NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI: Bitfarms Provides January 2025 Production and Operations Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Operational hashrate of 15.2 EH/s –
    – Energized two North American sites, Sharon PA & Baie-Comeau QC –
    – Binding LOI with HIVE for sale of 200 MW Yguazu site; Expected Q1 2025 close –
    – Acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining on track for Q1 2025 close –
    – Signed agreements with ASG and WWT to develop HPC/AI business –

    This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s second amended and restated prospectus supplement dated December 17, 2024, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 10, 2023.

    TORONTO, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ/TSX: BITF), a global Bitcoin and vertically integrated data center company, today issued its latest monthly production report. All financial references are in U.S. dollars.

    CEO Ben Gagnon stated, “2025 is off to a great start. We are on track this quarter to close both our acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining, Inc. (“Stronghold”) and the strategic sale of our 200 MW Yguazu, Paraguay data center to HIVE Digital Technologies, Ltd. These transactions transform our energy pipeline by immediately rebalancing our portfolio to North America with great assets for both HPC and Bitcoin mining. The accretive sale of Yguazu provides meaningful capital and cost savings associated with the redeployment of miners in the US that will be applied towards our American gigawatt growth pipeline.

    “To accelerate our HPC strategy, we recently engaged two expert consultants to launch a formal evaluation of our data centers and the development of our HPC/AI business. These strategic partners are already evaluating Bitfarms energy portfolio for potential partial or total conversion to HPC/AI sites, as well as developing an accelerated sales strategy to market the sites to potential customers. The long-term contracts associated with HPC/AI customers would better monetize many of our North American energy assets with long-term, steady cash flows and earnings streams, creating a powerful and resilient portfolio that will generate shareholder value for years to come.

    “Operationally we grew our hashrate by 19% in January to 15.2 EH/s with the energization of two additional sites and further miner deployments at the Stronghold sites. Miner deliveries are ongoing in February with installations scheduled through Q2. When all miners are successfully deployed, we will have 21 EH/s installed across 15 sites in 4 countries. However, due to the underperformance of some of our T21 miners, we are derating our guidance by 14% to 18 EH/s in H1 2025. We are focused on resolving the T21 underperformance to drive better performance across all our sites. Our energy efficiency target of 19 w/TH remains unchanged. Additionally, in order to accommodate potential HPC integration into our Sharon location, the construction timeline is being pushed back from 2025 to 2026 reducing our 2025 YE energized capacity by 80 MW. When combined with the Yguazu sale, our 2025 YE energized capacity is 675 MW,” Ben concluded.

    SVP of Global Mining Operations Alex Brammer added, “The 19% increase in monthly hashrate to 15.2 EH/s was achieved by optimizing performance across seven of our data centers and continued miner deployments in the PJM region. For the month overall, our average operational hashrate only increased 1% to 11.2 EH/s, largely due to frequent winter curtailment and increases in hashrate energized later in the month. We expect to continue driving further increases in hashrate and performance through ongoing miner deployments and continued data center optimization initiatives, while taking advantage of improving weather conditions as we move into the shoulder months.

    “With the energization of our Sharon site in PJM, we are now officially in the registration process for participation in Economic Demand Response and other grid support programs offered in this deregulated market. Participation in these programs is the first step in a broader energy arbitrage strategy that we will be developing in the coming months across our PJM portfolio. This strategy will be critical to maximizing the value of our PJM assets and will be greatly facilitated by the deployment of a powerful miner and energy strategy management platform, LōD (formerly known as Lincoin).  The LōD platform is now deployed at every data center across our global fleet, and it is already driving significant improvements in operational efficiency.”

    January 2025 Select Operating Highlights

    Key Performance Indicators January 2025 December 2024 January 2024
    Total BTC earned 201 211 357
    Month End Operating EH/s 15.2 12.8 6.5
    BTC/Avg. EH/s 18 19 60
    Average Operating EH/s 11.2 11.1 5.9
    Operating Capacity (MW) 386 324 240
    Hydropower (MW) 256 256 186
    Watts/Terahash Efficiency (w/TH) 20 21 35
    BTC Sold 42 147 357
    • 15.2 EH/s operational at January 31, 2025, up 19% M/M and up 134% Y/Y.
    • 11.2 EH/s average operational, up 90% Y/Y and up 1% M/M.
    • 18 BTC/average EH/s, 5% lower M/M and 70% lower Y/Y
    • 201 BTC earned, 5% lower M/M and 44% lower Y/Y.
    • 6.5 BTC earned daily on average, equal to ~$682,500 per day based on a BTC price of $105,000 at January 31, 2025.
    • Adopted new LōD miner management software driving better performance, enabling energy trading & demand response and incorporates AI management tools.

    Bitfarms’ BTC Monthly Production

    Month BTC Earned 2025 BTC Earned 2024
    January 201 357


    January 2025 Financial Update

    • Sold 42 of the 201 BTC earned as part of the Company’s regular treasury management practice for total proceeds of $4.1 million.
    • Added 218 BTC, bringing Treasury to 1,152 BTC, up from 934 BTC last month and representing $121.0 million based on the Bitcoin price of $105,000 at January 31, 2025. This includes the repurchase of 88 BTC from Bitmain for $8.3 million, or $94,500 per BTC, in accordance with the miner upgrade agreement announced on November 12, 2024 and the transfer of 30 BTC to a third party as collateral for active derivatives contracts.

    Upcoming Conferences and Events

    • Feb 12, 2025: AGP/ Alliance Global Partners Virtual Tech Conference
    • March 17-18, 2025: 37th Annual ROTH Conference (Dana Point, CA)

    About Bitfarms Ltd.

    Founded in 2017, Bitfarms is a global vertically integrated Bitcoin data center company that contributes its computational power to one or more mining pools from which it receives payment in Bitcoin. Bitfarms develops, owns, and operates vertically integrated mining facilities with in-house management and company-owned electrical engineering, installation service, and multiple onsite technical repair centers.

    Bitfarms currently has 13 operating Bitcoin data centers, as well as hosting agreements with two data centers, in four countries: Canada, the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina. Powered predominantly by environmentally friendly hydro-electric and long-term power contracts, Bitfarms is committed to using sustainable and often underutilized energy infrastructure.

    To learn more about Bitfarms’ events, developments, and online communities:

    www.bitfarms.com
    https://www.facebook.com/bitfarms/
    https://twitter.com/Bitfarms_io
    https://www.instagram.com/bitfarms/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitfarms/

    Glossary of Terms

    • Y/Y or M/M= year over year or month over month
    • BTC or BTC/day = Bitcoin or Bitcoin per day
    • EH or EH/s = Exahash or exahash per second
    • MW or MWh = Megawatts or megawatt hour
    • GW or GWh= Gigawatts or gigawatt hour
    • w/TH = Watts/Terahash efficiency (includes cost of powering supplementary equipment)
    • Synthetic HODL™ = the use of instruments that create BTC equivalent exposure
    • HPC/AI = High Performance Computing / Artificial Intelligence
    • Energized capacity= Power available
    • Operational capacity= Power and infrastructure being used for current operations
    • PJM= Pennsylvania- New Jersey- Maryland Interconnection LLC

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are covered by safe harbors under Canadian and United States securities laws. The statements and information in this release regarding projected growth, target hashrate, opportunities relating to the Company’s geographical diversification and expansion, deployment of miners as well as the timing therefor, closing of the Stronghold acquisition on a timely basis and on the terms as announced, the positive impact of the Stronghold acquisition and the ability to gain access to additional electrical power and grow hashrate of the Stronghold business, performance of the plants and equipment upgrades and the impact on operating capacity including the target hashrate and multi-year expansion capacity, the opportunities to leverage Bitfarms’ proven expertise to successfully enhance energy efficiency and hashrate, the benefits of diversification and other statements regarding future growth, plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking information. Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “prospects”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information.

    This forward-looking information is based on assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time they were made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to: the construction and operation of the Company’s facilities may not occur as currently planned, or at all; there is no guarantee that the Company will be able to complete the acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining, Inc. on the terms as announced, or at all; expansion may not materialize as currently anticipated, or at all; the anticipated merits of the HPC/AI strategy, the benefits and programs of the PJM deregulated market and the objectives of diversification in general may not be realized as planned; efforts to improve and optimize the performance of equipment may not be successful; the digital currency market; the ability to successfully mine digital currency; revenue may not increase as currently anticipated, or at all; it may not be possible to profitably liquidate the current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on operations; an increase in network difficulty may have a significant negative impact on operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; the anticipated growth and sustainability of hydroelectricity for the purposes of cryptocurrency mining in the applicable jurisdictions; the inability to maintain reliable and economical sources of power for the Company to operate cryptocurrency mining assets; the risks of an increase in the Company’s electricity costs, cost of natural gas, changes in currency exchange rates, energy curtailment or regulatory changes in the energy regimes in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates and the adverse impact on the Company’s profitability; the ability to complete current and future financings; the risk that a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting could result in a misstatement of the Company’s financial position that may lead to a material misstatement of the annual or interim consolidated financial statements if not prevented or detected on a timely basis; any regulations or laws that will prevent Bitfarms from operating its business; historical prices of digital currencies and the ability to mine digital currencies that will be consistent with historical prices; and the adoption or expansion of any regulation or law that will prevent Bitfarms from operating its business, or make it more costly to do so. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Company’s filings on www.sedarplus.ca (which are also available on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov), including the restated MD&A for the year-ended December 31, 2023, filed on December 9, 2024. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including factors that are currently unknown to or deemed immaterial by the Company. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law . Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or any other securities exchange or regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Additional Information about the Stronghold Acquisition and Where to Find It

    This communication relates to a proposed merger between Stronghold and Bitfarms. In connection with the proposed merger, Bitfarms has filed the registration statement with the SEC. After the registration statement is declared effective, Stronghold will mail the proxy statement/prospectus to its shareholders. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus or any other relevant documents Bitfarms and Stronghold has filed or will file with the SEC. Investors are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto) and other relevant documents filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety if and when they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed merger and related matters.

    Investors may obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents filed by Bitfarms and Stronghold with the SEC, when they become available, through the website maintained by the SEC at www sec.gov. Copies of the documents may also be obtained for free from Bitfarms by contacting Bitfarms’ Investor Relations Department at investors@bitfarms.com and from Stronghold by contacting Stronghold’s Investor Relations Department at SDIG@gateway-grp.com.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, sell or solicit any securities or any proxy, vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be deemed to be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Bitfarms
    Tracy Krumme
    SVP, IR & Corp. Comms.
    +1 786-671-5638
    tkrumme@bitfarms.com

    Media Contact: 

    Bitfarms
    Caroline Brady Baker 
    Director, Communications   
    cbaker@bitfarms.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nuvini Group Limited Reports Strong Growth in First Half 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nuvini Group Limited (Nasdaq: NVNI) (“Nuvini” or the “Company”), a leading acquirer of private SaaS B2B companies in Latin America, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first half of 2024, reflecting continued revenue growth, operational efficiencies, and financial resilience. The company will file a 6-K with the SEC today.

    Key Financial Highlights:

    • Operating Profit: R$14.2 million, a dramatic increase from R$0.3 million in the prior year period, demonstrating improved operational efficiencies and cost management.
    • Adjusted EBITDA: R$26.5 million, a 25% increase from R$21.2 million in H1 2023, reflecting improved profitability and disciplined cost control.
    • Net Revenue: R$92.2 million, a 12.5% increase compared to R$81.9 million in H1 2023.
    • Net Cash from Operating Activities: R$16.3 million, further reinforcing the Company’s ability to generate strong cash flow from its growing operations.

    “Nuvini’s H1 2024 results showcase our ability to drive sustainable growth and optimize operational performance,” said Pierre Schurmann, CEO of Nuvini. “We have made significant strides in improving profitability while continuing to expand our revenue base. Our disciplined acquisition strategy and operational enhancements are positioning Nuvini as a leader in the Latin American SaaS market.”

    Operational and Strategic Highlights:

    • Revenue Growth Across Portfolio: Increased customer retention and a growing client base contributed to the double-digit revenue growth.
    • Improved Cost Management: Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 11.6%, demonstrating greater efficiency in customer acquisition.
    • Enhanced Cash Flow: The Company’s strong net cash from operations of R$16.3 million further solidifies its ability to fund future growth initiatives.
    • Technology and Product Enhancements: Continued investments in AI-driven solutions and platform improvements, aimed at delivering enhanced value to customers.

    About Nuvini

    Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, Nuvini is the leading private serial software business acquirer in Latin America. The Nuvini Group acquires software companies within SaaS markets in Latin America. It focuses on acquiring profitable “business-to-business” SaaS companies with a consolidated business model, recurring revenue, positive cash generation and relevant growth potential. The Nuvini Group enables its acquired companies to provide mission-critical solutions to customers within its industry or sector. Its business philosophy is to invest in established companies and foster an entrepreneurial environment that would enable companies to become leaders in their respective industries. The Nuvini Group’s goal is to buy, retain and create value through long-term partnerships with the existing management of its acquired companies.

    Nuvini Investor Relations and Media Contact:

    Deb Toledo
    ir@nuvini.co

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Some of the statements contained in this press release include or may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by those laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Nuvini. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Nuvini will be those that we have anticipated. Where a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “aim,” “target,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “likely,” “plan,” “probably” or similar words may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about the ability of Nuvini to: realize the benefits expected from this strategic partnership; achieve projections and anticipate uncertainties relating to the business, operations and financial performance of Nuvini, including (i) expectations with respect to financial and business performance, including financial projections and business metrics and any underlying assumptions, (ii) expectations regarding market size, future acquisitions, partnerships or other relationships with third parties, (iii) expectations on Nuvini’s proprietary technology and related intellectual property rights, and (iv) future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash, including the ability to obtain additional capital in the future; enhance future operating and financial results; comply with applicable laws and regulations; stay abreast of modified or new laws and regulations applying to its business, including privacy regulation; anticipate rapid technological changes; and effectively respond to general economic and business conditions.

    While forward-looking statements reflect Nuvini’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Nuvini disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause Nuvini’s future results, performance or transactions to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, please see the section “Risk Factors” of the Registration Statement in Form F-4 filed by Nuvini with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2023 under number 333-272688. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to Nuvini.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Peru

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Peru – Government.se

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    Article from Ministry for Foreign Affairs

    Published

    On 30–31 January 2025, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard visited Peru together with a business delegation. The visit highlights Sweden’s good relations and mutual trade interests with Peru.

    The visit took place in the capital, Lima, and was conducted together with a business delegation in the areas of mining and energy. Ms Malmer Stenergard met with Peru’s Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmer Schialer and Minister of Economy and Finance José Arista. Current foreign policy issues, Swedish-Peruvian trade relations and cooperation in areas such as sustainable mining were included in their discussions.

    Together with Peru’s Vice Minister of Mines and Energy, Ms Malmer Stenergard opened the Sweden-Peru Mining Summit. There are many Swedish businesses operating in Peru, and the Swedish Government sees good opportunities to strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, mining and green transition.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (31 January 2025)

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    Briefing Monday
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Democratic Republic of the Congo/Human Rights
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Haiti
    Interfaith Harmony Week
    Honour Roll

    BRIEFING MONDAY
    On Monday, at 12:30 p.m., there will be a briefing by Ambassador Fu Cong, the Permanent Representative of China and President of the Security Council for the month of February. He will discuss the Council’s programme for the upcoming month.

    DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
    On the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is saying that humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organizations.
    The World Health Organization and partners conducted an assessment with the Government between January 26th and yesterday and report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured people are receiving treatment in health facilities. These numbers are expected to rise as more information becomes available.
    Today, OCHA and its humanitarian partners visited sites for internally displaced people in the areas of Bulengo and Lushagala – which is on the outskirts of Goma.
    They found that water and healthcare services are still operational, but conditions remain dire.
    In Goma, access to safe drinking water remains cut off, forcing people to rely on untreated water from Lake Kivu. Without urgent action, OCHA cautions that the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks will continue to increase.
    For its part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today that several displacement sites, including on the outskirts of Goma – where over 300,000 displaced persons had sought refuge – have been partially or completely emptied.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=31%20January%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPkknX1lTIs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Whether Biden Or Trump, US’ Latin American Policy Will Be Contemptible

    Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs –

    By John Perry and Roger D. Harris

    Migration, Drugs, and Tariffs.

    With Donald Trump as the new US president, pundits are speculating about how US policy towards Latin America might change.

    In this article, we look at some of the speculation, then address three specific instances of how the US’s policy priorities may be viewed from a progressive, Latin American perspective. This leads us to a wider argument: that the way these issues are dealt with is symptomatic of Washington’s paramount objective of sustaining the US’s hegemonic position. In this overriding preoccupation, its policy towards Latin America is only one element, of course, but always of significance because the US hegemon still treats the region as its “backyard.”

    First, some examples of what the pundits are saying. In Foreign Affairs, Brian Winter argues that Trump’s return signals a shift away from Biden’s neglect of the region. “The reason is straightforward,” he says. “Trump’s top domestic priorities of cracking down on unauthorized immigration, stopping the smuggling of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and reducing the influx of Chinese goods into the United States all depend heavily on policy toward Latin America.”

    Ryan Berg, who is with the thinktank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, funded by the US defense industry, is also hopeful. Trump will “focus U.S. policy more intently on the Western Hemisphere,” he argues, “and in so doing, also shore up its own security and prosperity at home.”

    According to blogger James Bosworth, Biden’s “benign neglect” could be replaced by an “aggressive Monroe Doctrine – deportations, tariff wars, militaristic security policies, demands of fealty towards the US, and a rejection of China.” However, notwithstanding the attention of Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Bosworth thinks there is still a good chance of policy lapsing into benign neglect as the new administration focuses elsewhere.

    The wrong end of the telescope

    What these and similar analyses share is a concern with problems of importance to the US, including domestic ones, and how they might be tackled by shifts in policy towards Latin America. They view the region from the end of a US-mounted telescope.

    Trump’s approach may be the more brazen “America first!,” but the basic stance is much the same as these pundits. The different scenarios will be worked out in Washington, with Latin America’s future seen as shaped by how it handles US policy changes over which it has little influence. Analyses by these supposed experts are constrained by their adopting the same one-dimensional perspective as Washington’s, instead of questioning it.

    Here’s one example. The word “neglect” is superficial because it hides the immense involvement of the US in Latin America even when it is “neglecting” it: from deep commercial ties to a massive military presence. It is also superficial because, in a real sense, the US constantly neglects the problems that concern most Latin Americans: low wages, inequality, being safe in the streets, the damaging effects of climate change, and many more. “Neglect” would be seen very differently on the streets of a Latin American city than it is inside the Washington beltway.

    Who has the “drug problem”?

    The vacuum in US thinking is nowhere more apparent than in responses to the drug problem. Trump threatens to declare Mexican drug cartels to be terrorist organizations and to invade Mexico to attack them.

    But, as academic Carlos Pérez-Ricart told El Pais: “This is a problem that does not originate in Mexico. The source, the demand, and the vectors are not Mexican. It is them.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also points out that it is consumption in the US that drives drug production and trafficking in Mexico.

    Trump could easily make the same mistake as his predecessor Clinton did two decades ago. Back then, billions were poured into “Plan Colombia” but still failed to solve the “drug problem,” while vastly augmenting violence and human rights violations in the target country.

    A foretaste of what might happen, if Trump carries out his threat, occurred last July, when Biden’s administration captured Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. That caused an all-out war between cartels in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

    Sheinbaum rightly turns questions about drug production and consumption back onto the US. Rhetorically, she asks: “Do you believe that fentanyl is not manufactured in the United States?…. Where are the drug cartels in the United States that distribute fentanyl in US cities? Where does the money from the sale of that fentanyl go in the United States?”

    If Trump launches a war on cartels, he will not be the first US president to the treat drug consumption as a foreign issue rather than a concomitantly domestic one.

    Where does the “migration problem” originate?

    Trump is also not the first president to be obsessed by migration. Like drugs, it is seen as a problem to be solved by the countries where the migrants originate, while both the “push” and “pull” factors under US control receive less attention.

    Exploitation of migrant labor, complex asylum procedures, and schemes such as “humanitarian parole” to encourage migration are downplayed as reasons. Biden intensified US sanctions on various Latin American countries, which have been shown conclusively to provoke massive emigration. Meanwhile Trump threatens to do the same.

    Many Latin American countries have been made unsafe by crime linked to drugs or other problems in which the US is implicated. About 392,000 Mexicans were displaced as a result of conflict in 2023 alone, their problem aggravated by the massive, often illegal, export of firearms from the US to Mexico.

    Costa Rica, historically a safe country, had a record 880 homicides in 2023, many of which were related to drug trafficking. In Brazil and other countries, US-trained security forces contribute directly to the violence, rather than reducing it.

    Mass deportations from the US, promised by Trump, could worsen these problems, as happened in El Salvador in the late 1990s. They would also affect remittances sent home by migrant workers, exacerbating regional poverty. The threatened use of tariffs on exports to the US could also have serious consequences if Latin America does not stand up to Trump’s threats. Economist Michael Hudson argues that countries will have to jointly retaliate by refusing to pay dollar-based debts to bond holders if export earnings from the US are summarily cut.

    China in the US “backyard”

    Trump also joins the Washington consensus in its preoccupation with China’s influence in Latin America. Monica de Bolle is with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a thinktank partly funded by Pentagon contractors. She told the BBC: “You have got the backyard of America engaging directly with China. That’s going to be problematic.”

    Recently retired US Southern Command general, Laura Richardson, was probably the most senior frequent visitor on Washington’s behalf to Latin American capitals, during the Biden administration. She accused China of “playing the ‘long game’ with its development of dual-use sites and facilities throughout the region, “adding that those sites could serve as “points of future multi-domain access for the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] and strategic naval chokepoints.”

    As Foreign Affairs points out, Latin America’s trade with China has “exploded” from $18 billion in 2002 to $480 billion in 2023. China is also investing in huge infrastructure projects, and seemingly its only political condition is a preference for a country to recognize China diplomatically (not Taiwan). Even here, China is not absolute as with Guatemala, Haiti, and Paraguay, which still recognize Taiwan. China still has direct investments in those holdouts, though relatively more modest than with regional countries that fully embrace its one-China policy.

    Peru, currently a close US ally, has a new, Chinese-funded megaport at Chancay, opened in November by President Xi Jinping himself. Even right-wing Argentinian president Milei said of China, “They do not demand anything [in return].”

    What does the US offer instead? While Antony Blinken proudly displayed old railcars that were gifted to Peru, the reality is that most US “aid” to Latin America is either aimed at “promoting democracy” (i.e. Washington’s political agenda) or is conditional or exploitative in other ways.

    The BBC cites “seasoned observers” who believe that Washington is paying the price for “years of indifference” towards the region’s needs. Where the US sees a loss of strategic influence to China and to a lesser extent to Russia, Iran, and others, Latin American countries see opportunities for development and economic progress.

    Remember the Monroe Doctrine

    Those calling for a more “benign” policy are forgetting that, in the two centuries since President James Monroe announced the “doctrine,” later given his name, US policy towards Latin America has been aggressively self-interested.

    Its troops have intervened thousands of times in the region and have occupied its countries on numerous occasions. Just since World War II, there have been around 50 significant interventions or coup attempts, beginning with Guatemala in 1954. The US has 76 military bases across the region, while other major powers like China and Russia have none.

    The doctrine is very much alive. In Foreign Affairs, Brian Winter warns: “Many Republicans perceive these linkages [with China], and the growing Chinese presence in Latin America more broadly, as unacceptable violations of the Monroe Doctrine, the 201-year-old edict that the Western Hemisphere should be free of interference from outside powers.”

    Bosworth adds that Trump wants Latin America to decisively choose a side in the US vs China scrimmage, not merely underplay the role of China in the hemisphere. Any country courting Trump, he suggests, “needs to show some anti-China vibes.”

    Will Freeman is with the Council on Foreign Relations, whose major sponsors are also Pentagon contractors. He thinks that a new Monroe Doctrine and what he calls Trump’s “hardball” diplomacy may partially work, but only with northern Latin America countries, which are more dependent on US trade and other links.

    Trump has two imperatives: while one is stifling China’s influence (e.g. by taking possession of the Panama Canal), another is gaining control of mineral resources (a reason for his wanting to acquire Greenland). The desire for mineral resources is not new, either. General Richardson gave an interview in 2023 to another defense-industry-funded thinktank in which she strongly insinuated that Latin American minerals rightly belong to the US.

    Maintaining hegemonic power against the threat of multipolarity

    Neoconservative Charles Krauthammer, writing 20 years ago for yet another thinktank funded by the  defense industry, openly endorsed the US’s status as the dominant hegemonic power and decried multilateralism, at least when not in US interests. “Multipolarity, yes, when there is no alternative,” he said. “But not when there is. Not when we have the unique imbalance of power that we enjoy today.”

    Norwegian commentator Glen Diesen, writing in 2024, contends that the US is still fighting a battle – although perhaps now a losing one – against multipolarity and to retain its predominant status. Trump’s “America first!” is merely a more blatant expression of sentiments held by his other presidential predecessors for clinging on to Washington’s contested hegemony.

    The irony of Biden’s presidency was that his pursuit of the Ukraine war has led to warmer relations between his two rivals, Russia and China. In this context, the growth of BRICS has been fostered – an explicitly multipolar, non-hegemonic partnership. As Glen Diesen says, “The war intensified the global decoupling from the West.”

    Other steps to maintain US hegemony – its support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the regime-change operation in Syria and the breakdown of order in Haiti – suggest that, in Washington’s view, according to Diesen, “chaos is the only alternative to US global dominance.” Time and again, Yankee “beneficence” has meant ruination, not development.

    These have further strengthened desires in the global south for alternatives to US dominance, not least in Latin America. Many of its countries (especially those vulnerable to tightening US sanctions) now want to follow the alternative of BRICS.

    Unsurprisingly, Trump has been highly critical of this perceived erosion of hegemonic power on Biden’s watch. Thomas Fazi argues in UnHerd that this is realism on Trump’s part; he knows the Ukraine war cannot be conclusively won, and that China’s power is difficult to contain. Accordingly, this is leading to a “recalibrating of US priorities toward a more manageable ‘continental’ strategy — a new Monroe Doctrine — aimed at reasserting full hegemony over what it deems to be its natural sphere of influence, the Americas and the northern Atlantic,” stretching from Greenland and the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica.

    The pundits may not agree on quite what Trump’s approach towards Latin America will be, but they concur with Winter’s judgment that the region “is about to become a priority for US foreign policy.” His appointment of Marco Rubio is a signal of this. The new secretary of state is a hawk, just like Blinken, but one with a dangerous focus on Latin America.

    However, the mere fact that such pundits hark back to the Monroe Doctrine indicates that this is only, so to speak, old wine in new bottles. Even in the recent past, an aggressive application of the 201-year-old Monroe Doctrine has never seen a hiatus.

    Recall US-backed coups that deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya (2009) and Bolivian Evo Morales (2019), plus the failed coup against Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua (2018), along with the parliamentary coup that ousted Paraguayan Fernando Lugo (2012). To these, US-backed regime change by “lawfare” included Dilma Rousseff in Brazil (2016) and Pedro Castillo in Peru (2023). Currently presidential elections have simply been suspended in Haiti and Peru with US backing.

    Even if Trump is more blatant than his predecessors in making clear that his policymaking is based entirely on what he perceives to be US interests, rather than those of Latin Americans, this is not new.

    As commentator Caitlin Johnstone points out, the main difference between Trump and his predecessors is that he “makes the US empire much more transparent and unhidden.” From the other end of the political spectrum, a former John McCain adviser echoes the same assessment: “there will likely be far more continuity between the two administrations than meets the eye.”

    Regardless, Latin America will continue to struggle to set its own destiny, patchily and with setbacks, and this will likely draw it away from the hegemon, whatever the US does.

    Nicaragua-based John Perry is with the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition and writes for the London Review of Books, FAIR, and CovertAction.

    Roger D. Harris is with the Task Force on the Americas, the US Peace Council, and the Venezuela Solidarity Network

    Featured image courtesy of Cornell University/Wikimedia Commons

    First published by Popular Resistance: https://popularresistance.org/whether-biden-or-trump-us-latin-american-policy-will-still-be-contemptible/

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches Double Deposit Bonus, $50 Welcome Bonus and 100x Leverage Crypto Trading No KYC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the price of Bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark and many analysts believe that it will enter a long-term high-volatility market. Holding spot positions may not continue to generate profits in the short term. BexBack Exchange is stepping up its efforts to provide traders with irresistible preferential packages. The platform now offers a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and a 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, creating unparalleled opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 200,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

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    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba4465dd-d4e3-4374-8385-806fd259e6e3
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82e163a9-5f5b-4738-9c9e-8085324358fb
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3872672-3b1c-489b-8492-34196f339656
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/941d5ac9-9048-4b49-b919-4b4f5922bbf8

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Poison baits were used on 1,400 feral cats, foxes and dingoes. We studied their fate to see what works

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pat Taggart, Adjunct Fellow in Ecology, University of Adelaide

    Bee Stephens, CC BY

    Poisoned baits are the main way land managers control foxes, feral cats and dingoes. Baiting is done to reduce livestock and economic losses, or pressure on endangered wildlife.

    Millions of baits are laid annually. But we still don’t understand how effective baiting actually is. Current evidence paints a mixed picture. That’s a problem, because baiting can have unintended consequences, such as killing native animals we don’t want to target. Some research suggests baiting can actually increase attacks on livestock, or that poisoning dingoes can increase feral cat and fox numbers and worsen the damage to native wildlife.

    We need better evidence on what baiting does and doesn’t do. Our new research draws on data from 34 previous studies assessing baiting effectiveness. In total, these largely Australian studies summarised the fate of more than 1,400 cats, foxes and dingoes. We used these data sets to conduct the most comprehensive analysis of baiting effectiveness to date.

    Biosecurity officers drying meat baits for a baiting program in Broken Hill in 2019.
    NSW Government, Local Land Services, Western Region, CC BY

    Baiting is ubiquitous

    Baits can be purchased commercially or produced in-house. In some states, land managers can bring meat baits to government authorities to have poison added free of charge. They are then distributed by vehicle along tracks and roads or dropped from aircraft across vast areas of Australia, New Zealand and islands worldwide.

    Single baiting programs can sometimes cover areas larger than 9,000 square kilometres – a land area similar to Puerto Rico or Cyprus.

    So how can we best undertake these baiting programs?

    1. Baiting does work

    Across the 34 studies, baiting cut predator survival in half (51.7%) – substantially higher than the death rate in unbaited areas (16%).

    This finding was broadly consistent regardless of whether baits were placed along tracks and roads or scattered over broader areas.

    In some cases, predator numbers can recover rapidly following baiting. Under favourable conditions, feral cat and fox populations can double in a year, while dingo populations can grow 50% annually. But, under average conditions, such high rates of population increase are likely uncommon.

    Predators from outside the control area can rapidly repopulate areas after a baiting program. For example, multiple studies have found no change in fox numbers even when baiting was conducted at monthly intervals. Similar results have been found after intensive fox shooting.

    But there are also examples where prolonged, broad-scale baiting has worked well. To protect the threatened yellow footed rock wallaby, researchers baited around wallaby populations in New South Wales and South Australia and largely eliminated foxes from large areas. Wallaby numbers then increased.

    2. Feral cats take baits too

    Feral cats are opportunistic ambush predators and hunt a wide range of prey. They’re visually driven and prefer fresh meat. For these reasons, it’s long been thought they are less likely to eat poisoned bait than foxes and dingoes.

    Feral cats are silent, stealthy hunters who prefer to hunt rather than scavenge.
    Vanessa Westcott, CC BY

    But our analysis doesn’t support this – feral cats appeared to be just as susceptible to baits as foxes and dingoes. That’s good news for wildlife.

    Significant and ongoing work has been put into designing better baits for feral cats to increase consumption rates. The most widely known of these baits is Eradicat, a sausage-style bait.

    While this bait is aimed at feral cats, our analysis didn’t provide strong evidence showing Eradicat actually killed more feral cats than other poison bait recipes. This suggests any bait is more effective than no bait when it comes to cat control.

    Eradicat baits have to be sweated to bring out the oils and make them more appealing.
    Luke Bayley, CC BY

    3. Blanket coverage works better

    In land manager circles, there’s a long-running debate over how best to bait. Some advocate putting out more baits over the same area, while others suggest more frequent baiting is better.

    So which is it? Our analysis shows more baits in an area is likely to equate to better control of predators, while distributing baits more frequently may not have the same effect.

    Why is this? Like people, animals are individuals, with their own behavioural tendencies. Wary animals may never take baits. Some foxes are known to store baits to eat later, by which time the baits may be less toxic, sickening rather than killing the animal.

    This is believed to lead to bait aversion, where foxes avoid baits in the future due to previous bad experiences – just as we might avoid foods which made us sick.

    A single, more intensive application of bait is likely to work better because susceptible predators eat the bait and die, and there is limited opportunity for bait aversion to develop. In contrast, more frequent baiting in a short period of time are of limited benefit because animals learn to avoid them.

    Dingoes have been routinely baited for decades.
    Ian Mayo, CC BY

    Fresh baits have long been believed to be eaten more readily than dry baits.

    But our analysis shows this may not always be true. Overall, the type of bait had little impact on whether or not it led to reduced predator survival.

    Optimising baiting

    More efficient control of predators will mean fewer baits are needed to achieve the same result. That, in turn, means less risk of harming other native animals, as well as reducing how much work and money it costs to control feral cats, foxes and dingoes.

    Our research shows baiting does indeed cut the number of predators prowling an area. But it also shows many factors we thought were important in making a baiting program effective may only have a limited effect.

    The goal of poison baiting is to reduce the damage predators do to livestock and wildlife. Baiting is an important and effective tool in reducing predator pressure on threatened species. But its efficacy – and the risk other animals could take the bait – means we have a responsibility to continually optimise its use and ensure its application is targeted.

    Pat Taggart receives funding from the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

    Daniel Noble receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Yong Zhi Foo receives funding from the the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Poison baits were used on 1,400 feral cats, foxes and dingoes. We studied their fate to see what works – https://theconversation.com/poison-baits-were-used-on-1-400-feral-cats-foxes-and-dingoes-we-studied-their-fate-to-see-what-works-246324

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz, Soto Demand Answers on Trump’s Venezuela TPS Reversal, Secret Talks with Maduro Regime

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Given Venezuela’s increased instability, repression, and lack of safety, and within all applicable rules and regulations, we demand more information on why the Department has made this decision,” the Members said in the letter. “The only justification that has been offered by the Administration is the false claim that all Venezuelans are ‘dirt bags’, ‘violent criminals’, or the ‘worst of the worst’.”

    Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Darren Soto (FL-9) led several Democratic colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem denouncing the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to abandon the extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Venezuela established under the Biden Administration earlier this month. The letter was signed by Florida Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), as well as senior Congressional Hispanic Caucus Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lou Correa (CA-46), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), and Linda Sanchez (CA-38).

    “Given Venezuela’s increased instability, repression, and lack of safety, and within all applicable rules and regulations, we demand more information on why the Department has made this decision,” the Members said in the letter. “The only justification that has been offered by the Administration is the false claim that all Venezuelans are ‘dirt bags’, ‘violent criminals’, or the ‘worst of the worst’.”

    Several outlets have reported that the Administration is considering an agreement to preserve sanctions loopholes, which allow companies like Chevron and the Maduro regime to jointly profit from the sale of Venezuelan oil, in exchange for allowing the mass deportation of Venezuelan TPS recipients in the U.S.

    The Members criticized the Trump Administration for negotiating a “corrupt bargain with Maduro,” citing secret meetings between Trump-appointed Special Envoy Ric Grenell and the Maduro regime and demanding a briefing on the matter.

    “Returning Venezuelan immigrants to a dictatorship that engages in torture, extrajudicial murder, and systematic abuse of human rights would be a death sentence for many of our friends and neighbors,” stated the Members. “This is particularly irresponsible after the Administration unilaterally cut off all funding in support of democracy, civil society, and humanitarian purposes for Venezuelans.”

    Read the entire letter here.

    ####

    Wasserman Schultz y Soto exigen respuestas sobre la revocación del TPS de Venezuela por parte de Trump y las conversaciones secretas con el régimen de Maduro

    Washington D.C. – Hoy, los representantes estadounidenses Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) y Darren Soto (FL-9) encabezaron una carta de varios colegas demócratas dirigida al Secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, y a la Secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, denunciando la decisión del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de abandonar la extensión de la designación del Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para Venezuela establecida bajo la Administración Biden a principios de este mes. La carta fue firmada por los representantes de Florida Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10) y Frederica Wilson (FL-24), así como los representantes de alto rango del Caucus Hispano del Congreso: Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Verónica Escobar (TX-16), Lou Correa (CA-46), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), y Linda Sanchez (CA-38).

    “Dada la creciente inestabilidad, represión y falta de seguridad en Venezuela, y dentro de todas las reglas y regulaciones aplicables, exigimos más información sobre por qué el Departamento ha tomado esta decisión”, dijeron los Miembros en la carta. “La única justificación que ha ofrecido la Administración es la falsa afirmación de que todos los venezolanos son ‘bolsas de basura’, ‘criminales violentos’ o ‘lo peor de lo peor’.”

    Varios medios han informado que la Administración está considerando un acuerdo para preservar las lagunas en las sanciones, que permiten a empresas como Chevron y el régimen de Maduro beneficiarse conjuntamente de la venta de petróleo venezolano, a cambio de permitir la deportación masiva de venezolanos beneficiarios del TPS en Estados Unidos.

    Los Miembros criticaron a la Administración Trump por negociar un “acuerdo corrupto con Maduro,” citando las reuniones secretas entre el diplomata Ric Grenell, asignado por Trump y el régimen de Maduro, exigiendo una sesión informativa sobre el asunto.

    “Devolver a los inmigrantes venezolanos a una dictadura que se dedica a la tortura, el asesinato extrajudicial y el abuso sistemático de los derechos humanos sería una sentencia de muerte para muchos de nuestros amigos y vecinos”, afirmaron los Miembros. “Esto es particularmente irresponsable después de que la Administración cortó unilateralmente todos los fondos en apoyo de la democracia, la sociedad civil y los fines humanitarios para los venezolanos.”

    Lea la carta completa aquí.

    ####

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NH Delegation Urges Trump to Halt Planned Tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Citing Likelihood of Increasing Energy and Food Prices for Families in the Middle of Winter

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    The New Hampshire delegation is sending a letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada, the Granite State’s largest trading partner, and Mexico. Sweeping tariffs would dramatically increase costs for families in New Hampshire and around the nation. Home heating oil is New Hampshire’s largest import from Canada, and these tariffs are estimated to drive up energy prices for families in the middle of winter. It would also increase costs for essential items like groceries, housing, cars, and more. Click here to read the full letter.

    In part, the delegation wrote: “During your campaign, you promised to ‘bring down the price of everything.’ Despite that promise, sweeping tariffs would be a tax on Americans that raises the cost of everything from cars and gas to housing and groceries. Tariff costs would be passed on to our consumers and businesses through higher costs for goods and services.”

    They continued: “For the more than 350,000 households in New Hampshire who rely on heating oil, propane and wood to keep their homes warm and comfortable, adding these costs would be particularly cruel in the middle of a winter that has seen recent temperatures reach 20 below zero. Home heating oil is New Hampshire’s largest import from Canada, not because we don’t produce enough in the United States, but because it makes logistical and economic sense. The National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), which represents wholesale and retail liquid heating fuel distributors throughout the Northeast, estimates that tariffs could increase heating costs by at least $375 per winter for a home in New Hampshire.”

    They concluded: “These taxes would raise families’ grocery bills, too. The type of broad tariffs you’ve proposed could raise food costs by $200 per year for the average household. That’s because the U.S. imports 38 percent of our fresh vegetables, 60 percent of our fresh fruit, and more than 99 percent of our coffee. This is the last thing families need when they’re already struggling with record high prices for eggs or coffee […] We urge you to focus on bringing down prices and reconsider the wisdom of placing sweeping tariffs on imports that would raise prices for our constituents.”

    After the November election, a multitude of business leaders verified that, if the President placed sweeping tariffs as promised, they’d be forced to raise prices on consumers. The CEO of Best Buy said, “the vast majority of that tariff will probably be passed on to the consumer as a price increase.” The CFO of Walmart said, “there will probably be cases where prices will go up for consumers.” The CEO of Columbia Sportswear said, “we’re set to raise prices” and “it’s going to be very, very difficult to keep products affordable.” The CEO of AutoZone said, “if we get tariffs, we will pass those tariff costs back to the consumer.” The President of a Texas-based Lipow Oil Associates said, “The prices at the pump are going to go up.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boyle Statement on Trump Administration Implementing 25 Percent Tariffs on Mexico and Canada Tomorrow

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    Philadelphia, PA – Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement after the White House announced that the Administration will impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico starting tomorrow: 

    “Donald Trump and his Republican allies love to claim they’re fighting for the American worker, but their actions tell a different story. Slapping a reckless 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico won’t protect American jobs—it will drive up costs and make life more expensive for middle-class families. 

    These tariffs mean higher prices for everyday essentials. Families will pay more for fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. Manufacturers will face rising costs for parts and materials, putting good-paying American jobs at risk. 

    Let’s be clear: tariffs are taxes. Trump’s policies will squeeze farmers, workers, and small businesses while the wealthiest corporations and billionaires continue to cash in on massive tax breaks. 

    I stand with American workers, not phony populists who talk tough but sell them out at every turn. Democrats will keep fighting for real trade policies that protect jobs, keep prices fair, and strengthen our economy—without forcing the middle class to pay the price.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Golden statement on President Trump’s new tariffs

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

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s imposition of new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China: 

    “President Trump campaigned on tariffs as a tool to level the playing field between American workers and industries and our foreign competitors,” Golden said. “I don’t agree with Trump on everything, but he’s right that the old deal stinks, and we need a new one.” 

    “Tariffs push back against decades of free trade and globalization that prioritized low prices above all else. It was a race to the bottom that left America deep in trade debt and dependent on foreign nations and gutted our manufacturing sector, domestic supply chains, and entire middle-class communities. 

    “By privileging our own production and industries — something other countries already do — tariffs can help us rewire our economy for production, not just consumption. We can incentivize job creation and manufacturing while leveling the playing field and rebalancing our trade. These tariffs are also a leveraging tool to help crack down on the deadly flow of fentanyl into our country. 

    “Reversing the damage of decades of globalization will take time. In the meanwhile, every dollar raised in tariff revenue should be used to offset costs for Americans or invest in and protect American jobs and industries. Paired with increased energy production, support for unions, regulatory reform, and infrastructure investment, tariffs are one piece of the puzzle for building a strong, production-based economy that works for working families.”

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Launches Trade War That Will Raise Prices, Hurt Jobs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Trump Launches Trade War That Will Raise Prices, Hurt Jobs

    Bellevue, WA, February 1, 2025

    Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Don Beyer (VA-08) released the following statement after President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on some of our largest trading partners.

    “President Trump just started a trade war that will raise prices on American families and invite retaliation against American businesses, workers, and farmers. This is a tax on everyday goods that will hit the pocketbooks of middle-class families at the grocery store, the gas station, and the pharmacy counter. Trump says this is a negotiating tactic, but everyday Americans and small businesses will suffer while he and his billionaire friends are insulated from the economic pain this will cause.

    “This is a blatant abuse of executive power. No president should unilaterally be able to put in place these broad-based tariffs that will have far-reaching economic impacts in communities across the country – Red, Blue, and everything in between. Congress must reassert its authority by reining in this egregious misuse of the law.”

    Background

    • Today, Trump put 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico, with a 10% tariff on Canadian oil exports. He also placed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods.
    • These tariffs are similar to the ones Trump proposed on the campaign trail and are estimated to directly raise prices on consumer goods by $2,600 to $4,000 a year for the average American family.
    • The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board called Trump’s tariffs, “The Dumbest Trade War in History.”
    • Sen. Rand Paul posted today, “Taxing trade will mean less trade and higher prices.”
    • In January, DelBene and Beyer reintroduced legislation that would prevent the President of the United States from imposing import tariffs under the guise of a national emergency without Congressional approval.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeLauro Statement on President Trump’s Tariffs on Trading Partners

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

    Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro released a statement in response to President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on nearly all trade with Canada and Mexico:  

    “I am all for the smart use of tariffs — they are an important policy tool that Democrats and Republicans have used to defend critical domestic industries. I worked with President Trump in his first term to make our trade agreement with Canada and Mexico fairer for American workers, and I am ready to do so again.

    “President Trump claims to be using these tariff threats to urge greater cooperation on addressing the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. If his goal is truly to stem the tide of fentanyl, there’s an action he can take that would make a difference: closing the de minimis loophole, which allows fentanyl into the U.S. through uninspected low-value shipments. He has the authority to do this today with the stroke of a pen.

    “Instead of developing a comprehensive worker-centered trade policy that will bring jobs back to the U.S., President Trump is using the threat of across-the-board tariffs not on behalf of American workers and consumers but to advance his own extremist policy agenda.”

    In January, DeLauro urged President Trump’s transition team to finalize efforts to close the de minimis loophole. You can read her letter here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump’s Reckless Trade War Will Hurt American Families, Businesses, and Workers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04)

    Trump’s Reckless Trade War Will Hurt American Families, Businesses, and Workers

    While noticeably going softer on China, Trump’s tariffs hurt key allies and top trading partners Mexico and Canada

    “Donald Trump has plunged our country into a dangerous trade war and the American people will bear the cost. Thanks to Trump, American businesses will be saddled with higher costs, which could lead to higher prices on goods Americans need. Prices will likely go up the grocery store, as people still feel squeezed at the checkout counter. The price of homes is expected to increase, as materials used to build homes become more expensive, which comes as homeownership remains unaffordable to many. 

    For millions of Americans still grappling with inflation, Trump’s tariffs will be a gut punch. History should inform us that another trade war could cause devastation again. The last time Trump picked a trade fight, Wisconsin dairy farms suffered the brunt, contributing to record-level family farm bankruptcies and billions in bailouts. Trump resorted to costly bailouts to cover for his failures and have left farmers weaker in the long term.  

    In his second term, Trump continues to use tariffs as a political scheme, this time against our top allies and trading partners. Tariffs can help American industries and support our workers if they are used deliberately and carefully, but Trump’s across the board tariffs are neither. As our allies impose retaliatory tariffs, the damage will get worse. Donald Trump hasn’t even been in office for a month, and he is already breaking his promise to lower the cost of living.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeLauro Statement on President Trump Trade War

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

    Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement: 

    “I oppose President Trump launching a trade war with Canada and Mexico, who are already retaliating. It will be a blow to the middle class, working people, and the vulnerable.

    “President Trump’s trade war on Canada and Mexico, which are part of the USMCA trade agreement, driven by his 25% tariff on nearly all imports from those countries, will drive up prices on all Americans. All three countries in the USMCA have, until now, acted based on the rules and norms set up by that agreement. It was President Trump who initially proposed the renegotiation of NAFTA into the USMCA, and I was among the Democrats who helped negotiate the agreement and secure wins on labor and other key provisions. The USMCA passed Congress with bipartisan support.

    “I condemn President Trump launching a trade war that absolutely guarantees price increases on key products as well as retaliatory tariffs that will affect exporters across many states. We should expect price increases on a wide array of products, including gas, groceries, home construction materials, household appliances, and automobiles. These price increases are unacceptable at a time when Americans are already struggling with the high cost of living.

    “I support the tariffs on China that serve America’s interests.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Bush Joins Congresswoman Ramirez, Local Leaders Call for an End to the Tax Evasion Driving Puerto Rico’s Crisis of Displacement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01)

    October 25, 2024

    Washington, D.C. (October 25, 2024) — Yesterday, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) joined Representatives Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), in announcing the introduction of United with Puerto Ricans Opposed to Act 22 Risks (UPROAR) Act. The UPROAR Act urges the Puerto Rican and federal governments to address Act 22 and stop the exploitation of federal tax loopholes that result in millions in lost revenues for local communities.

    Created to incentivize investment in the Puerto Rican economy, Act 22, now part of Act 60, has created a tax haven for American millionaires and billionaires, allowing them to avoid federal and local taxes. According to reports, Act 22 beneficiaries are raising housing costs and displacing Puerto Ricans, endangering important nature reserves and historical sites, destabilizing the island’s already weak electrical grid, and influencing local elections through unprecedented donations.

    Recently, the IRS revealed to Congress that 647 Americans who received the benefits of Act 22 paid $557,978,112 in federal taxes during the five years before moving to Puerto Rico, representing million-dollar losses for the federal government and the social programs that are supported by them. Likewise, the government of Puerto Rico estimates that the island will lose around $4.5 billion in income between 2020 and 2026 due to Act 22. 

    “I proudly join in solidarity with my colleagues and the advocates and community members from across the Puerto Rican diasporas who are speaking out against the Act 22 tax loophole,” said Congresswoman Bush. “This policy is a handout to wealthy tax evaders moving to Puerto Rico and could cost the island an estimated $4.5 billion in tax revenues from 2020 to 2026. The loophole has exacerbated the housing crisis and increased displacement of Puerto Rican residents. This Resolution is a crucial step toward protecting the future of Puerto Rico and its communities. It’s time for Congress to demand accountability for the tax evasion created by Act 22 while supporting the self-determination of the Puerto Rican people.”

    “As Congress prepares to debate the funds available for safety net programs, we must urgently address Act 22 in Puerto Rico and the exploitation of federal tax loopholes that allow wealthy Americans to avoid their responsibility to pay local and federal taxes. I am proud to join a community of organizers in my district and Puerto Rico to introduce a resolution that puts tax evaders on notice. Enough is enough,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “From Puerto Rico to IL-03, our communities deserve accessible housing, access to their lands, and an economy and democracy that works for them.”

    “Act 22 has caused unprecedented damage in Puerto Rico, fueling displacement, rising prices, and reckless development across the island. At the same time, the law has led to tax avoidance on the mainland, depriving the federal government of billions of dollars of critical revenue. From the IRS to Congress, we need a whole of government approach to examine how this law is hurting Puerto Ricans and take action to mitigate its damage. I was proud to work with Representatives Ramirez and Ocasio-Cortez to elevate this issue and urge the federal government to increase oversight and transparency around this predatory law,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. 

    In addition to Congresswoman Bush, the resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Jim McGovern (MA-02).

    “Wealthy Americans moving to Puerto Rico are driving up the cost of living while not having to pay their fair share due to federal tax loopholes. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Ramirez to close these loopholes that are depriving Puerto Rico’s schools and infrastructure of critical funding,” said Congressman Ro Khanna. 

    The UPROAR resolution is endorsed by local, national, and Puerto Rican organizations like Alianza for Progress, Power 4 Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican Agenda, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Losing Puerto Rico, El Otro Puerto Rico, the National Puerto Rican Agenda, Esperanza, Popular Democracy, Construyamos Otro Acuerdo, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, Sembrando Sentido, Coalición PR No Se Vende, Vamos PR, Sindicato Puertorriqueño de Trabajadores (SPT), Mi Patria, Boricuas Unidos en la Diáspora (BUDPR), New York Communities for Change (NYCC), Vocal New York, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), and Hedge Clippers.

    Read the full resolution here. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sykes Celebrates $7.86 Billion Dollar CHIPS Grant For Intel

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13)

    November 26, 2024

    Ohio set to receive billions for New Albany plants, creating thousands of good-paying, union jobs

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) celebrated the news that the U.S. Department of Commerce is set to award $7,865,000,000 in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act to Intel to strengthen the U.S. supply chain and reestablish American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. This includes billions coming back to Ohio where Intel is investing more than $28 billion to build two new chip factories in Ohio, creating 3,000 manufacturing jobs and 7,000 construction jobs.  

    “Once again, the CHIPS and Science Act is providing our communities with the resources needed to ensure Ohio remains the heart of America’s manufacturing industry. This major, multi-billion dollar investment will boost our entire state’s economy and create thousands of good-paying, union jobs right here at home,” said Rep. Sykes. “As a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which oversees the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, I will continue fighting to bring federal dollars back to our state, so that every community has economic opportunities and we are working to lower costs by onshoring jobs back to the United States.”

    Leading-edge chips power the most sophisticated technology on the planet, including developing AI and building critical military capabilities. Intel’s process technologies such as Intel 18A and advanced packaging technologies, combined with its foundry services, would strengthen U.S. domestic supply of these advanced chips. This federal investment in Intel will support both the creation and advanced packaging of leading-edge chips through projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon. Intel’s overall expansion plan is estimated to support approximately 10,000 manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs across all four states, and more than 50,000 indirect jobs from suppliers and supporting industries.

    The award will directly support Intel’s expected U.S. investment of nearly $90 billion by the end of the decade, which is part of the company’s overall $100+ billion expansion plan. The Department of Commerce will disburse the funds based on Intel’s completion of project milestones. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Congressman Dan Goldman’s Call for Investigation, Government Accountability Office Finds 73 Percent of ATF Traced Caribbean Firearms Originate in the U.S.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Earlier this Year, Goldman Joined Senator Durbin, Representatives Meeks and Castro in Calling for GAO to Study Role of American Firearms Trafficking in Global Gun Violence Crises  

    According to Report, at Least 71,500 American-Made Guns were Exported to Caribbean Nations Between 2018 and 2023 

    Read the Report Here 

    Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found 73% of Caribbean firearms recovered and traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) between 2018-2022 can be traced back to the United States. 

    This report follows Congressman Goldman, Senator Durbin (D-IL), Congressman Meeks (NY-05), and Congressman Castro’s (TX-20) request for GAO to study the role that American-made firearms play in Caribbean nations’ gun violence crises. 

    “American firearms traffickers aren’t just fueling a gun violence epidemic here at home, they’re also arming cartels abroad and contributing to the drug and human trafficking operations at the border, including the fentanyl crisis,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “The GAO’s startling report drives home the urgent need to crack down on the trafficking of American firearms abroad. Congress must pass legislation like Congressman Castro’s ARMAS Act and my Disarming Cartels Act – to keep these American manufacturers from fueling the crisis at the border.” 

    In the process of compiling the report, ATF traced 7,399 firearms recovered in crimes in the Caribbean from 2018 to 2022. A GAO analysis of those traces showed that 73 percent of recovered firearms, most of which were handguns, originated in the United States. Available data showed that 71,569 firearms were legally exported from the U.S. to 22 of the 26 Caribbean countries between January 2018 and December 2023. 

    Congressman Dan Goldman has championed tougher oversight and accountability for arms traffickers throughout his first term in office. 

    Last fall, Goldman introduced the ‘Disarming Cartels Act’ to curtail the trafficking of U.S.-made firearms and ammunition over the U.S.-Mexico border. Guns originating in the United States power human- and drug-trafficking efforts and other illicit activities by cartels and other transnational criminal organizations in Mexico and beyond. 

    Last year, Congressman Goldman introduced the ‘Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act,’ legislation that would disrupt firearm trafficking from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean by implementing stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight mechanisms for U.S. arms exports. 

    Last month, Goldman cosponsored the ‘Protecting Americans from Reckless Gun Dealers Act,’ which would require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to publish detailed annual reports on the number of gun dealers that have violated Federal Firearm License law and the outcomes of resulting disciplinary actions. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Melanie Stansbury Visits State of the Heart Recovery Center

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    Albuquerque, N.M. — Today, Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) toured State of the Heart Recovery Center, a non-profit focused on treating substance abuse, and spoke on the importance of addressing the addiction crisis in New Mexico. 

    “Communities in New Mexico are suffering at the hands of addiction,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “It’s my duty as a Member of Congress to help address this, and that is why I am committed to working on the federal level as well as partnering with state and local agencies to ensure our communities find the help and support to beat addiction.” 

    Rep. Stansbury met and spoke with Max Juarez, Chief Operating Officer, and Katie Ortiz y Pino, Peer Support Worker, on the mission of non-profit and who it serves.  

    State of the Heart’s integrated approach addresses all aspects of a person’s emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Their programs cover traditional evidence-based treatments, as well as cutting-edge technology and self-care therapies. 

    In Congress, Rep. Stansbury has worked to address the behavioral health and addiction crisis: 

    • The Congresswoman introduced the STOPP Act – the Stop the Opioid Pill Presserand Fentanyl Act, which would: 
    • Require those who manufacture or distribute pill tableting or encapsulating machines and their critical parts to “serialize” their machinery. 
    • Keep records of all relevant transactions and report those transactions to the Attorney General. 
    • Create a national registry to track the movement of these pill tableting or 
    • She is a proud member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus. 
    • She has repeatedly advocated for the reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. 
    • She has secured more than $7.3 million in Community Project Funding for drug detection technology and public safety vehicles, as well as addiction treatment and prevention. 
    • She has also requested more than $4.5 million in FY25 Community Project Funding to further invest in our communities and help with this epidemic. 

     See photos and videos from the tour here. 

    

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to file lawsuit against latest tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China will file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization and take necessary countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests, the Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday after the United States announced it would impose a 10 percent additional tariff on goods from China.

    The Ministry of Commerce said this move fails to solve the problems faced by the US, and undermines normal economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. An expert from a think tank in Beijing said the decision is expected to have a significant impact on US and Chinese industries.

    “The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US seriously violates the rules of the WTO. We urge the US to objectively and rationally view and handle its own fentanyl and other issues, rather than resorting to tariff threats against other countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

    Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said a higher tariff on Chinese goods will likely result in higher costs of importing products from China, and this cost may be further amplified along the supply chain.

    “For US manufacturers, when they import intermediate materials or products from China, the costs of those products will increase, and the price increase will be transmitted along the layers of the supply chain. US consumers could face price inflation on certain products of over 10 percent,” Zhou said.

    He added that Chinese exporters could also face a significant challenge, as US importers may need to renegotiate with Chinese companies about specific prices and plans on additional costs.

    The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the latest move, and will take necessary countermeasures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

    There are no winners in trade disputes, and China’s stance is consistent and firm.

    The US has levied a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports under the pretext of the fentanyl issue.

    The Foreign Ministry said fentanyl is a problem of the US, and China has been among the countries with the strictest and most thoroughly enforced narcotics control policies in the world. In a humanitarian spirit, China has provided support to the US in dealing with its fentanyl problem.

    “China urges the US to correct its wrong practices, maintain the hard-won progress of China-US drug control cooperation, and promote stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations,” the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

    The latest move comes after a year of robust foreign trade between US and China.

    In December alone, US seaports handled an equivalent of 451,000 40-foot containers of goods from China, up 14.5 percent year-on-year, with some companies stockpiling goods early to get ahead of tariff threats, according to trade data supplier Descartes Systems Group.

    Last year, US imports of machinery, bedding, plastic toys and other products from China rose 15 percent over the levels seen in 2023, data from Descartes showed.

    Some US companies decided to import goods “earlier” than usual to avoid the tariff threats and potential strikes at ports, Jonathan Gold, president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, told China Daily.

    Since 2018, the original round of tariffs imposed on China by the first Trump administration and those kept and extended by then President Joe Biden’s administration, have caused a significant impact.

    The Peterson Institute for Inter-national Economics in Washington, DC, found that in 2018, the two-way trade between China and the US was $659 billion. In 2024, the figure declined to $578 billion.

    Thomas Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, said a better way for the US to address the competition with countries in the Asia-Pacific region would have been “to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership”, a free trade agreement between 12 countries.

    “As trade barriers, tariffs can also cause domestic industries to become less competitive,” Fullerton said.

    According to the executive order, the US also imposed a 25 percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. For energy products from Canada, the US imposed a 10 percent tariff.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: EU criticizes US tariff, vowing to ‘respond firmly’ if targeted

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The European Commission on Sunday criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff imposed upon three countries, saying they disrupt global trade and are harmful to all, and vowing to hit back if targeted.

    “The European Union (EU) regrets the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China,” an EU spokesman was quoted by local media.

    He highlighted the importance of “open markets and respect for international trade rules,” saying they are essential for strong and sustainable economic growth. “Tariffs create unnecessary economic disruption and drive inflation. They are hurtful to all sides,” he added.

    Referring to potential U.S. tariffs on EU products, the spokesman said “the EU would respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods.”

    “Our trade and investment relationship with the United States is the biggest in the world. There is a lot at stake,” he was quoted as saying.

    Since Trump’s second term started, Brussels has been advocating that the two sides should work on strengthening the existing transatlantic relationships, and has dedicated efforts to avoiding a trade conflict with Washington through negotiation. However, Trump doubled down on his plan by saying he would “absolutely” impose tariffs on the EU goods last week.

    On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order to impose a 10-percent tariff hike on goods imported from China, and a 25-percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. The move has drawn widespread opposition and immediate retaliations.

    In response, China’s Ministry of Commerce said Sunday that China will file a complaint at the World Trade Organization and take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that Canada will impose a levy of 25 percent on 21 billion U.S. dollars worth of American goods as of Tuesday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has instructed the Secretariat of Economy to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to defend Mexico’s interests. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US tariff move sparks criticism, concern in Germany

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff move against Canada, Mexico and China has sparked criticism and concern in Germany.

    On Saturday, Trump ordered to impose a 25-percent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, and a 10-percent tariff on Chinese goods. He also signaled that the European Union (EU) could be next, citing the bloc’s persistent trade surplus with the U.S.

    While reaffirming Germany’s commitment to economic ties with the U.S., German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized that the first priority should be “not to divide up the world with many tariff barriers.”

    “Tariffs have never been a good idea to resolve trade policy conflicts,” Chairman of the German Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz said, warning of backlash in the U.S. as rising import costs would fuel inflation and hit American consumers directly.

    Dirk Jandura, president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA), described the tariffs as “a clear warning to the EU and Ursula von der Leyen,” stressing that neither Germany nor the EU should remain passive.

    Trump’s move would come at a high cost for Americans, Jandura said, adding, “The losers are always end consumers, who will feel the price increase at the checkout.”

    German companies are also bracing for the impact, as many supply the U.S. market from Mexico, particularly in the automotive industry.

    According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Mexico has been Germany’s most important investment location in Latin America for years, with total investments exceeding 45 billion U.S. dollars since the 2000s.

    Volkswagen Group, which operates one of its largest vehicle factories in Mexico, produces nearly 80 percent of its North America vehicles in Mexico and Canada. A Volkswagen spokesman voiced concerns about the tariffs’ potential economic fallout, warning of negative effects on American consumers and the global auto industry.

    According to the credit rating agency S&P, Canada and Mexico produce around 5.3 million passenger cars annually, with approximately 70 percent destined for the U.S.

    Importers are likely to pass most, if not all, of the price increase to consumers, S&P noted, warning that the additional costs would further strain affordability in the U.S. auto market. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-12 ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ ANNOUNCES INITIAL VICTORY IN LAWSUIT CHALLENGING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ILLEGAL FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-12 ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ ANNOUNCES INITIAL VICTORY IN LAWSUIT CHALLENGING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ILLEGAL FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

    Posted on Jan 31, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

    ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ ANNOUNCES INITIAL VICTORY IN LAWSUIT CHALLENGING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ILLEGAL FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

     

    News Release 2025-12

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    January 31, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez announced an initial victory in her lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s Office of Management & Budget’s (OMB) memo freezing federal grants and loans. Today, a federal judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order in the lawsuit filed by Hawaiʻi and a coalition of 22 other states. The temporary restraining order prohibits the Trump administration from pausing, freezing, impeding, blocking, canceling, or terminating access to federal funding. This temporary restraining order is valid until the Court rules on a motion for preliminary injunction.

     

    “Since the founding of our nation, the constitutional system of government has been based upon mutual cooperation and respect between states and the federal government,” said Attorney General Lopez. “The citizens of Hawaiʻi pay taxes to the federal government, and the federal government, in return, provides federal funds to Hawaiʻi for programs that pay for crucial services such as law enforcement and healthcare. Hawaiʻi will stand up for its right to receive federal funds to which it is legally entitled.”

     

    The State of Hawaiʻi is being represented in this lawsuit by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day who stated: “We are pleased with the court’s decision in issuing a temporary restraining order, which prohibits the Trump administration from impeding access to federal funding that has been lawfully granted to Hawaiʻi. The Department of the Attorney General is committed to fight for the rights of Hawaiʻi and its people.”

     

    The lawsuit, filed by the coalition Tuesday, argued that the Trump administration’s memo violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law by creating new conditions on funding that has already been awarded. On Wednesday, only hours before an initial hearing in this case, the President hastily rescinded the memo, but public messaging both by the White House Press Secretary and on the White House’s official X account indicated that the funding freeze was still in effect. The states argued that rescinding the memo without unfreezing funding was an attempt by the administration to evade the lawsuit. Indeed, a lawyer for the Department of Justice argued during the hearing that since the memo had been rescinded, the states no longer had standing to sue. The Court, Judge John J. McConnell presiding, called this a “distinction without a difference,” and asked the parties to submit a proposed order for his review.

     

    Today, Judge McConnell announced the temporary restraining order, agreeing with the states that the President overstepped his authority by overriding policy choices made by Congress and has violated his obligation to execute the laws passed by Congress by refusing to spend the money Congress has appropriated. Judge McConnell, in his order, stated, “Congress has not given the Executive limitless power to broadly and indefinitely pause all funds that it has expressly directed to specific recipients and purposes and therefore the Executive’s actions violate the separation of powers.”

     

    Since the order has taken effect, communities and families across Hawaiʻi and the country have been harmed. The federal funding that has been frozen supports programs such as: WIC, a nutrition program for pregnant parents and infants; Head Start, providing preschool and support services for low-income children and their families; LIHEAP, providing home energy assistance for households that struggle to stay warm through the winters; the Medicare enrollment assistance program; school meals for low-income students; programs supporting homeless veterans reintegrating into our communities; programs that help victims of domestic violence seeking support to make safety plans and exit unsafe situations; and programs supporting refugees that have already arrived in our communities, by providing clothing, household goods, and rent assistance, as well as English classes and job placement. These programs also support critical public safety programs including those housed within the Department of the Attorney General, supporting the investigation and prosecution of Medicaid fraud and child sexual abuse cases.

     

    Joining Hawaiʻi as plaintiffs in this suit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

     

    A copy of the decision can be found here.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – Sudan malnutrition crisis: MSF renews call for immediate action to prevent death and starvation

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    3 February, 2025: International donors, the UN, Sudan’s warring parties and their allies must act now to prevent even more avoidable deaths from malnutrition in Sudan, as the already catastrophic situation is expected to worsen this year, according to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

    Half of Sudan’s population faces high levels of acute food insecurity (24.6 million people), among whom 8.5 million people face an emergency or famine-like situation according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. “Despite this new wake-up call, robust humanitarian and diplomatic mobilisation to act on aid deliveries has fallen far short of the needs. To provide only those in the most extreme situation with monthly food rations, 2,500 aid trucks per month would be required, whereas only about 1,150 crossed into Darfur between August and December”, says Stephane Doyon, MSF operations manager.

    MSF has released data showing horrific rates of malnutrition in multiple locations, both at the height of Sudan’s lean season last year and as recently as December 2024. The conflict-driven malnutrition crisis has been exacerbated by the continued obstruction of aid by both of Sudan’s warring parties and by the neglectful inertia of the UN and aid system in Darfur. With the seasonal hunger gap coming in May, decisive action must be taken now.

     “Parts of Sudan are difficult to work in. But it is certainly possible, and this is what humanitarian organisations and the UN are supposed to do,” says Marcella Kraay, MSF emergency coordinator, speaking from Nyala, South Darfur state.

    “In places that are easier to access, as well as in the hardest to reach areas like North Darfur, options like air routes remain unexplored. The failure to act is a choice, and it’s killing people,” Kraay continued.

    The malnutrition crisis has been acknowledged for some time, with the UN in October warning that “never in history have so many people faced starvation and famine as in Sudan today.”[1]

    Moving supplies will become an even more difficult task during the upcoming rainy and lean season, when flooded dirt roads become impossible to navigate. A wide-scale humanitarian response must be launched now, including by drastically increasing available funding and logistical capacities, securing food pipelines and prepositioning food stocks in Chad and neighbouring countries.

    MSF is calling for UN agencies, international organisations, donor countries, and governments with leverage to pursue all options, including air routes, to complement and even replace road access where necessary.

    Bureaucratic requirements from the warring parties have long been an obstacle to international organisations’ ability to reach and provide services to people. Rather than reacting to critical needs in a timely manner, permissions to respond are either delayed or denied altogether by the warring parties. This is impeding MSF ‘s work in South Darfur with aid trucks stuck in Chad waiting for permissions to move from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their offices. A food distribution in South Darfur was also recently postponed as MSF was refused the necessary travel permits.

    Warring parties must grant unhindered access for humanitarian organisations. Access must be defined by lifesaving aid reaching people who need it, not by announcements celebrating piecemeal measures that fall far short. MSF calls for the warring parties, their allies, and influential states to use their leverage to ease the obstacles that are causing deaths and suffering.

    MSF has provided data from different locations to demonstrate the depth of the malnutrition crisis. In North Darfur, where an RSF siege on its capital El Fasher is starving people and depriving them from lifesaving assistance, MSF teams screened over 9,500 children under five years old while conducting a therapeutic food distribution in Tawila locality in December 2024. They found a staggering global acute malnutrition estimate of 35.5 %, with 7% of the screened children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Last September, 34% of the 29,300 children screened by MSF during a vaccination campaign in Zamzam camp were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition. Since the beginning of December, repeated shelling has made it impossible for our team to carry out further assessments in the camp and has most likely exacerbated the levels of malnutrition.

    MSF teams also see concerning rates of malnutrition outside of Darfur, in areas where displaced people have sought shelter, or in areas closer to the conflict. In Omdurman, Khartoum state, a conflict zone under control of the SAF, MSF carried out a nutritional screening while assisting with a vaccination campaign for children in October 2024, finding 7.1% of children screened were severely acutely malnourished.

    MSF data also reveals that malnutrition is not only an issue for people close to frontlines, but also in more stable cities like Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. In October 2024, 23% of children under five screened at MSF-supported facilities in Nyala, South Darfur’s capital, and nearby locations were suffering from severe acute malnutrition. In two MSF-supported facilities, 26% of the pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking care were acutely malnourished. With WFP food distributions lacking, MSF launched a targeted food distribution in South Darfur in December 2024, providing two months’ food to about 30,000 people.

     

    Zahra Abdullah, 25 years old, received food for her and her son, they live together in the Al Salam displacement camp outside of Nyala city.

    “This is not the first war I have experienced, but it is definitely the most devastating to my life. The living conditions here are harsh, and everything is a daily struggle. The aid we receive has somewhat improved our situation. At least now, we finally have a meal in the morning,” says Zahra.

    “But even so, the suffering never ends. It starts with finding clean water to drink, continues with trying to provide enough food, and ends with finding a place to sleep. Sometimes I sit alone and think: is this the life I will live forever?” she says.

    For millions of people like Zahra, the time is now to act to prevent the situation from becoming ever more dire. MSF will continue to do what it can, but the scale is well beyond the organisation’s capacity to respond. We need to see a massive response now to prevent more death and starvation; timeliness is a matter of survival, not political expediency.

    ________________________________

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ACP Statement on Tariffs on U.S. Imports from Canada, Mexico, and China

    Source: American Clean Power Association (ACP)

    Headline: ACP Statement on Tariffs on U.S. Imports from Canada, Mexico, and China

    WASHINGTON DC, February 2, 2025 – The American Clean Power Association (ACP) released the following statement from Jason Grumet, ACP CEO following the announcement of tariffs on U.S. imports from Canada, Mexico, and China:
    “ACP and its member companies share the Trump Administration’s concern over the fentanyl crisis and public health emergency impacting our communities. ACP recognizes and appreciates the Administration’s early focus on this crisis.
    “ACP also supports the Administration’s commitment to lower American energy prices.  While energy production only represents 5% of our nation’s direct GDP, it drives the productivity of our entire economy, impacting prices of nearly all consumer goods.  In concert with the other trade associations representing America’s energy resources, ACP is concerned that increasing the costs of energy production inputs will put upward pressure on consumer energy costs and diminish our capacity to unleash energy abundance.
    “While the fuel relied upon by wind and solar energy—complemented by battery storage—is free, some parts for these machines that harness these renewable resources are manufactured in Canada and Mexico. As we have made significant progress manufacturing these components in the United States, the benefits of USMCA have been a positive factor in lowering American energy costs. We look forward to working with the Administration as it pursues multiple imperatives.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Palestine Forum of New Zealand Urges Government to Join the Hague Group in Support of Palestine

    Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

    The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on the New Zealand government to join the newly formed Hague Group, a coalition of nine nations committed to defending Palestinian rights and holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law.

    The Hague Group—comprising South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal, Honduras, and Belize—has pledged to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) in prosecuting Israeli officials and enforcing legal measures against ongoing crimes in Palestine.

    “New Zealand must take a stand for justice and align with nations committed to real action against Israeli war crimes,” said [Spokesperson’s Name]. The Forum urges Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters to demonstrate New Zealand’s commitment to human rights by joining this initiative.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump’s tariff wallop demonstrates the brute power of an imperial presidency

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Drache, Professor Emeritus, Department of Politics, York University, Canada

    As promised, United States President Donald Trump has imposed punishing tariffs on all exports from Canada and Mexico, leading to retaliatory tariffs from Canada.

    Canada’s closest ally has torn up the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal negotiated only seven years ago. The rationale behind what the Wall Street Journal editorial board has called “the dumbest trade war in history” isn’t even clear.

    The pessimistic view is that if Canada doesn’t give Trump everything he wants, he will bulldoze the country with more tariffs, sanctions on banks, enhanced border inspections and even a travel ban — everything he recently threatened to do to Colombia.

    Canada’s political class is scrambling because the U.S. has long been a cultural sibling and an economic partner. But now it is toxic, threatening and untrustworthy. Will Canada sign another trade deal with Trump in office? The chances recede the longer the tariffs remain in place.

    Iron-fisted

    It’s never been more clear that Trump is obsessive, seldom a bluffer and always iron-fisted. He seems to have planned and executed this tariff bomb to cause maximum pain and chaos. Now he says the European Union is next on his list.

    Trump is counting on his new majorities in U.S. Congress to ram through his radical right populist agenda, forcing other countries to play a role in his melodrama.

    In response to Trump’s charge that the U.S. subsidizes Canadian trade, former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper pointed out that half of America’s imported oil comes from Canada, and its price is significantly discounted due to a lack of pipeline capacity. “It’s actually Canada that subsidizes the United States in this regard,” Harper said.

    Nevertheless, Trump’s preferred foreign policy tactic is to hit first with economic sanctions and negotiate later. With his near total grip on U.S. government, he can now achieve all his aims through tariffs.



    Read more:
    Canada-U.S. tariff war: How it will impact different products and industries

    The imperial presidency

    Trump’s vision for his imperial presidency is organized around an old idea: the revenue tariff. Before income taxes, border tariffs were the primary source of income for government. But back then, government did a lot less.

    For example, America’s 19th-century navy of wooden sailing ships was purchased with tariffs. But it would be impossible to fund modern-day health care, student loans and $13 billion aircraft carriers with tariff revenues.

    A recent study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics shows the math doesn’t add up. Tariffs are levied on imported goods and are worth about US$3 trillion. American income tax is levied on incomes and are worth more than US$20 trillion. Government would have to be much smaller, and tariffs would have to be so high they would choke American trade, for tariffs to make economic sense.

    And yet Trump has a broad mandate. In the summer of 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that presidents require a broadly defined “presumptive immunity from prosecution for … official acts.”

    This decision has given Trump the legal clout to force the entire federal government to answer to the president himself.



    Read more:
    US Supreme Court immunity ruling ideal for a president who doesn’t care about democracy

    War against democracy

    Trump is using his vast new mandate to wage multiple wars simultaneously. These wars against the guardrails of liberal democracy require the punishment of his enemies inside his own party.



    Read more:
    Canada should be preparing for the end of American democracy

    Republicans who have voted against Trump legislation during his first term faced high-profile challenges in the primaries as he funded their opponents. Today, the war is waged against those who are insufficiently loyal, including the highest ranks of the Coast Guard and the FBI.

    The war against the administrative state involves the mass firing of independent inspectors, federal lawyers and thousands of civil servants to be replaced by foot soldiers personally loyal to the leader.

    The Trump administration has sent out “deferred resignation” notices that invite the entire civil service to resign. This is the tactic Trump’s key adviser, Elon Musk, implemented at X, and it suggests a wave of firings will soon begin.

    Nonsensical trade war

    The trade war against Canada and Mexico is peculiar because neither country has expressed any willingness to abolish the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is among the achievements of Trump’s first administration.

    Nevertheless, the paranoid Trump seems to be convinced that he got a raw deal in 2018, and so he wants to scrap the whole treaty and negotiate something tougher that brings more jobs home.

    In 2024, the cars that were ranked most “American” in terms of their content and final assembly were made by Tesla, Honda and Volkswagen. By comparison, the best-selling the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck ranked No. 43 on the list. What Trump considers American and non-American isn’t clear, even to voters.

    A new Bank of Canada forecast predicts that American tariffs may reduce Canadian GDP by six per cent. The federal government is planning an enormous bailout package to compensate for widespread job losses like the one offered to businesses and individuals during the pandemic.

    Unsurprisingly, Trump divides Canada’s leadership. Alberta and Saskatchewan have publicly criticized the Team Canada approach. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith refused to sign the joint federal/provincial statement and played to her secessionist base.



    Read more:
    Why Alberta’s Danielle Smith is rejecting the Team Canada approach to Trump’s tariff threats

    Even so, former Alberta premier Jason Kenney recognizes the peril, arguing that Alberta needs to “be prepared to retaliate … we can’t be wusses about this; we have to have a spine.”

    What’s next?

    Canada is an export-led economy based on natural resources. Its strength lies not in refusing to buy California wine or Florida orange juice. Its main sources of leverage are oil and gas, potash and uranium, rare earth minerals, timber products and hydroelectric power. But of all these, oil, uranium, and hydro-electric power are Canada’s biggest guns.

    It’s not yet clear how effective the Canadian government’s strategy will be. Previous rounds of retaliation after the steel and aluminum tariffs in Trump’s first term did not drive him to the negotiating table. It’s also unclear what the CEOs of Canada’s branch-plant multinational corporations will do when their loyalties are divided between Trump and Canada.

    Furthermore, it’s anyone’s guess how much the dissent of western Canadian premiers has hurt Canada’s case with Trump. Certainly, his preferred tactic is to divide and conquer.

    Finally, it’s unclear if Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s “Captain Canada” approach will earn the respect or disdain of Republicans — although, ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the American political class thinks because Trump and his inner circle are calling all the shots.

    In practical terms, there is little Canada can do to address the false accusations that it’s complicit in the illicit drug trade and in migrants crossing the border into the U.S. Facts don’t matter to Trump. He will eventually come up with a demand, and if Canada doesn’t give in, he will ramp up the economic pain.

    Welcome to the post-liberal world order.

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

    – ref. Donald Trump’s tariff wallop demonstrates the brute power of an imperial presidency – https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-tariff-wallop-demonstrates-the-brute-power-of-an-imperial-presidency-247524

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pregnant women can now get a free RSV shot. What other vaccines do you need when you’re expecting?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Archana Koirala, Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist, University of Sydney

    voronaman/Shutterstock

    From today, February 3, pregnant women in Australia will be eligible for a free RSV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program.

    This vaccine is designed to protect young infants from severe RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). It does so by generating the production of antibodies against RSV in the mother, which then travel across the placenta to the baby.

    While the RSV vaccine is a new addition to the National Immunisation Program, it’s one of three vaccines provided free for pregnant women under the program, alongside ones for influenza and whooping cough. Each offers important protection for newborn babies.

    The RSV vaccine

    RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory infections (bronchiolitis and pneumonia) in infants. It’s estimated that of every 100 infants born in Australia each year, at least two will be hospitalised with RSV by six months of age.

    RSV infection is most common roughly between March and August in the southern hemisphere, but infection can occur year-round, especially in tropical areas.

    The vaccine works by conferring passive immunity (from the mother) as opposed to active immunity (the baby’s own immune response). By the time the baby is born, their antibodies are sufficient to protect them during the first months of life when they are most vulnerable to severe RSV disease.

    The RSV vaccine registered for use in pregnant women in Australia, Abrysvo, has been used since 2023 in the Americas and Europe. Real-world experience there shows it’s working well.

    For example, over the 2024 RSV season in Argentina, it was found to prevent 72.7% of lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV and requiring hospitalisation in infants aged 0–3 months, and 68% among those aged 0–6 months. This research noted three deaths from RSV, all in infants whose mothers did not receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.

    This was similar to protection seen in a large multinational clinical trial that compared babies born to mothers who received this RSV vaccine with babies born to mothers who received a placebo. This study found the vaccine prevented 82.4% of severe cases of RSV in infants aged under three months, and 70% under six months, and that the vaccine was safe.

    Vaccinating mothers during pregnancy protects the newborn baby.
    StoryTime Studio/Shutterstock

    In addition to the maternal vaccine, nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, provides effective protection against severe RSV disease. It’s delivered to the baby by an intramuscular injection, usually in the thigh.

    Nirsevimab is recommended for babies born to women who did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy, or who are born within two weeks of their mother having received the shot (most likely if they’re born prematurely). It may also be recommended for babies who are at higher risk of RSV due to a medical condition, even if their mother was vaccinated.

    Nirsevimab is not funded under the National Immunisation Program, but is covered under various state and territory-based programs for infants of mothers who fall into the above categories.

    But now we have a safe and effective RSV vaccine for pregnancy, all pregnant women should be encouraged to receive it as the first line of prevention. This will maximise the number of babies protected during their first months of life.

    Flu and whooping cough

    It’s also important pregnant women continue to receive flu and whooping cough vaccines in 2025. Like the RSV vaccine, these protect infants by passing antibodies from mother to baby.

    There has been a large whooping cough outbreak in Australia in recent months, including a death of a two-month-old infant in Queensland in November 2024.

    The whooping cough vaccine, given in combination with diphtheria and tetanus, prevents more than 90% of whooping cough cases in babies too young to receive their first whooping cough vaccine dose.

    Similarly, influenza can be deadly in young babies, and maternal flu vaccination substantially reduces hospital visits associated with influenza for babies under six months. Flu can also be serious for pregnant women, so the vaccine offers important protection for the mother as well.

    COVID vaccines are safe in pregnancy, but unless a woman is otherwise eligible, they’re not routinely recommended. You can discuss this with your health-care provider.

    When and where can you get vaccinated?

    Pregnant women can receive these vaccines during antenatal visits through their GP or in a specialised antenatal clinic.

    The flu vaccine is recommended at any time during pregnancy, the whooping cough vaccine from 20 weeks (ideally before 32 weeks), and the RSV vaccine from 28 weeks (before 36 weeks).

    It’s safe to receive multiple vaccinations at the same clinic visit.

    The RSV vaccine is now available for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program.
    Olga Rolenko/Shutterstock

    We know vaccination rates have declined in a variety of groups since the pandemic, and there’s evidence emerging that suggests this trend has occurred in pregnant women too.

    A recent preprint (a study yet to be peer-reviewed) found a decrease of nearly ten percentage points in flu vaccine coverage among pregnant women in New South Wales, from 58.8% in 2020 to 49.1% in 2022. The research showed a smaller drop of 1.4 percentage points for whooping cough, from 79% in 2020 to 77.6% in 2022.

    It’s important to work to improve vaccination rates during pregnancy to give babies the best protection in their first months of life.

    We know pregnant women would like to receive information about new and routine maternal vaccines early in pregnancy. In particular, many pregnant women want to understand how vaccines are tested for safety, and their effectiveness, which was evident during COVID.

    GPs and midwives are trusted sources of information on vaccines in pregnancy. There’s also information available online on Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation, a collaboration led by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

    Archana Koirala is the chair of the Vaccination Special Interest Group and an executive member of the Australia and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases. She has received funding to her institution from the Australian government Department of Health and Aged Care and NSW government for her research activities.

    Bianca Middleton is a member of Vaccination Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases. She is an investigator on several research studies funded by NHMRC/ MRFF, and also an investigator on an industry-sponsored clinical vaccine trial. She does not receive any direct funding from industry.

    Prof Margie Danchin receives funding from NHMRC, MRFF, Victorian and Commonwealth government and DFAT and WHO. She is a member of Vaccination Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID), Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

    Peter McIntyre receives funding from the Health Research Council (New Zealand) and the Otago Medical Research Foundation and until the end of 2024 was a member of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts for immunisation

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

    – ref. Pregnant women can now get a free RSV shot. What other vaccines do you need when you’re expecting? – https://theconversation.com/pregnant-women-can-now-get-a-free-rsv-shot-what-other-vaccines-do-you-need-when-youre-expecting-246413

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Warner Slams Trump Tariffs for Raising Costs on Virginia Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

     WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released a statement after President Trump signed executive orders to tax goods from Canada, Mexico and China, jacking up the costs for American families:

    “President Trump ran for president on a platform of lowering prices, but tariffs do the opposite. These tariffs could cost a typical family $1200 per year. They’re going to make it more expensive for Americans to buy anything from cars and phones to tomatoes and gas – as much as 50 cents per gallon in some parts of the country. We need a targeted response to combat cheating by China – not these across-the-board tariffs, including on our allies, that will increase prices and kill American jobs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sanders Statement on Trump Tariffs’ Impact on Vermont 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Feb. 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after President Trump announced tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
    President Trump’s unilateral decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico is most likely illegal and most definitely harmful. Economists estimate that these tariffs will increase costs for the average American family by as much as $1,200 a year. Given Vermont’s long-established economic ties with our Canadian neighbor, the impact on our state will be even greater. We need a rational and well-thought-out trade policy, not arbitrary actions from the White House. I will do everything possible to undo the damage that Trump’s tariffs are causing working families in Vermont and across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –