranges 

    Adventure waits out in Auckland’s West side. The Waitākere Ranges Regional Park are a treasure and certainly a sight to behold. Check out the various walking tracks and all it’s got to offer at the Arataki Visitor Centre where you can also learn more about the ecology and cultural significance of the land. 

    Hunua Ranges 

    At 25,000 hectares, Hunua Ranges Regional Park features numerous tramping and mountain biking tracks, as well as opportunities to fish, swim and visit waterfalls (but note that swimming at Hunua Falls can be dangerous). Surrounded by stunning scenery, it might also be tempting to explore the interior of the Hunua Ranges, but this kind of remote tramping is only recommended to those with back-country experience armed with a detailed track map and the right provisions and equipment.  

    Did you know Kauri Dieback, (Phytophthora taxon Agathis), is a disease that is threatening the survival of kauri trees? Hunua Ranges Regional Park is particularly special as it remains the largest Kauri Forest known to be free of this disease. 

    Regardless of which park you visit, be sure keep to the defined tracks, use the hygiene stations when provided and clean your footwear before and after your visit. 

    Immerse yourself in the forest and waterfall scenery through the Hunua Bush Walk.

    Stay safe out there

    You can also check out the Mountain Safety Council’s Plan My Walk app for helpful tips to plan your trip! 

    And before you take the plunge this summer, check out the Safeswim website for up-to-date information on water quality, wind, waves and tides, as well as jellyfish swarms and other hazards. Safeswim is a fantastic tool to help keep you and your whānau safe. 

    To ensure an enjoyable time outdoors, remember these helpful tips: 

    Dogs and track notices: Check the rules before you go. All parks have a designated webpage which outline unique specifications and updates on potential hazards and closures due to maintenance or Kauri Dieback.  

    Amplified sound: Be courteous of others and the wildlife. Keep amplified noise to a minimum. 

    Rubbish free parks: Plan your visit, minimise what you bring to the park and ensure you take you all your rubbish home with you. 

    Fire & solid fuel BBQs: Check for any restrictions at https://www.checkitsalright.nz 

    Parking: Be patient, park with care and avoid blocking access ways and other people. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New psychosocial risk infographics for high-risk sectors

    Source: Worksafe New Zealand

    WorkSafe has developed infographics on psychosocial risks in the high-risk sectors of agriculture, construction, forestry, and manufacturing, as well as psychosocial risks that affect all New Zealand workers.

    Mental health is an important workplace health and safety issue. Businesses have a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act to manage both physical and psychosocial risks.

    Psychosocial risks arise from poor work design and challenges in the social and physical environment, and they may result in negative psychological, physical, and social outcomes.

    These infographics help businesses to easily find and understand data on psychosocial risks relevant to their industry. Sharing information like this is part of our engagement function, to empower businesses and workers to improve health and safety practice.

    The infographics collate existing data into an easily digestible format. The data is from WorkSafe’s workforce segmentation and insights surveys, New Zealand psychosocial survey, work-related suicide report, and mentally healthy work concerns notified to WorkSafe.

    The following information is available about each sector:

    • Psychological harm
    • Self-rated health
    • Work-related suicides and significant work-related stressors
    • Offensive behaviours such as bullying and threats of violence
    • Policies around bullying, harassment, and violence
    • Protective factors
    • Mentally healthy work concerns that WorkSafe has received
    • Employer attitudes
    • Employers’ health and safety maturity, perceptions, and practices.

    View the psychosocial risks infographics

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley, Sanders Introduce Bill to Curb Exploitative Credit Card Interest Rates, Provide Relief to Working Americans

    US Senate News:

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

    Tuesday, February 04, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced bipartisan legislation to immediately cap credit card interest rates at ten percent for five years. The legislation follows President Trump’s campaign promise of a ten percent interest rate cap.

    “Working Americans are drowning in record credit card debt while the biggest credit card issuers get richer and richer by hiking their interest rates to the moon. It’s not just wrong, it’s exploitative. And it needs to end,” Senator Hawley said. “Capping credit card interest rates at 10%, just like President Trump campaigned on, is a simple way to provide meaningful relief to working people. Let’s do it.”

    “During the campaign, President Trump pledged to cap credit card interest rates at ten percent,” Senator Sanders said. “Today, I am proud to be introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Hawley to do just that. When large financial institutions charge over 25 percent interest on credit cards, they are not engaged in the business of making credit available. They are engaged in extortion and loan sharking. We cannot continue to allow big banks to make huge profits ripping off the American people. This legislation will provide working families struggling to pay their bills with desperately needed financial relief.”

    The Sanders-Hawley bill comes after a recent Forbes report found that the average credit card interest rate is 28.6%, despite banks’ ability to borrow money from the Federal Reserve at less than 4.5%. Exorbitant interest rates and sky-high fees have allowed credit card companies to make enormous profits, supplying their executives with generous compensation at the expense of hard-working Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Joins Hoeven, Pfluger in Efforts to Block Biden’s Natural Gas Tax, Alleviate Burden on U.S. Domestic Energy Production

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX) today in reintroducing a bicameral Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to block implementation of the Biden administration’s Natural Gas Tax, which was passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend legislation in 2022.

    “This onerous natural gas tax was a key component of President Biden’s crusade to cripple western energy production,” said Senator Lummis. “I’m proud to work with Senator Hoeven and Congressman Pfluger to block this shortsighted, anti-energy legislation and start the process of undoing these failed Biden-era attacks on American and Wyoming energy.”

    “When it comes to bringing down prices and making America energy secure again, we have our work cut out for us. The Biden-Harris administration imposed countless policies like the Natural Gas Tax that drive up the cost of production and limit the ability to fully utilize our nation’s abundant energy resources, and it will take real time and effort to undo the effects of their Green New Deal agenda,” said Senator Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Through efforts like this CRA resolution, we are working to get our nation back on the right track, providing needed regulatory and tax relief to deliver real cost savings to American energy producers and consumers.”

    “As part of his war on energy, former President Biden took radical steps to end fossil fuels during his administration which hurt the hardworking energy producers in my district who have worked diligently to increase production while fueling our allies abroad,” said Rep. Pfluger, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “Biden’s burdensome natural gas tax has handicapped technological innovation, reduced supplies of affordable energy, and increased both costs and emissions. With President Trump back in office, it is time to restore American energy dominance – which is why I am proud to lead this CRA to rescind this ill-conceived natural gas tax.”

    The Hoeven-Pfluger bill is cosponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Ricketts (R-Neb.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis, Hagerty, Gillibrand, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Stablecoin Regulatory Framework

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C.—  Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senate Banking Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in introducing the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act to establish a clear regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

    “Creating a bipartisan regulatory framework for stablecoins is critical to maintaining the U.S.’s dollar dominance and promoting responsible financial innovation,” said Lummis. “I’m proud to support Sen. Hagerty’s important legislation, which goes a long way towards protecting Wyoming’s regulatory framework for digital assets, and ensures stablecoin issuers have a real choice when it comes to a state or national charter.”

    “From enhancing transaction efficiency to driving demand for U.S. Treasuries, the potential benefits of strong stablecoin innovation are immense,” said Hagerty. “My legislation establishes a safe and pro-growth regulatory framework that will unleash innovation and advance the President’s mission to make America the world capital of crypto.”

    “Stablecoins enable faster, cheaper, and competitive transactions in our digital world and facilitate seamless cross-border payments,” said Scott. “This legislation will expand financial inclusion and provide much-needed clarity to ensure the industry can innovate and grow here in the United States, while protecting consumers and promoting the U.S. dollar’s global position. I look forward to working with our colleagues – including House Financial Services Chairman French Hill – to advance this legislation to President Trump’s desk.”

    “Passing clear and sensible regulations for stablecoins is critical to maintaining U.S. dollar dominance, promoting responsible innovation, and protecting consumers,” said Gillibrand. “The bipartisan Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act protects consumers by requiring stablecoin issuers to maintain one-to-one reserves; prohibiting algorithmic stablecoins; and requiring issuers to comply with U.S. anti-money-laundering and sanctions rules. Importantly, it will empower responsible innovation, maintain U.S. leadership in digital assets and blockchain technology, and keep crypto companies and jobs onshore. The future of stablecoins and cryptocurrency has strong bipartisan support—I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senators Hagerty, Lummis and Scott, and look forward to working together to pass this important legislation.”

    The GENIUS Act:

    • Defines a payment stablecoin as a digital asset used for payment or settlement that is pegged to a fixed monetary value;
    • Establishes clear procedures for institutions seeking charters or licenses to issue stablecoins;
    • Implements reserve requirements and tailored regulatory standards for stablecoin issuers;
    • For State issuers of more than $10 billion in stablecoins, establishes the Federal Reserve Board as the joint supervisor of depository institutions and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as the joint supervisor of State nonbank issuers above $10 billion; 
    • Establishes supervisory, examination, and enforcement regimes with clear limitations.

    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Leads Legislation to Establish a Stablecoin Regulatory Framework

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, legislation to establish a clear regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

    Based on a public discussion draft released by Hagerty in October 2024, the legislation has benefited from extensive consultation with industry participants, academic experts, and federal government stakeholders.

    “From enhancing transaction efficiency to driving demand for U.S. Treasuries, the potential benefits of strong stablecoin innovation are immense,” said Senator Hagerty. “My legislation establishes a safe and pro-growth regulatory framework that will unleash innovation and advance the President’s mission to make America the world capital of crypto. I look forward to working with Chairman French Hill and the House Financial Services Committee to get it to the President’s desk and signed into law.”

    “Stablecoins enable faster, cheaper, and competitive transactions in our digital world and facilitate seamless cross-border payments,” said Chairman Scott. “This legislation will expand financial inclusion and provide much-needed clarity to ensure the industry can innovate and grow here in the United States, while protecting consumers and promoting the U.S. dollar’s global position. I look forward to working with our colleagues – including House Financial Services Chairman French Hill – to advance this legislation to President Trump’s desk.”

    “Passing clear and sensible regulations for stablecoins is critical to maintaining U.S. dollar dominance, promoting responsible innovation, and protecting consumers,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “The bipartisan Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act protects consumers by requiring stablecoin issuers to maintain one-to-one reserves; prohibiting algorithmic stablecoins; and requiring issuers to comply with U.S. anti-money-laundering and sanctions rules. Importantly, it will empower responsible innovation, maintain U.S. leadership in digital assets and blockchain technology, and keep crypto companies and jobs onshore. The future of stablecoins and cryptocurrency has strong bipartisan support—I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senators Hagerty, Lummis and Scott, and look forward to working together to pass this important legislation.”

    “Creating a bipartisan regulatory framework for stablecoins is critical to maintaining the U.S.’s dollar dominance and promoting responsible financial innovation,” said Senator Lummis. “I’m proud to support Sen. Hagerty’s important legislation, which goes a long way towards protecting Wyoming’s regulatory framework for digital assets, and ensures stablecoin issuers have a real choice when it comes to a state or national charter.”

    Background:

    Dollar-denominated payment stablecoins are digital assets pegged to the U.S. dollar. They can improve transaction efficiency, expand financial inclusion, and strengthen the dollar’s supremacy as the world reserve currency by driving demand for U.S. Treasuries. The previous Administration’s hostility toward crypto and refusal to provide clear regulatory guidelines has severely stifled stablecoin innovation. This legislation turns a new page.

    The GENIUS Act:

    • Defines a payment stablecoin as a digital asset used for payment or settlement that is pegged to a fixed monetary value;
    • Establishes clear procedures for institutions seeking licenses to issue stablecoins;
    • Implements reserve requirements and light-touch, tailored regulatory standards for stablecoin issuers;
    • For issuers of more than $10 billion of stablecoins, applies the Federal Reserve’s regulatory framework to depository institutions and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s framework for nonbank issuers;
    • Allows for state regulation of issuers under $10 billion in market capitalization and provides a waiver process for issuers exceeding the threshold to remain state-regulated; and
    • Establishes supervisory, examination, and enforcement regimes with clear limitations.

    Full text of the GENIUS Act can be found here.

    A one-page overview of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As FBI Purges Reportedly Continue, Booker Urges Chairman Grassley to Schedule New Judiciary Hearing to Hear Further Testimony from Kash Patel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

    “On Thursday of last week, FBI director nominee Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Throughout the hearing, Mr. Patel downplayed and minimized his well-documented record of calling for retribution against members of the media and government officials and glorifying insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, including those who violently assaulted law enforcement officers. Although there is no legal prohibition barring Mr. Patel from doing so, he refused to answer questions posed by Committee members relating to his grand jury testimony and the circumstances that led him to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in connection with the federal investigation of President Trump’s mishandling of classified national security documents.

    “Based on reports of imminent mass firings, I directly asked Mr. Patel whether he was aware of plans to punish FBI agents or personnel who worked on investigations of President Trump. Despite claiming, under oath, not to know anything about planned retribution against FBI employees, and only minutes after Mr. Patel’s hearing concluded, political appointees at the Department of Justice ousted several members of FBI leadership and demanded a list of thousands of employees who worked on investigations relating to the January 6th insurrection. These employees worked to keep us safe from counterterrorism, cybercrimes, transnational organized crime, and countless other threats that pose a danger to our nation. Their abrupt terminations and the threat of more firings create chaos within the FBI and jeopardize our domestic and national security. Mr. Patel claimed during his hearing that all FBI employees would be protected against political retribution, but these actions are plainly retributive against law enforcement officials who have dedicated their lives to protecting this country. 

    “The Committee must call Mr. Patel back to answer for these acts. Chairman Grassley must schedule an additional hearing for Mr. Patel to truthfully answer questions about the ongoing purge at the FBI and retaliation against FBI employees and about his involvement in the retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Anyone who misleads Congress is unfit to serve as the director of the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency with control over and access to our county’s most sensitive classified information.

    “The Senate Judiciary Committee simply cannot discharge its constitutional duty to advise and consent on nominees unless we have a full and accurate understanding of Mr. Patel’s record and participation in gutting the FBI. The Committee must fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the 38,000 employees of the FBI nationwide to ensure that a director confirmed by the Senate can be trusted to run the Bureau.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Treasury, Warren Blasts Elon Musk’s Government Power Grab

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 04, 2025

    Video of Remarks (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA), delivered remarks at the Department of the Treasury, responding to Elon Musk’s takeover of government payment systems. 

    Transcript: Press Conference – We Choose to Fight: Nobody Elected Elon!
    February 4, 2025
    As Delivered

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: In the building behind me, Elon Musk is seizing power away from the American people. We are here to fight back.

    A few months ago, Elon Musk spent $280 million to buy an election for Donald Trump. Now Elon Musk is here to collect on his investment. He is here to seize power for himself. We are here to fight back.

    Musk has grabbed control of America’s payment system. This is the system that makes sure that your grandpa gets his Social Security check on time. This is the system that makes sure that your mom’s doctor gets paid for her Medicare exam. Elon wants the power to turn that off as Elon Musk decides. Elon Musk wants the power to say that your grandpa, who frankly is a cranky old guy and sometimes disses Elon on X, doesn’t get his Social Security check on time. Elon Musk wants the power to say that your mom’s doctor is not doing it the way I would, so the doctor doesn’t get paid. Elon Musk wants the power to decide whether or not every road repair in America goes forward, whether or not every Head Start Center in America opens, and whether or not every military base, anywhere in the world, operates according to Elon. Elon Musk wants everyone in America to be at the mercy of Elon Musk. We are here to fight back.

    Now, no one elected Elon Musk to nothing. Not one Democrat in America voted for Elon Musk. Not one Republican in America voted for Elon Musk. Not one Independent in America voted for Elon Musk. Not one Libertarian voted for Elon Musk. Damn, not one vegetarian in America voted for Elon Musk. And yet, Elon Musk is seizing the power that belongs to the American people. We are here to fight back. 

    This is no longer business as usual. We will speak out. We will rally. We will power a movement all across this country. Elon Musk wants power and we will fight back.    

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Water Supply for More than One Million Nevadans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Horizon Lateral Water Pipeline Act. This bill would allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to construct a new water pipeline to provide water for over one million Nevadans, dramatically improving the reliability of Las Vegas’s water system and protecting residents from outages, while safeguarding ecosystems in Sloan Canyon. The bill also expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation (NCA) area by nearly 9,300 acres – increasing its size by nearly 20 percent.

    “Completing the Horizon Lateral pipeline is a critical step in ensuring that Southern Nevada’s water infrastructure is reliable, sustainable, and resilient for decades to come,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bill allows SNWA to build this pipeline in a way that saves taxpayer dollars, minimizes disruptions to the City of Henderson and to our public lands, and protects the water supply for residents across the Las Vegas Valley.”

    Currently, SNWA operates one large water pipeline, the South Valley Lateral, that serves approximately 40% of the residents and businesses in the Las Vegas valley, including the entire City of Henderson. The Las Vegas valley needs another water pipeline to increase the reliability and capacity of the existing water delivery system and protect Las Vegas residents from water outages in the event of an emergency.

    After years of study and engagement with valley stakeholders, SNWA determined the safest, most effective, and least disruptive route for the Horizon Lateral would be via an underground pipeline below the Sloan Canyon NCA, as opposed to constructing it through the City of Henderson. This route saves ratepayers $200 million, minimizes disturbances to both Henderson residents and the land in Sloan Canyon. Cortez Masto’s legislation to support the pipeline’s construction on this route would also expand Sloan Canyon’s conservation area by 9,290 acres to bring the total NCA acreage to 57,728 acres. Last Congress, this legislation passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support.

    Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader working to support conservation efforts and combat drought. As part of the Great American Outdoors Act, she secured permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Cortez Masto fought to deliver $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River in the Inflation Reduction Act and helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will continue to make a historic amount of funding available for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country over five years.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Votes Against Confirming Pam Bondi to be Attorney General

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted to oppose the confirmation of Pam Bondi to be President Trump’s Attorney General.  

    “The U.S. Attorney General is America’s attorney, not the President’s. I am concerned that Ms. Bondi will not act with the independence and discretion this role requires, and I cannot support her confirmation. Nevadans deserve an Attorney General who will be focused on enforcing our laws, combating crime, and keeping our communities safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –