NewzIntel.com

Category: Trump

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Nadler Statement on the Incident at my District Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    Rep. Nadler Statement on the Incident at my District Office

    Washington, May 31, 2025

    President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are sowing chaos in our communities, using intimidation tactics against both citizens and non-citizens in a reckless and dangerous manner. In the most recent and deeply troubling incident, DHS agents forcefully entered my Congressional office and handcuffed a member of my staff.

    From the outset, my number one concern was for the safety of my staff. While no arrests were made and the situation was quickly deescalated, I am alarmed by the aggressive and heavy-handed tactics DHS is employing in New York City and across the country.

    The decision to enter a Congressional office and detain a staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries. If this can happen in a Member of Congress’s office, it can happen to anyone-and it is happening.

    I call on President Trump and DHS to halt the use of these dangerous tactics and to abandon use of the expedited removal process which denies due process to immigrants and citizens alike. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Democratic Women’s Caucus, Mamas’ Caucus, Dads Caucus Sound Alarm on Secretary Kennedy Launching Baby Formula Review at a Gutted HHS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Lawmakers Demand FDA Halt “Operation Stork Speed” Until HHS Employees Are Rehired and Proper Guardrails in Place

    Text of Letter

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Reproductive Health Care Task Force, alongside DWC member Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mamas’ Caucus Chair Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Dads Caucus Chair Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) led 21 Democratic Caucus members in sounding the alarm over the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) launch of Operation Stork Speed — an initiative the agency claims will evaluate the safety of nutrients and ingredients found in infant formula.

    In their letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, the lawmakers raise concerns over the safety and feasibility of Operation Stork Speed while laying off tens of thousands of HHS employees — including 3,500 at the FDA, many of whom oversee infant formula and nutrition. They also demand the FDA halt this initiative until HHS employees are rehired and until there are proper guardrails to conduct a comprehensive, evidence-based review.  

    “The infant formula supply chain is fragile, and even a small disruption can have devastating consequences. No parent or guardian should struggle to feed their child due to failed safety standards, corporate greed or supply chain failures. Ensuring safe, affordable, and accessible formula is a matter of public health, economic justice, and basic dignity for families—especially women who are often primary caregivers,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “From gutting staff responsible for scientific research to perpetuating anti-vaccine theories, you have repeatedly undermined scientific research. This, coupled with President Trump’s arbitrary mandate for federal agencies to repeal 10 regulations for every new rule, serves to further jeopardize the health and safety of families,” continued the lawmakers.

    The Members also call on the agency to ensure infant formula is safe, accessible and affordable for all women and babies who need it in the face of ongoing regulatory reversals and staff reduction. 

    “Ensuring safe, affordable, and accessible formula is a matter of public health, economic justice, and basic dignity for families—especially women who are often primary caregivers. We ask for your swift response to our questions regarding how you will ensure infant formula is safe, accessible and affordable for all women and babies who need it in the face of ongoing regulatory reversals and staff reduction,” concluded the lawmakers.

    In addition to letter leads Ayanna Pressley, Brittany Pettersen, Rashida Tlaib, and Jimmy Gomez, the letter was signed by Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Deborah Ross, Nikema Williams, Jasmine Crockett, Andrea Salinas, LaMonica McIver, Pramila Jayapal, Nydia Velázquez, Julie Johnson, Kelly Morrison, Summer Lee, Dan Goldman, Eric Swalwell, April McClain Delaney, Betty McCollum, Delia Ramirez, Suzanne Bonamici, Laura Friedman, Veronica Escobar, Yvette Clarke, and Jan Schakowsky.

    Text of the letter can be found here.

    Rep. Pressley has long advocated for safe, accessible, and affordable baby formula.

    In May 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) and Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Grace Meng (NY-06), urged President Biden to use all applicable executive authorities to end the baby formula shortage.

    Through her efforts on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the Committee had previously requested information from the nation’s largest formula manufacturers on their efforts to address the shortage of infant formula that is impacting families across the United States.

    In May 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03), Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-05) and the Massachusetts delegation, sent a letter to Abbott Laboratories Chairman and CEO Robert Ford requesting urgent information on the company’s plans to replenish its Similac baby formula in Massachusetts.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moran Leads Effort to Secure Future of Red River Army Depot

    Source: Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01)

    Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) issued the following statement regarding the future operations of the Red River Army Depot (RRAD).

    Washington, D.C. ­— Today, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) issued the following statement regarding the future operations of the Red River Army Depot (RRAD). Earlier this week, Congressman Moran led a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth detailing the critical role that RRAD plays in military preparedness and the need to continue supporting RRAD operations and personnel. This letter, which was co-signed by 11 other members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, stated in part:

    “As Congress works to help fulfill President Trump’s vision of peace through strength, it is critical that we place renewed emphasis on our nation’s maintenance and repair depots that directly support America’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen. For that reason, I strongly urge the Department of Defense to continue operations at Red River Army Depot at full operational capacity—and to actively pursue new mission-critical opportunities that expand its role in our national defense strategy.

    RRAD is not only a cornerstone of America’s military logistics capability, it is also a model of cost-efficiency. Unlike many government facilities, RRAD is funded entirely by the workload it receives from military branches and commercial partners—making it self-sufficient, accountable, and agile. It doesn’t waste taxpayer dollars. It maximizes them.

    We are actively pursuing conversations with the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, and Army Chief of Staff General Randy A. George. While we await a formal response to our letter, I remain committed to safeguarding RRAD’s mission and ensuring it remains a key pillar of our national defense infrastructure.

    We thank the Department of Defense for its continued dedication to national security and stand ready to work together to strengthen our industrial base, protect the jobs of thousands of skilled Texans, and fulfill our shared mission of peace through strength.”

    This week’s letter from Congressman Moran to Secretary Hegseth comes just ahead of the recent visit to Washington, D.C. by representatives from the Texarkana area, who are advocating directly on behalf of RRAD’s mission and future growth. Congressman Moran and his staff have worked closely with these local leaders to support their visit and ensure their voices are heard at the highest levels of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army.

    “We are deeply grateful to Congressman Moran and our congressional delegation for their steadfast leadership and unwavering advocacy on behalf of Red River Army Depot,” said David Orr, Texarkana City Manager. “Their efforts highlight just how essential RRAD is—not only to the strength of our local economy, but to the readiness of our nation’s armed forces. I am proud to stand alongside them in urging continued investment in this world-class facility. Together, we are ensuring that Texarkana remains a vital partner in supporting the brave men and women who defend our freedom.”

    Robin Hickerson, President and CEO of the Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, added: “Red River Army Depot is a critical part of both our local economy and our national defense. It provides quality jobs for families across the region and plays a key role in supporting our military readiness. Our Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee is honored to visit Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Depot, and we are beyond grateful to Congressman Moran for his unwavering commitment to RRAD and its mission.”

    The full letter can be read here.

    Background:

    Congressman Moran and his colleagues from the Texas Congressional Delegation recently submitted a unified letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials, stressing RRAD’s strategic value and calling for continued and expanded operations at the site.

    Located on 15,375 acres in Northeast Texas and housing over 1,400 buildings with more than 8 million square feet of industrial space, Red River Army Depot is a pivotal asset within the Army’s organic industrial base. As the designated Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, RRAD provides indispensable repair and remanufacturing support for critical military systems including the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

    Beyond the Army, RRAD also delivers support to the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy—making it a vital hub of inter-service readiness. Its 3,500-member workforce is lean, experienced, and capable of rapidly scaling operations to meet the evolving needs of our warfighters—having done so during previous combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now again as it provides assistance to U.S. allies in Israel and Ukraine.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, Pocan, 18 Members of Congress Introduce Legislation to Condition Weapons to Israel, Save Lives

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    The legislation comes as the government of Netanyahu escalates ground operations in Gaza and the West Bank and the Trump Administration advocates for the displacement of Palestinians

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Members of Congress Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Mark Pocan (WI-02)  led 18 members of Congress to introduce the Block the Bombs Act. The legislation would withhold the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel and demand Israel’s compliance with U.S. and international law. Given Netanyahu and Trump’s plan to continue and expand ground operations in Gaza and the West Bank and displace Palestinians, the Block the Bombs Act is an important and time-sensitive step to assert Congress’s oversight authority to protect civilians from starvation, displacement, and death.

    Watch the Press Conference

     

    Amid the negotiation of a new ceasefire deal, it is reported that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 54,000 people, while the entire 2.1 million population of Gaza faces prolonged food shortages due to Israeli military blockades. Nearly half a million people are facing a possible famine, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness, and death. Since filing the bill, 36 people, including children, were killed while sleeping in a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, and more than two dozen have been killed close to aid distribution points in Gaza. The actions of Netanyahu’s government in Gaza have been described by Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as “war crimes” against Palestinians. 

    “Netanyahu and Trump are a lethal, unaccountable, extremist duo. Trump has bypassed Congressional oversight on weapons transfers. The Israeli government is currently escalating attacks on the civilian population of Gaza. They are both out of control. Congress needs to assert its oversight authority,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “Enough is enough. By introducing the Block the Bombs Act, a broad coalition is listening to the American people who don’t want their taxpayers’ money to continue supporting gross violations of US, international, and humanitarian law.”

    “Self-defense cannot be justification for killing tens of thousands of people, imposing a humanitarian blockade, or forcing the displacement of a population. And yet, this is exactly what the Netanyahu Government has done for more than a year in Gaza. The United States shouldn’t facilitate this any longer by transferring offensive weapons to Israel that will be used to prolong and compound this mass suffering and death,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “While I will always support the Iron Dome and other defensive systems, I believe we can’t in good conscience send offensive weapons systems that have caused significant civilian casualties and violated U.S. and international law.” 

    “This is a moment of great moral consequence. Over the past year and a half, the Government of Israel has repeatedly used U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of both international and U.S. laws,” said Jayapal. “We can no longer be complicit and allow our tax dollars to facilitate this violence and destruction. I am proud to co-lead this bill that would prevent the transfer of the most egregious offensive weapons to Israel without firm assurances that they will not be used indiscriminately against civilian populations.”

    “For the last year and a half, Benjamin Netanyahu has laid siege to Gaza, killing at least 54,000 people, repeatedly displacing the entire population, and cutting off access to desperately needed humanitarian aid,” said Congressman Pocan. “This commonsense bill will prevent more unchecked transfers of these offensive weapons systems that are used to violate international human rights laws and hopefully help bring this devastating conflict to an end.”

    The Block the Bombs Act requires Israel’s government to establish in writing the use of offensive weapons in accordance with US and International law, and it must be approved by Congress through a joint resolution. The legislation focuses on the worst-offending offensive weapons that are supplied by the US and have been involved in the grossest civilian casualties and documented violations of international law in Gaza. It does not impact Iron Dome or Israel’s ability to defend itself. 

