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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden introduces bill to restore American manufacturing with 10 percent tariff on all imports

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today introduced the BUILT USA Act, to incentivize American manufacturing and job creation and address the nation’s ballooning trade deficit by levying a 10 percent tariff on all imports. 

    “America must once again become a nation of producers, not just consumers,” Golden said. “Decades of globalization have transformed our country from an industrial superpower to one that relies on other countries for basic goods. To secure our future in an increasingly competitive world, we must move toward self-sufficiency, industrial strength and the homegrown innovation that goes hand-in-hand with a strong, productive economy. These tariffs put us on a path to that future.”

    Upon enactment, the BUILT USA Act (formally the Balance Unequal International Labor and Trade for the United States of America Act) would assess a ten percent tariff to all goods and services imported into the United States. Each subsequent calendar year, this duty would increase or decrease by 5 percent depending on whether America maintains a trade deficit or surplus, respectively. 

    Tariffs have been embraced by presidents of both parties, with former President Donald Trump setting new tariffs on Chinese imports, which were kept on the books and in some cases expandedunder President Joe Biden. 

    “Recent history is bipartisan recognition that the era of free-wheeling free-trade that cost Maine so much must come to an end, as a matter of both national security and economic interest,” Golden said. “We must act to reposition ourselves in the world economy, to a place of strength and self-sufficiency.”

    The trade balance — the difference between U.S. exports and U.S. imports — has been in deficit since the mid-70s. In recent years, the figure has approached nearly $1 trillion. 

    “America’s ever-expanding trade deficit is a clear sign that the current global trade regime is stacked against U.S. workers, industries, and communities,” Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass, said. “Rep. Golden’s BUILT USA Act will address this global trade imbalance head on, reassert U.S. economic interests, and help reestablish the industrial base that made America the most innovative, prosperous, and resilient nation in the world.”

    Background: 

    Seventy years ago, employment in manufacturing made up over 40 percent of nonfarm jobs in Maine, according to the Maine Department of Labor. Today, it’s less than 10 percent. The losses accelerated in the 1990s with the signing of NAFTA, after which Maine lost one in three manufacturing jobs — with 25,000 lost to outsourcing alone. Forty percent of those who lost jobs had to take new ones with lower pay.

    Golden has been a leading voice for reconfiguring U.S. trade policy in favor of American industry and workers. In May, he introduced legislation that would raise tariffs on Chinese imports of automobiles and energy components to ensure America’s industrial base, and thus its future, is strong. He published an essay the same month on the importance of a robust production economy for national security and middle-class prosperity. 

    In 2019, he was one of only 41 House members to vote against the United States-Mexico -Canada Agreement, which he called “a missed opportunity to deliver real and lasting change” to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). 

    Full text of his legislation can be found here.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript: Spotlighting CHIPS Workforce Training Program

    Source: US State of New York

    Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul attended a roundtable discussion between the U.S. Department of Commerce, American Federation of Teachers, and Micron Technology to celebrate and highlight the partnership created in Syracuse.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Raimondo. I want to thank you for having your door wide open to us here in the State of New York. I was a brand new Governor. We had our first conversation about how do we land Micron? How do we make sure they come to New York? And we were able to work with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the local team here, led by the Mayor, Ben Walsh. I want to thank him for his engagement intensely. Our County Executive McMahon was very involved, as John Mannion, our Senator was very involved, but I had the best economic development team in the country led by Hope Knight. I want to give her a round of applause.

    I’ll be brief. I want to hear the question. We are so proud of this. I brag about it everywhere I go. Everybody now knows that this is going to be the home of Micron. And more important than having a company come to a physical place here in upstate New York, it telegraphs a confidence in our economy that is contagious.

    I can’t tell you the supply chain companies that are now coming even 50, 100 miles down the road as a result of this. So we’ve created a whole ecosystem with the decision to put forth a $10 billion from the State of New York for our own Green CHIPS and Science Act as well. So, this is how government working with local communities can make a difference, but it’s all about the workforce.

    And when I had my first meeting with the Micron leaders, supposed to be a quick meeting during a snowstorm in Syracuse a couple of winters ago, it ended up, April, right? It went on for hours, because I wouldn’t let him leave until Sanjay said yes.

    But he made me promise I would get him the workforce he needed. And of course he said, “No problem, we’re going to do it, this is New York.”

    And today is about that. This is about planting the seed in young people, and getting them excited about these careers that will lift their families out of their circumstances.

    And I thank Micron for going to the heart of the City of Syracuse where people do not have that chance. They do not have a family member who’s going to be able to show them the path forward. We will do that. And Micron’s local investments are making that difference. So every child has a shot at the American Dream when they get the education we’re going to be talking about here today and also replicating that all over the State of New York.

    So, this is why I’m most excited about this project of anything and the Biden-Harris administration made it happen. I’m forever grateful to them as well. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Lowering costs for municipalities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Municipalities play an important role in shaping Alberta’s vibrant communities and contributing to a stronger province. The province will now lend money to local authorities, which include municipalities, airports, counties and irrigation districts, at a lower rate.

    These entities will now pay the same interest rate as the province on money borrowed for infrastructure and other capital projects. The change is expected to save municipalities about $7 million in 2025-26 and about $12 million in 2026-27.

    In a time of high interest rates, Alberta’s government is reducing the budgetary pressures faced by local governments and frees up funds for purposes other than servicing debt.

    With Alberta’s balancing of the budget, the province has been able to reduce outstanding debt by more than $19 billion. With continued strong results, Alberta’s borrowing costs are expected to remain low.

    The Loans to Local Authorities program allows even the smallest municipalities in Alberta to benefit from the province’s fiscal strength and well-established access to global capital markets. The province lends money to local authorities to help finance their capital projects, such as roads and upgrades to local water, sewer, gas and electric services.

    “Alberta has lowered our cost of borrowing, and now we are passing that savings on to municipalities. They are our partners in providing services to Albertans, and by working together we can ensure that investments can be made with a minimum cost to service debt.”

    Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

    “Our government provides billions of dollars in support to municipalities, ranging from grants to capital funding. Lowering the cost of borrowing for municipalities is just one more way we are ensuring that municipalities, counties, airports and irrigation districts can invest in their citizens.”

    Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

    Background

    • The Loans to Local Authorities program was set up to ensure that all municipalities and qualifying local authorities in Alberta have access to funds at the lowest possible cost.
    • Interest rates charged on new loans to local authorities were revised to better reflect the cost of credit for municipal borrowers that raise debt financing in the capital markets.
    • The current loan pricing model under the Loans to Local Authorities program came into effect in December 2021.
    • Prior to the change, lending rates were equal to the province’s estimated cost of borrowing for debt with the same terms.
    • The change will take effect in Budget 2025.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schweikert: The World Has Now Surpassed Its Record of Debt, at $312 Trillion

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative David Schweikert (AZ-01) took to the House floor yesterday to deliver his last speech before the 2024 election. He started by mentioning that the world has now surpassed the cumulative record of governmental debt, totaling an astonishing $312 trillion. Rep. Schweikert references previous floor speeches where he points out that every tax proposal for the wealthy only brings in 1.5 percent of GDP. He presents an additional hypothetical if Congress were to cut discretionary spending (which accounts for $860 billion) by $300 billion. With the combination of every Democrat tax proposal and every Republican cut, that still only gets 2.5 percent of GDP. All of this borrowing, mind you, comes in a good economic year, where tax receipts are up. We are still going to borrow almost 7% GDP. 

    Excerpts from Rep. Schweikert’s floor speech can be found below:

    On other countries bond rates’ being cheaper than the Unites State’s rates:

    [Beginning at 02:12]
    “Congress has made the decision that those who are really running this government, those who run this country, will be called the ‘bond market’. Because, if you need to refinance, like we did this fiscal year, we’ve refinanced about $8 trillion and [brought] to market an additional $2 [trillion]. You’re basically sitting on $10 trillion, and that’s not even counting the short term where it was a thirty-day, [and then] six months… those things that had to be rolled. You are subject to the fragility of the bond market, and what interest rate, and how much liquidity… and how many idiots like me come behind these microphones and try to explain the world debt markets to you? Take it seriously, it is not a game. United States is now #14 on the credit stack. That means there [are] 13 other countries today that can sell a ten-year bond cheaper than us. Greece, today, can sell 10-year bonds cheaper than the United States. Think about that.”

    On the morality of more cures coming to market:

    [Beginning at 09:04]
    “Remember: in 15 years, the United States has more deaths than births. We are about to have the fifth year where prime-age males are dying younger. In the last six years, 390,000 Americans have died from fentanyl. Well, it turns out, next year, we might have a fentanyl vaccine. And you might not like it… 390,000 have died in six years! You’re not willing to deal with the moral imperative of saving our brothers and sisters?! We need to think differently. And the fact of the matter is, you are living in a time of miracles. We can cure Hepatitis-C, we can cure hemophilia. There are things that are coming out. There [are] the Vertex experiments that look to cure Type 1 diabetes. If diabetes is 33% of all U.S. health care spending, what is the morality, but what’s also the amazing economics if we would fixate– in the Farm Bill, in nutrition support– in the way we deliver health care to get our brothers and sisters healthier? Turns out, it is the single biggest thing you can do to stabilize U.S. debt. How many people have you heard come behind these microphones within the last year, and be willing to say that? Because you upset the lobbyists, walking up and down the hallways, that need people that are sick!”

    On the reiteration that interest is the second biggest expenditure of U.S. government spending:

    [Beginning at 17:30]
    “If you actually care about the debt, stop living in this fantasy; “We’ll just tax rich people, and that takes care of everything!” If you look at some of the proposals, they’ve already spent the money three or four times. I keep trying to present over and over; when you start to realize the amount of our spending– and by the end of the decade, think of this, 10 years from now– if you add in the debt we will owe to the trust funds, what’s left of them, we’re at $56 trillion. $56 trillion! What happens if interest rates move against us? Remember, interest today is the second biggest expenditure in this government. [Number one is] Social security. Behind that is interest. Then Medicare, then defense. Defense is now the fourth [largest] expenditure in this government. And you try over and over and over. You see right here– 2024-2025– the little, tiny movement we get in 2026 and a couple years after that, and then, boom! Now, this here is because the tax hikes that are coming– they’re already in statute, they’re coming. It’s not a vote, we’re not taking a vote to say we’re going to raise these taxes. It’s called tax expiration. It’s already coming. It’s math– But boom. After three or four years, you’re back, and the curve is back in.  We don’t want to tell the truth: it’s demographics“
     

    ###
    Congressman David Schweikert serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is the current Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. He is also the Vice Chairman on the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, chairs the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, and is the Republican Co-Chair of the Blockchain Caucus, Telehealth Caucus, Singapore Caucus, and the Caucus on Access to Capital and Credit.

    Back to News

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ambassador Louise de Sousa receives new Chevening scholarship recipients

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    • English
    • Español de América Latina

    Three Chileans will travel to the United Kingdom to study master’s degrees in London, Cambridge and Edinburgh thanks to the British Foreign Office Scholarship.

    Ambassador Louise de Sousa with recipients of the Chevening Scholarship. The call for those interested in applying for the Chevening Scholarship 2025-26 will remain open until 4 November at 20.00 hrs.

    The British Ambassador to Chile, Louise de Sousa, met with the recipients of the Chevening Scholarship to study a Master’s degree in the United Kingdom.

    The Chevening Scholarship is awarded to people from diverse backgrounds who can demonstrate the commitment and skills necessary to become future leaders or changemakers in their country of origin.

    This year, three Chilean women and one Chilean man will travel to begin their studies at British universities in September. They are Bárbara Ferrer, who will study a Master of Science in Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics en la University of Edinburgh; Mariana Bernasconi, who will study a Master of Philosophy en Multi-disciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge; Melissa Jeldes, who will study a Master of Science in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics; and Sebastián Mozó, who will study a Master of Science in Regulation at the same university.

    Louise de Sousa, British Ambassador to Chile, says: “There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Chevening scholar. We value energy, a broad perspective, curiosity, compassion, a clear vision of the future and the ability to achieve your goals. If you identify with these characteristics, then you are very likely to fit into our community of more than 57,000 alumni worldwide.

    Agustín Riesco, Chevening 2023 scholar, who returned to Chile after studying a master’s degree in Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, also shared this vision: “The Chevening scholarship allowed me to experience a unique opportunity, not only academically, but also to be able to live with my family for a year in London, one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Chevening is much more than a scholarship, it is a network that supports you and makes you live a unique experience for a year”, he said.

    Applicants must present a realistic and achievable idea to bring about positive change in their country, and be able to demonstrate how a Master’s degree in the UK will help them achieve their goal. The Scholarship offers full financial support for scholars to study any eligible Masters degree at over 150 UK universities, plus access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional and cultural experiences.

    Applicants must present a realistic and achievable idea for positive change in their country, and be able to demonstrate how a Master’s degree in the UK will help them achieve their goal. The Scholarship offers full financial support for scholars to study any eligible Master’s degree at over 150 British universities, plus access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional and cultural experiences.

    Since the programme was launched in 1983, more than 57,000 professionals have advanced their careers through Chevening. By the 2025/2026 academic year, there are approximately 1,500 scholarships available worldwide, demonstrating the UK’s commitment to developing tomorrow’s leaders.

    Applications open

    Chevening is open for applications until 4 November 2024 at 8pm in Chile. For information on eligibility criteria and scholarship details, please visit http://www.chevening.org.

    Notes to editors

    Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations. The scholarships fund one-year Masters degrees at British universities for people with potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion-formers.

    Chevening began in 1983 and has grown into a prestigious international scholarship programme. Chevening scholars come from more than 160 countries and territories around the world. In the last five years, Chevening has awarded more than 8,000 scholarships. There are more than 57,000 Chevening Alumni worldwide who form an influential and prestigious global network.

    Further information

    For more information about the activities of the British Embassy in Santiago, follow us on:

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    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Many Inconsistencies, Tiffany Demands a Third-Party Investigation into Madison’s Duplicate Absentee Ballots

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) sent a follow-up letter to the City of Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl highlighting her office’s repeated pattern of shifting explanations regarding the ongoing duplicate absentee ballot scandal. Additionally, Rep. Tiffany requested an independent, third-party investigation into the matter to ensure public transparency and accountability for those responsible. 

    In the letter, Tiffany cited numerous examples of the Clerk’s Office saying one thing, only to subsequently revise those statements or scrub the information from their website later. Those revisions included claims about the number of wards impacted, how many duplicate ballots were distributed, the location of barcodes, and efforts to inform voters of the mistakes. 

    “I am also skeptical of your office’s claim regarding the retention of emails, text messages, handwritten notes, and other records related to this incident given that the Clerk’s office has repeatedly revised its website to scrub or edit its initial statements after those initial statements were shown to be demonstrably false. These after-the-fact changes indicate an intent to attempt to sanitize the record, not preserve it,” Tiffany said in the letter.

    Tiffany added, “If you are truly committed to transparency, I hope you will reconsider your opposition to an independent inquiry, make all related records public, and move quickly to hold those responsible to account, and to do so before – not after – the election.”

    You can read a full copy of the letter here. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eric Adams indictment: How campaign finance violations often grow into dramatic scandals

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charlie Hunt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with bribery and fraud following a spiraling federal investigation into his administration.

    Among other accusations, federal prosecutors alleged in their September 2024 indictment that Adams received campaign donations from the Turkish government for his 2021 mayoral race and sought to conceal these illegal foreign contributions.

    Adams is New York’s first mayor to be charged with a crime, but he is hardly the only politician to run afoul of rules that govern how political campaigns can raise and spend funds in U.S. elections.

    And as we document in our new podcast, “Scandalized,” discovering campaign finance violations is often just the first chapter in a much wilder story.

    Why campaign finance law matters

    The U.S. has federal rules that govern how political campaigns can raise and spend money in U.S. elections. For example, they limit how much money individuals and groups can contribute to candidates’ campaigns. Federal rules also restrict how campaign funds may be used and require the disclosure of all campaign expenditures, ensuring candidates can’t spend campaign money on whatever they want.

    Legally, candidates may use campaign donations on expenses directly related to their race for office. Allowable expenditures include advertising, travel and costs related to fundraising, such as renting an event space or buying food for guests. Candidates may use excess campaign funds after the election is over to pay down outstanding loans, or they can transfer it to other campaigns or party organizations.

    Campaign funds may not, however, be spent at any time on purely personal expenses. Candidates cannot pay their mortgage or rent out of their election war chest, or purchase clothing or household supplies.

    The disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, was a particularly egregious violator of the rules related to personal expenses.

    Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to nearly two dozen counts of campaign finance violations – a smorgasbord of crimes. According to The New York Times, he rerouted “tens of thousands of dollars of campaign money toward personal expenses, including luxury goods, Atlantic City casinos, rent payments and a website primarily known for explicit sexual content.”

    Santos, who served for just under a year until he was expelled from Congress in December 2023, is a prime example of how the complicated U.S. campaign finance system can unearth other, even more scandalous actions by politicians.

    Former U.S. Rep. George Santos outside court after pleading guilty to 23 felony counts on Aug. 19, 2024, in West Islip, N.Y.
    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    A window into bigger scandals

    A key element of campaign finance law is disclosure. Candidates must publicly report donations over US$200, for example, and document everything they spend those donations on during and after their campaigns.

    For former U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr., a California Republican, failure to comply with disclosure laws during his 2016 election campaign resulted in a federal investigation. The Justice Department found that Hunter used campaign donations to fund family vacations, video game purchases and hotel rooms for multiple extramarital affairs. In 2020, he was sentenced to 11 months in prison.

    Former President Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, also failed to disclose a contribution to his boss’s 2016 presidential campaign. But the real scandal was what that money actually went for: paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to making an unlawful contribution.

    Many, if not most, campaign finance violations are minor. Small mistakes such as filing a late donor disclosure report or miscategorizing an expense usually incur little more than a small fine.

    When technical campaign finance violations shed light on a big scandal, however, they attract attention. Voters and the media latch onto the fact that not only are donors’ funds not going where they intended, but in many cases the money has been spent to subsidize candidates’ personal misbehavior and corrupt activity.

    High-profile political scandals erode the public trust

    Just about every recent survey shows Americans’ levels of faith and trust in government at historic lows. In the 1960s, three-quarters of voters said they trusted the government to do the right thing most or all of the time. Today, only one-fifth do.

    Unseemly behavior by politicians, including by candidates who misspend their supporters’ donations, may contribute to this declining trust. Americans have real fears about money in politics. For example, 84% of Americans worry that wealthy lobbyists and interest groups have undue influence on elections, and 80% say campaign donations have corrupting effects on politicians.

    Even when candidates aren’t technically breaking the law, they often use campaign funds in ways donors may not realize – or appreciate.

    Sometimes, investigations into seemingly technical campaign violations uncover a wilder story.
    Filo via Getty

    In the 2024 election, for example, political campaigns, both major parties and private fundraising entities on both sides of the aisle have spent millions in campaign funds on the legal fees of candidates fighting court battles over allegations of serious criminal misconduct.

    Beneficiaries include Trump, who has been indicted for suspected mishandling of classified documents, and New Jersey’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Mendendez, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges.

    The bottom line: Donations made to help a candidate win their race are not always going where donors actually intended or believed they would.

    Still, the U.S. political climate is so polarized that these scandals may not dramatically affect voters’ decision-making. Political scientists sometimes refer to today’s voters as “calcified” in their partisan identities, meaning they are so loyal to their own party that campaign-finance violations and other scandals cannot change their views much.

    Research shows voters are also increasingly motivated not so much by their support or affection for their own party but rather by their fear and loathing of the other party. As a result, partisan voters are willing to accept or forgive scandalous behavior from their own side in the interest of beating the opposition. Hardcore partisans are also adept at finding ways to justify or rationalize these transgressions.

    With record amounts of money flowing in and out of political campaigns in 2024, the coming months are bound to bring more campaign finance scandals. But our research indicates they are unlikely to have major effects at the polling station.

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

    – ref. Eric Adams indictment: How campaign finance violations often grow into dramatic scandals – https://theconversation.com/eric-adams-indictment-how-campaign-finance-violations-often-grow-into-dramatic-scandals-238971

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’, suggests new report

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rosie Williams, Postdoctoral Researcher, Toxicology, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London

    Kichigin/Shutterstock

    Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, the shadow of the Piper Alpha disaster loomed large over our community. The tragic explosion of the oil rig platform in 1988 claimed the lives of 167 people. Back then, I was blissfully unaware of the ecological ramifications of that disaster. But the spill of 670 tonnes of oil wreaked havoc on marine life and had a lasting impact on the marine environment that I love to explore.

    In recent decades, there has been a gradual decline in the number of oil spills and the volume of oil discharged from tankers, rigs, wells and offshore platforms. While incidents continue to occur globally – often in less scrutinised regions than the North Sea – the UK has, thankfully, not experienced another disaster of Piper Alpha’s magnitude since.

    Does this mean that the UK’s oil and gas sector have cleaned up their act? They would certainly like you to think so. But ocean pollution isn’t just about large oil slicks that spread across the water’s surface.

    As a new report, Sea Slick, from marine conservation charity Oceana explains, the extent of frequent, small-scale spills are still being grossly underestimated, even though big oil spills are less frequent.

    The report reveals what it claims is the true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in the UK, showing that for many years the North Sea has been subjected to hundreds of unaccounted for “chronic oiling events”. These are where oil is frequently released in lower volumes than those associated with large spills. This issue stems from a poorly regulated oil and gas sector and a lack of transparency in reporting, allowing oil and gas companies to mark their own homework.

    Currently, a certain amount of oil pollution is permitted as part of routine operations for oil and gas developments. Companies can apply for oil discharge permits, which allow them to release a set volume or concentration of oil or chemicals into the ocean. This waste output is referred to as “produced water”. Produced water is a by-product of the oil and gas sector, which returns to the surface of the ocean as wastewater during oil and gas production. Produced water may be treated before release but still contains finely dispersed oil and toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and arsenic.

    Oil and gas companies are regularly breaching their legal produced water permit allowances, Oceana’s report claims. Yet, in line with official government reporting requirements, these breaches are not registered as accidental oil spills. Indeed, Sea Slick counts a total of 723 permit breaching incidents in the last three-and-a-half years – that’s equivalent to 17 oil or chemical spills each month.

    Currently these permit breaches aren’t counted as accidents. They’re not really counted as anything – other than permit breaches. If these unaccounted-for permit breaches are factored into official government data for accidental oil spills, Oceana estimates that the volume of oil spilling into UK seas increases by at least 43%.

    The oil and gas sector are keen to reassure the public that chronic oil pollution can be quickly dispersed and poses a low risk to marine life or human health. Certainly, if incidents were rare, this might be a more persuasive argument. But they aren’t. Over time, the incremental release of toxic chemicals has a negative environmental effect. An estimated 248 spills from permit breaches took place within the UK’s network of marine protected areas between January 2021 and May 2024.

    Why does this matter? Marine protected areas are regions of the ocean which have been given special designations to help preserve marine life and habitats. They have been created to protect rare, threatened and important habitats or species.

    Marine wildlife is at great risk of harm from oil pollution, but a substantial number of oil spills occur within marine protected areas.
    werbefotos_com/Shutterstock

    The release of produced water into areas, which have been singled out as especially important for protection, is shocking. Contaminants associated with chronic oiling have been shown to have a range of effects on marine life. The list is long: damaging cells and cell membranes, DNA damage (a common cause of cancer), the changing of gene expression and the disruption of reproductive functions. The steady leaching of toxic oil and chemical byproducts poses risks to human health too as toxic chemicals enter the food chain through farmed and wild-caught fish.

    Getting serious about sanctions

    Oceana’s research highlights that oil and gas companies have only been fined on two occasions in the last five years. One was for just £7,000.

    The new government’s water (special measures) bill will force water companies to clean up the UK’s rivers and oceans. A failure to cooperate or any attempts to cover up data around sewage spills could see bosses jailed for up to two years. Water company bosses are finally being held to account. Will the UK government apply the same rules to the bosses of oil and gas companies who are also polluting our seas?

    As the Sea Slick report notes, there is overwhelming public support for polluters to be held to account. By regulating and fining oil companies properly for chronically polluting UK seas, the government could enact and make permanent their commitment to end new oil and gas licenses. It’s time to take action.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rosie Williams receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council.

    – ref. Oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’, suggests new report – https://theconversation.com/oil-pollution-in-north-sea-is-grossly-underestimated-suggests-new-report-239455

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and Florida Power & Light Company Bring Free AI Bootcamp to South Florida Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Time is running out to apply to participate in the Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp hosted by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Applications for the no-cost bootcamp are closing Sept. 30.

    The Mark Cuban Foundation, in partnership with FPL, is bringing the only AI camp of its kind, free of charge, to high school students in South Florida. With a custom and highly relevant curriculum focused on teaching students about the latest developments in the world of AI and Generative AI, the camp will provide the tools to make these technologies work for them and promises to educate, inspire and fuel the next generation of information technology (IT) professionals.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of AI and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for economically disadvantaged high school students. Students are provided with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during the bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with FPL, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place at FPL’s James L. Robo campus in Palm Beach Gardens on Nov. 2, 9 and 16, will be hosted and staffed by FPL.

    FPL is one of more than 30 companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

    “We’re honored to host these workshops,” said Grace Kurian, VP, IT technology solutions and operations at NextEra Energy, Inc., who led the launch of the AI Bootcamp in Palm Beach County. “South Florida continues to grow into a vast tech hub. I’m grateful for the investment by the Mark Cuban Foundation and FPL, which is strengthening our communities and opportunities for our future tech leaders of tomorrow.”

    The Sept. 30 deadline is approaching quickly. Do not miss your chance – submit your application now, as spaces are limited.

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    Media Contact:
    Bishop.wash@markcubanai.org

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th -12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About FPL
    As America’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company serves more customers and sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.9 million accounts, or more than 12 million people. FPL operates one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S and in 2022 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the seventh time in the last nine years. The company was also recognized by Escalent in 2022 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities for the ninth consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: http://www.NextEraEnergy.com, http://www.FPL.com, http://www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.  

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine recap: Putin’s nuclear sabre-rattling becomes more ominous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    In recent months, Vladimir Putin and his proxies have been foreshadowing a change in Russia’s nuclear doctrine. This is the set of rules that spells out when and how his country might resort to the use of its nuclear arsenal, which is currently the largest in the world. Most recently his deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said the revisions to the rulebook were “connected with the escalation course of our western adversaries”. In other words: it’s not us, it’s you.

    You don’t have to read too much between the lines to discern a connection between the growing clamour by some in the west to allow Ukraine to use western long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russia and Russia’s decision to reconsider under what circumstances it would use its nuclear arsenal.

    Over the past couple of years – since shortly after he initiated Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – Putin and his inner circle have regularly invoked Russia’s nuclear deterrent, writes Christoph Bluth, an expert in nuclear proliferation and international security at the University of Bradford. All it seems to take is for the west to agree another large package of funding, or change the terms of its aid to Kyiv for the Kremlin to dust off the doomsday scenario.

    So it comes as little surprise that, shortly after Volodymr Zelensky gave his impassioned speech to the United Nations general assembly yesterday restating his country’s urgent need for more support and more latitude in how to use it, Putin announced his country’s new “draft” nuclear doctrine. Henceforth, he said, Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if it was attacked by any state with conventional weapons. The trigger for the launch of nuclear missiles against Ukraine or any of its allies, he said, would be “reliable information about a massive launch of aerospace attack means and their crossing of our state border”.



    Read more:
    Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin ups the ante on his nuclear blackmail – the big question is how the west will respond

    Bluth recounts how, earlier this month, one of Putin’s proxies, Alexander Mikhailov, the director of the Bureau of Military Political Analysis, recently called for Russia to “bomb plywood mock-ups of London and Washington to simulate a nuclear attack, so that it would ‘burn so beautifully that it will horrify the world’.” Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house, said that any attacks against Russia would prompt it to respond with nuclear weapons. He is reported to have added – with what appears to have been ghastly relish – that the European parliament in Strasbourg was “only a three-minute flight for a Russian nuclear missile”.

    It’s tempting to dismiss Russia’s threats as just so much sabre-rattling. And there have been plenty of voices in the west urging leaders to defy Putin’s threats. After Ukraine launched its lightning raid into Russia’s Kursk province in August, Zelensky said it was clear that Russia’s red lines were a bluff. He said: “The naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled apart these days.”

    Colin Alexander, a specialist in political commnunications at Nottingham Trent University, believes that since the end of the cold war the focus of what he calls “fear propaganda” has changed. It has moved away from the prospect of nuclear annihilation to “other threats, such as extremism, pandemics and migration”.

    But anyone who grew up during the cold war will remember the omnipresent fear of the “three-minute warning” regularly reinforced by government messaging, TV documentaries and dramas. These all served to remind everyone that a nuclear holocaust was only a series of wrongheaded decisions away. It’s that atmosphere of peril, writes Alexander, which makes a leader’s threats believable.

    And the “madman theory” which holds that only an unstable leader would contemplate pushing the button, has helped lull people into the idea that a nuclear conflict is indeed unthinkable, because surely no leader would be mad enough. But Alexander concludes by citing the one leader who actually did drop a nuclear bomb in an enemy:

    US president Harry S. Truman pushed the button in 1945. He was then given detailed reports of the death and destruction that his decision caused to Hiroshima. Then he pushed the button again to annihilate Nagasaki.



    Read more:
    The world isn’t taking Putin’s nuclear threats seriously – the history of propaganda suggests it should

    Zelensky’s plea

    Zelensky’s speech to the UN general assembly was compelling and moving in equal measure. He warned of intelligence reports that Russia was preparing to target Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of its campaign to wreck the country’s energy infrastructure before winter. He mourned for the children of Ukraine, who “are learning to distinguish the sounds of different types of artillery and drones because of Russia’s war”. And he restated his ten-point plan for peace, which involves Russia withdrawing from all the lands it has occupied since 2014.

    But, Stefan Wolff notes, a growing number of countries are lining up behind a peace plan proposed earlier in the year by China and Brazil, which would freeze the conflict along the existing frontlines before proceeding to negotiations.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine as at September 25.
    Institute for the Study of War

    Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham, believes this plan is deeply flawed. For one thing it would inevitably involve Kyiv being forced to give up territory illegally annexed by Russia. It would also give Russia time to regroup, rearm and train extra troops and would almost certainly not guarantee a lasting peace, but would simply stave off another Russian assault on Ukraine.

    But Zelensky faces two key problems which make his diplomatic mission that much harder. His voice is in danger of being drowned out by the conflict in the Middle East, which appears almost inevitably bound for a ground war in Lebanon in days to come. And the prospect of Donald Trump winning a second term in about six weeks’ time, means that the days of Washington as Kyiv’s staunchest partner could well be coming to an end.



    Read more:
    Ukraine war: Zelensky’s pleas for help are getting drowned out in the clamour from the Middle East

    As the conflict drags on – 31 months and counting – there is evidence that some Ukrainians would give up territory in return for peace and an end to the killing. Our team of political scientists, Kristin M. Bakke of UCL, Gerard Toal of Virginia Tech and John O’Loughlin of University of Colorado Boulder, have been polling Ukrainians since the invasion and have detected a definite shift in attitudes towards the conflict.

    While most Ukrainians still hate the idea of having to give up territory to Russia, support for the proposition that Ukraine should “continue opposing Russian aggression until all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, is liberated” had fallen from 71% in 2022 to 51% now. And, while in 2022 just 11% of respondents agreed with “trying to reach an immediate ceasefire by both sides with conditions and starting intensive negotiations”, that number had almost tripled in the most recent polling.

    Interestingly, the researchers note, while most people they spoke with professed unchanged support for their country’s war effort, a growing number said they were worried that their fellow Ukrainians were beginning to suffer from war-weariness.



    Read more:
    Growing number of war-weary Ukrainians would reluctantly give up territory to save lives, suggests recent survey

    Land grabs

    Russia is already calling for more territory in eastern Ukraine in the form of a “buffer zone” around Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv in the north-east of the country. This, the Kremlin claims, is to protect Russian towns from shelling and missile attacks from Ukrainian territory.

    Interestingly, writes Iain Farquharson, a security expert and military historian at Brunel University London, Israel has also proposed setting up a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, to protect Israelis living near the the country’s northern border from Hezbollah missile barrages.

    Farquharson considers the history of buffer zones in the Middle East and beyond. Firstly, buffer zones rarely live up to their supposed function – as Afghanistan’s misfortune to be between British India and southern Russia in the 19th century and Lebanon’s bad luck to be between Syria and Israel in the 1960s and 1970s amply demonstrate.

    But what Russia and Israel are proposing are not so much buffer zones as land grabs, pure and simple. There’s no sense that either country is willing to contribute any of its own territory to these so-called demilitarised areas (or that they’ll actually be demilitarised). They should, he writes, “instead primarily be seen as a way of formalising control over contested territory to protect their home bases, which would give them a military advantage”.



    Read more:
    When Russia and Israel talk about setting up ‘buffer zones’ what they are really talking about is a land grab

    – ref. Ukraine recap: Putin’s nuclear sabre-rattling becomes more ominous – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-recap-putins-nuclear-sabre-rattling-becomes-more-ominous-239974

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s Meeting With United States Senators

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.26.24
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today released the following statement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with United States Senators:
    “President Zelenskyy’s message remains clear: without continued U.S. support, Ukraine will lose the war.  Allowing a Putin victory in Ukraine would surrender U.S. leadership around the world, undermine the hard-fought stability in Europe that emerged after two devasting world wars, and further endanger the Baltics, Poland, and others in the region.  President Biden understands these historic stakes and has led a critical allied effort to reject Russia’s threat to the global order. 
    “For more than two-and-a-half years, our Ukrainian allies have fought off one of the largest militaries in the world—and given their lives to do it.  While I’m pleased Congress came together to pass a vital aid package to help our Ukrainian friends earlier this year, we must continue to push for the resources, equipment, and flexibility necessary to prevail against Russian tyranny.  We cannot walk away from Ukraine at this moment in history, and I reiterated my support to President Zelenskyy in today’s meeting.”
      
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Hawley Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Amend National Child Protection Act To Expand Nationwide Background Check Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.26.24
    This bill would ensure that contractors working with children are subject to a nationwide background check
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a bipartisan bill to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 (NCPA) to ensure that individuals with unsupervised access to children, such as those under contract with a school, are, once again, authorized to have a national background check.
    Since 1993, the National Child Protection Act/Volunteers for Children Act (NCPA/VCA) has made nationwide background checks available for individuals who have access to children through qualified entities.  However, the Child Protection Improvements Act of 2018 (CPIA) amended the NCPA/VCA, inadvertently narrowing NCPA/VCA’s scope and no longer authorizing contractors working with vulnerable populations to receive a nationwide background check.
    “When parents drop their kids off at school, they shouldn’t have to worry if their children are safe in the care of the school’s faculty.  While the Child Protection Improvements Act was passed with the intent of keeping children safe, it created an inadvertent complication in securing nationwide background checks for all personnel with unsupervised access to children, namely contractors hired by schools,” said Durbin.  “Schools and other state agencies often rely on contractors for a number of services geared toward children, including safe transportation.  I’m introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Hawley to correct the current patchwork approach to securing nationwide background checks for contractors who work with children.”
    “Background checks for childcare workers are common sense.  My legislation with Senator Durbin fixes an oversight in the law and will help keep American kids safe.  Parents should be assured that everyone who works with their kids, even contractors, has been thoroughly vetted,” said Hawley.
    Prior to the amendments made to the NCPA/VCA by the CPIA of 2018, individuals with unsupervised access to children, such as those under contract with a school, were authorized to have a national background check conducted under the previous definition of “provider.”  The CPIA changed the language of “provider” to “covered individual,” and the corresponding changes to the definition of “covered individual” removed the provision that covered contractors.  As a result, there is now a patchwork approach to background checks for contractors dependent on each state’s NCPA-enabling statutes that were all drafted before the CPIA made this change.  This approach puts children and other vulnerable individuals at risk of abuse, and the inconsistent availability of nationwide background checks may force contractors that operate nationwide to suspend hiring in states with NCPA-enabling statutes that did not foresee this issue.
    Durbin and Hawley’s bill amends the NCPA/VCA to ensure that businesses and organizations under contract with qualified entities to work with vulnerable populations are included in the definition of “covered individuals.”  This change will allow those businesses and organizations to once again request nationwide background checks for their personnel working with these vulnerable populations, as well as for individuals that the businesses or organizations license or certify to provide care for these populations.
                                                                                                 
    A copy of the bill is available here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Named to National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “Dean’s List,” Receives A+ Rating on Second Amendment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released a statement after being named to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “Dean’s List”. Cassidy is one of only 8 senators to be placed on the “Dean’s List”, which recognizes lawmakers who have gone above and beyond the A+ rating to protect Second Amendment rights.
    “I am proud to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing my efforts in Congress to defend Americans’ Constitutional rights against an ever-encroaching liberal agenda,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Law-abiding citizens should never be punished for exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
    “NSSF is proud to especially recognize Senator Cassidy as a member of the new NSSF Congressional Dean’s List for his exemplary leadership in supporting the firearm and ammunition industry and the nearly 400,000 hardworking Americans employed in the industry. Making the Dean’s List is special recognition that Senator Cassidy has gone above and beyond to protect and preserve the Second Amendment rights of his constituents and the industry that makes the exercise of those rights possible. We applaud Senator Cassidy for his exemplary level of support,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs and General Counsel.  
    Some of Cassidy’s recent efforts to defend the Second Amendment right include:
    Cassidy, Cornyn, Tillis, Republican Colleagues Introduce Resolution to Block Unconstitutional Biden ATF Rule
    Cassidy, Hagerty, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Block Biden Rule Restricting Americans’ Second Amendment Rights
    Cassidy, Risch, Issa, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Prohibit State Excise Taxes on Firearms
    Cassidy, Cramer Introduce Legislation to Allow Interstate Firearm Sale
    Cassidy, Risch, Colleague Introduces Bill to Ban Handgun Rosters

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Kennedy, Coons Introduce Resolution Celebrating Wildlife, Louisiana Wetlands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and 12 colleagues introduced a resolution designating the week of October 13-19, 2024, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution praises the benefits of national wildlife refuges and recognizes their role in promoting hunting, fishing and conservation.
    “[T]he United States Fish and Wildlife Service administers the National Wildlife Refuge System to conserve, manage, and, where appropriate, restore fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of current and future generations… national wildlife refuges are important recreational and tourism destinations in communities across the United States, and offer a variety of recreational opportunities, including sustainable hunting and fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation,” stated the resolution. 
    The National Wildlife Refuge System contributes more than $3.2 billion to local economies annually and supports more than 41,000 jobs.
    Cassidy, Kennedy, and Coons were joined by U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Joe Manchin (I-WV), and Martin Heinrich (D-MN) in cosponsoring the resolution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senate Unanimously Passes Shaheen, Cornyn, Hassan, Rosen and Peters’ Bipartisan Resolution to Commemorate National Community Policing Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – A bipartisan resolution led by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), along with U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to commemorate National Community Policing Week has unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. Shaheen first introduced this resolution in 2017 to establish the first full week of October as National Community Policing Week, and it has passed the U.S. Senate each year since on a bipartisan basis. The bipartisan resolution recognizes the service and sacrifice of the law enforcement community and underscores the importance of community policing. Additionally, the resolution encourages civilians, law enforcement agencies and public servants to work together to find solutions to improve public safety, strengthen community relationships and build trust. 
    “When law enforcement and citizens develop meaningful local ties to collaborate on improving public safety, our communities are safer and stronger places to call home,” said Senator Shaheen, Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. “Our bipartisan resolution honors the immense sacrifice law enforcement officers make day in and day out and emphasizes the need to invest in community policing to foster trust and protect our citizens. I’m glad to see it pass the U.S. Senate without objection.” 
    “National Community Policing Week recognizes the dedication of our men and women in blue who risk their lives every day to keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Senator Cornyn. “This resolution reaffirms our commitment to effective community policing and fostering positive relationships between law enforcement and those they serve.” 
    “This bipartisan effort recognizes community policing, which is crucial for fostering trust between law enforcement and the public,” said Senator Hassan. “I will continue working across the aisle to support New Hampshire’s law enforcement officers as they serve our communities.” 
    “Building trust between residents and local law enforcement is key to the safety of our communities,” said Senator Peters. “I am proud to have helped lead this bipartisan resolution to commemorate National Community Policing Week and recognize the important work being done to strengthen our neighborhoods and keep people safe.” 
    “Nevada’s law enforcement officers work tirelessly to keep families across our state safe, including by strengthening the bonds between them and local communities,” said Senator Rosen. “Last year, I had the honor of being accompanied to the State of the Union by a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer who has been using innovative outreach strategies to reach the Latino community in Las Vegas. These law enforcement officers deserve our utmost respect and gratitude, which is why I’m proud to help pass this bipartisan resolution to honor their courageous work promoting strong relationships between agencies and the communities they serve.” 
    Full text of the bipartisan resolution can be found here. 
    As Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen helps secure funding for the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs.    

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Presses Novo Nordisk to Increase Access to Lower-Cost Medications

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan pressed the CEO of a major drug manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, on increasing access to lower-cost insulin and obesity medication for Americans at a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing.
    To watch Senator Hassan’s hearing questions, click here.
    Senator Hassan began by highlighting the impact of Novo Nordisk’s abrupt discontinuation of the insulin drug, Levemir, on Americans with diabetes. Hassan has previously urged Big Pharma companies, including Novo Nordisk, to improve patient access to lower-cost insulin. She asked Mr. Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk, to commit to allowing biosimilar access in the U.S. market.
    “Levemir is a critical insulin product… By discontinuing Levemir in January of 2024, Novo Nordisk interrupted the diabetes care plans of millions of Americans with only a few weeks’ notice. Will Novo Nordisk agree to provide any interested company with the necessary information and drug formulation to make Levemir?”
    After Senator Hassan pushed him further, Mr. Jørgensen stated that if a drug company was interested, Novo Nordisk would collaborate with potential manufacturers, but refused to name the specific steps the company would take to identify and help another manufacturer for Levemir.
    Senator Hassan then pressed Mr. Jørgensen on his arguments that Novo Nordisk must keep prices high for its widely used diabetes and weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy, because otherwise pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) would stop covering the medications. Senator Hassan read Mr. Jørgensen statements from the three largest PBMs confirming that they would not limit access to Ozempic and Wegovy and that, in fact, some suggested that lowering the list price would expand access for consumers. “With that in mind, would you please commit to lowering the list price of these drugs?” said Senator Hassan. Mr. Jørgensen refused to commit to lowering the list price and insisted that “less patients have access to our medicines when we have lowered the price.”
    Senator Hassan concluded by noting the importance of allowing other low-cost drug options to go to market. “Lastly, I just want to note that one way of reducing drug prices is encouraging the entry of generic and biosimilar medications, which can provide lower-cost options for patients. So, I will follow up with you to – I hope – get a commitment that Novo Nordisk will not stand in the way of other companies coming up with lower-cost version of these drugs if the companies currently have them in development.”
    Senator Hassan is working to lower prescription drug costs for Americans. Last year’s government funding bill, which is now law, included three bipartisan measures backed by Senator Hassan to increase access to generic and biosimilar medications. In addition, she successfully pushed to cap insulin costs for those on Medicare as part of the Inflation Reduction Act that became law in 2022. Senator Hassan has also introduced bipartisan legislation to close oversight gaps that drug manufacturers take advantage of to keep prescription drug prices high, which will be considered in the HELP Committee tomorrow.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defying Trump’s Call for a Wasteful Government Shutdown, Congress Passes 3-Month Stopgap CR

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of a September 30 deadline, Congress today approved a stopgap spending measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government funded through December 20. 
    After weeks of foot dragging by House Republican leaders, members of the House and Senate agreed to and passed a clean, three-month CR.
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, stated: “The American people deserve a functioning government that works for them and is responsive to their needs.  The bipartisan agreement is a rebuke of hardliners and Donald Trump, who urged a government shutdown because they thought the resulting chaos and dysfunction would help his campaign.  The simple fact is a shutdown would have needlessly harmed U.S. interests, tax payers, and working Americans nationwide and made America less safe.  So averting a manufactured crisis with a clean CR is a better outcome.  Still, we need to get back to regular order and passing bipartisan bills.”
    The 49-page CR largely extends current spending levels and policy until December 20, giving the House and Senate additional time to come together after the upcoming November elections to hammer out the final details of the dozen full-year appropriations bills.
    President Biden signaled his support for the stopgap CR, releasing a Statement of Administration Policy calling “for swift passage of this bill in both chambers of the Congress to avoid a costly, unnecessary Government shutdown and to ensure there is adequate time to pass full-year FY 2025 appropriations bills later this year.”
    The bill was first passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and then the full U.S. Senate voted 78-18 to approve it.  The measure now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Statement on Passage of the Continuing Resolution to Keep Government Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    Published: 09.25.2024

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, today issued the following statement after Congress passed a continuing resolution that will keep the government funded through December 20:
    “On behalf of Granite Staters and all Americans, I’m glad we came to a bipartisan agreement to keep the government open, ensure service members and federal workers get their paychecks and continue providing access to critical services for families across the country. While it’s a relief the government will remain funded, stop-gap funding bills create inefficiencies within government that only serve to waste American taxpayer dollars and sow uncertainty in the economy. It’s my hope that we can work together to pass robust, bipartisan funding bills that will enhance our national security, continue to provide the services millions rely on and keep our economy strong.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and Florida Power & Light Company Bring Free AI Bootcamp to South Florida Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Time is running out to apply to participate in the Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp hosted by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Applications for the no-cost bootcamp are closing Sept. 30.

    The Mark Cuban Foundation, in partnership with FPL, is bringing the only AI camp of its kind, free of charge, to high school students in South Florida. With a custom and highly relevant curriculum focused on teaching students about the latest developments in the world of AI and Generative AI, the camp will provide the tools to make these technologies work for them and promises to educate, inspire and fuel the next generation of information technology (IT) professionals.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of AI and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for economically disadvantaged high school students. Students are provided with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during the bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with FPL, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place at FPL’s James L. Robo campus in Palm Beach Gardens on Nov. 2, 9 and 16, will be hosted and staffed by FPL.

    FPL is one of more than 30 companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

    “We’re honored to host these workshops,” said Grace Kurian, VP, IT technology solutions and operations at NextEra Energy, Inc., who led the launch of the AI Bootcamp in Palm Beach County. “South Florida continues to grow into a vast tech hub. I’m grateful for the investment by the Mark Cuban Foundation and FPL, which is strengthening our communities and opportunities for our future tech leaders of tomorrow.”

    The Sept. 30 deadline is approaching quickly. Do not miss your chance – submit your application now, as spaces are limited.

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    Media Contact:
    Bishop.wash@markcubanai.org

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th -12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About FPL
    As America’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company serves more customers and sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.9 million accounts, or more than 12 million people. FPL operates one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S and in 2022 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the seventh time in the last nine years. The company was also recognized by Escalent in 2022 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities for the ninth consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: http://www.NextEraEnergy.com, http://www.FPL.com, http://www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.  

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marystown — Burin Peninsula RCMP investigates break, enter and theft at residential property in Grand Bank, ATV stolen

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Burin Peninsula RCMP is investigating a recent break, enter and theft at a residential property in Grand Bank. An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was stolen.

    The crime occurred sometime between 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, while the home owner was away. Suspect(s) gained entry into a detached garage on the Marine Drive property and stole a 2019 Honda Rubicon TRX 500 quad. Images of the ATV are attached.

    The investigation is continuing.

    Anyone having information about this crime, the person(s) responsible, or the current location of the ATV is asked to contact Burin Peninsula RCMP at 709-279-3001. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit http://www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Introduces Bipartisan Resolution to Designate September as National Recovery Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Shelly Moore-Capito (R-WV) have introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing substance use disorder and the recovery efforts needed to overcome this disease. The challenges posed by substance use disorder have continued to wreak havoc across Maine and the nation. This has been exacerbated in recent years due to limited access to treatment programs and increased isolation.
    However, there have been positive trends with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that drug overdose deaths nationwide decreased by three percent in 2023 — the first annual decrease since 2018. During that same time period, Maine, saw overdose deaths decrease by nearly 16 percent. This resolution shows a continued commitment to build upon these efforts and further bring down the rates of overdose deaths and substance use disorder.
    “Maine is one big, spread-out community and we have an obligation to one another to ensure we not only survive, but thrive,” said Senator King. “Tragically, we are losing too many of our loved ones to substance use disorder, leaving families scarred by their absence. The good news is we have started to see declines in overdose deaths, but we cannot let up on our efforts to provide quality care and support. This resolution recognizes our commitment to those struggling with substance use disorder and is another step forward in working together to save lives in Maine and across the country.”
    “I am proud to join my colleagues again in designating September as National Recovery Month,” said Senator Capito. “While the number of fatal overdoses thankfully has begun to decline in West Virginia and across the nation, far too many individuals are still being impacted by substance abuse. My hope is that by recognizing those who are in recovery — or on the road to recovery — from drug and alcohol addiction, we are providing a path forward those still living with addiction. In addition, the resolution rightfully highlights the vital role family members, friends, and communities play in this process.”
    Senator King has made combating the opioid crisis one of his highest priorities in Washington. In the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, King secured significant investments to improve drug shipment interdiction, an area where he has long called for more resources. In the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, he secured new federal investments in our nation’s response to the ongoing opioid and substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic. He also secured nearly $1 million for SUD treatment for Maine through the American Rescue Plan. Senator King has also previously introduced the LifeBOAT Act, legislation that would help combat the opioid epidemic.
    The complete text of the resolution can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Convocation of the Council of Ministers n. 97

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Government of Italy

    Skip to content Reach the footer

    September 26, 2024

    The Council of Ministers is convened on Friday 27 September 2024, at 11.00 am at Palazzo Chigi, to examine the following agenda:

    DRAFT DECREE-LAW: Urgent provisions on the entry of foreign workers into Italy, protection and assistance to victims of gang-mastering, as well as management of migratory flows and international protection (PRESIDENCY – INTERNAL AFFAIRS – JUSTICE – LABOUR AND SOCIAL POLICIES); DRAFT DECREE-LAW: Urgent measures to combat violence against healthcare professionals in the exercise of their functions as well as damage to goods intended for healthcare (PRESIDENCY – JUSTICE – HEALTH); DRAFT BILL: Ratification and implementation of the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on migration and security, made in Abidjan on 22 March 2023 (FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION – INTERNAL AFFAIRS); DRAFT BILL on the safety of underwater activities (PRESIDENCY – CIVIL PROTECTION AND MARINE POLICIES); DRAFT BILL: Provisions for the exercise of trade union freedom by personnel of the armed forces and military police forces, as well as the extension of the delegation referred to in Article 9, paragraph 15, of Law No. 46 of 28 April 2022 (PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION – DEFENSE); DRAFT LEGISLATIVE DECREE: Supplementary and corrective provisions to Legislative Decree No. 149 of 10 October 2022, containing “Implementation of Law No. 26 November 2021”. 206, delegating the Government for the efficiency of the civil process and for the revision of the rules on alternative dispute resolution tools and urgent measures to streamline procedures in matters of the rights of individuals and families as well as in matters of forced execution” – SECOND PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION (JUSTICE); UPDATE of the medium-term budget structural plan draft, referred to in Chapter IV of Regulation (EU) 2024/1263 (ECONOMY AND FINANCE); REGIONAL LAWS; MISCELLANEOUS.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Casar & Colleagues Introduce Migration Stability Resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), U.S. Representative Greg Casar (TX-35), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Juan Vargas (CA-52) introduced a new resolution calling for comprehensive legislation to address the root causes of forced migration and displacement, while affirming the need for a true roadmap to citizenship for immigrants in the United States.

    “Democrats can build an orderly, humane, and stable immigration system. We should create more legal pathways for migration and citizenship, while also changing the failed U.S. policies that cause displacement abroad and force people to flee their home countries,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Let’s tackle the climate crisis. Let’s remove broad-based sanctions that increase poverty. Let’s prioritize policies to support stability abroad while creating a welcoming and predictable immigration process at home.”

    “Too many people around the world face violence, poverty, and persecution and see the United States as a beacon of hope,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “We must make the immigration system more humane, more orderly, and more effective to welcome immigrants who come to this country rather than turn them away and to recognize not only the contributions they make to this country, but also the moral duty we have to protect people who come here fleeing horrible conditions. We can and must do better for immigrants.”

    “Over the past decades, millions of people have been forced to migrate from their homes—and more people are displaced now than ever before. This is the result of converging crises, including climate change, political instability, and violence, some of which are impacted by U.S. policy,” said Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.). “Yet, our immigration and asylum policies have become more restrictive and punitive, disregarding the role our government has played in creating this crisis. It’s time we acknowledge the ways in which U.S. policy has contributed to forced migration and displacement, and advance reforms that address the root causes of migration.”

    “Republicans’ dangerous rhetoric about immigration endangers our immigrant communities and completely ignores the root causes of migration,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Migration is not just a border issue but a foreign policy issue. With migration on the rise worldwide and conflict, food insecurity, climate change, and political violence driving immigration to the U.S., it’s imperative that we reshape our immigration policy to address these global crises. This resolution calls upon Congress to do just that.”

    “Climate instability, democratic backsliding, economic exclusion, sanctions, and human rights violations are just some of the conditions driving unprecedented levels of global displacement and migration,” said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Stricter border enforcement, harsh asylum laws, and the vilification of immigrants have consistently failed us and our neighbors. Instead, we need to address how our own policies contribute to the crises and adopt a coordinated regional and global strategy to tackle the root causes of displacement.”

    “It’s past time for comprehensive immigration reform. And a critical piece to this is addressing the factors that force families to flee their home countries in the first place,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “From combating climate change to humanitarian assistance, we need to implement productive policies that address the root causes of forced migration and displacement, while also working to restore faith in our legal immigration system and creating pathways to citizenship.”

    Specifically, this resolution calls for comprehensive legislation that: 

    • addresses U.S. policies contributing to forced migration and displacement;
    • ensures a humane and sustainable immigration system that appropriately addresses the root causes driving migration; and
    • affirms the need for a true roadmap to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S.

    Over the last few weeks, MAGA Republicans have fabricated xenophobic and racist stories about Haitian immigrant families, adding to a long track record of perpetuating false narratives, conspiracy theories, and racist tropes. This MAGA rhetoric has incited physical violence against many migrant families. Now more than ever, it is important to emphasize the value migrants bring to our communities and to call for policies that will make our immigration system more stable and humane.  

    The resolution is co-led by U.S. Representatives Greg Casar (TX-35), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Juan Vargas (CA-52), and co-sponsored by Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia M. Velazquez (NY-07). 

    It is endorsed by ActionAid USA, Ayudemos por una vida mas digna, Border Vigil of Eagle Pass, CASA, Center for Economic Policy and Research, Center for International Policy, Climate Refugees, Eagle Pass Border Coalition, Global Exchange, Justice is Global, Mira Feminisms and Democracies, Movimiento de los pueblos por la paz y la justicia y México negro ac, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Project, OXFAM America, Public Citizen, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, Transnational Villages Network/Red de Pueblos, United We Dream, and Win Without War. 

    “This resolution is the step forward Congress desperately needs to reframe the issue of immigration towards more productive and effective solutions that will ensure migrants’ lives take precedence over politics,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy at United We Dream. “The vast majority of Americans want to see a humane, efficient and fair policies that honor everyone’s freedoms to live safely in their homes without being forcibly displaced, whether here or abroad, and provides the opportunity to become citizens in the U.S. Congress has a clear roadmap in front of them with this resolution that proves that safety, humanity, fairness and justice in our foreign policy and immigration system are not contradictory values but instead deeply interconnected.”

    “We need to dig in our heels and end the racism and xenophobia that’s rampant in our immigration and asylum debates in the U.S.,” said Eric Eikenberry, government relations director for Win Without War. “This new resolution lays the groundwork to do just that: welcome people who want to build their lives here, while ensuring that — from arms sales to climate policy and beyond — our government doesn’t create the conditions that force them from their homes and communities.” 

    “For too long, the U.S. approach to migration has focused on barricading our borders rather than addressing the realities compelling people to leave their homes — including crises exacerbated by U.S. policies. We applaud Congressman Casar and his colleagues for taking this critical step to review and move toward better U.S. policies to address the conditions giving rise to increased migration and displacement,” said Dylan Williams, Center for International Policy Vice President for Government Affairs.

    “There’s been a lot of talk over the years about ‘root causes’ of migration, but this is the first legislation of its kind to home in on the elephant in the room: U.S. policy and its role in fueling the involuntary migration and displacement of millions of people in the region and the world,” said Alex Main, Director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “This groundbreaking resolution helps us all better understand how vulnerable communities in the Global South have been devastated by U.S. broad-based sanctions, U.S.-backed trade agreements that put corporate greed over people, U.S. security assistance that props up repressive governments, and lax gun laws that provide criminals with easy access to U.S. weapons. Most importantly, this legislation proposes bold strategies to undo harmful policies and help truly mitigate ‘root causes’ including through far-reaching reforms to US sanctions policy and foreign assistance, the removal of harmful ISDS provisions from US-backed trade agreements, and the provision of robust support to developing countries fighting inequality and climate change, including through new issuances of debt-free IMF Special Drawing Rights. This resolution is long overdue, and we’re proud and delighted to be supporting it today.” 

    “Rather than ‘blaming the victims’—immigrants, it is important to acknowledge how failed U.S. foreign (or economic and military) policies have contributed to the spiraling poverty and violence from which people have been fleeing for their lives,” Jean Stokan, Justice Coordinator for Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “Forced migration is often the result of U.S. foreign policies that prioritize the interests of foreign investors over those of impoverished populations. Thus, this resolution importantly names U.S. responsibility to address those root causes and the need for justice-based pathways to citizenship.”

    “To design a just and humane policy response to immigration, we have to ask the question – why are people moving? As an international development organization, ActionAid USA strongly supports this resolution for acknowledging the root causes of migration, including and especially those for which the United States is directly responsible,” said Brandon Wu, Director of Policy and Campaigns for ActionAid USA. “A human rights-based approach to immigration policy should start with fixing harmful foreign policies, ongoing climate inaction, and unjust international economic systems that all contribute to force people to leave their homes.”

    Background: 

    The resolution text can be found here.

    Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security, Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Further arrests made as family of Daejaun Campbell pay tribute to him

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell in Woolwich have made two further arrests.

    An 18-year-old man was arrested last night (Wednesday, 25 September), on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody.

    A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and was released on bail.

    Police were called approximately 18:35hrs on Sunday, 22 September to reports of a disturbance on Eglinton Road, SE18.

    Officers attended and found Daejaun with a stab injury. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics at the scene, he sadly died a short time later.

    Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn who is leading the investigation said: “We are diligently progressing withthis investigation thanks to officers and detectives who have been working tirelessly throughout the week.

    “Daejaun was only 15 when he lost his life. His family are understandably devastated. Although officers have made a number of arrests and have charged a suspect we need to gather as much information as possible to fully understand what happened on Sunday evening.

    “If you know anything, no matter how insignificant you think this information is – please tell us. Even the slightest bit of information can help us build a picture of what happened to young Daejaun. You can contact Crimestoppers anonymously if you are afraid of speaking to us.

    “You can also submit footage or information anonymously via our website portal – Public Portal (mipp.police.uk)

    “If you want to speak to an officer you can contact the investigation team on 0208 721 4005 quoting Operation Baghaze.”

    Daejaun’s family have provided a statement:

    “Firstly, we the family would like to thank you all for the support. The support has been shown by friends, neighbours, communities and Project LifeLine who were working closely with Daejaun, to help him to develop a better future for himself. Daejaun was a great kid who had a bright future ahead of him, he was loved by his family and friends, as well as strangers who had interacted with him, and he has left a great impression with them. His calming nature and enthusiastic attitude would manifest a happy atmosphere amongst his family and friends wherever he went.

    “Daejaun was known for walking with the biggest smile and even bigger heart, he would always do his up most best to help anyone. Daejaun had a joyful spirit, full of wit and charm with the incredible ability to light up a room with his presence and impactful smile.

    “He is deeply loved by his family and though we should have many more years of memories with him, we will cherish the amazing memories he’s left behind.

    “His friends would say there wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it, he kept himself to himself and lived life to the fullest.

    “Our Daejaun was naturally gifted, intelligent, creative and a mathematician with his quick thinking as well as musically talented.

    “The brutal manner which Daejaun was taken away from us is sad, and he not the first young person nor will he be the last, this senseless killing needs to stop, how many mothers, fathers, grandparents and love ones must go through this excruciating pain of releasing these heart breaking statements, sharing our grief because we have lost our children and grandchildren.

    “Why are parents burying their children, when a child’s place is by their mother’s side? We must come together to bring change, solutions need to be put in place, we must do all we can together to ensure our young have the brightest of futures. #sayhisnameDaejaun

    “We as a family, again would like to thank you all for the support and kind messages.”

    A post mortem revealed that the cause of death was due to a sharp force trauma to the left thigh.

    Jacob Losiewicz 18 (26.07.06) of Church Manor Way, Abbey Wood appeared at Bromley Magistrates Court charged with murder this morning and was remanded in custody. He will next appear at the Old Bailey Court on Monday, 30 September.

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 721 4005 quoting Operation Baghaze. You can also remain anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marystown — Arrest warrant issued for Bryan Adam Hillier (UPDATED)

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Update: Bryan Hillier has been arrested.

    Burin Peninsula RCMP is looking to arrest 37-year-old Bryan Adam Hillier, who is wanted for a number of offences.

    Hillier is currently wanted on a charge for failure to attend court with other charges pending. Please see the attached image of Hillier.

    Anyone having information on the current location of Bryan Hillier is asked to contact Burin Peninsula RCMP at 709-279-3001. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit http://www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General remarks at High-level Ministerial Meeting in Support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    xcellencies, Distinguished guests,

    I thank the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Sweden for co-chairing this gathering and for their continued leadership in the support for UNRWA. I also thank all of you here today for your solidarity with Palestine Refugees.

    When we met one year ago, I spoke about putting ourselves in the shoes of Palestinians in Gaza. Of imagining what life must be like.

    I ended my remarks one year ago by saying “This is the most dramatic humanitarian problem associated with the riskiest explosive potential.”

    This was just days before the horrors of October 7th.

    Now, almost one year since that day, the situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond imagination.

    It has been said that “The United Nations was not created to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell.”

    Unfortunately, neither the United Nations nor anyone else that might have the power to do it was able to save the people of Gaza from hell.

    We have failed the people of Gaza.

    They are in a living hell that somehow gets even worse by the day.

    Over 41,000 people have been reported killed and more than 90,000 wounded, many with life-changing and lifelong injuries. The majority are women and children.

    Two million Palestinians are now crammed into a space the size of the Shanghai International Airport. Existing – not living, but existing – among lakes of sewage, piles of rubbish and mountains of rubble.

    The only certainty they have is that tomorrow will be worse.

    Yet if there is any outpost of hope in this hellscape, it is UNRWA.

    Even though UNRWA – as we all know – has not been spared.

    On the human level – 222 UNRWA colleagues have been killed, many together with entire families, several in the line of duty. This is the highest death toll in UN history. 

    I ask you – all of you – to think for a moment in the different entities that you preside [over], or to which you belong, what would be the impact if 222 members would have been killed and even after that having to go with their duties to save the people of Palestine.

    UNRWA personnel have been attacked repeatedly while going about their work. Women and men are displaced, shot at, and subjected to violent protests, detained by Israeli security forces, reporting mistreatment and torture.

    UNRWA has not been spared on the operational level – the humanitarian response in Gaza is being strangled.

    Protection and deconfliction mechanisms for humanitarian aid deliveries have failed. Attempts to evict UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem continue.

    And UNRWA has not been spared on the political level. This includes systematic disinformation campaigns that discredit the agency’s lifelong work.

    Meanwhile draft legislation in the Israeli parliament seeks to label the Agency a terrorist organization and to make any activity by UNRWA on Israeli territory illegal.

    In the face of the catastrophic conditions, UNRWA perseveres.

    This is a tribute to the resilience of the women and men of UNRWA, and a tribute to your support.

    Excellencies,

    I have full confidence in UNRWA’s continued commitment to upholding the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and humanity and to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review by Catherine Colonna. 

    Member States are showing that same confidence.

    Virtually all donors have reversed their funding suspensions. 123 countries have signed up to the declaration on shared commitments to UNRWA.

    This underscores the consensus that UNRWA’s role across the occupied West Bank and the region is vital.

    Friends,

    There is no alternative to UNRWA.

    Now is the time to work on all fronts to intensify support for the agency’s vital mission.

    Support with funding that is sufficient, predictable and flexible.

    Of course, we all know that UNRWA is not a sustainable long-term solution to the plight of Palestine Refugees. It was never meant to be. 

    That is why we keep pressing for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages and a long-term political solution ending the occupation and leading to 2 states living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital.

    But until that moment, UNRWA remains indispensable.

    I urge your full support. 

    Help us to save UNRWA as it works to save and serve Palestine refugees.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: AUKUS Defence Ministers’ Meeting Communique

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Today the Right Honourable John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom hosted the Honourable Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia and the Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, United States (U.S.) at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the United Kingdom (UK) to review progress in and reaffirm their commitment to the AUKUS partnership.

    The AUKUS partnership reflects the continued commitment by Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States to support a free and open Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, secure and stable. The discussions between the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister today reaffirmed the importance of this innovative, enduring, and trusted partnership in the face of a rapidly evolving and increasingly unstable international security environment. The three nations will continue to work to uphold the global rules-based order where international law is followed, and states can make sovereign choices free from coercion. In this context, they reiterated their shared commitments to the AUKUS partnership for the decades to come and welcomed the progress made since AUKUS Defence Ministers last met in California, the United States, in December 2023.

    Pillar I – Conventionally Armed, Nuclear-Powered Submarines (SSNs)

    In March of 2023, our Heads of Government met to announce a comprehensive plan to support Australia’s acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability as quickly as possible. Since that announcement, our three governments have worked shoulder-to-shoulder to refine the milestones and principles that will form the building blocks for this decades-long partnership.

    The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reiterated their shared and enduring commitment to setting the highest nuclear non-proliferation standard, and the importance of this work to the success of the programme. They undertook to continue AUKUS partners’ open, and transparent engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and noted the ongoing bilateral negotiations between the IAEA and Australia to develop a robust safeguards and verification approach for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion programme under Article 14 of Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA.

    Over the last year, our Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Navy (RN), and U.S. Navy personnel have worked tirelessly across governments, defence industry, and academic institutions to optimise the training of personnel to maintain, sustain, operate, and crew nuclear-powered submarines. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that the delivery of the “Optimal Pathway” depends upon the skilled workforces of all three countries and reaffirmed their shared commitment to develop a robust base of skills across their military, civilian and industrial sectors.

    • More than 60 RAN personnel are currently in various stages of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine SSN training pipeline to equip a cadre of Australian officers and sailors with experience aboard the U.S. Virginia class SSNs that the RAN will own and operate from the early 2030s. These numbers will increase further in 2025, with more than 100 personnel commencing training. Six officers have completed all training and have been assigned to U.S. Virginia class submarines. RAN enlisted sailors will join U.S. submarine crews before the end of this year.
    • In the United Kingdom, three RAN officers completed the UK Nuclear Reactor course in July 2024 and are now assigned to UK Astute class submarines. The next group of RAN officers will commence training in the UK in November 2024.
    • The RN, with the support of the Australian Submarine Agency, has also delivered professional and general naval nuclear propulsion training for more than 250 Australian personnel in Canberra.
    • Australians have embedded into programme delivery teams in the UK Ministry of Defence and with Rolls-Royce Submarines. Australians are also currently embedded in U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program teams.
    • In July and September 2024, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard welcomed the first 40 ASC Pty Ltd personnel into its training pipeline with the expectation of more than 100 additional ASC Pty Ltd employees by mid-2025.
    • The Australian Government has committed to nearly AUD 250 million to start delivering the skills and workforce needed for its SSN program, including providing 4,001 Commonwealth Supported Places at Australian universities, in addition to 3,000 undergraduate scholarships over six years, to build the necessary Australian Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics workforce.
    • Additional programs have seen more than 70 Australians supported to undertake postgraduate nuclear studies at universities in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia.
    • Australia has also recently announced the “Jobs for Subs” initiative, a government-funded program to evolve ASC Pty Ltd to recruit, train and retain approximately 200 additional graduates, apprentices and trainees to support Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) in Western Australia.

    Recognising that our partners in defence industry are and will remain vital to this endeavour, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister discussed opportunities to maximize our efforts to foster collaboration and build resilience across our industrial bases and supply chains. They welcome the collaboration between BAE Systems (BAES) and ASC Pty Ltd to bring together their combined decades of submarine building to deliver the SSN-AUKUS programme.

    • The U.S. Government decided to invest USD 17.5 billion into its submarine industrial base to support initiatives related to supplier development, shipbuilder and supplier infrastructure, workforce development, technology advancements, and strategic sourcing.
    • Australia has also committed to invest over AUD 30 billion in the Australian defence industrial base to develop Australia’s supply chains and facilitate industry participation in U.S. and UK supply chains.
    • His Majesty’s Government announced an initial allocation of £4 billion from the United Kingdom to continue the detailed design work of SSN-AUKUS and order long-lead items, as well as the United Kingdom’s investment of £3 billion across its Defence Nuclear Enterprise, including the construction of submarine industrial infrastructure that will help to deliver the SSN-AUKUS programme.
    • The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the AUKUS partners’ commitment to accelerate opportunities for Australian industry in the Virginia class submarine supply chain, including through the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program and other industry collaboration initiatives. They welcomed ongoing efforts to encourage further industrial base partnerships to build resiliency across the trilateral Submarine Industrial Base.
    • This August, as a direct result of our close collaboration over this year, our three nations commenced the execution of the first-ever planned maintenance activity of a U.S. SSN in Australia. More than 30 RAN personnel worked alongside U.S. Navy and contractor personnel and UK observers to conduct routine maintenance and observe safety and stewardship evolutions. This was an important step in building Australia’s capacity to support a rotational presence of UK and U.S. SSNs at SRF-West beginning as early as 2027, as well as Australia’s future sovereign SSN capability.

    The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the importance of ensuring that our trilateral systems have the tools they need to transfer information and data in a timely fashion to facilitate cooperation. They were pleased to welcome the August 2024 signing of an enabling agreement for trilateral cooperation related to naval nuclear propulsion. Once in force, this historic agreement will enable AUKUS partners to go beyond sharing naval nuclear propulsion information, allowing the United States and the United Kingdom to transfer nuclear-propulsion material and equipment to Australia required for the safe and secure construction, operation, and sustainment of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. 

    This agreement reaffirms, and remains consistent with, the AUKUS partners’ respective, existing international non-proliferation obligations. As a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Australia has re-affirmed unequivocally that it does not have, and will not seek to acquire, nuclear weapons.

    Pillar II – Advanced Capabilities

    The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister hailed progress being made under Pillar II to deliver capability to our defence forces while bolstering industry and innovation sector collaboration. AUKUS nations continue to pool the talents of our defence sectors to catalyse, at an unprecedented pace, the delivery of advanced capabilities.

    Through AUKUS Pillar II, our trilateral science and technology, acquisition and sustainment, and operational communities are working across the full spectrum of capability development—generating requirements, co-developing new systems, deepening industrial base collaboration, and bolstering our innovation ecosystems. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed progress made in building a more capable, combined joint force of the future because of this work.

    • This year, under the Maritime Big Play initiative, we are undertaking a series of integrated trilateral experiments and exercises to enhance interoperability and accelerate the combined fielding of autonomous uncrewed systems in the maritime domain. Later this year, the three nations will bring together approximately 30 systems across four domains for the first large-scale AUKUS integrated demonstration. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the inclusion of technologies from companies in each of the three nations and plans to expand to include additional industry partners in the future.
    • In 2024, AUKUS partners furthered their undersea warfare capabilities by beginning to scale up the ability to launch and recover uncrewed underwater systems from torpedo tubes on current classes of British and U.S. submarines, which will increase the range and capability of our undersea forces. AUKUS partners are exploring opportunities to collaborate on sensors and payloads to maximize this capability and deliver effects such as strike, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
    • In parallel, the United Kingdom and the United States are strengthening superiority in the maritime domain by integrating the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo into the P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft alongside the Mk 54 torpedo, with trials planned for 2025. This will increase the opportunity for interchangeability and potential work on future torpedo programmes. These efforts will ultimately enhance the survivability of our surface combatant and submarine fleets.
    • In the area of long-range precision strike, we are increasing our collective ability to develop and deliver offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies through a robust series of trilateral tests and experiments that will accelerate the development of hypersonic concepts and critical enabling technologies. These capabilities will hold time critical and heavily defended targets at risk from increased ranges, enhancing the survivability of our forces and defending our homelands and forces against potential threats.
    • Advancing our maritime domain autonomy and decision advantage efforts, AUKUS partners demonstrated and deployed common advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms on P8-A Maritime Patrol aircraft to process data from each nations’ sonobuoys. These advances allow for faster data processing and improved target identification in congested acoustic environments, enhancing our combined anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed plans to scale these technologies in 2025.
    • Our joint forces demonstrated several innovative uses of AI technologies to enhance decision making and bolster combined military effects. In March, AUKUS partners demonstrated the ability to rapidly co-develop and deploy trilateral AI algorithms to find and fix targets for strike. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed trilateral plans to explore the introduction of these capabilities into operational units in the coming years.

    The International Joint Requirements Oversight Council (I-JROC) remains a critical collaborative forum to identify and validate joint and combined requirements to ensure capability development considers interoperability and interchangeability from the very start. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the establishment of trilaterally determined key operational problems, leveraging existing activities to achieve capability development priorities endorsed by I-JROC. AUKUS partners seek:

    • An enhanced multi-domain long-range strike capability that incorporates asymmetric capabilities and integrated targeting;
    • Strengthened multi-domain integrated air and missile defence capability;
    • Resilient command and control systems that maintain a diverse range of information; and
    • Enhanced logistical networks that are able to deliver persistent support and sustainment for operations in contested environments.

    To this end, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed work underway across our trilateral Armies, Navies, and Air Forces to explore additional opportunities for collaboration in the land, maritime, air, and other domains under AUKUS Pillar II.

    A cornerstone of our AUKUS Pillar II program remains the opportunity to leverage the best of our defence industrial bases and innovation ecosystems. Over the past year we have further integrated our innovation ecosystems and fostered increased collaboration with these stakeholder communities to explore opportunities in all aspects of Pillar II.

    • AUKUS partners executed the first trilaterally sponsored innovation prize challenge, which focused on electronic warfare. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister are pleased to announce Advanced Design Technology Pty Ltd, Inovor Technologies Pty Ltd and Penten Pty Ltd (AUS), Amiosec Ltd, University of Liverpool, Roke Manor Research Ltd, Autonomous Devices Ltd (UK), and Distributed Spectrum (U.S.) as the winners for this challenge. The selection of these companies demonstrates the important contributions that our trilateral commercial sectors and innovation bases can make in addressing critical operational requirements.
       
    • Building on the success of this first challenge, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister were pleased to endorse plans for a robust two-year agenda that will increase collaboration between and among our innovation centres of excellence. Through this collaboration, AUKUS partners will leverage innovative tools to reach our entrepreneurs and actively solicit new and powerful capabilities from our trilateral innovation ecosystem and industrial base.
    • In coordination with industry associations representing the trilateral defence industrial base, the Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum, continues to provide an opportunity for representatives across government and industry to exchange ideas and deepen industrial collaboration in Pillar II. By the end of this year, AUKUS partners will have convened meetings in each country and facilitated discussions with technology and policy subject matter experts to increase understanding and information sharing.
    • In response to industry feedback and as current projects mature beyond traditional research and development projects, the National Armaments Directors from each nation are identifying opportunities to harmonise acquisition processes and reducing barriers to facilitate the accelerated delivery of Pillar II advanced capabilities. 

    In April 2024, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister announced principles for engaging additional partners on opportunities to collaborate on AUKUS Pillar II projects. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed progress on consultations with Japan on improving interoperability with Japan’s maritime autonomous systems as an initial area of cooperation. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister noted ongoing consultations with Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II on a project by project basis.

    Defence trade and industrial base collaboration

    To promote innovation and realise the goals of AUKUS, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States implemented momentous amendments to our respective export control regimes. These historic efforts will maximise secure, licence-free defence trade and stimulate innovation across the full breadth of our defence collaboration, mutually strengthening our three defence industrial bases, while maintaining rigour and security in all three systems. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed support to reduce bureaucratic barriers to collaboration to enable deeper defence industrial base cooperation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Weather closing Roane County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Weather closing Roane County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center

    Weather closing Roane County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center

    Sept. 26, 2024
    DR-4787-WV MA-011
    FEMA News Desk: 215-931-5597
    FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov

    Media Advisory

    Weather closing Roane County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The state-federal Disaster Recovery Center in Roane County will be closed Friday, Sept. 27, because of forecast inclement weather.

    The center is located at:

    Roane County Mobile Disaster Recovery Center

    Old National Guard Armory Parking Lot

    206 E Main St.

    Spencer, WV 25276

    Hours of operation:

    Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

    Closed Sundays

    Closed Friday, Sept. 27, 2024

    Pending any effects from the weather, the center is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 28.

    Residents of all affected counties can continue to visit the disaster center in Boone County. The center is located at: 

    To locate center nearest you, check the FEMA app or visit fema.gov/drc. The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Nov. 2, 2024.

    Survivors do not have to visit a disaster center to register with FEMA. They can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. They can also go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA app on their smartphone.

    For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page,www.fema.gov/disaster/4787 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.

    ###

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

    Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

    Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

    issa.mansaray
    Thu, 09/26/2024 – 17:01

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NSF partners with the U.S. Department of Education to improve outcomes in elementary science education

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The U.S. National Science Foundation is providing half of $15 million in funding to establish the new Center for Advancing Elementary Science through Assessment, Research, and Technology (CAESART) to address the nationwide availability of high-quality science instruction and assessment for elementary school students. The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) provides the remaining funding.

    “By partnering with IES to support CAESART, the NSF Directorate for STEM Education is able to not only leverage its human and financial resources but also expand its investments in critical research and assessment methods that will transform early science education at its foundation for our youngest learners,” said NSF Assistant Director for STEM Education James L. Moore III. “It will allow researchers, in collaboration with science educators and students, to develop innovative curricula, tools and approaches that will improve science instruction while ensuring that students across the nation have access to high-quality learning experiences. We are looking forward to seeing the immediate and long-term impact the center will have in early science education across the nation and beyond.”

    CAESART will connect networks of science researchers, leaders and practitioners at state, district and school levels to engage in research and assessment of curricular interventions.

    “This new partnership with NSF goes beyond building much-needed evidence about science assessment and learning,” said IES acting director Matthew Soldner. “It reflects our shared commitment to improving student achievement in STEM, leveraging NSF’s unique role in supporting the development of high-quality programs and products and IES’s expertise in identifying what works, for whom, and under what conditions.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Understand your FEMA Letter

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Understand your FEMA Letter

    Understand your FEMA Letter

    HARRISBURG, Pa. – If you applied for FEMA assistance, you will receive a letter explaining FEMA’s decision within 10 days after the inspector’s visit. 

    Read your letter carefully and completely. The letter will explain: 

    • whether you are approved for assistance
    • how much assistance you will receive
    • how the assistance must be used
    • how to appeal FEMA’s decision if you do not agree with it

    The letter will be sent to you by email or mail based on what you selected when you completed your application.

    The FEMA letter will provide additional information on what you will need to provide if you choose to appeal FEMA’s initial decision. These can include documents. 

    For example, if you are appealing for additional assistance to help repair your home, you will want to provide FEMA with any receipts, bills, insurance information or repair estimates received for the repairs. 

    When submitting any documentation or information to FEMA, you must include your name, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your FEMA application number, and the disaster number (DR-4815-PA) on every page.

    If you have any questions about a letter from FEMA, we encourage you to visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. FEMA staff are standing by to answer your questions. 

    For more information on Pennsylvania’s disaster recovery, visit the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Facebook page, fema.gov/disaster/4815 and facebook.com/FEMA. 

                                                                                              ###                                                                 

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

    Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

    erika.osullivan
    Thu, 09/26/2024 – 17:21

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025
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