NewzIntel.com

Category: Donald Trump

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s conversation with European leaders triggers controversy

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

    What U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders after his two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin has triggered controversy.

    Three days after the high-stake talks for Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing senior European officials familiar with the conversation, that Trump told European leaders that Putin “isn’t ready to end the Ukraine war because he thinks he is winning.”

    The White House denied this account immediately. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Trump “did say he believes Putin is winning the war, but he never said ‘Putin isn’t ready to end the war’.”

    During the call, Trump said several times that “he believes Putin wants peace and wants the war to be over,” Leavitt noted.

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the WSJ report, saying Russia was only aware of what was said during the phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

    “Look, we know what Trump told Putin. We don’t know what Trump told the Europeans after that phone call. We know the official statement by President Trump,” Peskov said.

    According to Trump, the afterward call’s participants included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    The controversy came as European officials accused Trump of handing Putin a win after their phone call since he suggested abandoning being a mediator in ending the war and refused to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.

    “Several European officials said the message they took from the call was that they should not expect the United States to join them any time soon in piling additional financial pressure onto Mr. Putin,” The New York Times said in a analysis published Thursday.

    “The disagreement between the Americans and the Europeans over support for Ukraine will likely come to a head over two nearly back-to-back summits: the Group of 7 in Canada in mid-June and the NATO summit a week later in The Hague,” the report added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Make America Healthy Again Report, May 22, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    Make America Healthy Again

    “This is a milestone. Never in American history has the federal government taken a position on public health like this. And because of President Trump’s leadership, it’s not just one cabinet secretary, it’s the entire government…” –Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw4A9gdNiM0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate professor, University of Sydney

    Lightspring/Shutterstock

    With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the United States has signalled a return to aggressive tariff policies, upending economic forecasts around the world.

    This leaves central banks with a tricky dilemma: how to respond when inflation and global growth are being shaped by political decisions rather than economic fundamentals?

    Tariffs lift import prices and disrupt trade, which could lead to higher inflation. But they can also dampen consumer demand and undermine business confidence, which would slow economic growth.

    This leaves central banks balancing two opposing forces – do they raise interest rates to control inflation, or cut interest rates to support growth?

    Three big shocks in a row

    This week, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock addressed this challenge in a press conference after cutting interest rates for the second time this year.

    She described the current period as one of “shifting and unusual uncertainty”.

    Central banks, she noted, have faced three major shocks in succession: the global financial crisis, the COVID pandemic, and now the fallout from Trump’s trade policies.

    Each, she said, is different – this latest one being political in nature and harder to categorise. Bullock stressed the difficulty of judging whether such shocks are supply-driven or demand-driven, or both, and emphasised the need to prepare for a range of outcomes.

    So, the Reserve Bank took the unusual step of outlining three alternative global scenarios – trade war, trade peace, and a central baseline. Each one has distinct implications for Australian monetary policy.

    It’s a clear example of how central banks can remain flexible and forward-looking in a world where the next shock may look nothing like the last.

    Looking at three global scenarios

    1. Trade war (escalation)

    In this scenario laid out in the Reserve Bank’s quarterly statement on monetary policy, the US imposes sweeping new tariffs. That prompts retaliation and a slowdown in global trade. Supply chains are hit and business confidence falls.

    Australia would feel the consequences quickly: weaker export demand, rising import prices, and a difficult mix of slower growth and temporary inflation. Here, the Reserve Bank would likely look past short-term price increases and focus on deteriorating demand. A rate cut would become more likely, despite inflation being above target in the short run.

    2. Trade peace (de-escalation)

    If the US backs away from new tariffs and tensions ease, global confidence improves and trade stabilises. Australia benefits from stronger global demand, a rebound in commodity exports and rising investment.

    In this setting, inflation rises gradually due to higher activity – not import price shocks. The Reserve Bank might hold rates steady, or even consider hiking rates if inflation pressures build. But this scenario also carries risk: if the recovery is faster than expected, interest rates may be left low for too long.

    3. Baseline scenario

    In the bank’s central case, trade tensions persist but do not escalate. Global growth slows moderately and firms adjust to ongoing strain in supply chains.

    Australia sees subdued but stable economic growth. Inflation remains within the 2-3% target band in the near term, and the Reserve Bank would stay open to either raising or lowering interest rates, depending on how risks evolve.

    Other central banks face similar choices

    Australia’s central bank is not alone in navigating these challenges.

    At the Bank of England, the decision to cut rates in May showed a divided Monetary Policy Committee. While the majority supported a 0.25% cut, two members – including trade expert Swati Dhingra – called for a larger 0.5% move to better support growth. The split highlights the difficulty of gauging how aggressively to respond in an uncertain environment.

    In the US, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has warned of the risks posed by Trump’s new tariffs. Speaking in April, Powell said the impact could be “larger than expected”, threatening both growth and inflation.

    With trade policy largely out of the Fed’s hands, he noted, the central bank must still monitor developments on tariffs closely because of their potential to disrupt both employment and prices.

    The road ahead

    The re-emergence of US tariffs adds to the complexity facing central banks. As Bullock noted, this is not just another economic shock – it’s a politically driven one, which is harder to model and forecast.

    The Reserve Bank’s response offers a practical framework: map out potential scenarios, weigh their implications and stand ready to move. In an uncertain world, monetary policy must be based not just on data, but on judgement, flexibility and contingency planning.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

    Stella Huangfu 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. How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues – https://theconversation.com/how-should-central-banks-respond-to-us-tariffs-the-rba-provides-some-clues-257329

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Warren, Merkley, Blumenthal, Liccardo, Advocates Call Out Trump’s Corrupt Meme Coin Dinner, Demand The Release Of Attendees’ Names And What Favors They’re Getting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 22, 2025

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday led a press conference with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and End Citizens United to call out the blatant corruption behind President Trump’s meme coin dinner — a secretive, high-dollar event where anonymous crypto investors are buying direct access to Trump. The Members demanded full transparency: who’s attending, how much they paid, and what kind of influence they’re expecting in return for the millions of dollars they put in Trump’s meme coin. With no press, no disclosure, and crypto wallets tied to foreign actors, this dinner isn’t just unethical — it’s a national security risk. It’s pay-to-play politics on steroids, and Trump is cashing in. The dinner is scheduled for tonight at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

    “We’re here today to call on the President and the people who serve him to do something really simple: release the names of the people who are going to be there,” said Murphy. “Even if you release the names, it’s still corrupt. But at least let us see who’s going to be there. At least let the American people know who has bought access to the President. Release the names. If there’s nothing wrong, if you think that this is all above board, then what are you hiding?”

    “Americans sent us to Congress to unrig the economy — not to help the President turn the White House into a crypto cash machine with private dinners for his top meme coin buyers or legislation that supercharges his stablecoin profits,” said Banking Committee Ranking Member Warren. “The GENIUS Act should be written to prohibit the president and his family from profiting—period.”

    “President Trump has put a ‘for sale’ sign on the White House lawn with his cryptocurrency schemes,” said Merkley. “Congress needs to act fast to stop the massive corruption and national security threat that is Trump selling access and influence to the highest bidders. My End Crypto Corruption Act not only cracks down on this corruption but also prevents other federal officials, like Members of Congress, from betraying our ‘We The People’ government.”

    “Donald Trump is selling access. He is selling out America, he is selling it to a foreign power, and he is putting our national security at risk. Trump is becoming beholden to foreign powers—the Emirates that provided $2 billion to World Liberty Financial, the Qataris that have provided him with a plane, and the unknown foreign actors that have invested in his meme coin operation. It’s not just about corruption—it is about corruption that endangers our national security by putting the president in a compromised position in relation to foreign powers,” said Blumenthal. “My hope is that the Trump Administration will give us the list of individuals attending tonight’s dinner as the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation has asked them to provide.”

    “I was not invited to dine with Donald Trump today. I’m not disappointed.  But you know who should be disappointed? The 746,000 people (probably many of them Americans) who bought small amounts of that Trump coin – maybe some of them bought a little bit more – who didn’t get invited. When I introduced the MEME Act in the House it was because, to borrow from Richard Nixon, those 764,000 Americans needed to know that their president was a crook. And hopefully, we’re going to find some Republicans who have the courage and the spine to say this is corruption regardless of which party is committing it,” said Liccardo.

    “America should not be for sale. With tonight’s prize dinner, our President is using his private golf course to cater to some of the world’s richest people, instead of working on behalf of working families and our country. He claims to be ‘America first,’ but really, he’s ‘Donald Trump first.’ Between his outrageous meme coin grift, his Tesla car show on the White House lawn, the jumbo jet gift from Qatar and his numerous candlelit dinners for tech bros and foreign billionaires, this President is the definition of corruption and personal profit over regular people,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen.

    “The President’s corrupt dinner is yet another alarming example of foreign interests opening their wallets to him. By turning the American presidency into a money-making venture, Trump is inviting an unprecedented level of corruption—and putting our national security at risk. End Citizens United proudly stands with Senator Murphy and the other lawmakers who spoke out today to demand transparency and accountability,” said Justin Unga, Vice President of Public Affairs, End Citizens United.

    Earlier this month, Murphy introduced the Modern Emoluments and Malfeasance Enforcement (MEME) Act, legislation to prevent corrupt federal officials from using their position to profit off digital assets such as meme coins. Rep. Liccardo introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan Highlights Need for “Golden Dome” Amid Evolving Threats from China and Russia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    05.22.25
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), highlighted the need for President Trump’s planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system, and the critical role Alaska will play, in an interview with Greta Van Susteren last night on Newsmax. Sen. Sullivan, the leader on missile defense in Congress since coming to the Senate in 2015, attended an announcement this week at the White House on the Trump administration’s vision of a layered, integrated missile defense system to protect the United States from the intensifying threats and growing arsenals of China and Russia. Sullivan and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) will soon be introducing the GOLDEN DOME Act, which will complement the administration’s effort, including the President’s executive order on missile defense, signed on January 27, 2025. Additionally, the House-passed budget reconciliation bill includes a $25 billion down-payment for the Golden Dome system.
    “The threats in terms of what the Golden Dome is going to focus on, they’ve increased,” said Sen. Sullivan. “It used to be just intercontinental ballistic missiles that we were worried about. Now it’s hypersonics that China has done a pretty darn good job at. Now it’s cruise missiles. To be honest, right now, Greta, without this Golden Dome, we don’t have any defenses on hypersonics. We don’t have any defenses on cruise missiles. I think it’s the responsible thing to do when you see new threats developing—we have those new threats—to take action against them. That’s what the President is doing. That’s what we’re doing here in the Congress.”
    [embedded content]
    Below is a full transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s interview on Newsmax.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Okay. Talk about a really dumb business decision. No, not ours, but Russia’s. Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million. That won’t even buy you a house in Hollywood. The sale was a while ago. It was back in 1867. But, still, it was so smart of the United States and so dumb of Russia to sell it. It’s not just an acre too they sold us. Alaska is the size of 19 other United States combined, twice the size of Texas. And get this: Alaska has only 740,000 residents. That is what Seattle, Washington has—just one city has here in the United States. Why am I mentioning this? Because President Trump has his eyes on Alaska. Alaska is going to play a big role in Trump’s Golden Dome for America plan.
    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Alaska is involved and Alaska is a big part of it because the location is sort of perfect. I think it’s your first line of defense in certain instances.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Speaking of Alaska’s geographic location, I should note, though, that at its closest point to Russia, Alaska from Russia is less than three miles. The United States’ Adak naval base is about 800 miles. Alaska’s U.S. Senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dan Sullivan, joins me. Good evening, sir, and why do we need the Golden Dome?
    SULLIVAN: Well, good evening, Greta. I was in the Oval Office yesterday with the President when he was talking about the Golden Dome and talking about Alaska’s key role in that. It’s a great vision of President Trump. By the way, it’s continued leadership by President Trump. He was working on big missile defense during his first term. Of course, Joe Biden didn’t do anything in this area. Now, during his second term, President Trump has laid out this vision of a Golden Dome that can protect all of America through layered defenses, starting, of course, with Alaska—our ground-based missile interceptors that are based there already, our radar systems based throughout our state, including in the Aleutian Islands. This vision, which the Congress fully supports, is going to move forward into space. It’s going to have space-based sensors, space-based interceptors, and an open architecture that brings in data and new software to bring it all together. It’s a great vision. We had a big day in the Oval Office. Alaska is going to play a big role. But I will tell you, President Trump’s leadership is driving this, and it’s something that no other country can do, and we’re going to do it.
    VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Well it’s got a huge price tag. The President said $150 billion. I read it’s $850 billion over ten years. But this is Washington, where we play with a lot of numbers. But China sees this as an offensive military action by us, not defensive. Is it offensive or defensive?
    SULLIVAN: It’s defensive, right? If you listen to President Trump yesterday, he said exactly what this is. It builds on the vision that Ronald Reagan put forward during his term. It’s just that, during the Reagan administration, we didn’t have the technology to do this. Now we do have the technology to do this, and that’s why it’s so important that we should. But it’s also very defensive. The reason China and Russia are so upset about this is, it’s the reason the Soviet Union was upset about what Ronald Reagan was trying to do in the 1980s—because they can’t do this. This is going to make Americans safer. When you have the ability to do that, and the President’s focused on it, I think that’s what a smart commander in chief does.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Is the technology profoundly different than the Iron Dome in Israel, which detects by radar a missile coming in and then shoots up and gets the missile. Is this technology different?
    SULLIVAN: It’s different in that it’s obviously much bigger. It covers a much greater area. That’s one area that I’ve worked on in the Senate is the cooperation between the United States and Israel with regard to the Iron Dome. The U.S. played an important role in the technology and the research that went into Israel’s Iron Dome. The Israelis came actually, Greta, to Alaska and tested elements of the Iron Dome on Kodiak Island a couple of years ago. But this is much bigger. I will tell you, the big difference is, it’s not just the ground-based missile interceptors that we have in places like Alaska that can take out intercontinental ballistic missiles. It’s the space layer. That’s really different. That’s important. The space layer in the Golden Dome is going to be not only detecting missiles and detecting threats, but intercepting them, shooting them down from space. That’s something different. That’s a much more significant technology, but we have the capacity to do it. That’s what is exciting. We need to do it.
    VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Obviously, I want to protect the United States. I want to be safe myself. But the other thing, too, is, I don’t want to rattle the cage of China. Then we get in basically into an arms race, for lack of better terms, with Russia and China over this. The thing that bothers me more than that—I’m less worried about missiles coming in than I am of gain of function viruses, because that is—you can sneak it in on the next United Airlines or American Airlines flight in from overseas and you can take out an entire population. So while we’re spending all these billions of dollars that—I worry about China and their labs or anybody else.
    SULLIVAN: The bio threats that we have are very real. So I would agree with you on that. But we’re a great nation, and we can focus on different threats at different times. But there’s no doubt that the threat of bioterrorism is something we’ve got to focus on. But the threats in terms of what the Golden Dome is going to focus on, they’ve increased. What do I mean by that? It used to be just intercontinental ballistic missiles that we were worried about. Now it’s hypersonics that China has done a pretty darn good job at. Now it’s cruise missiles. To be honest, right now, Greta, without this Golden Dome, we don’t have any defenses on hypersonics. We don’t have any defenses on cruise missiles. I think it’s the responsible thing to do when you see new threats developing—we have those new threats—to take action against them. That’s what the president is doing. That’s what we’re doing here in the Congress. We already have in the budget reconciliation a down payment on the Golden Dome for about $25 billion in the bill we’re working on right now. I am working on legislation that we’re introducing soon with Senator Cramer that we briefed the President on—the Golden Dome legislation—to make sure this is embedded in the law. We’re going to be introducing that soon. So you have the Congress backing this initiative, and leadership by the President to address new threats. They’re out there. I think that’s what responsible leaders do, and that’s what the President is doing.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Senator, thank you very much. I hope you come back next time. Let’s talk about how people come up with these numbers of how the cost is—who’s putting the price tags on this. We’ll talk about that next time. Senator Dan Sullivan from the great state of Alaska. Thank you, sir.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 23, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 23, 2025.

    Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Land clearing for agriculture poses a real threat to many species. Rich Carey/Shutterstock More and more Australian species are being listed as critically endangered – the final stage before extinction in the wild. Hundreds of species of

    How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate professor, University of Sydney Lightspring/Shutterstock With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the United States has signalled a return to aggressive tariff policies, upending economic forecasts around the world. This leaves central banks with a tricky dilemma: how to respond when

    Vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Senior Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Pia Johnson/Malthouse Theatre Malthouse’s new production of The Birds is a thrillingly realised take on the 1952 short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Adapted by Louise Fox and directed by Matthew Lutton, this vivid realisation is a

    Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

    Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
    By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

    Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

    Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
    By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

    Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Langford, Executive Director, Security & Defence PLuS and Professor, UNSW Sydney For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic. President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch. By

    Corroboree 2000, 25 years on: the march for Indigenous reconciliation has left a complicated legacy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor of Aboriginal political history, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. On

    KiwiSaver at a crossroads: budget another missed opportunity to fix NZ’s underperforming retirement scheme
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Gilbert, Professor of Finance, Auckland University of Technology Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images When KiwiSaver was introduced in 2007 it was built on a stark reality: New Zealand Super alone will not be enough for most people to retire with dignity. As the population ages and the cost

    Deaf President Now! traces the powerful uprising that led to Deaf rights in the US – now again under threat
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma King, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, Australian National University Archival footage shows Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Jerry Covell, in Apple TV+ Deaf President Now! Apple TV+ In March 1988, students of the world’s only Deaf university started

    Head knocks and ultra-violence: viral games Run It Straight and Power Slap put sports safety back centuries
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Yorke, Lecturer in sport management, Western Sydney University runitstraight24/instagram.com, The Conversation, CC BY Created in Australia, “Run It Straight” is a new, ultra-violent combat sport. Across a 20×4 metre grassed “battlefield,” players charge at full speed toward one another. Alternating between carrying the ball (ball runner)

    NZ Budget 2025: funding growth at the expense of pay equity for women could cost National in the long run
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Pay equity protest outside parliament on budget day, May 22 2025. Getty Images In 1936, when the National Party was created through a merger of the United and Reform parties, there was a recognition

    Australian roads are getting deadlier – pedestrians and males are among those at greater risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne At least ten people died in fatal crashes earlier this month in a single 48-hour period on Victorian roads. It was the latest tragic demonstration of the mounting road trauma in

    There is a growing number of ‘super-sized’ schools. Does the number of students matter?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University LBeddoe/Shutterstock Earlier this week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported one of Sydney’s top public high schools had more than 2,000 students for the first time, thanks to the booming population in the area. This follows similar reports of other

    From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes

    Govt should defuse NZ’s social timebomb – but won’t
    We have been handed a long and protracted recession with few signs of growth and prosperity. Budget 2025 signals more of the same, writes Susan St John. ANALYSIS: By Susan St John With the coalition government’s second Budget being unveiled, we should question where New Zealand is heading. The 2024 Budget laid out the strategy.

    Punitive criminal libel charge against Samoan journalist draws flurry of criticism
    Pacific Media Watch A punitive defamation charge filed against one of Samoa’s most experienced and trusted journalists last week has sparked a flurry of criticism over abuse of power and misuse of a law that has long been heavily criticised as outdated. Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma, who is also president of the Journalists

    Grattan on Friday: if Ley and Littleproud find a way to cohabit, it will be a tense household
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Remember that cliche about the Nationals tail wagging the Liberal dog? That tail wagged very vigorously this week, and smashed a lot of crockery, as it sought to bring Liberal leader Sussan Ley to heel. In a gesture of overreach,

    Legal academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law should go after charge
    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Auckland University law academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law under which a prominent journalist has been charged should be repealed. Lagi Keresoma, the first female president of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) and editor of Talamua Online, was charged under the Crimes Act 2013 on Sunday

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Cantwell, Padilla, Schiff Slam Trump’s Outrageous, Partisan Decision to Slash Flood Prevention Funding for Blue States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Work plan released by Army Corps zeroes out hundreds of millions of dollars for key WA, CA waterway construction projects, among others—steering hundreds of millions to red states
    ***WATCH: WA, CA Senators hold press conference calling out Trump’s decision*** 
    Washington, D.C. — Today, the Senate delegations from Washington state and California joined together to call out President Trump’s outrageous, nakedly-political decision to zero out critical funding for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects in blue states like Washington and California while steering hundreds of millions more to red states.
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) blasted the Trump administration’s plans, released late last week, detailing how the Army Corps intends to zero out all Army Corps construction funding for the state of California, as well as $500 million for the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state. California was set to receive well over $100 million in funding for projects, and the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state was set to receive $500 million—in the Corps’ fiscal year 2025 budget request, in the Senate’s bipartisan draft fiscal year 2025 funding bill, and even in House Republicans’ draft fiscal year 2025 funding bill. But the Trump administration—using the new discretion afforded by the yearlong CR House Republicans drafted that was signed into law—ignored the draft bills and instead apportioned funding on a nakedly political basis.
    On Tuesday, a top Army Corps official testifying before the House failed to provide any justification for the decision and noted that the ultimate decision rested with Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), headed by Russ Vought.
    “We are here for a simple reason: Trump is robbing our states in broad daylight, and we are not going to be quiet about this,” said Senator Murray. “Last year, we worked across the aisle to hammer out a bipartisan understanding about what projects needed Army Corps construction funding. But President Trump is ripping up the roadmap we all agreed on—even House Republicans— and turning the Army Corps construction fund into his personal political slush fund. I don’t know how you get more obviously partisan than cutting California, the most populous state in the country, out of Army Corps construction funding entirely, and I just don’t know how you get more blatantly corrupt than zeroing out half a billion dollars for Washington state and completely shafting major work at the Howard Hanson Dam—work to address dam safety, water supply issues, and more.”
    “The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma received $45.4 million less in this budget,” said Senator Cantwell. “This is a huge problem for the next five years. We want to stabilize our ports. We want the Army Corps to do their investment on important waterway issues. We want to grow economic opportunity at an age when the Pacific economy is continuing to grow. We want to be on the doorstep of that access and to be efficient about delivering it, not giving those jobs away to Canada and Mexico.”
    “When anyone takes the oath of office, even Donald Trump as President of the United States, you become the president for all Americans — not just for red states or for blue states, but for every state and every community equally,” said Senator Padilla. “Yet, since the minute Donald Trump returned to office, he’s set out to politicize the office he holds, now trying to take hundreds of millions of dollars in flood prevention funding away from the states that happened to not vote for him and redirect them to projects in states that supported his election. It’s absolutely wrong. In California, that means cutting every last dollar of funding that was allocated for certain flood control projects. For a president so obsessed with fighting waste, fraud, and abuse, I know where he can find it. He just has to look in the mirror. Communities up and down California — including farmers and farm workers in the Central Valley and Pajaro — will now be at a higher risk of flooding because Donald Trump’s playing politics with federal funding.”
    “Natural disasters don’t discriminate based on whether a state is red or blue, and the administration and Congress shouldn’t either when it comes to protecting communities from natural disasters. This puts us on a very dangerous path, a path where anything can be on the chopping block for a partisan reason,” said Senator Schiff. “Today, it’s funding for these projects. Tomorrow, it could be another form of funding meant to save lives. There will be a domino effect of threats aimed at blue states. When you’re elected to be president of the United States, you’re not a half president. You’re not president for only half of the country, not if you do the job right. These baseless attacks threaten millions of people from both parties whose lives are endangered by floods.”
    Overall, the Army Corps’ plan would steer roughly $258 million dollars more in construction funding to red states while ripping away roughly $437 million dollars in construction funding for blue states, relative to the fiscal year 2025 request—which, historically, has been fully funded and was fully funded in the draft fiscal year 2025 bills produced on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and by House Republicans in the House. Trump’s work plan steers two-thirds of all Army Corps construction funding to red states while the budget request and House and Senate bills would have split that funding roughly evenly to red and blue states.
    Supporting the Howard Hanson Dam has been a longtime priority for Senator Murray, and she has pressed the Army Corps to prioritize funding for the Dam for years. Under the last administration, Senator Murray was able to secure critical funding boosts for Howard Hanson Dam, including $220 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $50 million to begin construction of a new facility in the funding bills for fiscal year 2024 that Murray wrote as then-Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Back in 2010, Murray secured $44 million in badly needed emergency funds for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Howard Hanson Dam. In the draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill she cleared unanimously out of Committee last year, Senator Murray secured $500 million for the dam, which would support fish passage and address dam safety and water supply issues for cities like Tacoma and Covington. $500 million was also included in the House’s draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. The funding is needed to execute a construction option on the contract for the project, which would have allowed construction to begin in 2026 as scheduled.
    Congress typically provides specific, detailed instructions in its annual appropriations bills on how the Army Corps (and so many other agencies) must spend funding provided by Congress. Annual appropriations bills note exactly what Army Corps projects must be funded and at what levels. But instead of working with Democrats to pass full-year appropriations bills that deliver for communities across America, Republicans in Congress put forth a yearlong continuing resolution (CR) that failed to include hundreds of specific directives on how funding must be spent. For months, Senator Murray warned of the dangers of passing Republicans’ slush fund CR, noting, for example, that it would allow the administration to zero out funding for Army Corps projects. 
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
    “We are here for a simple reason: Trump is robbing our states in broad daylight, and we are not going to be quiet about this.
    “We are not going to stop fighting for our communities, and we are going to make every single person understand what is happening—and what it means for our states, for our communities, and for this democracy.
    “Last year, we worked across the aisle to hammer out a bipartisan understanding about what projects needed Army Corps construction funding. And ‘we’—isn’t just the four of us here. It includes our Republican counterparts and even our House colleagues.
    “But President Trump is ripping up the roadmap we all agreed on—even the House Republicans—and turning the Army Corps construction funds into his personal political slush fund.
    “To give you a sense of how blatantly political this is, consider the fact that the Corps’ budget request last year, the bipartisan Senate bill my committee passed unanimously, and the House bill—yes the Republican House bill—all split this funding just about evenly—every one of them split it just about 50-50 between red and blue states.
    “Now compare that to Trump’s partisan takeover. This thing is totally lopsided—roughly two-thirds goes to red states and one-third for blue states.
    “This is not how it should work—an out-of-control Republican president punishing blue states and rewarding his friends instead.
    “I don’t know how you get more obviously partisan than cutting California, the most populous state in the country, out of Army Corps construction funding entirely. Trump slashed over $100 million for projects that reduce flooding for crying out loud! I mean who is pro-flooding?
    “And I just don’t know how you get more blatantly corrupt than zeroing out half a billion dollars for Washington state and completely shifting major work at the Howard Hanson Dam—work to address dam safety, water supply issues, and more. 
    “This is a project years in the making, and it is being slashed at the stroke of one careless pen, at the will of one corrupt President alone.
    “So why does President Trump think our constituents don’t need a safe water supply?
    “Why does President Trump think our constituents don’t need to be protected from floods?
    “It’s clear he simply doesn’t care.
    “But it’s actually worse than what I just laid out—because Trump is not just taking hundreds of millions of dollars from blue states for projects that we all agreed on. He is actually shoveling this money to projects that were not funded by either bill in either chambers—and that is nakedly political.
    “Suddenly, projects in or near his allies’ districts are funded.
    “So we need answers. And more than that, we need accountability.
    “Yesterday, a top Army Corps official testified before the House, and let me tell you: she had absolutely no acceptable—or even half-convincing—justification for these decisions.
    “In fact, she very explicitly stated that OMB—not the experts at the Corps—called the final shots.
    “That should raise everyone’s eyebrows—Russ Vought calling the shots for your constituents.
    “So we’re here to call this out—and we are going to fight tooth and nail to make this right, and make these critical projects whole.
    “I will tell you right now: I will not let defunding Howard Hanson Dam stand in any future bipartisan spending bill.
    “And, I will continue warning my colleagues about passing another partisan CR, which gave this administration that power to pick winners and losers like this in the first place.
    “I warned about exactly this before I voted against the CR—I warned that Trump could, and would, abuse the discretion in a slush fund
    CR to rob our communities. And now, here we are.
    “So every single member needs to pay close attention to what is happening here—and needs to speak out.
    “Because it may not be your state today but what happens when your governor disagrees with the President? What happens when you vote against him and your state loses out on funding?
    “Take my word—you don’t want to find out. We have to put a stop to this, and push back now.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US stocks close mixed as Trump’s tax bill passes House

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

    U.S. stocks finished little changed on Thursday, as investors digested the House of Representatives’s narrow passage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax legislation and its potential impact on the nation’s growing debt.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 1.35 points, or 0.00 percent, to 41,859.09. The S&P 500 sank 2.60 points, or 0.04 percent, to 5,842.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 53.09 points, or 0.28 percent, to 18,925.74.

    Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with utilities and health leading the laggards by losing 1.41 percent and 0.76 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer discretionary and communication services led the gainers by going up 0.56 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively.

    The bill — referred to by Trump as a “big, beautiful bill” — is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to add approximately 3.8 trillion U.S. dollars to the current 36.2 trillion dollars of national debt over the next ten years if enacted.

    “It seems pretty clear that, in its present form, the legislation is certainly not going to improve the budget deficit and could make it substantially worse,” said Steve Sosnick, chief market analyst at Interactive Brokers.

    Bond markets, which have been in sharp focus following Moody’s recent U.S. credit downgrade, saw some relief. After several days of climbing, longer-term U.S. Treasury yields retreated slightly. The 30-year yield slipped just below 5.1 percent, pulling back from levels last seen during the financial crisis, while the 10-year benchmark yield dropped to around 4.55 percent.

    Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller suggested in an interview with Fox Business that rate cuts could be considered if Trump’s tariff policies end up being less severe than feared. “If we can get the tariffs down close to the 10 percent and then that’s all sealed, done and delivered somewhere by July, then we’re in good shape for the second half of the year, and then we’re in a good position to kind of move with rate cuts through the second half of the year,” Waller said.

    On the economic front, U.S. output rebounded in May as businesses adjusted to the recent tariff rollback. According to S&P Global, the flash composite Purchasing Managers’ Index — which measures activity across both the manufacturing and services sectors — rose to 52.1 in May, up from 50.6 in April, indicating a modest expansion.

    However, labor market data pointed to some softness. The weekly jobless claims report showed that 1.9 million Americans were continuing to receive unemployment benefits. The four-week moving average of continuing claims hit its highest level since November 2021, suggesting increased strain in the job market.

    Market expectations, based on data from LSEG, now reflect the likelihood of at least two 25-basis-point interest rate cuts by the end of the year, as investors continue to monitor economic momentum and fiscal developments. Enditem

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: On Newsmax, Cornyn Condemns Antisemitism, Discusses Murder of Israeli Embassy Staff

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – Today on Newsmax’s American Agenda, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed last night’s horrific murder of two staffers working for Israel’s embassy in D.C. that prompted Sen. Cornyn to call on the Department of Justice to investigate the details surrounding the suspect and the radical groups he was associated with. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
    “Antisemitism is on the rise and needs to be condemned.”
    “Violence has no place in this country.”
    “There’s been a course correction since the election of President Trump.”
    “A lot of the woke programs and policies of universities across this country were a big surprise to a lot of people – the blatant antisemitism in particular, the targeting of Jewish students. This is unacceptable.”
    “We have a new sheriff in town. We have a new Attorney General, a new FBI Director that can aggressively do investigations and prosecute individuals who violate the rights of our Jewish citizens, and I think that will go a long way to correcting the direction that we have been on for the last four years.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling international students, threatens broader crackdown

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students on Thursday, and is forcing current foreign students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status, while also threatening to expand the crackdown to other colleges.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the department to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification effective for the 2025-2026 school year, the department said in a statement.

    Noem accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”

    Harvard said the move by the Trump administration – which affects thousands of students – was illegal and amounted to retaliation.

    The decision marked a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against the elite Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which has emerged as one of Trump’s most prominent institutional targets. The move came after Harvard refused to provide information that Noem demanded about some foreign student visa holders at Harvard, the department said.

    Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the 2024-2025 school year, amounting to 27% of its total enrollment, according to university statistics.

    In 2022, Chinese nationals were the biggest group of foreign students at 1,016, university figures showed. After that were students from Canada, India, South Korea, Britain, Germany, Australia, Singapore and Japan.

    The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” Noem said in a statement.

    In a letter to the university, Noem gave Harvard “the opportunity” to regain its certification by turning over within 72 hours a raft of records about foreign students, including any video or audio of their protest activity in the past five years.

    Harvard called the government’s action “unlawful” and said it was “fully committed” to educating foreign students.

    “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said in a statement.

    Congressional Democrats denounced the revocation, with U.S. Representative Jaime Raskin calling it an “intolerable attack on Harvard’s independence and academic freedom” and saying it was government retaliation for Harvard’s previous resistance to Trump.

    Trump has already frozen some $3 billion in federal grants to Harvard in recent weeks, leading the university to sue to restore the funding.

    In a separate lawsuit related to Trump’s efforts to terminate the legal status of hundreds of foreign students across the U.S., a federal judge ruled on Thursday that the administration could not end their status without following proper regulatory procedures. It was not immediately clear how that ruling would affect the action against Harvard.

    During an interview with Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” Noem was asked if she was considering similar moves at other universities, including Columbia University in New York.

    “Absolutely, we are,” Noem said. “This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.”

    TRUMP TARGETS UNIVERSITIES

    Trump, a Republican, took office in January pledging a wide-ranging immigration crackdown. His administration has tried to revoke student visas and green cards of foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

    He has undertaken an extraordinary effort to revamp private colleges and schools across the U.S., claiming they foster anti-American, Marxist and “radical left” ideologies. He has criticized Harvard for hiring prominent Democrats for teaching or leadership positions.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday that it was terminating a further $60 million in federal grants to Harvard because it failed to address antisemitic harassment and ethnic discrimination.

    In a legal complaint filed earlier this month, Harvard said it was committed to combating antisemitism and had taken steps to ensure its campus is safe and welcoming to Jewish and Israeli students.

    Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigration advocacy group, said the action against Harvard’s student visa program “needlessly punishes thousands of innocent students.”

    “None of them have done anything wrong, they’re just collateral damage to Trump,” he said on the social media site Bluesky.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Enforce and Remove

    Source: US FBI

    Joint Operation Involving Federal and Local Law Enforcement Results In More Than 450 Arrests of Illegal Immigrants and Suspected Drug Criminals Across Arkansas

          LITTLE ROCK—The largest collaborative police effort to enforce federal immigration laws in Arkansas’s history resulted in the arrest of 219 illegal immigrants over the past three weeks. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Clay Fowlkes, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced the culmination of “Operation Enforce and Remove,” an arrest operation across the state that involved all federal law enforcement agencies operating in Arkansas, as well the Arkansas State Police and all 19 Arkansas Judicial Drug Task Forces, who coordinated and organized the overall operation. In addition to assisting with immigration enforcement, these task forces also arrested 253 individuals suspected of committing drug crimes and seized nearly 15,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth millions of dollars and 43 guns.

          Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents collaborated with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Drug Task Forces and Arkansas State Police, to arrest 219 illegal immigrants during the three weeks of this enforcement operation, which began February 5. In total, since January 21, when President Donald Trump issued executive orders designed to prioritize the enforcement of immigration laws, 375 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Arkansas.

          “On January 21, the Department of Justice issued a memo to all Department components, to include all U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the DEA, FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals, instructing each agency to partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to focus our resources and attention to immigration-related investigations and prosecutions at the federal, state, and local level,” U.S. Attorney Ross said.

          “The memo outlined policy changes in response to the President’s day one Executive Orders and provided guidance critical to the Department’s mission to combat three of the most serious threats facing the American people: First, cartels and other transnational criminal organizations which have created unsafe borders and huge flows of illegal immigration in violation of U.S. law. Second, brutal and intolerable violent crime by members of these organizations and illegal aliens. Third, the fentanyl crisis and opioid epidemic that are poisoning our communities and have inflicted an unprecedented toll of addiction, suffering, and death.

          “Because the Justice Department must and will work to eradicate these threats, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Arkansas along with each of our federal law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize working with ICE to aggressively enforce the immigration and drug-and-violent crime laws enacted by Congress. When these efforts are combined with our partnerships with our outstanding state and local law enforcement officials, we are confident that this first operation will lead to additional successful operations in the days ahead.”

          “Our commitment to safeguarding communities in western Arkansas remains steadfast as we implement increased immigration enforcement efforts,” U.S. Attorney Fowlkes said. “We are dedicated to upholding the law and ensuring public safety while maintaining the highest standards of law enforcement and prosecution. Through collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, we will address the challenges of illegal immigration and protect our communities from criminals who seek to illegally enter the United States and subject our communities to their criminal activities and associated violence.”

          In preparation for “Operation Enforce and Remove,” ICE, working with other federal and local partners, developed intelligence related to the locations of known illegal immigrants. The individuals these agents sought to arrest and remove had previous encounters with law enforcement, and therefore had known addresses in various databases. Some offenders were previously convicted of crimes, while others had some type of prior contact with law enforcement. All were in the country illegally and will be deported. Of the 219 arrests of illegal immigrants during the enforcement operation, 127 individuals were processed through the ICE Enforcement and Removal office in Little Rock, 57 were processed through the Fayetteville office, 23 through the Fort Smith office, and 17 individuals through the Texarkana office.

          The illegal immigrants located in Arkansas came from 23 different countries. The crimes some of these individuals were previously convicted of include: battery, aggravated assault, robbery, drug possession and distribution, domestic violence, sexual assault, illegal firearm possession, running an illegal casino, forgery, hit-and-run, indecent exposure, and sexual assault against a minor.

          “We will continue to use every tool and resource available to identify, locate and apprehend those criminal aliens that threaten public safety,” said Larry Adams, ICE Assistant Field Office Director. “Our enforcement efforts are unwavering and our dedication to protecting our communities remains stronger than ever.”

          At the same time that ICE was engaged in immigration operations, Drug Task Force officers were conducting numerous drug investigations that involved highway interdiction, controlled purchases of narcotics, the execution of search warrants, and other methods aimed at arresting individuals known to be involved in drug trafficking. In addition to the 253 drug-related arrests and 43 guns seized, officers across the state seized the following drugs: 225 pounds of methamphetamine, 65 pounds of cocaine, 14,542 pounds of marijuana, and 2,681 fentanyl pills and 90 grams of fentanyl powder. The street value of these drugs, broken down to a user level, is potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. These individuals will be prosecuted at either the state or federal level, depending on the particular case.

          The 472 arrests announced today are the culmination of the first, but not last, collaborative federal and state law enforcement effort designed to carry out the Department of Justice’s mission, and help keep all Arkansans safe.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Director Announces Chinese Botnet Disruption, Exposes Flax Typhoon Hacker Group’s True Identity at Aspen Cyber Summit

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI and our partners disrupted a Chinese botnet and freed thousands of impacted devices from its clutches, Director Christopher Wray announced September 18. 

    The botnet, which was operated by a Chinese government-sponsored hacker group known as Flax Typhoon, targeted internet-connected devices such as storage devices, cameras, and video recorders to compromise victims’ systems and steal their confidential data, Director Wray said during a keynote at the 2024 Aspen Cyber Summit in Washington, D.C.

    “Ultimately, as part of this operation, we were able to identify thousands of infected devices, and, then, with court authorization, issued commands to remove the malware from them, prying them from China’s grip,” Wray said.  

    Approximately half of the devices under the botnet’s control were based in the United States, he noted. The hacker group’s targets included organizations in the public and private sectors, as well as academia and the media, he added. Wray also revealed the hacker group’s true identity to be an information security company known as the Integrity Technology Group. “But their chairman has publicly admitted that for years his company has collected intelligence and performed reconnaissance for Chinese government security agencies,” Wray added. 

    Wray called the cyber disruption a success but cautioned that the effort was “just one round in a much longer fight.” 

    “The Chinese government is going to continue to target your organizations and our critical infrastructure—either by their own hand or concealed through their proxies,” Wray said. “And we’ll continue to work with our partners to identify their malicious activity, disrupt their hacking campaigns, and bring them to light.” 

    Saving victims time and money 

    During his remarks, Wray also underscored the Bureau’s dedication to working with victims of cyber intrusions, whether they’re individuals or organizations. According to Wray, reporting ransomware attacks to the FBI can potentially help us: 

    • Recover ransomed data 
    • Negotiate-down ransoms demanded by cybercriminals—or spare victims from having to pay ransoms at all 
    • Help impacted organizations resume their normal operations in a speedy manner 

    “I’m extremely proud to report that, in just the past two years, the FBI has handed out nearly 1,000 decryptors, and we’ve saved victims around the world something like $800 million in ransom payments,” Wray said. 

    Decryptors—also known as decryption keys—function like passwords to unlock data that ransomware criminals hold captive. But, Wray explained, some of those keys require information about the victim to work.  

    So it’s paramount that organizations contact the FBI if they fall victim to ransomware attacks. Otherwise, he cautioned, the Bureau “might not be able to make that match—and we might not be able to save you that ransom payment.” 

    Wray also discussed how information sharing between the Bureau and our public and private sector partners can help the FBI combat ongoing cyberattacks and lessen the impact of future cyber incidents.  

    As an example, he pointed to a recent interagency effort to alert the private sector that a pro-Russian hacktivist group was targeting “operational technology networks.”  

    “They had set their sights across our critical infrastructure—from dams and wastewater systems to the energy, food, and agriculture sectors,” Wray explained.  

    But, he said, the FBI’s joint advisory about the cyber threat allowed private sector organizations to fix the vulnerability these bad actors were using to infiltrate networks, thereby protecting the companies and the American public, alike. 

    “So, if there’s only one thing you take away from my time here today, I hope it’s this: The FBI needs and wants to work with you,” Wray said. “Let us save you money, save you time, and save you from future attacks so that you can keep your organization’s focus where it should be: on your operations, and—together—we can help keep our nation safe.” 

    West Palm Beach investigation updates 

    During his remarks, Wray also addressed the Bureau’s investigation into the September 15 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.  

    “For the second time in just over two months, we’ve witnessed what appears to be an attempt to attack our democracy and our democratic process,” he said. “I’m relieved that former President Trump is safe, and I want the American people to know the men and women of the FBI are working tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened.” 

    Wray acknowledged that the ongoing nature of the investigation limited how much the Bureau could say about the matter. 

    “What I can say is that we have dedicated the full force of the FBI to this investigation, and that runs the gamut from criminal to national security resources, from tactical support to Evidence Response Teams, from forensic scientists to operational technology personnel,” he said.“Together, we’re working around the clock to investigate this.” 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • UK signs Chagos deal with Mauritius, India welcomes move

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Britain signed a deal on Thursday to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after a London judge overturned a last-minute injunction and cleared the way for an agreement the government says is vital to protect the nation’s security.
     
    The multibillion-dollar deal will allow Britain to retain control of the strategically important U.S.-UK air base on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, under a 99-year lease.
     
    India has welcomed the signing of the treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including the strategic island of Diego Garcia. 
     
    “India has consistently supported Mauritius’s legitimate claim over the Chagos Archipelago. This is in keeping with our principled position on decolonization, respect for sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of nations,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
     
    “As a steadfast and longstanding partner of Mauritius, India remains committed to working closely with Mauritius and other like-minded countries to strengthen maritime security and regional stability,” the MEA added.
     
    The signing went ahead after a carefully choreographed ceremony was postponed when lawyers representing a British national born in the Chagos Islands were granted an interim injunction at the High Court in the early hours of Thursday.
     
    Judge Martin Chamberlain then lifted that injunction following a hearing, saying Britain’s interests would be “substantially prejudiced” if the injunction were to continue.
     
    The government, which has been criticised by opposition parties for pursuing a deal they say is overly costly and would play into the hands of China, has long said the agreement is essential to secure the future of Diego Garcia.
     
    “The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain, from deploying aircraft to defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan to anticipating threats in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a news conference.
     
    “By agreeing to this deal now, on our terms, we’re securing strong protections, including from malign influence, that will allow the base to operate well into the next century.”
     
    The signing ends months of wrangling over the deal, the details of which were first announced in October, after the then-Mauritian leader Pravind Jugnauth was replaced by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who raised concerns about it.
     
    It was further delayed after the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January, with London wanting to give the new administration time to examine the details of the plan. In February, Trump indicated his backing for the deal.
     
    Ramgoolam welcomed the deal, saying it had been a long fight to get to this point.
     
    “With this agreement, we are completing the total process of decolonization,” Ramgoolam said in a televised broadcast, speaking in the local Creole language.
     
    “It’s total recognition of our sovereignty on the Chagos, including Diego Garcia.”
     
    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed the deal saying it “secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia”.
     
    LATEST LEGAL CHALLENGE
     
    The injunction was the latest legal challenge to the deal in the last two decades brought by members of the wider Chagossian diaspora, many of whom ended up in Britain after being forcibly removed from the archipelago more than 50 years ago.
     
    It was granted following action by Bertrice Pompe, a British national who was born in Diego Garcia and has criticised the deal for excluding Chagossians.
     
    James Eadie, the government’s lawyer, said the delay was damaging to British interests and “there is jeopardy to our international relations … (including with) our most important security and intelligence partner, the U.S.”
     
    It is one less headache for Starmer, who is under fire from his own governing Labour Party for implementing welfare cuts to try to better balance Britain’s books.
     
    But Starmer’s political opponents were again critical of the accord, arguing it was both costly and by ceding sovereignty, China could further deepen its ties with Mauritius, benefiting Beijing’s influence in the Indian Ocean.
     
    “Labour’s Chagos Surrender Deal is bad for our defence and security interests, bad for British taxpayers and bad for British Chagossians,” Conservative Party foreign affairs spokeswoman Priti Patel said on X.
     
    The financial component of the deal includes 3 billion pounds to be paid by Britain to Mauritius over the 99-year term of the agreement, with an option for a 50-year extension and Britain maintaining the right of first refusal thereafter.
     
    The base’s capabilities are extensive and strategically crucial. Recent operations launched from Diego Garcia include bombing strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in 2024-2025, humanitarian aid deployments to Gaza and, further back, attacks on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan in 2001.
     
    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES ON HOUSE FLOOR: “IF THEY WON’T FIGHT FOR YOU, WE WILL”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the dangerous GOP Tax Scam passed by House Republicans to strip healthcare and nutritional assistance from the American people in order to enact massive tax breaks for billionaires.

    JEFFRIES: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this reckless, regressive and reprehensible GOP Tax Scam. This is One Big Ugly Bill that House Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people under the cover of darkness. This legislation will not make life better for the American people. The GOP Tax Scam represents an assault on the economy, an assault on healthcare, an assault on nutritional assistance, an assault on tax fairness and an assault on fiscal responsibility. There are more than 100 other reasons to vote against this One Big Ugly Bill that can be found by reading this more than 1000-page document. Those reasons are too numerous to mention, but this legislation also undermines reproductive freedom, undermines the progress that we have made in combating the climate crisis, undermines gun safety, undermines the rule of law and the independence of the federal judiciary. It even undermines the ability of hardworking and law-abiding immigrant families to provide remittances to their loved ones who may just happen to live abroad. There are more than 100 different reasons to vote against the GOP Tax Scam. And in the days and the weeks and the months to come, all of those reasons will be exposed for the American people, in each and every one of your districts.

    But this bill represents a failed promise. Last year, Donald Trump and House Republicans spent all of their time talking about their promise to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. In fact, Donald Trump and Republicans promised that costs would go down on day one. We’re now more than 120 days past the inauguration. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is out of control. Insurance rates remain stubbornly high. Our Moody’s rating, our credit rating has been downgraded. And you’ve got people losing confidence in this economy. Republicans are crashing this economy in real time and driving us toward a recession. But beyond that, costs are actually going up. The trade war that Donald Trump has recklessly launched—his tariff scheme—will raise the cost of goods and groceries and gas for everyday Americans, the Americans that you claimed you were going to help, but the Americans that you are clearly hurting. You’ve destabilized the business environment. Small businesses are at risk of closing. Farmers—small family farmers are in distress. Businesses can’t invest. People are not hiring. You are actively crashing the economy, driving America toward a recession. You promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren’t going down. They are going up.

    Now, as House Democrats, we believe that we have to build an affordable economy for hardworking American taxpayers. We’re committed to lowering housing costs and grocery costs and insurance costs and child care costs and utility costs. America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world—there are far too many people living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet. Here in this country, no American should find themselves in that situation. And you promised that you would do something about it. But things are not getting better. They’re getting worse. We could have partnered together to try to find a bipartisan path toward building an affordable economy for hardworking American taxpayers, but you chose to go it alone, to try to drive your extreme right-wing policies down the throats of the American people. And that’s what this One Big Ugly Bill represents. 

    Not simply a broken promise, as it relates to your failures on the economy. And despite the gentleman from Louisiana trying to articulate all of the so-called successes that have taken place, we know that this presidency has already been a failure, filled with crisis and chaos, cruelty and corruption. And the American people know it, which is why Donald Trump, at the 100-day mark, was the most unpopular President in American history. The American people understand it’s unfolding right before their eyes, no matter what kind of MAGA spin you try to put on the situation. And things are going to get worse. Why? Because of this Big Ugly Bill. Not simply an assault on the economy, a broken promise, it’s an assault on the healthcare of the American people. You see, as Democrats, we believe, in this country, healthcare is not simply a privilege, healthcare is a right. And from Medicare to Medicaid to the passage of the Affordable Care Act and subsequently enhancing it, we’ve begun to move America to a place where every single person in this land can have access to the healthcare that they need to live a life of dignity and respect.

    At this moment in America, we have the lowest rate of uninsured people in our nation’s history. But this GOP Tax Scam will reverse that, with this assault on healthcare, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And here’s what it will mean for the American people. Children will get hurt. Women will get hurt. Older Americans who rely on Medicaid for nursing home care and for home care will get hurt. People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to survive will get hurt. Hospitals in your districts will close. Nursing homes will shut down. And people will die. That’s not hype. That’s not hyperbole. That’s not a hypothetical. The people that you all represent have been writing to us to make that clear. Thousands of people who’ve written to us—everyday Americans—have made that clear. And let me just present a few of those stories into the record.

    I have Type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed when I was seven years old. I’ve had jobs with private insurance in the past, but I lost my job during the pandemic. With child care becoming a major challenge, it made more sense for me to stay home with the kids, but that also meant losing my health benefits. Right now, we’re all on Medicaid. It’s crucial for me to stay alive and healthy. I need insulin and supplies to manage my diabetes every single day. Without it, I could die. That’s Shauna, who lives in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.

    My youngest son has leukemia. He was a self-employed handyman, and therefore, he didn’t have sufficient insurance. When the cancer became more debilitating, he could no longer work. He has undergone radiation, stem cell transplant and then more radiation. He is still fighting the cancer. And without Medicaid and the fine physicians, he would surely die. That’s Greg, who lives in the Eighth Congressional District of Colorado.

    As a cancer survivor with chronic illnesses, I rely heavily on Medicaid and food stamps to get by. Without these essential programs, people like me would suffer. I’m currently taking expensive medication to stay in remission, but my condition and the side effects of my treatment make it impossible for me to work. Unfortunately, my work history also disqualifies me from receiving Social Security benefits. I’m not alone in my dependence on these Medicaid and food stamps benefits. Children, elders and many others who are sick or struggling, also rely on them to survive. I urge you to do the right thing for the people you represent. Without food stamps and Medicaid, the consequences would be painful and even deadly. That’s Julisa, who had a message for her Representative in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District.

    But we’re here to say, as House Democrats, to Shauna, to Greg and to Julisa, that if your representatives won’t fight for you, we will. We will. We will. If they won’t fight for you, we will fight for you, for your healthcare, for your decency, for your well-being, for your grace and for your dignity.

    Full remarks can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dina Titus Statement on House Passage of Budget Bill Harming Nevadans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Rep. Dina Titus Statement on House Passage of Budget Bill Harming Nevadans

    Congresswoman Dina Titus today released the following statement after the House voted to approve the budget reconciliation bill:

    “Passage of the disastrous Republican budget bill threatens every Nevadan. Sixty-four thousand Nevadans will go without health insurance because tax credits for the Affordable Care Act will be allowed to expire. Households able to keep their coverage will see their premiums double, paying an extra $3,690 per year. In my congressional district alone, 19,000 adults and children will be immediately kicked off their Medicaid coverage, and 33,000 people will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. And while billionaires will get tax breaks of $762 per day, average Nevadans making $50,000 per year or less will get less than $1 per day. While House Republicans march in lockstep with Donald Trump, Nevadans are being left behind – poorer, sicker, and hungrier.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: US structural heart occlusion market sees early 2025 growth amid trade uncertainty, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US structural heart occlusion market sees early 2025 growth amid trade uncertainty, says GlobalData

    Posted in Medical Devices

    The US Structural Heart Occlusion (SHO) market posted a notable 39% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 2025, amid heightened trade policy uncertainty following President Donald Trump’s re-election and the swift introduction of new tariff measures in early 2025, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Trump’s new tariff regime includes a 10% global baseline and a “reciprocal” tariff framework that has unsettled global trade norms. With broad tariffs on strategic sectors and a 90-day pause on some reciprocal tariffs, businesses and healthcare providers are facing a shifting economic landscape.

    According to data from GlobalData’s panel of medical facilities, March 2025 revenue growth in the SHO market grew over 50% compared to March 2024, signaling a late-quarter surge in demand.

    Thomas Fleming, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The surge in growth may be less about increased patient demand and more about precautionary stockpiling. Hospitals appear to be accelerating procurement of high-value medical devices—such as those used for structural heart occlusion—in anticipation of rising costs and supply disruptions. This response reflects growing concerns about the sustainability of supply chains and the potential financial impact of extended tariff enforcement.”

    Fleming continues: “Historically, the US has held a leadership role in the global SHO market, driven by high incidence rates of structural heart conditions and robust innovation in cardiac care. However, the current environment marks a sharp contrast with previous expectations of stable, predictable growth. With global supply chains in flux and trade negotiations still unsettled, market stakeholders are left navigating increased risk.”

    Fleming concludes: “While Q1’s growth may appear encouraging at first glance, it underscores the reactive measures health systems are taking in an uncertain policy environment. The long-term effects of these tariffs on device pricing, research investments, and patient outcomes remain to be seen, leaving the sector in a state of cautious watchfulness.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ezell Applauds Passage of “One Big Beautiful Bill” Advancing President Trump’s America First Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Ezell (Mississippi 4th District)

    Today, U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (MS-04) issued the following statement after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping legislative package that delivers key wins for the American people and reinforces President Donald J. Trump’s America First agenda.

    “Today marks a pivotal moment for our country. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, we are delivering on the promises made to the American people and advancing President Trump’s bold America First agenda,” Ezell said. “This bill makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, preventing the average taxpayer from seeing a 22% tax hike, strengthens our borders, revitalizes American industry, and restores the values that made our nation great. I was proud to support this legislation, and I will continue fighting every day to put our citizens first and ensure our government works for the people — not the other way around.”

    The One Big Beautiful Bill includes provisions aimed at securing the southern border, promoting domestic energy independence, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and protecting American jobs.

    Rep. Ezell has been a consistent supporter of pro-growth, pro-security policies and remains committed to standing with President Trump to deliver meaningful results for Mississippi’s Fourth District and the nation.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Applauds House Passage of Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Alford Applauds House Passage of Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) released the following statement after House Republicans passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill:

    Watch Congressman Alford’s remarks on the House floor in support of the legislation here or by clicking the image above.

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans are one step closer to enacting the generational change demanded by the American people,” said Congressman Alford. “The One Big, Beautiful Bill will reset the direction of our great nation on behalf of hardworking Americans—not bureaucrats, special interests, or illegal immigrants. Republicans are taking bold action because the moment demands it. This bill is a win for the Fourth District, Missouri, and all of America. It’s a shame every single House Democrat voted for the largest tax increase in American history, open borders, and an uncertain financial future for Medicaid.”

    Background:

    Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill:

    • Stops the largest tax increase in American history, while ending taxes on tips and overtime and providing relief for seniors—allowing hardworking Missourians to keep more of their hard-earned money.
    • Strengthens Medicaid for those who need it most by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, removing more than a million illegal immigrants from the program, and ensuring able bodied adults with no dependents are pursuing work.
    • Permanently securing our southern border with funding for wall construction, new border agents, and additional security measures.
    • Strengthens and restores the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure it is a temporary life vest for the needy—not a lifestyle.
    • Modernizes air traffic control, making our skies safer and air travel more efficient.
    • Boosts defense funding to ensure the U.S. military remains the most lethal on earth.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on the Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the House Republican budget bill, better known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    “This legislation is a victory for working Americans across the nation and delivers on our promise to bring tax relief, reduce government waste, and secure our border. It delivers the largest tax cut in American history—returns an average of $5,000 in annual take-home pay to hardworking Americans, makes the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, and increases the child tax credit. By eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, we’re ensuring that workers keep more of their hard-earned income.

    “The reconciliation bill also provides significant relief to seniors through a deduction of taxes on Social Security benefits. It protects America’s family farmers by preventing the death tax from impacting nearly two million farms—safeguarding generational livelihoods. 

    “It also strengthens Medicaid by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. It removes 1.4 million illegal aliens who are fraudulently receiving benefits—ensuring that Medicaid serves those who need it most: the disabled, children, pregnant women, and seniors. Additionally, by implementing work requirements for able-bodied, working-age adults, we are prioritizing policies that lift Americans out of poverty and promote self-sufficiency. Improving the federal funding formula ensures that states like Wisconsin, who took a responsible/conservative approach to funding Medicaid, are not unfairly treated, allowing BadgerCare to better serve the most vulnerable residents.

    “Recognizing that border security is national security, this bill fully funds the completion of President Trump’s border wall, increases the hiring of additional Border Patrol and ICE agents, and invests in large-scale deportation operations to remove illegal aliens and keep our communities safe.

    “By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we’re delivering on the promises made to the American people and putting President Trump’s America First agenda where it belongs—front and center.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller-Meeks Votes to Prevent Largest Tax Hike in American History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-02)

    Washington, D.C. — The House of Representatives has officially passed President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill—historic legislation to secure the border, slash taxes, defend working Americans, and restore integrity to our institutions.

    Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), a 24-year Army veteran, physician, and former small business owner, issued the following statement:

    “Today, the House delivered a major victory for working Americans and the future of our country. By passing President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, we’re securing the border, removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid, and making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent—preventing the largest tax hike in American history,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks. “As a former small business owner and Army veteran, I know what’s at stake. This bill protects Iowa families, seniors, and small businesses while strengthening Medicaid for the vulnerable—not for those who can work and choose not to. I’m especially proud that my two bills to improve Medicaid integrity and expand access to pediatric care were included. Today’s vote is a win for Iowa and for every American who believes in work, responsibility, and a government that serves its people, not the other way around.”

    Key Wins in the One Big, Beautiful Bill:

    PREVENTS THE LARGEST TAX HIKE IN AMERICAN HISTORY:

    • Makes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, preventing 106,800 Iowa families from a historic tax hike.
    • Stops a looming 20% tax hike on Iowa small businesses.
    • Ends federal taxes on tips and overtime pay.

    SECURES THE BORDER:

    • Finishes construction of the border fence.
    • Funds 10,000 new ICE agents and expands detention capacity.
    • Speeds up deportations of violent illegal aliens.

    PROTECTS MEDICAID FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST:

    • Ends Medicaid for illegal immigrants and non-disabled adults who choose not to work.
    • Cracks down on billions in waste, fraud, and abuse.
    • Recommits Medicaid to children, pregnant women, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.

    Miller-Meeks Legislative Wins Included:

    The Medicaid Program Improvement Act:

    • Requires states to verify addresses & reduces enrollment errors.
    • Avoids duplicate and improper payments to insurance companies.
    • Ensures vulnerable Iowans don’t lose access to care.

    The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act:

    • Streamlines approval for out-of-state pediatric specialists.
    • Speeds up treatment for children on Medicaid and CHIP.
    • Eliminates barriers that delay lifesaving care.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Lauds Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after voting in favor of passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “Following the four disastrous years of the failed and corrupt Biden administration that created historic inflation, destroyed our economy and welcomed nearly 20 million illegal aliens into our country, I am very pleased to have voted in favor of legislation advancing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. 

    This bill will secure our southern border and empower border patrol agents to deport the millions of illegal aliens welcomed into our country by Joe Biden.  As a border state, Arizonans know all too well the heavy toll that Biden’s open border policy has taken on our great state.  Crime has ravaged our neighborhoods, deadly drugs, especially fentanyl, have destroyed our families and our communities are withering under the economic strain on public resources needed to combat Biden’s border invasion.

    Importantly, the One Big Beautiful Bill also strengthens and protects Medicaid by first helping those most in need of assistance – expectant mothers, our seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families while ending taxpayer-funded free health care for 1.4 million illegal aliens. 

    The bill eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, slashes taxes on Social Security for seniors, reduces wasteful spending by $1.6 trillion, updates our air traffic control system, halts taxpayer funds going to abortion clinics, ensures our military’s readiness and unlocks America’s full energy potential.

    Lastly, the One Big Beautiful Bill cuts taxes for families and hard-working Arizonans. My constituents voted overwhelmingly for President Trump last November and their message was resoundingly clear: do not raise our taxes!  Without this much-needed legislation, the average taxpayer in my district would see a 23% tax hike.  To put that into perspective, a family of four making a median income of $75,000 would see a $1,555 tax increase. That is worth about seven weeks of groceries for my constituents.  There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that I will ever to vote to raise taxes on hardworking families in Arizona.  

    With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, families can expect to receive $7,800 to $13,300 more in annual pay.  I look forward to the Senate quickly passing and President Trump signing into law this historic legislation, so Americans can begin receiving the much-need relief this bill ensures,” concluded Congressman Paul Gosar.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Baird Applauds Passage of One Big, Beautiful Bill in U.S. House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

    Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill to deliver the largest tax cut in American history:

    “I was proud to vote for the One Big, Beautiful Bill. It is a win for Hoosiers and the American people and codifies President Trump’s successful agenda. This big, beautiful bill delivers historic tax relief for the American people, including seniors, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, makes strategic investments in our military, secures our borders, authorizes the completion of the border wall, and invests in our farmers and producers. In fact, this legislation reduces taxes on our farmers by 10 billion dollars, boosts investment in crop insurance and the farm safety net, and helps our farmers better compete in the global market. By supporting this bill, I also voted to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure that federal benefits go to Americans who truly need them. This is what the American people resoundingly want, and Congress is working to deliver.

    “Without these historic tax cuts, however, the average family in Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District faces a $1,548 tax hike. Ultimately, this bill allows families to benefit from lower taxes, higher wages, and higher take-home pay. This is yet another accomplishment from the House Republican Majority to deliver real results for the American people. I urge my colleagues’ swift action in the Senate to send this bill to President Trump’s desk and achieve unprecedented security and prosperity.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: FLOTUS: Senate Spouses Luncheon, May 21, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    “I am pleased to have had the opportunity share the progress of #BEBEST at the Senate Spouses Luncheon. It is vital that we continue to support our youth across the nation.” –First Lady Melania Trump

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0HEgUCnDko

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany Statement on Passage of Reconciliation Package

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) issued the following statement after voting for H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    “This bill delivers major wins for the American people by protecting families and small businesses from the largest tax hike in history and by putting more money back into the pockets of seniors, parents, and workers. It also permanently secures the border, funds mass deportations, unleashes American energy, and modernizes our defense. While more work remains to rein in Washington spending, this legislation is an important step toward reversing the damage of Biden-era policies and restoring an America that is affordable, safe, and strong.”

    A few big wins included in the reconciliation bill:

    • Makes permanent President Trump’s tax cuts from 2017.
    • Eliminates taxes on tips and overtime.
    • Allows seniors to deduct an additional $4,000.
    • Makes the child tax credit permanent and increases the amount.
    • Reforms fraud and abuse in Food Stamps and Medicaid programs.
    • Requires able-bodied adults to work to receive welfare benefits.
    • Enhances resources for Border Patrol and ICE.
    • Finishes the border wall.
    • Phases out the Green New Scam (IRA).
    • Increases onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing.
    • Boosts American mineral development.
    • Ends taxpayer-funded sex changes for minors.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Delivers Reimbursement Wins for Texas in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill to advance President Trump’s America First Agenda. Among the many wins for the American people secured in this legislation, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) fought to secure $12 billion in border reimbursements for states that stepped up, including Texas.

    “The devastating impact of the previous administration’s open border policies has been felt nationwide—but no state has carried the burden more than Texas. Texas spent $11.1 billion on border security, including $5.87 billion on personnel costs and $4.75 billion on border wall and barriers. When the federal government failed to secure our border and protect our communities, Texans stepped up. Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve fought tirelessly to get our state the reimbursements it’s owed, and now, that fight is finally paying off,” said Rep. Pfluger.

    Background:

    Texas had to take on a massive financial burden to protect our communities when the previous administration failed to do so. Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Pfluger has fought to reimburse Texas for securing the southern border, including:

    ·     American Border Rescue Plan Act (2021)

    ·     This bill would allow state and local governments to use stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan to cover the costs of border security.

    ·     Lone Star Reimbursement Act (2022)

    ·     This bill aimed to pay the State of Texas back for the costs of Operation Lone Star incurred in FY21 and FY22, which total $1.43 billion.

    ·     Co-led with Rep. Fallon

    ·     Letter to President Biden to reimburse Texas/meeting request (2023)

    ·     Pfluger-led letter signed by all Republican members of the Texas Delegation

    ·     FY24, FY25, and FY26 Appropriations Requests (2023, 2024, 2025) 

    ·     FY24: Led a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to reimburse Texas for $5.1 billion.

    ·     FY25: Led a letter with 18 signers urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to reimburse Texas $11.26 billion.

    ·     FY26: Led a letter with 19 signers urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to reimburse Texas $11.2 billion.

    ·     Efforts to Reimburse Texas through Supplemental Funding Vehicle

    ·     Although the measure failed, Rep. Pfluger led the charge on including Texas reimbursement through supplemental funding packages in the spring of 2024.

    ·     Rep. Pfluger has also consigned H.R. 424 and H.R. 1222, and H.R. 3464 to reimburse Texas 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Votes for the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Rep. Pfluger Votes for the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) released the following statement after voting to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill and advance President Trump’s America First Agenda:

    “I am proud that House Republicans united today to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill. In November, 77 million Americans demanded change, and today’s vote will go down in history as promises made, promises kept. This legislation reverses four years of failed Democrat policies – restoring American energy dominance, delivering vital support to our farmers and ranchers, securing historic tax cuts for hardworking families, reining in wasteful government spending, and making the strongest investment in border security in decades. It even includes $12 billion to reimburse the great state of Texas for costs it should never have had to bear during the previous administration’s border crisis. This legislation delivers all of that – and more – for every American, even those who opposed it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Advances Legislation to Protect Small Businesses and Consumers

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined supporters to rally for the passage of the Fostering Affordability and Integrity through Reasonable Business Practices, or FAIR Business Practices Act, a program bill from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and sponsored in the state legislature by Senator Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember Micah Lasher. This legislation will strengthen New York’s consumer protection law, GBL §349, to protect New Yorkers from predatory lending, abusive debt collection, junk fees, artificial intelligence (AI)-based schemes, online phishing scams, hard-to-cancel subscriptions, data breaches, and other unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices. Forty-two other states and federal law already prohibit unfair practices, making New York’s current law both antiquated and inadequate.

    “As the federal government steps back from protecting consumers and small businesses, New York must step up to help working families and Main Street businesses,” said Attorney General James. “The FAIR Business Practices Act will protect small businesses from predatory lenders, homeowners from bad mortgage servicers, patients from abusive debt collection, and much more. This legislation will strengthen New York’s consumer protection laws to stop businesses from taking advantage of New Yorkers. I look forward to working with my partners in the state legislature to get this legislation passed.”

    The FAIR Business Practices Act would also help stop lenders, including auto lenders, mortgage servicers, and student loan servicers, from deceptively steering people into higher-cost loans. It would reduce unnecessary and hidden fees, stop unfair billing practices by health care companies, and prevent companies from taking advantage of New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. With the federal government rolling back protections for consumers and small businesses, the FAIR Business Practices Act authorizes OAG and victims to seek civil penalties and restitution against businesses that use unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices against vulnerable New Yorkers.

    “New Yorkers deserve to be treated fairly, and this legislation helps ensure that,” said Senator Leroy Comrie. “The FAIR Business Practices Act gives our state stronger tools to hold bad actors accountable and protect everyday people from deceptive and abusive practices. I’m proud to sponsor this bill alongside Attorney General James and Assemblymember Lasher as we work to strengthen consumer protections and support small businesses across our state.” 

    “New York has one of the weakest consumer protection laws in the country. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are taking a hatchet to federal consumer protections, leaving New Yorkers even more vulnerable to abuse. The time to act is now,” said Assemblymember Micah Lasher. “Making sure that the Attorney General has the tools she needs to look out for New Yorkers is one of the best ways we can stop the damage Trump is trying to do. We must pass this bill this session to protect consumers from the high costs of unfair business practices. It is an honor to stand together in this fight with Attorney General James and Senator Comrie. Let’s get this done.”

    “We applaud Attorney General James for developing the FAIR Business Practices Act and we thank Assemblymember Lasher for introducing this bill,” said Mario Cilento, President of the New York State AFL-CIO. “The NYS AFL-CIO strongly supports modernizing the state’s consumer protection laws, particularly because of rollbacks at the federal level, but also to address technological, legal, and other developments that have made our current laws less effective. This bill, which will improve the rights and protections of workers who have been victims of various fraudulent and unfair practices, including unreasonable terms and conditions for payday loans or payroll check-cashing schemes, is a crucial step towards a fairer and more just society.” 

    “The FAIR Business Practices Act will protect working families from abusive business practices that are making it hard for people to get a car, keep a roof over their heads, and put food on the table,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC37. “Right now the federal government is stepping away from enforcing consumer protection laws that protect everyday people. I applaud Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for advancing this legislation to protect working families, small businesses, seniors, and much more. Let’s pass the FAIR Business Practices Act by the end of this session.”

    “AARP New York thanks Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for their leadership on this legislation,” said Kristen McManus, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy for AARP New York. “Scammers are targeting older adults more than ever, with the FBI reporting that New Yorkers 60 and older lost more than $254 million to fraud in 2024, a more than $50 million increase from the previous year. Now is the time for the Governor and legislature to step up for all New Yorkers by establishing a consumer protection law that will foil scammers and discourage con artists from targeting some of the most vulnerable among us.” 

    “Where New York was once a leader in protecting small businesses from bad loans, our neighboring states have all since passed laws to stop unfair, abusive, and deceptive behavior,” said Lindsey Vigoda, New York Director of Small Business Majority. “We cannot continue to fall behind on these common-sense protections, which is why New York must pass the FAIR Business Practices Act. This legislation would shield Main Street from abusive fees that all too often place enormous strain on small businesses. With predatory lending products more prevalent today than ever, it’s time for New York to step up once again and defend our most precious asset — our small business community.” 

    “In response to the Trump administration’s gutting of federal consumer protection agencies and financial regulators, states must step up to stop big businesses from ripping off working families,” said Winston Berkman-Breen, Legal Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center. “This is especially true in New York, where abusive student loan servicers and private student loan companies take advantage of our weak consumer protections and prey on low-income households and vulnerable communities seeking to achieve financial stability through higher education. We applaud Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher for meeting this moment by introducing the FAIR Business Practices Act. The bill will finally catch New York up with the rest of the country by providing commonsense and timely consumer protections for households and small businesses.”

    “The FAIR Business Practices Act strengthens New York’s core consumer protection law to ensure it is up to date and serves as an effective deterrent against wrongdoing,” said Chuck Bell, Advocacy Programs Director for Consumer Reports. “At a time when federal consumer protection initiatives are under attack, New York is stepping up to ensure consumers and small businesses will have the protections they need and deserve against financial ripoffs, fraud, and scams in the marketplace.” 

    “Every New Yorker should be able to work and invest in a prosperous future without fearing predatory lenders pulling the carpet out from under them,” said Diana Caba, Vice President for Community and Economic Development, Hispanic Federation. “It is deeply concerning how few protections consumers have in New York and how those protections are becoming even more limited because of the weakening of regulatory bodies at a national level. The FAIR Business Practices Act shows that New York is prioritizing the financial well-being of New Yorkers and catching state regulations up with the 42 other states who recognize why states must protect people’s financial future.” 

    “New York’s bedrock consumer protection law is intended to protect New Yorkers from new and evolving scams across all economic activity, but in practice it has fallen short, leaving gaps where scam victims have no recourse to get their money back, while making it profitable to continue abusing people,” said Ariana Lindermayer, Senior Staff Attorney of Mobilization for Justice. “The FAIR Business Practices Act would close these gaps and catch New York up with the 42 states that already ban unfair business practices. Honest businesses and everyday New Yorkers will welcome real protection from predatory businesses and competitors.” 

    “The FAIR Business Practices Act should be uncontroversial,” said Matthew Parham, Director of Litigation and Advocacy at the Western New York Law Center in Buffalo. “The unfair and abusive practices that it addresses are already illegal. It just does what most states have done for decades: lets individual consumers and state regulators enforce these rights, instead of relying on the federal government. This is vitally important now, when the federal government is completely abdicating its responsibility to protect consumers from scams and ripoffs.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hageman Votes for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Hageman voted for, and the House passed, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This bill fulfills the mandate issued by the American people in November and delivers on President Trump’s agenda by cutting taxes, securing the border, and unleashing American energy. 

    “In November, commonsense was restored and the American people spoke with a clear voice – unleash American energy, secure the southern border, and restore the economy. Today, the House passed legislation to deliver on President Trump’s promise. I worked diligently to ensure Wyoming’s voice was reflected in this historic legislation, including: unleashing our coal industry, accessing more of our oil and gas, increasing timber production, repealing IRA green spending, eliminating costly Biden regulations, rescinding the taxation, regulation and registration of suppressors, and more,” stated Rep. Hageman. “We also voted to prevent tax hikes on Wyomingites and our businesses, provided the resources needed to secure our border and stop the flow of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs into our country, and enacted critical spending reforms.” 

    Background 

    Budget reconciliation allows for expedited consideration of certain tax, spending, and debt limit legislation and is the primary opportunity for this Republican majority to deliver for the American people. Key provisions of the bill which raise revenue and achieve budgetary savings include: 

    – Enacts $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings 

    – Ends the coal moratorium, reduces coal royalty rates, and mandates the Secretary of Interior to lease federal coal resources 

    – Resumes quarterly oil and gas leases, reversing Biden’s anti-energy policies 

    – Requires BLM and USFS to increase timber production by 25% and to offer a certain number of 20-year contracts to better manage our forests 

    – Establishes a fee structure for aliens who seek to file immigration-related applications and processes, ensuring the cost of immigration benefits are not subsidized by American taxpayers 

    – Provides funding for at least one million annual removals, 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, and detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000 aliens 

    – Builds 701 miles of the border wall 

    – Permanently extends of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, avoiding a 24% tax hike 

    – Eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid through work requirements and tightening eligibility, helping remove 1.4 million illegal aliens from the program 

    – Increases Medicaid State Directed Payments for states like Wyoming that have not expanded Medicaid 

    – Repeals and rescinds Inflation Reduction Act climate change spending programs 

    – Funds President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense of our country 

    – Ends blue state use of Medicaid to provide healthcare to illegal aliens 

    – Increases the Death Tax exemption and makes such changes permanent 

    – Eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood 

    – Prohibits Medicaid from funding transgender surgeries for minors and adults  

    – Makes permanent the doubled child tax credit and closes loopholes allowing illegal aliens to receive the credit 

    – Imposes a registration fee on electric vehicles and hybrid cars to deposit into the Highway Trust Fund to create parity with gas powered cars 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bice on the Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Bice voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation which helps unleash American energy, provides tax cuts to Oklahoman families and businesses, and helps President Trump fully secure our border, and safeguard our country. This legislation, which is being considered as part of reconciliation, now heads to the Senate for consideration.  

    Congresswoman Bice issued the following statement:  

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill is an opportunity to extend tax relief for Oklahomans, preventing them from facing a nearly $1200 tax hike next year. This legislation supports families, finishes President Trump’s border wall, and provides additional resources to further secure and safeguard our nation. While this process has been long, I appreciate all the thoughtful debate and will continue engaging with my colleagues as we move forward.” 

    The legislation will:  

    Keep the Border Secure- Make the largest investment in border security in a generation; finish the border wall; and give our border patrol agents and immigration enforcement agencies the resources they need to detain and deport illegal aliens.   

    Grow Our Economy & Cut Taxes- Prevent the largest tax increase in American history; eliminate taxes on tips and overtime; provide tax relief for seniors, job creators, small businesses, and farmers 

    Make Our Government More Efficient- Reduce the size and scope of government; root out waste, fraud, and abuse; bring bloated and inefficient programs back to their initial intent; and enact historic savings to put our nation on a sound fiscal trajectory  

    Restore America’s Energy Dominance- Empower American energy producers; dismantle burdensome Green New Deal regulations; reform the permitting process; and boost our energy security 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján: Congressional Republicans Just Voted to Rip Away Your Health Care and Nutrition Assistance for the Most Vulnerable

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    House-Passed Bill Includes Largest Cut to Medicaid in History

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after House Republicans passed President Trump’s sweeping plan to rip away health care and nutrition programs, close hospitals, cut incomes for working families, and deliver massive giveaways to the ultra-wealthy:

    “House Republicans just voted to gut Medicaid and SNAP – programs that thousands of New Mexicans rely on every day. Their bill would strip health care from working families, take meals away from children and seniors, and slash support for those who need it most – all while handing over billions in benefits to the wealthiest Americans.

    “In New Mexico, the consequences would be devastating. Slashing Medicaid means hospitals will close their doors, families across the state will lose access to care, and doctors, nursing homes, and home care providers will face deep payment cuts. House Republicans just voted to take away your health care and nutrition assistance – passing the largest cut to Medicaid and SNAP in our nation’s history.

    “It’s working families who will foot the bill. Americans earning less than $51,000 a year could actually see their incomes drop – while those at the top get a majority of the benefits. This bill lines the pockets of Elon Musk and his billionaire friends while ripping the rest of America off.”

    Impacts of the House GOP legislation include:

    • Cuts to Medicaid, jeopardizing health care access for millions;
    • Cuts to SNAP, reducing food assistance for children, families, and seniors;
    • Many Americans making less than $51,000 a year will lose money;
    • Delivers 65% of benefits to the wealthiest Americans;
    • According to a study by Wharton, the Republicans’ plan will add $4.6 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

    MIL OSI USA News –