    The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16) Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús Chuy García (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

    It also has the support of local and national organizations like Adalah Justice Project, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Amnesty International USA, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for International Policy Advocacy, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Christians for a Free Palestine, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Defense for Children International – Palestine, Demand Progress, Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Human Rights Watch, Illinois Muslim Action Network, IfNotNow Movement, IMEU Policy Project, Indivisible, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Justice Democrats, MADRE, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, New Internationalism Project, Institute for Policy Studies, Presbyterian Church (USA), Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rising Majority, Sunrise Movement, The American Council for Judaism, The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), Win Without War, Working Families Party

    “The Block the Bombs Act is a historic bill that prohibits the transfer and sale of specific U.S. weapons to Israel that the Israeli government has consistently used to commit atrocities against civilians in violation of both international and U.S. law,”” said Brad Parker, Associate Director of Policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights. “It’s a straightforward challenge to United States complicity in Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza as Israeli forces block humanitarian assistance and directly target schools, hospitals, and civilians. As the Israeli government escalates the murder, starvation, and forcible transfer of Palestinians with President Trump’s full support, we recognize and appreciate the bold leadership of Reps. Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, and Pocan.”

    “Despite opportunities to change course, the Biden administration failed to do so. And now the Trump administration is failing to do so. They have to stop providing weapons to Israel, and they won’t do it without Congressional oversight. Which is why this Block the Bombs Bill is so important. It is your right to demand it, and we are standing with Congresswoman Ramirez to build support for it,” said Paul O’Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International, during a press conference.

    “Our weapons have been used to inflict atrocity after atrocity against Palestinians in Gaza. This is why HR 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, is so necessary. By passing it, Congress will prevent the Trump administration from delivering more bombs, artillery shells, and tank rounds that would enable further atrocities against the Palestinian people,” expressed Josh Ruebner, Policy Director of IMEU, at a press conference. 

    “We’ve documented how the Israeli government has collectively punished the civilian population, deprived the population of objects indispensable to its survival, and used starvation as a weapon of war. This year, Human Rights Watch found that US officials are complicit in Israel’s war crimes and will remain so unless and until weapons are suspended. Legislation like the Block the Bombs Act is long overdue. We hope members will support this effort in recognition of the humanity and dignity of the population suffering in Gaza and to bring US actions in line with US and international law,” Ida Sawyer, Director for Crisis and Conflict of Human Rights Watch. 

    For photos and videos of the event, click here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    Israel’s war in Gaza began after a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people, mostly women and children. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population, and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. According to the United Nations, Gaza is “the hungriest place on Earth. The agency warns that the entire Palestinian territory’s population is at risk of famine, given that the mission to deliver help is “one of the most obstructed aid operations in recent history.”

    At the moment, Hamas militants are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order promoting coal production, with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, and the secretaries of Interior and Energy behind him. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

    The first time Donald Trump was president, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a regulation known as the “science transparency” rule. The administration liked to call it the “secret science” rule.

    “Transparency” sounds positive, but this rule instead prevented the EPA from using some of the best available science to protect human health.

    For example, it required the EPA to ignore or downplay studies that established links between exposure to chemicals and health damage if those studies were based on confidential patient information that could not be released to the public. The problem: Many health studies, including those underpinning many U.S. pollution rules, rely on confidential patient information.

    A U.S. District Court struck down the rule on procedural grounds a few weeks after it was issued. But now, the idea is back.

    Trump’s so-called Restoring Gold Standard Science executive order of May 23, 2025, resurrects many features of the EPA’s vacated rule, but it applies them to all federal agencies.

    To many readers, the executive order might sound reasonable. It mentions “transparency,” “reproducibility” and “uncertainty.” However, the devil is in the details.

    What’s wrong with transparency and reproducibility?

    “Transparency” implies that scientists should adequately explain all elements of their work, including hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions in a way that helps others see how those conclusions were reached.

    “Data transparency” is an expectation that scientists should share all data used in the study so other scientists can recalculate the results. This is also known as “reproducibility.”

    Trump’s executive order focuses on reproducibility. However, if there are errors in the data or methods of the original study, being able to reproduce its results may only ensure consistency but not scientific rigor.

    More important to scientific rigor is “replicability.” Replicability means different scientists, working with different data and different methods, can arrive at consistent findings. For example, studies of human exposure to a set of pollutants at different locations, and with different populations, that consistently find relationships to health effects, such as illness and premature death, can increase confidence in the findings.

    Replicability doesn’t require releasing confidential health data, as reproducibility would. Instead, it looks for the same results broadly from other sources.

    During the first Trump administration, people in cities across the U.S. participated in marches for science, protesting the administration’s actions to cut the use of scientific evidence out of policymaking.
    Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The science transparency rule in the first Trump administration was intended to limit the EPA’s ability to consider epidemiologic studies like those that established the health harms from exposure to secondhand smoke and to PM2.5, fine particles often from pollution.

    Many large-scale studies that assess how exposure to pollution can harm human health are based on personal data collected according to strict protocols to ensure privacy. Preventing policymakers from considering those findings means they are left to make important decisions about pollution and chemicals without crucial evidence about the health risks.

    These attempts to create barriers to using valid science echoed tactics used by the tobacco industry from the 1960s well into the 1990s to deny that tobacco use harmed human health.

    Uncertainty: A matter of balance

    Trump’s new executive order also emphasizes “uncertainty.”

    In the first Trump administration, the EPA administrator and his hand-picked science advisers, none of whom were epidemiologists, focused on “uncertainty” in epidemiological studies used to inform decisions on air quality standards.

    The EPA’s scientific integrity policy requires that policymakers “shall not knowingly misrepresent, exaggerate, or downplay areas of scientific uncertainty associated with policy decisions.”

    That might sound reasonable. However, in the final 2020 rule for the nation’s PM2.5 air quality standard, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that “limitations in the science lead to considerable uncertainty” to justify not lowering the standard, the level considered unhealthy. PM2.5 comes largely from fossil fuel combustion in cars, power plants and factories.

    In contrast, an independent external group of scientific experts, which I was part of as an environmental engineer and former EPA adviser, reviewed the same evidence and came to a very different conclusion. We found clear scientific evidence supporting a more stringent standard for PM2.5.

    Skepticism versus denial

    The executive order also requires that science be conducted in a manner that is “skeptical of its findings and assumptions.”

    A true skeptic can be swayed to change an inference based on evidence, whereas a denialist holds a fixed view irrespective of evidence. Denialists tend to cherry-pick evidence, set impossible levels of evidence and engage in logical fallacies.

    The first Trump administration stacked the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, which advises EPA on setting health-protective air quality standards, with opponents of environmental regulation, including people connected to industries the EPA regulates. The committee then amplified uncertainties. It also shifted the burden of proof in ways inconsistent with the statutory requirement to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety.

    The current administration has been dismantling science advisory committees in various agencies again and purging key EPA committees of independent experts.

    Who decides when politics trumps science

    According to Trump, “violations” of his executive order will be determined by a “senior appointee designated by the agency head.” This means a political appointee accountable to the White House. Thus, science in each federal agency will be politicized.

    The political appointee is required to “correct scientific information.”

    Anyone can file a “request for correction” regarding a published agency report. During the first Trump administration, chemical companies or their representatives repeatedly filed requests for changes to final EPA toxicity assessments on ethylene oxide and chloroprene. The administration delayed health-protective actions, which were finally addressed during the Biden administration for both chemicals.

    The request for correction process is intended to correct errors, not to bias assessments to be more favorable to industry and to delay protective actions.

    The bottom line on Trump’s ‘gold standard’

    While the language of the executive order may seem innocuous based on a casual reading, it risks undermining unbiased science in all federal agencies, subject to political whims.

    Setting impossible bars for “transparency” can mean regulators ignore relevant and valid scientific studies. Overemphasizing uncertainties can be used to raise doubt and unduly undermine confidence in robust findings.

    A politicized process also has the potential to punish federal employees and to ignore external peer reviewers who have the temerity to advance evidence-based findings contrary to White House ideology.

    Thus, this executive order could be used to deprive the American public of accurate and unbiased information regarding chemicals in the environment. That would prevent the development of effective evidence-based policies necessary for the protection of human health, rather than advancing the best available science.

    H. Christopher Frey receives funding from the California Air Resources Board via a research grant to North Carolina State University. He was on leave from NCSU to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2021 to 2024. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of Science Policy. From 2022-20224, he served as the senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development and concurrently served as the EPA Science Advisor. He was a member of the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2012, and chaired CASAC from 2012 to 2015.

    – ref. How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-gold-standard-politicizes-federal-science-258277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on President Donald Trump’s Travel Ban

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)

    June 05, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) slammed Donald Trump and his Administration’s latest cruel move to issue a sweeping travel ban targeting 12 countries and restricting travel from seven more. 

    In a statement, Rep. Frost says:

    “Trump’s travel ban is cruel, inhumane, and rooted in bigotry. It does nothing to make our communities safer, but it does vilify immigrants. It will devastate our immigrant families across this country–especially the thousands of Cuban, Venezuelan, and Haitian families who call Florida home. 

    “Trump and MAGA Republicans have no actual plan for immigration, they simply want to use cruelty as a political weapon to instill fear and distract the American people from their reckless agenda to hand over tax cuts to billionaires and rip away healthcare and food assistance from working families. It’s no coincidence that this announcement is coming out as Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is proving to be wildly unpopular. 

    “We won’t give in to this political fear-mongering. Just like during Trump’s first term, this ban will be met with legal challenges and fierce public outrage. I’ll continue to stand with our immigrant families and demand fairness, humanity, and dignity for every immigrant, asylum seeker, or refugee. That is what every person deserves—no matter where they are from.” 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on President Trump’s new Muslim ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s new executive order fully restricting the entry of nationals from 12 countries, which he said was necessary to combat “radical Islamic terrorists”:

    “President Trump’s own statement makes it clear exactly what this new executive order is: the latest attempt to institute his unpopular and immoral Muslim ban which was thrown out time and again by the courts in his first term. Improving our national security should be a bipartisan goal, but fear and bigotry do not keep Americans safe. What this will do instead is cause chaos, inflict pain, and break apart families, just as his prior attempts did. This order should be reversed, and Congress needs to reassert our role by passing laws that make our immigration system secure, effective and humane. That starts with taking up and passing my NO BAN Act to send a clear message that religious-based discrimination in immigration has no place in our nation.”

    Senator Coons is the author of the NO BAN Act, which would strengthen the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz Leads Over Fifty House Democrats in Legal Defense of TPS for Venezuelans

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

    “The Executive Branch advances an interpretation of the TPS statute that, in essence, rewrites the statute to claim a power that Congress did not delegate,” said the Members in the brief’s introduction and summary. “Further, the Executive Branch asserts an interpretation of the TPS statute that leaves no role for the judiciary.”

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) led 54 Democratic Members of Congress to support and defend Venezuelans from the Trump Administration’s baseless termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by filing an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in National TPS Alliance v. Noem.

    This filing follows the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to proceed with rapidly revoking the lawful status of Venezuelans while the case moves forward. Before its ruling, Wasserman Schultz led 48 Democrats in a similar brief to the Supreme Court. 

    “The Executive Branch advances an interpretation of the TPS statute that, in essence, rewrites the statute to claim a power that Congress did not delegate,” said the Members in the brief’s introduction and summary. “Further, the Executive Branch asserts an interpretation of the TPS statute that leaves no role for the judiciary.”

    The brief continues, “Amici, drawing on their experience and expertise as members of Congress, explain how these offered interpretations are incorrect and further explain that the TPS statute does not allow for vacatur…noting the long history of bipartisan Congressional support for temporary protected status for Venezuelans who fled dangerous conditions in their country, conditions that persist today.”

    Wasserman Schultz was joined by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8), House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-2), House Rules Committee Ranking Member Rep. James McGovern (MA-2), House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-7), House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and House Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35), as well as all Democratic Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation.

    Additional signers include Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), John Larson(CT-01), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Henry C. (“Hank”) Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Dina Titus (NV-01), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Darren Soto (FL-09), Robin L. Kelly(IL-02), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-27), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Troy Carter (LA-02), Nikema Williams(GA-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Dave Min (CA-47), and Luz Rivas(CA-29).

    Wasserman Schultz, who co-chairs the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, also recently partnered with Reps. Darren Soto(FL-9) and María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) to sponsor bipartisan legislation to reverse Trump’s termination of TPS for Venezuelans and redesignate protections. 

    The full amicus brief can be found here.

    ####

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jimmy Gomez Leads Colleagues In Taking Bipartisan Action To Protect Immigrant Youth from Abuse & Neglect

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Reps. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and his colleagues are demanding answers from the Trump administration over a disturbing shift in immigration policy that’s leaving abused and abandoned immigrant youth without basic protections. At the same time, Representatives Gomez, Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and 35 other lawmakers are working to pass their bipartisan Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act, a bill that would exempt Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) recipients from green card backlogs and ensure faster, permanent protection for eligible children. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is leading the companion effort in the Senate.

    In a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and USCIS Acting Director Kika Scott, the lawmakers raised concerns that USCIS has stopped granting deferred action to youth approved for SIJS — a humanitarian program for children who have survived abuse, abandonment, or neglect. “Without deferred action, youth who have survived abuse, abandonment, or neglect are being forced again to confront years of legal limbo during which they will be unable to support themselves, and will remain at higher risk of exploitation, abuse, and deportation,” wrote the lawmakers.

    Despite being a protection for vulnerable children, SIJS recipients are placed in the employment-based visa system, where they face years-long delays before becoming eligible for permanent residency. The bipartisan Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act would remove SIJS recipients from these arbitrary caps and allow them to move forward with their lives.

    “I’m raising a toddler right now, and I can’t just watch while kids who’ve already been through hell get stuck in limbo,” said Rep. Gomez. “These young people deserve safety and a shot at a better life — not to be left hanging because of red tape. Let’s fix this and do right by them.”

    “At a time when our immigration system is plagued with uncertainty and turmoil, it is imperative we act to provide immigrant children who have suffered abuse or neglect the certainty they deserve and an opportunity to start their lives in the United States. It makes no sense to place vulnerable immigrant youth in employment-based visa backlogs and subject them to arbitrary per-country caps. I’m proud to join my colleagues, once again, in introducing the Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act to ensure abused or abandoned youth can remain safely in the country they call home,” said Rep. Lofgren, a senior member of the House Immigration Subcommittee and a former immigration lawyer.

    Advocates have also reported a rise in detentions and deportations of SIJS recipients, with some losing deferred action protections once taken into ICE custody — despite being eligible for relief. The lawmakers are calling on DHS and USCIS to immediately resume deferred action for all approved SIJS recipients and are urging Congress to pass their bill to deliver a permanent fix to keep these young people out of legal limbo.

    The following Members of Congress signed onto the letter to DHS: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NM), Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), as well as Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Danny Davis (IL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), James McGovern (MA-02), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20).

    In addition to Rep. Gomez, Lofgren, and Espaillat, the Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act is cosponsored by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large) André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Luz Rivas (CA-29), María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09).

    78 organizations endorse these efforts, including: End SIJS Backlog Coalition, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for Law and Social Policy, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, United We Dream Network, and more.

    You can read the full letter here and the bill text here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Justice Department, Texas Reach Agreement to End In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: US State of California

    Agreement comes hours after Justice Department filed complaint challenging two decades-old laws

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released the following statements after a federal judge formally enjoined Texas from providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

    “The Justice Department commends Texas leadership and AG Ken Paxton for swiftly working with us to halt a program that was treating Americans like second-class citizens in their own country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Other states should take note that we will continue filing affirmative litigation to remedy unconstitutional state laws that discriminate against American citizens.”

    “I’m proud to stand with Attorney General Bondi and the Trump Administration to stop an unconstitutional and un-American law that gave in-state tuition to illegal aliens,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This law was an insult to our nation’s citizens and has now been rightly stopped from being enforced. I will continue to fight for the American people and work swiftly to defeat any policy that puts illegal aliens ahead of our own citizens.”

    The motion came just hours after the Department filed a complaint in the Northern District of Texas seeking to enjoin enforcement of Texas laws that required colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Texas residency, regardless of their legal status. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Texas laws were in direct conflict of federal law and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Colorado Helps Preserve AmeriCorps After Trump Administration’s Attempt to Layoff Members Working to Protect Against Wildfires, Drive Student Achievement

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to restore AmeriCorps grant funding in 24 states, including Colorado, and the District of Columbia following the lawsuit led by Colorado. Governor Polis and Lt. Governor Primavera celebrated this action, restoring important services across our state that protect our communities from wildfires, help drive student achievement, provide mental health care to youth, and more. 

    “What a relief for fire prevention, and just in time for fire season! Today, thanks to this decision, Coloradans and communities that rely on the important services AmeriCorps members provide all across the state will keep benefiting. AmeriCorps members play a key role in helping our communities in such ways as preventing devastating wildfires and supporting students throughout their academic journeys,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    “This is a major victory for Colorado communities and the AmeriCorps members who dedicate their time and talents to strengthening our state through the power of national service,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “The court affirmed what we’ve said from the beginning: you cannot shut down vital national service programs without transparency, accountability, and due process. We remain committed to utilizing national service and volunteerism to address critical needs.” 

    AmeriCorps is a pillar of community strength in Colorado. In the last program year alone, members contributed over one million hours of service in education, environmental stewardship, disaster response, public health, and more. A recent study estimated a return of up to $34.26 for every federal dollar invested in AmeriCorps – a testament to its value not just in service, but in economic impact. 

    Colorado helped to lead 24 other states in challenging the Trump Administration’s actions and today, the U.S. District Court’s ruling grants a preliminary injunction that halts the Trump Administration’s April 2025 illegal attempt to terminate AmeriCorps grants, remove members from service, and dismantle programs without due process or Congressional action. 

    As a result of today’s ruling, the federal AmeriCorps agency must: 

    • Reinstate terminated grants in the plaintiff states, including Colorado;
    • Return impacted AmeriCorps and VISTA members to service where possible;
    • Restore the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program to its previous status;
    • Abide by federal notice-and-comment requirements before making significant future changes. 

    This decision sends a clear message: national service is not disposable. This ruling restores stability for thousands of AmeriCorps members and reopens the door for critical work in communities across Colorado. National service is critical to addressing community needs across the state as well as providing workforce development opportunities in some of Colorado’s most vital sectors. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Justice Department, Texas Reach Agreement to End In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Agreement comes hours after Justice Department filed complaint challenging two decades-old laws

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released the following statements after a federal judge formally enjoined Texas from providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

    “The Justice Department commends Texas leadership and AG Ken Paxton for swiftly working with us to halt a program that was treating Americans like second-class citizens in their own country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Other states should take note that we will continue filing affirmative litigation to remedy unconstitutional state laws that discriminate against American citizens.”

    “I’m proud to stand with Attorney General Bondi and the Trump Administration to stop an unconstitutional and un-American law that gave in-state tuition to illegal aliens,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This law was an insult to our nation’s citizens and has now been rightly stopped from being enforced. I will continue to fight for the American people and work swiftly to defeat any policy that puts illegal aliens ahead of our own citizens.”

    The motion came just hours after the Department filed a complaint in the Northern District of Texas seeking to enjoin enforcement of Texas laws that required colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Texas residency, regardless of their legal status. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Texas laws were in direct conflict of federal law and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: German Chancellor Merz presents POTUS with the birth certificate of President Trump’s Grandfather

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

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presents President Trump with the framed birth certificate of President Trump’s grandfather, Frederick, born in 1869.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQpPv0HTU58

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Statement Condemning Trump’s Inhumane Travel Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, issued the following statement condemning President Trump’s cruel travel ban that bars nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricts travel for nationals of seven other countries:

    “Once again, we see President Trump’s irrational impulses as he tries to institute a discriminatory travel ban. This senseless, prejudicial policy is an abuse of power that also threatens U.S. citizen relatives from the targeted countries. We cannot allow this Administration to continue scapegoating individuals based on religion or nationality. Our country is better than this.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack

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

    You can generally tell when Vladimir Putin appears rattled by an adverse event in his war on Ukraine. He (or one of his proxies) ramps up the bloodcurdling rhetoric. And so it is with Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone attack on four airbases inside Russia, which reportedly destroyed or damaged as many as 40 warplanes, a good chunk of Russia’s fleet of strategic nuclear-capable bombers.

    These aircraft have been used during the war to deliver cruise missiles at targets within Ukraine and have been kept on airbases far enough from Ukraine to be well out of range of anything Kyiv could fire at them. So Ukraine’s secret intelligence service, the SBU, hatched a plot to send truckloads of home-grown drones in vans to locations close to airbases as far away as Irkutsk in Siberia and Murmansk close to the top of Finland.

    Technological savvy aside, perhaps the most remarkable thing about the plan was that it was 18 months in the making and yet the SBU managed to keep it a secret shared by only a few, including Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Significantly, the plan was reportedly kept from the US government.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    An angry Putin is reported to have accused Ukraine of “organising terrorist attacks”, saying to aides: “How can we have meetings like this under these conditions? What is there to talk about? Who has negotiations with  … terrorists?”

    Nothing much has been revealed as to what was actually said about the drone attack when delegates for the two sides met on Monday, apparently for barely an hour, to continue their peace talks. But as Stefan Wolff and Tetyana Malyarenko suggest, the fact that both sides have continued to land blows against each other is hardly a sign of a sincere commitment to serious negotiations.

    As it is, both sides restated their maximalist positions. For Kyiv this means that any concessions over territory or sovereignty are out of the question. For Moscow this means Ukrainian and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea as well as four provinces it has partially occupied since 2014, no Ukrainian membership of Nato and limits to Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Wolff and Malyarenko, experts in international security and politics at the University of Birmingham and National University Odesa Law Academy, respectively, believe that little will change on the battlefield in the foreseeable future. A lot will now depend on Washington. And it should be noted that the US president had a lengthy chat with Putin on June 4, after which Trump delivered the Kremlin’s message that: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”

    We’ve already seen a blitz on the southern city of Kherson, where Russia launched glide bombs and attacked with drones and artillery this morning. But Trump’s envoy to Russia, Keith Kellog, among other senior officials have talked about the drone strike being an attack on part of Russia’s [nuclear] triad, impying the threat level is actually far greater.



    Read more:
    Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in 1994 in return for an undertaking, signed by Russia, the US, UK and France, to guarantee the inviolability of Ukraine’s borders. So as Matthew Sussex of the Australian National University in Canberra writes, the drone attack was very much a case of a David striking a clever blow against a Goliath.

    Sussex says this and other missions, such as the targeting of the Kerch bridge – Putin’s pride and joy – and the relentless attacks on Russia’s power infrastructure, are an effective counter to Russia’s attritional style of warfare. This involves throwing as many men as possible at its objectives, something Ukraine cannot hope to compete directly with. The truth is, writes Sussex, that Kyiv “has focused on winning the war they are in, rather than those of the past”.



    Read more:
    The secret to Ukraine’s battlefield successes against Russia – it knows wars are never won in the past

    “This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability,” concludes Michael A Lewis, an expert in autonomous vehicles at the University of Bath. Lewis notes that both sides have been using drones almost continuously on the frontlines of the war and each has developed their own strategy for countering the threat.

    But this operation combined the use of drones with smart intelligence planning. The key was getting the drones to where they could exploit vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defence systems. “In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge,” he writes. “Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.”

    The attack will have defence planners around the world scratching their heads as to how to cope with this emerging threat. Lewis believes the operation exposed the problems with centralised airspace management which will require new and better detection systems and faster responses to counter. “Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory,” he writes. “It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely.”



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Not that Russia has exactly been standing still when it comes to drone warfare. As Marcel Plichta of the University of St Andrews writes, having initially relied on Iran for the supply of its Shahed drones, Russia has been quick to establish its own sizeable drone manufacturing industry. Plichta, a drone specialist and former US government intelligence analyst, walks us through some of the innovations that Russian-made drones are now employing, including Sim cards which can transmit data back to Russia via mobile networks, carbon coating to avoid radar detection, and enhanced incendiary and fragmentation warheads that can start fires or spread large volumes of shrapnel to make them more deadly.

    But also notable is the sheer volume of drones that Russia is deploying – 472 against Ukrainian cities on June 1, as well as large numbers of decoys – with the aim of simply exhausting Ukrainian air defences. Even if Ukraine manages to shoot down 80% as it claims, that still leaves enough to wreak utter havoc for the defenders.



    Read more:
    Russia has been working on creating drones that ‘call home’, go undercover and start fires. Here’s how they work

    From the Oval Office

    The latest controversial measure announced by the White House is the planned travel ban on people from 12 countries thought by the Trump administration to pose a threat. The ban is scheduled to come into effect on June 9.

    Less than a week later, the US will host – jointly with Mexico and Canada – the Fifa Club World Cup, which will feature players from some of these countries. Next year the US hosts the Men’s World Cup and in 2028 the Olympics are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

    The announcement of the ban said that “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives travelling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting events as defined by the Secretary of State” will be exempted.

    But, as Eric Storm from Leiden University points out, this does not include fans who might have been planning to travel to these major sporting carnivals. Storm, a historian who has researched the intersection of politics and tourism, says that the way geopolitical tensions manifested themselves at big sporting events was a feature of the cold war, but that these sorts of tensions largely dissipated after 1991. Now we may see politics being played out on the pitch, once again.



    Read more:
    Trump’s travel ban casts shadow over the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup and other US-hosted sporting events

    South Korea’s new president

    Voters in South Korea backed the liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung for the Democratic Party, by nearly 50% in the June 3 election. This gave the man who led the campaign to topple former president Yoon Suk Yeol a clear mandate in what is reported to have been the election with the highest turnout since 1997.

    But while women had been very prominent in the campaign to oust Yoon, there were no female presidential candidates and very little discussion of some of the massive gender issues besetting Korea, including structural inequality, harassment and domestic violence, write Ming Gao of Lund University and Joanna Elfving-Hwang of Curtin University, both experts in South Korean politics and society. In fact, some candidates actively campaigned in a manner they clearly hoped would engage with disenchanted young men who feel their position may be under threat from women.



    Read more:
    South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics

    The new South Korean president will bring with him what he calls a “pragmatic” approach to foreign affairs. He has restated his commitment to the longstanding alliance with the US, but has also stressed the need for his country to improve relations with China and North Korea, believing that South Korea should not be wholly dependent on Washington.

    This, writes Christoph Bluth, could become a point of tension between Seoul and Washington. “The Trump administration has taken a hawkish approach towards China and wants its allies to do the same,” he says.

    Lee has made it quite clear that while Seoul’s relationship with Washington is the “basic axis of [South Korea’s] diplomacy,” the country “should not put all [its] eggs in one basket”. He has already signalled that he would resist any attempts by the US to draw South Korea into a conflict with China over Taiwan.



    Read more:
    Why South Korea’s new leader may be on a collision course with Trump

    Gaza: when aid is politicised

    There was yet more tragedy in Gaza this week as the new aid distribution scheme backed by Israel and the US got underway and quickly descended into chaos, with Israeli troops shooting at people it claimed were Hamas militants, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people.

    The new plan handed control of aid distribution to a private company called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which established four depots, three in the very south of the Strip and one in the centre, close to Israeli checkpoints. As a result many people had to travel considerable distances to get desperately needed supplies.

    As Irit Katz of the University of Cambridge writes here, the GHF plan is similar in character to a scheme put forward last December by an Israeli veterans group that prioritises control over humanitarianism. She says the resulting chaos and violence should come as no surprise.



    Read more:
    Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack – https://theconversation.com/inside-ukraines-remarkable-drone-attack-258326

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CEQ-led Permitting Innovation Center Debuts Tech to Streamline NEPA Reviews – CE Explorer

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-center”>The White House continues its momentum to modernize permitting technology, launching a tool to aid the finding of categorical exclusions across Federal agencies.
    Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality unveiled the Categorical Exclusion Explorer (CE Explorer), a technology tool that will increase transparency and streamline environmental reviews and permitting processes by providing a digitized public database of each Federal agency’s existing categorical exclusions established under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The CE Explorer is the first tool developed by the Permitting Innovation Center, established in response to President Donald J. Trump’s Memorandum, Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century, and supports the implementation of the White House Permitting Technology Action Plan that was released May 30, 2025.
    The CE Explorer’s search functionality will provide states, tribal officials, project sponsors and stakeholders with seamless access to view Federal agencies’ categorical exclusions. This digitized, searchable list will enhance interagency coordination by enabling agencies to quickly identify relevant categorical exclusions established by other agencies. The tool will also support other agencies’ adoption of categorical exclusions, as encouraged by Congress in its 2023 amendments to NEPA, helping to accelerate environmental reviews and permitting processes.
    The data in the CE Explorer is available to download in a machine-readable format, allowing interested parties to leverage this technology and data source to build tools to modernize their own NEPA or permitting review processes.  
    In Case You Missed It: Trump Administration Launches Permitting Technology Action Plan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Pillen Signs the Stand With Women Act

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . The Stand With Women Act, introduced on his behalf by Sen. Kathleen Kauth, requires that students in K-12 and postsecondary school participate on sports teams that correspond to their biological sex, as defined in law. Gov. Pillen and Sen. Kauth were joined in today’s bill signing event by Husker athletes Jordy Bahl and Rebekah Allick, who attended the bill’s introduction back in January, as well as nationally known advocate-athletes Riley Gaines and Payton McNabb.

    “We cannot ignore that girls and women have the right to a level playing field when it comes to sports,” said Gov. Pillen. “Otherwise, we are denying them opportunities to compete and win, earn scholarships and develop their own athletic abilities. LB89 ensures they are protected. It codifies my executive order of August 2023 – establishing a Women’s Bill of Rights — and it also aligns with President Trump’s executive order issued in February.”

    Sen. Kauth expressed gratitude for the support the bill received from Nebraskans, fellow senators, and advocates from across the political spectrum. 

    “I am pleased we were able to get the athletic portion of the bill passed and thank all the senators, individuals and groups who helped get us here. The work is not done. I will continue to work hard with my fellow senators to protect women in their locker rooms and bathrooms in the upcoming session.”

    Standout University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who is now host of Outkick’s Gaines for Girls podcast, talked about meeting Gov. Pillen two years ago and discussing the need for legislation then.

    “At the time only three states had codified such language. Days later, Governor Pillen signed sex-based definitions into law through executive action,” said Gaines. “Two years later, and after countless hours spent advocating for the importance of defining ‘woman’ and protecting women’s sports and spaces, Sen. Kauth and her colleagues have achieved a remarkable victory for Nebraskans. Today, the Women’s Bill of Rights has evolved into an even more powerful legislative package and the Stand with Women Act of 2025 is being signed into law. I am so proud to have been a part of this multi-year fight for women’s rights and be here in Lincoln to watch Nebraska become the 28th state to protect women’s sports.”

    Payton McNabb, who has also been outspoken on the issue of protecting women’s sports, shared her story of being injured during a volleyball match in high school. She is now a sports ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum, which testified in support of LB89.

    “Thank you, Governor Pillen and Sen. Kauth for prioritizing women and girls. By signing the Stand with Women Act into law today, Nebraska is codifying Governor Pillen’s early action to reclaim language and protect women’s sports,” said McNabb. “I am so proud to be here today and witness this historic moment. Thank you, Nebraska, for standing with women.”

    Calling the signing of LB89 as an “incredible accomplishment,” Husker softball pitcher Jordy Bahl indicated that advocating for this issue was, for her, bigger than playing softball, and echoed Sen. Kauth’s message that more was needed to provide appropriate protections to girls and women in sports.

    “In standing up for this, it was never out of my own personal interests. I have one year left of playing. I was always thinking about the younger athletes — the athletes who haven’t even started their careers yet. So, that’s where this is at in my heart.”

    Husker volleyball player Rebekah Allick added, “I’m just really grateful to be surrounded by independent and individual thinkers. Again, this is not a political matter. This is common sense. We are trying to defend reality.”

    In addition to signing LB89 into law, Gov. Pillen signed ceremonial copies of the legislation presented to each of the speakers at today’s news conference.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Introduces Energy Choice Act to End Blue-State Wars on American Energy

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Acttoprohibit states or local governments from banning an energy service’s connection, reconnection, modification, installation, or expansion based on the type or source of energy to be delivered. Congressman Langworthy, who serves as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and as a member of the Energy and Environment subcommittees, has made protecting Americans’ energy choices a top priority.

    “Governor Hochul and Democrats in Albany have waged an extremist crusade against natural gas that’s sent home energy costs through the roof, crippled our energy supply, and left New York teetering on the edge of an energy crisis—all to satisfy the radical fantasies of the far-left climate cult. New York has been ground zero for the Green New Deal, where common sense goes to die and working families get stuck with the bill,”said Congressman Langworthy.“That’s why I’ve introduced the Energy Choice Act—to slam the brakes on these reckless, ideological mandates and restore sanity to America’s energy policy. People deserve the freedom to choose energy that is affordable, reliable, and proven—not be forced into rolling blackouts to please eco-activists who don’t live in the real world. I thank Senator Justice for introducing this bill in the Senate and urge its swift action.”

     

    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,” said Senator Jim Justice.

     

    The full text of the bill can be found here. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Mike Bost (R-IL), Robert Bresnahan Jr. (R-MI), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Dan Meuser (R-PA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Tim Moore (R-NC), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), August Pfluger (R-TX), John Rose (R-TX), Michael Rulli (R-OH), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), GT Thompson (R-PA), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Tony Wied (R-WI), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ryan Zinke (R-MT).

     

    Original cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).  

     

    “Democratic-controlled states like New York are waging an all-out attack on domestic energy production, undermining Americans’ right to choose their preferred energy source. The Energy Choice Act combats these authoritarian regulations by preventing state and local governments from banning specific energy sources. To achieve true energy independence, we must ensure Americans have access to a full range of options, including natural gas,”said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    “Montanans know the value of reliable, affordable energy, especially during winters when access to natural gas, coal, and other traditional fuels isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity,” said Congressman Zinke. “Heavy handed policies from places like Albany and Sacramento don’t reflect the realities of rural America, where energy diversity is vital. The Energy Choice Act is common sense legislation that defends our right to choose the energy sources that work best for our homes and businesses, and I am happy to co-sponsor it again.”

     

    “In order to achieve American energy dominance, we must utilize an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes affordability and reliability. By prohibiting states and local governments from banning a service based on the source of the energy, we can ensure that families and small businesses are not being forced to utilize more costly energy sources. I thank Rep. Langworthy for his leadership as we work to make energy more affordable and reliable for our constituents,” said Congressman Newhouse.

     

    “Energy freedom is essential to both our economy and national security,” said Congressman Mike Rulli. “Efforts by state governments to ban natural gas and other traditional energy sources not only hurt working families through higher costs but also jeopardize grid reliability – especially in regions with harsh winters like ours. I’m proud to support the Energy Choice Act and thank Congressman Langworthy for putting consumers first and ensuring that no American is forced into an energy system that doesn’t work for them or their community.”

     

    “Strengthening America’s energy independence requires an all-of-the-above energy strategy that ensures consumer demand and industry experts, not bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists, lead the expansion and delivery of energy services. Banning certain types of energy, like California and New York have tried to do, only raises prices for Americans,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11). “The Energy Choice Act will safeguard the diversification of energy sources in our nation and make sure that Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy.”

     

    The Energy Choice Act has received wide support from federal organizations, including American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), Energy Marketers of America (EMA) , GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals (OESP), National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), LIBRE Initiative, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).

    This legislation has also received support from state organizations, including Alabama Propane Gas Association, Arizona Propane Gas Association, Arkansas Propane Gas Association, Colorado Propane Gas Association, Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, Florida Propane Gas Association, Illinois Propane Gas Association, Indiana Food and Fuel Association, Iowa Propane Gas Association, Propane Gas Marketers of Kansas, Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association, Kentucky Propane Gas Association, Louisiana Propane Gas Association, Maine Energy Marketers Association, Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association, Michigan Petroleum Association, Michigan Propane Gas Association, Mid-Atlantic Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association, MidStates Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Midwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mississippi Propane Gas Association, Missouri Propane Gas Association, Nebraska Propane Gas Association, Energy and Convenience Marketers of Nevada, Nevada Propane Gas Association, New Mexico Propane Gas Association, North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northeast Heart, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Energy Marketers Association of New Hampshire, Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Propane Gas Association, Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York Inc., New York Propane Gas Association, Empire State Energy Association (ESEA), Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGANY), New York State Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors, New York State Energy Coalition (NYSEC), New York State Oil Producers Association (NYSOPA), North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers, North Dakota Propane Gas Association, Ohio Energy and Convenience Association, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio Propane Gas Association, Oklahoma Propane Gas Association, Oregon Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Pacific Propane Gas Association, Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association Pacific, Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Association, North Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Association, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, Pennsylvania Petroleum Association, Southeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, South Central Pennsylvania Energy Association, South Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Propane Gas Association of New England, Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Business Leaders Alliance, Rocky Mountain Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Rocky Mountain Propane Association, South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association, South Dakota Petroleum and Propane Marketers Association, Southeast Propane Alliance, Tennessee Propane Gas Association, Texas Propane Gas Association, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, Virginia Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association, Virginia Propane Gas Association, West Virginia Propane Gas Association, Western Propane Gas Association, Washington Independent Energy Distributors, Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC).

    “NEFI proudly supports the Energy Choice Act, which represents a critical step toward protecting American consumers and small businesses from government overreach in the home energy market,”said Jim Collura, President & CEO of the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), which represents wholesale and retail distributors of liquid heating fuels, primarily in the Northeast.“This bipartisan legislation ensures that decisions about home heating and cooling remain where they belong – in the hands of American families, not government bureaucrats. At a time when families are recovering from record high inflation, the last thing we need are misguided state and local policies that eliminate affordable heating options. The Energy Choice Act protects market competition, preserves consumer choice, and promotes energy affordability and reliability. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense legislation without delay.”

     

    “NAHB commends Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) for championing the Energy Choice Act, legislation that prohibits state and local governments from banning or limiting access to natural gas, electricity, and other energy sources. A gas ban would exacerbate the housing affordability crisis by increasing costs on new homes and placing added stress on the nation’s electrical grid. With more than 40 million U.S. households relying on natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water, preserving access to this affordable and reliable energy source is vital for American families,”said Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders.

     

    “On behalf of millions of AFP’s grassroots activists across the country, we applaud Rep. Nick Langworthy for introducing the Energy Choice Act to ensure energy freedom throughout the United States. Regardless of where Americans live, they shouldn’t be forced to endure energy poverty. The Energy Choice Act will provide certainty, security, and assurance for much-needed permitting reform and energy infrastructure development. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure American dominance in energy and lower costs for consumers while embracing an “all-of-the-above” approach on the federal level,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.

     

    “The Energy Choice Act represents a critical step in protecting consumer access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources like propane,”said Stephen Kaminski, President and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association. “NPGA commends Rep. Langworthy and Sen. Justice for their leadership in introducing this legislation to defend energy diversity and empowering Americans to choose the energy solutions that best meet their needs. This bill safeguards consumers from rising energy costs driven by overreaching government mandates.”

    “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) strongly supports Representative Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act. This important legislation will safeguard American consumers’ right to choose the energy that best meets their household and budget needs. Access to affordable, reliable, and efficient natural gas is essential to the success of American families, businesses, and communities. APGA applauds the bill’s sponsors for their leadership in protecting consumer choice and promoting energy affordability,” said Dave Schryver, President & CEO, APGA.

     

    “The refusal of certain state and local governments to consider policies that provide a more sustainable transition to a less carbon-intensive future, coupled with the economic burdens placed on the American people through restrictions or bans on fossil fuel heating sources, necessitates federal preemption to ensure homeowners can continue to afford living in their homes while having robust options for maintaining home comfort. The Energy Choice Act provides that recourse and PHCC supports its immediate passage,” said Dan Callies, President, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, National Association.

     

    “Passage of this important legislation is a no brainer. We encourage House lawmakers to pass the bill immediately to restore consumer choice and support small business energy marketers across the country,”said Rob Underwood, Energy Marketers of America President.

     

    “At a time when no New Yorker is immune to statewide affordability challenges, having the freedom to choose energy solutions that work best for their homes, businesses, and communities is critical to keeping costs manageable for everyday people. The Energy Choice Act ensures we are taking an all-of-the-above approach to meeting energy needs — opening opportunities to tap into existing solutions like biofuels that advance clean energy goals, while also fostering continued innovation to build a more secure, affordable energy future. We support this commonsense legislation, thank Congressman Langworthy for his leadership, and urge House lawmakers to pass the Energy Choice Act to deliver real energy solutions for all Americans and support the small business energy marketers who help power our communities,”said Kris DeLair, Executive Director of the Empire State Energy Association.

     

    “GPA Midstream appreciates Representative Langworthy taking action to introduce legislation to protect consumer choice. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the right to choose the energy source, such as natural gas or propane, that is reliable and best fits their budget needs,”said Stuart Saulters, VP of Federal Affairs, GPA Midstream Association.

     

    “Americans deserve reliable, affordable energy without bureaucratic roadblocks or special interests getting in the way. This bill protects consumer choice and energy innovation by ensuring that no state or local government can block access to energy sources based on political agendas or bad politics. This bipartisan bill is a common-sense step toward securing our energy future, protecting American energy jobs, and most importantly protecting the pockets of working class Americans who should not have to pay more for energy. The LIBRE Initiative is grateful for Rep. Langworthy’s leadership on this important issue,” said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative

     

    “Concerned Veterans for America wholeheartedly endorses Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act on behalf of the members of our country’s largest veteran-led grassroots advocacy organization.  This bill will ensure energy freedom in every state and protect hardworking citizens from high energy costs created by special interests at the state level. Veterans served so that Americans are free to benefit from our nation’s ingenuity and natural abundance, and are free to live their unique American Dreams.
    The Energy Choice Act limits states’ permitting requirements and promotes a more resilient energy infrastructure. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure continued American domestic energy availability and lower costs for consumers while embracing a free market approach to energy development across the country,” said John Vick, Executive Director, Concerned Veterans for America.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul on “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell”

    Source: US State of New York

    ast night, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.”

    AUDIO: The Governor’s interview is available in audio form here.

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

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: Joining us now is Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul of New York. Governor, thank you very much for joining us.

    Governor Hochul: Great to see you again, Lawrence.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: I want to begin with this point about Congressman Michael Lawler. This used to be completely bipartisan in Congress. If you had a government office in your district, near your district — like Social Security — helpful to your community. The President, the administration of your party would never close that ever. Because you as a Republican or a Democrat with a Democratic president, if they were even thinking of it, if it was ever on a list, you’d get in there, you’d fight for it, you’d keep it open. That didn’t happen here.

    Governor Hochul: That shows how insignificant the members of Congress are. All the power has been ceded to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s all in Donald Trump’s hands, and they’re sitting there on their hands silent, afraid to say a word, because he might help somebody in a primary against them. They’ve been paralyzed in action. And as a result, if one single person — Mike Lawler, Elise Stefanik, anybody else who thinks they’re running for higher office — any one of them had voted against this bill, it would’ve been dead.

    They did not look out for the rural hospitals in their districts that will close, the thousands of people thrown out of jobs in an area where it’s hard to get work in our red parts of our state, the most rural areas. I know them so well — my old district.

    Mike Lawler letting that Social Security office close — it serves seven counties. Now people have to travel over an hour and a half. Some have to go to Connecticut to get services. And if you’re walking into an office for social services — Social Security services — you’re usually an elderly person, can’t get around, you haven’t figured out how to use your computer, and you’re showing up in person and now you have to travel over an hour. Thank you, Mike Lawler. Thank you, Republican members of Congress. Because you clearly don’t give a damn about the people who put you in office.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: In Upstate New York — the areas we’re talking about now — the frequent hospitals are one of the very big employers. What do Medicaid cuts of this scale mean to those hospitals?

    Governor Hochul: Hospitals will lose $3 billion in the State of New York per year. We can’t help solve that problem. This is federal dollars that we need to have here. It is a major employer. Like I said, when I represented seven very rural counties in the reddest part of our state and Congress, I’d always wanted to see who the employers are when I went to visit. The hospital was always the largest, then sometimes it was the prisons, then it was county government. It took a long time to get a private employer because these were people who got their jobs, they worked hard, they struggle. It’s hard to recruit doctors, so they’re always living on the margin. So this basically says it’s not just going to close for Medicaid recipients, it’s going to close for everybody.

    When your kid gets sick and needs emergency care, your parents are having a heart attack, mom or dad are sick, you’re not going to have a hospital to get them to it. That’s how serious this is.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: The Medicaid is the single biggest payer for nursing homes, not just in New York State, but throughout the country, pays about 40 percent of the revenue to nursing homes. What does it mean for nursing homes?

    Governor Hochul: One hundred thousand people in the State of New York who are in nursing homes will lose their Medicaid coverage. Now, what are the options? If you’re in a nursing home, you’re usually in a difficult situation, right? Are you going back to your family’s couch, your grandchildren, going to live in their spare bedroom? It does not have a path forward.

    That’s why the insanity of this bill has to be stopped in the Senate. I never thought I’d be relying on the Republican Senate to bail out our country. But that just shows how desperate we’ve become, that we’re counting on them to do the right thing.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: And if there’s any changes in it — I mean, you used to work in the Congress, you know how it goes. If there’s any changes in it in the Senate, it goes back to the House. Mike Lawler gets another vote on this in the House. The pressure would be on the New York House Republicans, once again, if it goes back to the House.

    Governor Hochul: Well, even if he sees the light and all the constituents that are really unhappy with him right now, force him to change his vote, you’ll never walk away from that first one. You’ll never be able to walk away from that.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: This is all happening at the same time where Donald Trump is imposing tariffs that the Trade Court has said are all completely illegal. You’re a border state with Canada. You do an awful lot of trade across that border every single day that’s important for all of New York. What are the Trump tariffs doing to your state?

    Governor Hochul: The Trump tax is devastating for the State of New York. We have 450 miles of shared border. We’re basically neighbors. We don’t even think of them as a foreign country at all. And so we have a $50 billion trade balance, and what that means is it’s farmers who can’t export into Canada, New York, because they won’t accept our goods and nothing is coming our way because they can’t afford it.

    One farmer told me that it’s going to cost him $10,000 more a month. These people live on the margins. They have a bad crop. The chickens have to be killed because of bird flu. I mean, they’re always struggling and the cost of everything from aluminum to steel to the shavings that they get to put in the stalls because we get them from the trees in Canada — we have such a synergy with them.

    But it’s not just the crops and the business going back and forth and the trade of commodities, it’s also the tourism. Tourists are not coming over. They used to fill the stadium in Buffalo because Buffalo Bisons, they’re an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They usually see a third of the people going to Buffalo Bills games and hockey games and our small tourism towns up in the North country, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, and Plattsburgh, Lake George.

    They’re all suffering now because the Canadians are saying not just this threat of tariffs, but the fact that you’re talking about taking over our country. It is so insulting to our Canadian friends. I understand it, but flights from Canada are down dramatically at JFK. They’re not coming to New York City, they’re not spending money, they’re not going to the shows, and the rest of the state is feeling the ripple effect. It is devastating.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: The Republican budget bill, they’re working on it now. You’ve already got a budget. You did your job on a budget much earlier than Washington as usual, I would say. You had to do the best you could with that budget, with the information you had at the time. Might this be a situation where you have to come back — if this Republican budget becomes law — come back and revisit the New York State Budget?

    Governor Hochul: We may have to do that, but what I want to talk about for one minute is my budget in contrast to what’s happening in Washington. When we talk about these tariffs, we’re talking about over $3,000 to $6,000 more in additional costs. Everything’s going to cost more, especially commodities from China.

    I’m focusing on affordability because I know New Yorkers are struggling. My own family used to live in a trailer park — clipped coupons, we bought our clothes at used clothing stores. So when I see parents, moms and dads today trying to make ends meet, I said, “The best thing I can do for them is to help lift them out of poverty or lift them out of their circumstances, put money back in their pockets.”

    I have $5,000 going back in the pockets of New York families with Child Tax Credit, Middle Class Tax Cut, and an inflation rebate, covering the cost of school lunches and breakfast for every family, and parents are so grateful. But I’m going to put that in this pocket, and the Trump tariffs are taking it out because everything’s going to cost more. So families feel like they just can’t get ahead.

    So we’ll come back if we have to deal with this. I expect we’ll come back in the fall, but we received $93 billion from the federal government. I can’t make that up. No state is going to make that up. So that’s the harsh situation that we’ll be seeing when cuts to everything.

    The largest cut to nutrition program that’s happening, Title One under education law means that schools in New York State that take care of our highest need kids will be cut. There’s no part of our state that will be untouched if that devastating bill becomes law. We must stop that.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: Governor Kathy Hochul, thank you very much for finding the time to come by and see us. Really appreciate it.

    Governor Hochul: Great to see you again.

    Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi says dialogue, cooperation only correct choice for China, U.S. 2025-06-06 00:50:48 Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choice for China and the United States.

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

      BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choice for China and the United States.

      In his phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Xi said that recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations requires the two sides to take the helm and set the right course, adding that it is particularly important to steer clear of the various disturbances and disruptions.

      Noting that at the suggestion of the U.S. side, the two countries’ lead officials recently held an economic and trade meeting in Geneva, Xi said it marked an important step forward in resolving the relevant issues through dialogue and consultation, and was welcomed by both societies and the international community.

      The two sides need to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism already in place, and seek win-win results in the spirit of equality and respect for each other’s concerns, he said, adding that the Chinese side is sincere about this, and at the same time has its principles.

      The Chinese, Xi said, always honor and deliver what has been promised, urging both sides to make good on the agreement reached in Geneva. In fact, China has been seriously and earnestly executing the agreement, Xi added.

      The U.S. side should acknowledge the progress already made, and remove the negative measures taken against China, he said.

      The two sides should enhance communication in such fields as foreign affairs, economy and trade, military, and law enforcement to build consensus, clear up misunderstandings, and strengthen cooperation, Xi added.

      Xi emphasized that the United States must handle the Taiwan question with prudence, so that the fringe separatists bent on “Taiwan independence” will not be able to drag China and the United States into the dangerous terrain of confrontation and even conflict.

    loading…

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking News: Dialogue and Cooperation Are the Only Right Choices for China and the US – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) — Dialogue and cooperation are the only right choice for China and the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday.

    As Xi Jinping noted during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, in order to correct the course of the “big ship” of China-US relations, both sides need to set the right direction and eliminate all kinds of obstacles, including acts of sabotage, which is of particular importance.

    The Chinese leader also called on the parties to effectively use the established mechanism for trade and economic consultations, adhere to equality, respect each other’s concerns and achieve mutual benefit, stressing that China is sincere but at the same time principled in this regard. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Goldman, Ranking Member Thompson Lead House Democrats in Response to President Trump’s Authoritarian Crackdown on Non-Violent, Law-Abiding Immigrants

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Oversight Inquiry Demands Transparency Regarding the Administration’s Authoritarian Tactics with Masked, Plainclothes ICE Agents Detaining Lawful Asylum Seekers 

     

    Goldman Last Week Confronted Masked ICE Agents Detaining Immigrants in His Office Building 

     

    Read the Inquiry Here 

    Washington, D.C – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) today led 84 House Democrats in an oversight letter of inquiry to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem seeking answers regarding the rise in ICE employing its masked, plainclothes officers to detain non-violent, law-abiding immigrants immediately following and in coordination with the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by DHS attorneys.   

    “Over the past week, we have witnessed federal agents lying in wait outside courtrooms, detaining individuals as they leave their hearings upon the expectation that their immigration proceedings — often including asylum applications — have been dismissed upon the government’s request. These mass arrests are part of what Trump administration officials have confirmed is a nationwide effort to terminate ongoing removal cases and reroute people into fast-tracked “expedited” removal proceedings, usually without counsel, due process, or any specific case-by-case analysis,” the Members wrote. 

    This tactic runs directly contrary to Secretary Noem’s Senate confirmation testimony and President Trump’s repeated promises that he would only target violent criminals for removal. The dark shift in tactics follows reporting alleging that the President was frustrated with the level of deportations achieved under his administration thus far. 

    “This new policy, designed to meet an arbitrary quota of deportations, is not targeting criminals — the “worst of the worst” as administration officials have repeatedly claimed — but instead is surreptitiously and deceptively aimed at those who are following the rules, voluntarily appearing in court, and doing it the right way. This policy neither targets criminals nor makes the public safer,” the Members continued. 

    The inquiry demands the Secretary provide internal DHS guidance and documentation regarding the dismissal of ongoing court cases, data on those detained, including asylum seekers and individuals without criminal records, as well as clarification on DHS’s use of masked agents, courtroom surveillance, and coordination with the Department of Justice. 

    “The United States is a nation founded by immigrants that has benefited immensely from immigration. As a democracy grounded in the principles of due process and equal protection under the law, the use of courthouse ambush tactics not only undermines those principles but directly contradicts the Department’s stated mission to uphold the law with integrity,” the Members wrote.  

    Read the full letter here or below: 

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:  

    We write to express grave concern over the disturbing pattern of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations taking place at immigration courts across the country — including recent incidents in New York City where masked, plainclothes ICE officers detained non-violent, non-criminal immigrants immediately following the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by DHS attorneys. 

    Over the past week, we have witnessed federal agents lying in wait outside courtrooms, detaining individuals as they leave their hearings upon the expectation that their immigration proceedings — often including asylum applications — have been dismissed upon the government’s request. These mass arrests are part of what Trump administration officials have confirmed is a nationwide effort to terminate ongoing removal cases and reroute people into fast-tracked “expedited” removal proceedings, usually without counsel, due process, or any specific case-by-case analysis. 

    By terminating ongoing removal proceedings, any pending asylum claim is rendered void, thereby creating a potentially short window to quickly deport immigrants who have previously applied for asylum, which, as you well know, is a legal pathway to enter the United States. It also bears emphasizing that asylum is not available to individuals convicted of serious crimes or deemed a danger to the security of the United States, meaning that those asserting asylum claims in immigration court are unlikely to have criminal backgrounds and are instead seeking protection under U.S. law.  

    Recent reports indicate that the Trump administration is pressuring federal agencies to triple the number of daily immigration arrests as part of a sweeping push to achieve the arbitrary number of 1 million deportations a year. This effort has led to the reassignment of FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, DEA, and CBP officers to immigration enforcement duties — ultimately straining national security resources, diverting attention away from investigating serious crimes, and raising real concerns about the public safety priorities of this administration.  

    During Secretary Noem’s confirmation hearing, you stated that DHS “would work every day to make sure people are safe and that those with criminal convictions are immediately removed.” However, it is clear that ICE is now targeting immigrants with no criminal history, many of whom are asylum seekers, parolees admitted through lawful processes, and students like Dylan — a 20-year-old Bronx high schooler who was detained after attending his court hearing alone and without a lawyer. He has since been transferred across four states, denied medical treatment, and cut off from legal representation. Dylan entered the United States lawfully in 2024, enrolled in public school, had employment authorization, and had no criminal record at the time of his detainment.   

    This new policy, designed to meet an arbitrary quota of deportations, is not targeting criminals — the “worst of the worst” as administration officials have repeatedly claimed — but instead is surreptitiously and deceptively aimed at those who are following the rules, voluntarily appearing in court, and doing it the right way. This policy neither targets criminals nor makes the public safer.   

    Instead, this policy creates perverse incentives for immigrants who are pursuing lawful pathways into our country and will encourage immigrants to go further underground and avoid following the lawful and official immigration process. This will not only result in the loss of tax and social security revenue — contributed by asylum-seekers eligible for work authorization — but will lead to greater disorder and public safety concerns. When combined with diverting significant law enforcement resources to arrests of non-violent immigrants instead of violent felons, the impact of this new policy makes our communities less safe.   

    The United States is a nation founded by immigrants that has benefited immensely from immigration. As a democracy grounded in the principles of due process and equal protection under the law, the use of courthouse ambush tactics not only undermines those principles but directly contradicts the Department’s stated mission to uphold the law with integrity.   

    Accordingly, as part of Congress’s constitutional obligation to conduct oversight of the Department, we demand written responses to the following questions no later than June 19, 2025:  

    1. What specific guidance has DHS issued regarding the dismissal of ongoing court cases, followed by immediate ICE detention and expedited removal? Please provide all email communications, memoranda, legal justification, and written notes of relevant meetings. This includes any relevant material that mentions how the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) will coordinate and cooperate with enforcement operations.  

    2. What criteria is DHS using to determine which individuals should be targeted by this new policy?  

    3. How many individuals have been detained nationwide following court case dismissals since May 1, 2025? Please provide a breakdown by state and court locations.  

      1. Of those who have been detained and placed in expedited removal, how many (if any) had an affirmative asylum application pending or had informed the court of their intention to pursue other legal relief with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)?  

      2. Of those who have been detained and placed in expedited removal, how many (if any) have criminal convictions in the United States? Please provide relevant information about those cases and individuals.   

    4. Are immigration judges being tracked for how they handle these cases? If so, for what specific purpose?  

    5. For every detainee who had previously filed an asylum claim or other juvenile or family-based relief, please provide any and all information about whether and to what extent they received a credible fear screening under the expedited removal process.   

    6. What specific guidance (if any) has DHS issued, including any guidance involving the Department of Justice, about restricting observers in courtrooms or on the court premises?  

    7. What written guidance (if any) has DHS issued about agents wearing masks during enforcement operations?  

    We urge DHS to immediately suspend enforcement actions targeting noncriminal immigrants and individuals who are actively complying with our immigration laws.   

    We look forward to your prompt and forthright response. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Statement on Trump Travel Ban 2.0

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

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s newly announced travel ban:

    “There are a myriad of reasons that people come to the United States, from travel and tourism to fleeing violent and dangerous situations. This ban, expanded from Trump’s Muslim ban in his first term, will only further isolate us on the world stage.

    “This discriminatory policy, which limits legal immigration, not only flies in the face of what our country is supposed to stand for, it will be harmful to our economy and our communities that rely on the contributions of people who come to America from this wide range of countries. Banning a whole group of people because you disagree with the structure or function of their government not only lays blame in the wrong place, it creates a dangerous precedent. Further, banning people fleeing dangerous countries like Afghanistan — a country where many people are in danger due to their work assisting the U.S. military — the Congo, Haiti, and Sudan will only further destabilize global security.

    “Trump is indiscriminately taking a chainsaw to our government — destroying federal agencies that keep us safe, indiscriminately cutting jobs, and hindering our progress across research fields. This will only further hurt our country and cannot be allowed to stand.”

    This travel ban fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

    The Travel Ban partially restricts entry of people from seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

    Jayapal is a cosponsor of the NO BAN Act, legislation to prevent this exact type of discriminatory travel ban, as well as the lead sponsor of the Access to Counsel Act, to ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained for over an hour by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She originally wrote this legislation following the first Muslim Ban in 2017, as legal residents were held at points of entry. 

    Issues: Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom statement on court ruling restoring AmeriCorps funding

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 5, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must restore funding to AmeriCorps in California. This comes after Governor Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of states sued the Trump administration over DOGE efforts to dismantle AmeriCorps – the federal agency vital to supporting volunteer and service efforts in California and across the country. 

    Commonsense has prevailed over cruelty. The court is rightly siding with volunteers and service workers. Today, we’re doing right by John F. Kennedy and Sargent Shriver and all those who put others before themselves.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    In 2024, at least 6,150 California members served at more than 1,200 locations, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families. The agency’s shutdown ends these efforts.

    California Service Corps is the largest service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:   

    Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce. 

    In the 2023-24 service year, AmeriCorps members in California: 

    • Provided 4,397,674 hours of service
    • Tutored/mentored 73,833 students
    • Supported 17,000 foster youth with education and employment 
    • Planted 39,288 trees

    Members helped 26,000 households impacted by the LA fires and packed 21,000 food boxes.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 5, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is launching the CalAssist Mortgage Fund on June 12, 2025, to provide $105 million in relief offering up to $20,000 to homeowners whose homes were destroyed in recent disasters, including the Los Angeles firestorms. LOS ANGELES —…

    Jun 4, 2025

    News What you need to know: California added a record of nearly 7,000 megawatts of new clean energy capacity in 2024, marking the largest single-year increase in state history and the third consecutive year of unprecedented growth. SACRAMENTO – California has achieved…

    Jun 4, 2025

    News What you need to know: California leads the nation in strong gun safety laws, correlating with thousands of lives saved. Sacramento, California – Year after year, California is ranked as the #1 state in the country for its strong gun safety laws — along with some…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Preliminary Injunction Restoring AmeriCorps Programs, Funding

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland largely blocking the Trump Administration from dismantling AmeriCorps while multistate litigation proceeds. AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency tasked with engaging Americans in meaningful community-based service that directly addresses the country’s educational, public safety, and environmental needs. In February 2025, the Trump Administration issued an executive order directing every federal agency to plan to reduce their workforce and scale back their functions. AmeriCorps subsequently shuttered its National Civilian Community Corps program and placed at least 85% of its permanent workforce on administrative leave, notifying these employees that they would be terminated effective June 24, 2025. And at the end of April, California received notice from the federal government that its AmeriCorps grant programs had been terminated. Attorney General Bonta, along with the attorneys general of Maryland, Delaware, and Colorado, led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and two states in suing to stop the dismantling of the agency. The District Court’s order grants the states’ request to restore AmeriCorps programs, including the volunteer servicemembers who support them, in California and in the other plaintiff states and reverse the shuttering of the National Civilian Community Corps program, while denying preliminary relief to address the layoff of AmeriCorps’ permanent staff.

    “AmeriCorps volunteers represent the best parts of America. They are selfless and eager to serve their country – but the reality is, many of them wouldn’t be able to do so without the programs supported by AmeriCorps,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s decision ensures this vital service work that brings volunteers directly into California communities will continue while we make our case in court. We will not stop fighting until we secure a permanent decision protecting AmeriCorps and the thousands of hardworking volunteers who have dedicated themselves to public service.”

    BACKGROUND

    AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by providing opportunities for Americans to serve their communities and by awarding grants to local, state, and national organizations and agencies which use funding to address critical community needs. These organizations and agencies use AmeriCorps funding to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide. AmeriCorps members and volunteers have connected veterans to essential services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped older adults age with dignity, rebuilt communities after disasters, and improved the physical and mental well-being of millions of Americans.  

    In 2024, more than 6,150 California members served at least 1,200 locations, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps invested more than $133 million in federal funding to California that same year to support cost-effective community solutions, working with local partners on the ground to help communities tackle their toughest challenges.

    A copy of the court’s order and opinion can be found here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ricketts Issues Red Alert on Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the threat Communist China poses to the American way of life. On the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, he spoke with Nebraska reporters about Communist China and his recent Congressional Delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue.

    ”Dictator Xi Jinping has told his military to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027,” said Ricketts. ”[Communist China’s] actions threaten peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific… Communist China is the very greatest threat to our very way of life. Communist China is actively threatening our rules-based system that we’ve had in place for over 80 years and that has kept peace.”

    Ricketts also highlighted Communist China’s coercion in the Indo-Pacific, and spoke to the importance of America’s continued engagement in the region with our partners.

    “Countries throughout the region know that Communist China is an inconsistent trading partner and a bad neighbor,” said Ricketts. “While Beijing focuses on coercing its neighbors, we are working with our regional partners to deepen relationships. What we heard from America’s friends and partners   in the Indo-Pacific is that they want America there. They want to have a renewed emphasis on strengthening their defense capabilities as well.”

    Watch the video here.

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Senator Ricketts:

    ”Thank you all for joining our weekly press call.

    “36 years ago today, the People’s ‘Liberation Army’ killed or wounded tens of thousands of pro-democracy Chinese protesters in Tiananmen Square.

    “Communist China’s attacks on freedom are not only existential threats to America and the rest of the world but are a tragic reality for their own people.

    “To this day, the Communists censor any mention of these attacks in China in media and across their online platforms, including AI platforms like DeepSeek.

    “Just go use DeepSeek, plug in Tiananmen Square, and see what you get.

    “We remember the lost lives, repression suffered, and the sacrifices made in the Chinese struggle for freedom.

    “I participated in the Shangri-La Dialogue Friday and Saturday of last week in Singapore with Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth.

    “The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual conference where world leaders meet to discuss defense policy and national security in the Indo-Pacific.

    “Now, why does this matter to Nebraskans?

    “The Indo-Pacific is critical to our peace and prosperity.

    “Communist Chinese aggression has threatened some of our largest trade partners, Japan and South Korea.

    “Singapore hosts over 6000 American companies that are doing business in Asia.

    “This includes ADM, which has nine facilities and processing plants in Nebraska,

    “$5.3 trillion worth of trade flows through the South China Sea.

    “This makes up about 21% of all global trade.

    “If global trade in the region is disrupted by Communist Chinese aggression, Nebraskans would feel it in their pocketbooks.

    “We would not be able to export our agricultural products.

    “We would also not be able to import products, which would drive up prices.

    “The topic that was top of mind for everyone was the increasing aggression from Communist China.

    “Communist China has been infringing upon economic zones of countries other than just Taiwan and attacking them using cyber networks.

    “Dictator Xi Jinping has told his military to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027 all these actions threaten peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.

    “Both the Trump and Biden administrations have declared Communist China our foremost geopolitical threat.

    “Communist China is the very greatest threat to our very way of life.

    “Communist China is actively threatening a rules-based system that we’ve had in place for over 80 years and is kept to peace.

    “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s speech at the conference was heralded as one of the most detailed accounts of the Indo-Pacific by a secretary of defense in years.

    “He said, ‘America is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific.

    “’America and our interests are here to stay.’

    “I was happy to see the extent of America’s presence at the conference.

    “Unlike Communist China, we sent our top security and defense officials.

    “In addition to Secretary Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, attended.

    “So did Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan King.

    “Admiral Sam Paparo, the INDOPACOM commander in charge of the region, also spoke of the importance of the Indo-Pacific

    “The US Congress was represented by a bipartisan, bicameral delegation from the House and Senate.

    “Countries throughout the region know that Communist China is an inconsistent trading partner and a bad neighbor.

    “While Beijing focuses on coercing its neighbors, we are working with our regional partners to deepen relationships.

    “What we heard from America’s friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific is that they want America there.

    “They want to have a renewed emphasis on strengthening their defense capabilities as well.

    “In the Senate, I am working with my colleagues to make sure we are ready for Xi Jinping aggression.

    “We are making all aspects of our government ready to respond to Beijing’s malign influence and their illegal, coercive, deceptive, and aggressive behavior, we are playing a decisive role in supporting our Indo-Pacific allies and partners.

    “At the same time, we are complicating Xi Jinping plan to take Taiwan through force or coercion.

    “This trip with Senator Duckworth follows an April trip I took to Taiwan and the Philippines with Senator Chris Coons and Ted Budd.

    “These trips highlight the threat posed by Communist China and make it clear to win the fight against Communist China, we must help our regional partners as they help us.

    “What we see in our trips are not weak partners asking for shelter or protection.

    “They are force multipliers for our deterrence.

    “That’s why I’ve been leading legislation like the PORCUPINE Act, which would make it easier for Taiwan to buy American weapons and supplies.

    “I’m also a co-sponsor of the COUNTER Act, which would address the threats of Communist China’s military bases across the globe.

    “I’m leading action to make sure America is ready to counter the Communist threat to our way of life.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning: Xi Jinping and D. Trump agreed that the teams of the two countries will continue to implement the consensus reached at the Geneva talks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Xinhua | 05. 06. 2025

    Keywords: China-USA

    Source: Xinhua

    Flash: Xi Jinping and D. Trump agreed that the teams of the two countries will continue to implement the consensus reached at the talks in Geneva Flash: Xi Jinping and D. Trump agreed that the teams of the two countries will continue to implement the consensus reached at the talks in Geneva

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why South Korea’s new leader may be on a collision course with Trump

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security, University of Bradford

    The new South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, calls himself a foreign policy “pragmatist”. He says he is driven by South Korea’s national interest, rather than ideology, and has spoken of his desire to improve relations with China and North Korea.

    Under the former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s relationship with these countries came under increasing strain. Yoon adopted a confrontational stance toward North Korea, and openly sided with Washington in its rivalry with Beijing. Lee’s vision may bring his government into conflict with the Trump administration.

    On the campaign trail, Lee sought to dispel doubts about his commitment to the longstanding military alliance between the US and South Korea. He repeatedly described Seoul’s relationship with Washington as the “basic axis of our diplomacy”.

    But he signalled that there would be some rebalancing of relations under his leadership, stressing that South Korea should not rely solely on the US. This reflects the fundamental belief of liberal politicians in South Korea. While acknowledging the importance of ties with the US, they want a more balanced relationship with other regional powers like China.

    Lee says closer relations with China will occur within the framework of South Korea’s alliance with the US. But, with Washington and Beijing battling for global influence, this is still likely to become a major point of tension with the US. The Trump administration has taken a hawkish approach towards China and wants its allies to do the same.

    Lee, for his part, has stated that South Korea should not be forced to choose between the US and China, saying: “We should not put all our eggs in one basket”. And he has signalled that his government will resist efforts by Washington to draw South Korea into any conflict with China over Taiwan or territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

    The Lee government clearly has a delicate balancing act ahead when it comes to the two superpowers. Trump has previously criticised the amount South Korea pays for the US forces stationed on its soil, while recent reports suggest he is considering the withdrawal of about 4,500 US troops from the country.

    Relations with Pyongyang

    Another of Lee’s pressing foreign policy issues is how to deal with the North Korean threat. Yoon’s government avoided dialogue with the North and encouraged the spread of outside information across the border.

    Over the past decade, in response to North Korea’s improved nuclear and missile capabilities, public opinion in South Korea has shifted in favour of developing an independent nuclear weapons programme.

    This is not a strategy the Lee government will pursue. The Democratic party, of which Lee is a member, has historically advocated a policy of engagement and peaceful coexistence with North Korea.

    From 1998 to 2008, and then again from 2017 to 2022, liberal governments in South Korea pursued a so-called “sunshine policy” towards the North. The goal was to reduce tension through engagement, with the ultimate goal being to create the conditions for unification.

    In his inaugural address on June 4, Lee said his government would deal with North Korean aggression with “strong deterrence” – referring to the military alliance with the US. But he also elaborated on the need to again reopen channels of communication with North Korea to deliver peace through talks and cooperation. He added: “Peace is always cheaper than war”.

    In a signal of his intent for renewed engagement with the North, Lee has nominated the former unification minister, Lee Jong-seok, as chief of the National Intelligence Service. Lee Jong-seok was the architect of South Korea’s policy towards the North between 2003 and 2008, during the presidency of Roh Moo-hyun.

    However, the geopolitical landscape has changed in recent years. In January 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared South Korea an “enemy” nation and said the North would no longer be working toward reunification. North Korea has since then stopped any contact with the South and has ceased any economic collaboration.

    South Korea’s sunshine policy had seen the development of projects such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which involved South Korean businesses establishing factories in North Korea and employing North Korean workers.

    North Korea is a foreign policy issue in which the Trump administration and the Lee government may pursue similar objectives. Trump has also signalled that he is seeking to renew dialogue with North Korea, and has hinted at the possibility of future summits to discuss a nuclear agreement.

    Trump’s first term saw him become the first US president to meet with a North Korean leader while in office, though he ultimately made no progress in restraining North Korea’s nuclear programme.

    Kim is very unlikely to be responsive to efforts by either country to engage in dialogue. North Korea has forged a close partnership with Russia in recent years, which has even seen it send troops to fight against Ukraine, and no longer considers engagement with the US or South Korea necessary.

    It is instead banking on making significant advances in military technology. Russian assistance has reportedly already contributed to improvements in North Korea’s missile guidance systems, while Russia has also supplied North Korea with advanced air defence systems.

    The new Lee government faces a very challenging international environment. The North Korean threat is growing, the US security guarantee is weakening, and it will have to resist Trump’s attempts to draw South Korea into a regional military network to contain China. How it meets all of these challenges will become clear in the months and years ahead.

    Christoph Bluth received funding from the Korea Foundation and the Academy of Korean Studies

    – ref. Why South Korea’s new leader may be on a collision course with Trump – https://theconversation.com/why-south-koreas-new-leader-may-be-on-a-collision-course-with-trump-258143

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Huizenga Introduces Legislation to Protect Free Speech, Stop Government Censorship, & Codify Trump Executive Order into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02)

    Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, announced the introduction of H.R. 3719, the Restoring American Freedom Act. This commonsense measure bans employees at the State Department from silencing the free speech of American citizens by explicitly stating that no taxpayer dollars can be used to unconstitutionally limit the free speech of any American citizen. Additionally, this legislation stops the federal government from using third party entities to “blacklist” Americans or create censorship tools used against Americans.

    “The Restoring American Freedom Act is a direct response to the Biden Administration’s effort to censor Americans, particularly conservatives and those who disagreed with the Administration’s policies,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “The federal government should not be censoring the speech of Americans, and they sure as heck shouldn’t be using taxpayer dollars to pay outside organizations to do it either. The Restoring American Freedom Act codifies President Trump’s executive order from April into law and makes sure that free speech is protected and the federal government is never weaponized in this manner against Americans again.”

    The legislative text of the Restoring American Freedom Act can be found here. H.R. 3719 is cosponsored by Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Keith Self (R-TX), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Michael Guest (R-MS), Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), and Andrew Clyde (R-GA)

    Background

    The State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) played a key role in facilitating the censorship of Americans protected free speech via its shadowy network of grantees and subgrantees. The GEC awarded grants to NGOs, not-for-profits, and for-profit entities that created and sold advertising blacklists that were used to target conservative media outlets and voices. Prior to the 2020 Presidential election, the GEC also quietly worked with a consortium of academic and media entities to monitor and censor political speech in the US by flagging posts to get taken down from social media websites.

    In December 2024, following an investigation from House Foreign Affairs Committee and numerous other committees, Congress allowed the statutory authorization of the Global Engagement Center to lapse. Following the termination of GEC, the Biden Administration restructured the office into a Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub (R/FIMI).

    On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued the Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship executive order to end all censorship of Americans by the federal government. On April 16, 2025, President Trump terminated the remaining 40 R/FIMI employees and shuttered the office.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Stevens Statement on CBO Declaring Trump’s Budget Will Kick 11 Million People Off Health Coverage, Increase Debt by $2.4 Trillion

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens released the following statement:

    “Michiganders have known it for weeks, and now the CBO has confirmed it: Trump’s big, beautiful bill only benefits the rich and powerful, all while hurting Michiganders and hemorrhaging our financial future. 

    “Kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance, including hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, is absurd and an insult to working families struggling with rising costs. This means even higher prices, less people in the workforce, less people getting the healthcare treatment they need, all while giving handouts to the very top of the 1%.

    “Republicans need to stop their chaotic agenda and get serious about protecting Michigan’s health care.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –