NewzIntel.com

Category: Trumpism

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Trump Decimates FEMA Ahead of Hurricane Season, Reed Sounds the Alarm & Urges Administration to Rehire FEMA Staff

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI — Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and forecasters are predicting an active Atlantic hurricane season.  Meanwhile, state emergency response agencies are preparing for the possibility that the Trump Administration will leave them in the lurch – as President Trump attempts to shift a heavier financial burden onto states and dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides timely, coordinated support to prepare for, respond to, and recover from hurricanes and other major disasters.   

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, warns the Trump Administration’s chaotic leadership changes, budget reductions, and FEMA staff cuts are unnecessarily making it harder for coastal states to prep for hurricane season and respond to and recover from a major natural disaster. 

    Senator Reed sent a letter to the head of FEMA urging the agency to “rehire key staff and provide a detailed plan showing how FEMA will operate during what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts will be an “above normal” hurricane season.”

    Since the start of President Trump’s term, FEMA has lost at least one-third of its staff: At least 2,000 of the agency’s roughly 6,100 full-time employees have either left or plan to leave due to waves of terminations and voluntary retirements ordered by the so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).  President Trump’s preliminary 2026 budget proposal calls for slashing $646 million from FEMA. 

    FEMA provides direct financial relief to states, localities, and individuals after a disaster, but it also provides technical expertise and funding to help state and local governments prepare for and manage large scale disasters. 

    Senator Reed wrote: “Regrettably, because of the Trump Administration’s actions over the last several months, FEMA seems ill-prepared to carry out these responsibilities.”

    The letter also noted: “On May 21, Reuters reported that the Administration’s abrupt firing of Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton and the departure of 16 senior FEMA executives have “disrupted the agency’s planning for hurricane season.”  CNN reported on May 15 that a recent FEMA internal review found that the agency “is not ready” for the start of hurricane season.  According to a May 9 NPR report, the Administration has fired more than 200 FEMA employees and that hundreds more have indicated they are accepting the Administration’s resignation offers.  And a May 23 Washington Post article notes that FEMA faces a backlog of unprocessed emergency declaration requests from prior storms.  These reports inspire little confidence that FEMA is focused on its mission.”

    Noting the obvious connection between a major reduction in FEMA staff, budget, and resources and a potential reduction in federal involvement, Reed called on the Trump Administration to reverse its mass staff reductions and implement a plan to ensure the timeliness and adequacy of FEMA’s response to future disasters.

    “With hurricane season just days away, it is essential that FEMA shows that it is properly staffed and that key leadership positions are held by individuals who have had previous experience as emergency managers during major disasters.  To that end, I urge you to reinstate the professional staff who have left the agency in recent months and provide a detailed plan showing how FEMA will assist states during major disasters.  Additionally, I would caution against adopting any significant changes in FEMA’s processes for approving requests for disasters declarations and disaster assistance without consultation with states, stakeholders, and Congress.  Any changes should be the result of a deliberative process, rather than impromptu actions,” the letter concluded.

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dear Mr. Richardson:

    With the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season due to start on June 1, there is increasing doubt that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be able to meet the challenge due to the chaotic leadership of the agency during the first few months of the Trump Administration.  To assure stakeholders and the public that FEMA is ready, I urge you to rehire key staff and provide a detailed plan showing how FEMA will operate during what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts will be an “above normal” hurricane season.

    As you know, the American people rely on FEMA for timely, coordinated support to prepare for, respond to, and recover from hurricanes and other major disasters.  The agency provides direct financial relief to states, localities, and individuals after a disaster, but it also provides technical expertise and funding to help state and local governments prepare for and manage large scale disasters.  Regrettably, because of the Trump Administration’s actions over the last several months, FEMA seems ill-prepared to carry out these responsibilities.

    On May 21, Reuters reported that the Administration’s abrupt firing of Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton and the departure of 16 senior FEMA executives have “disrupted the agency’s planning for hurricane season.”  CNN reported on May 15 that a recent FEMA internal review found that the agency “is not ready” for the start of hurricane season.  According to a May 9 NPR report, the Administration has fired more than 200 FEMA employees and that hundreds more have indicated they are accepting the Administration’s resignation offers.  And a May 23 Washington Post article notes that FEMA faces a backlog of unprocessed emergency declaration requests from prior storms.  These reports inspire little confidence that FEMA is focused on its mission. 

    With hurricane season just days away, it is essential that FEMA shows that it is properly staffed and that key leadership positions are held by individuals who have had previous experience as emergency managers during major disasters.  To that end, I urge you to reinstate the professional staff who have left the agency in recent months and provide a detailed plan showing how FEMA will assist states during major disasters.  Additionally, I would caution against adopting any significant changes in FEMA’s processes for approving requests for disasters declarations and disaster assistance without consultation with states, stakeholders, and Congress.  Any changes should be the result of a deliberative process, rather than impromptu actions.

    Thank you for your attention in this matter, and I look forward to your prompt reply.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Responds to Trump Admin Canceling Ongoing Contract to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of a contract with Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine to combat bird flu in humans.
    “As bird flu continues to spread across the U.S.—and infect humans—it’s hard to imagine something more shortsighted than canceling the contract for a new vaccine that’s shown promise in protecting people from the disease. mRNA technology has shown incredible promise and helped save millions of lives—but now this administration is casting doubt on the very technology this president propelled in his first administration that ultimately ended a pandemic. We are all now suffering the dangerous consequences of Republicans confirming an anti-vax conspiracy theorist to serve as the nation’s top health official. This contract has helped fund an early trial with promising results. Now, all that work is being put in serious jeopardy—talk about government waste and inefficiency. Donald Trump and RFK Jr. want to stop lifesaving vaccines from being discovered, and they are very intentionally pushing this country down a dangerous path: we will be less prepared for the next influenza pandemic, putting the lives and health of the American people at real risk.”
    Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s destruction of HHS and America’s health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
    In particular, Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 
    Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Meets with WA State Emergency Management Leaders, Hears How Trump’s Attacks on FEMA Threaten Emergency Response Ahead of Wildfire Season

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senators Murray, Merkley, WA & Oregon Fire Officials Lay Out How Trump is Putting Wildfire Preparedness & Response at Risk

    ***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL FROM EVENT HERE***

    ***AUDIO HERE***

    Sultan, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion with emergency management leaders in Washington state to hear about the impacts of the Trump administration’s attacks on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies, and how these changes are already affecting communities around the state as they respond and prepare for disasters. As climate change continues to increase the severity and unpredictability of natural disasters like wildfires, communities across Washington State need to be able to rely on help from the federal government to both respond to disasters and to prepare for them—but the Trump administration’s reckless and chaotic policy changes are putting that work in jeopardy. Joining Senator Murray for the roundtable were: Lucia Schmit, Emergency Management Director at Snohomish County; Julie de Losada, Chief of Emergency Management at Skagit County; Angel Cortez, Emergency Preparedness Manager at Tulalip Tribes; Hannah Cleverly, Washington State Emergency Management Association Secretary and Deputy Director at Grays Harbor County Emergency Management; Sharon Wallace, Deputy Director of the Washington State Emergency Management Division; Chandra Fox, Deputy Director at Spokane County Emergency Management; and Tony Miller, Director of Emergency Management at Yakima County.

    “I am incredibly grateful for all the work our emergency responders do to protect our families—whether it’s floods, tsunamis, wildfires, or mudslides—and I was glad to have the opportunity to hear from emergency management leaders today about the importance of planning and preparing for natural disasters before they strike,” said Senator Murray. “Unfortunately, we have a new administration that doesn’t understand that—and doesn’t seem to care if their policies put people in danger. Trump and his DHS Secretary want to eliminate FEMA completely. They are doing all they can to leave us less prepared by proposing to slash FEMA’s budget, pushing out thousands of employees, freezing funds that were already allocated, and cancelling BRIC grants and other critical programs. It is sending our communities reeling and creating painful and unnecessary chaos for disaster response efforts in Washington state and across the country. States rely on federal support, both to respond to disasters and prepare for them, and the Trump administration’s reckless policy changes have already put years of emergency management preparation work, and lives, at risk. I will keep shining a spotlight on how Trump’s senseless decisions to destroy our emergency management system are threatening the safety of our families and communities.”

    Under the Trump Administration, FEMA has undergone significant cuts to staff and funding reductions, leading to worries about the agency’s ability to respond and address disasters effectively. The Trump Administration has proposed to cut FEMA’s budget in the coming fiscal year, pushed out approximately 2,000 full-time staff, from terminations and employees participating in the deferred resignation program, roughly one-third of the total staff employed at the end of 2024, frozen over $100 billion in previously awarded FEMA grants and disaster assistance, and canceled the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which supports states, local and territorial governments, and Tribal Nations as they work to reduce their hazard risk. BRIC has invested over $5 billion in projects nationwide, reducing harm from floods, wildfires, and more. Senator Murray recently led a letter with Senators Van Hollen, Tillis, and Murkowski urging Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson to reinstate the BRIC grant program—in Washington state, over $200 million in BRIC funding across 67 applications was impacted.

    “All disasters begin and end at the local level. This has always been true. But one of the things that makes this nation strong is how we all come together to help during the hard times,” said Lucia Schmit, Snohomish County Emergency Management Director. “When the slide buried the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and Highway 530 near Oso in 2014, killing 43, responders from over 120 organizations—including from other counties and states—waded into the mud. We were all able to work together because of the critical role the federal government plays in supporting a common emergency management system. To hazard that partnership courts disaster.”

    “I want to thank Senator Murray for her leadership at the federal level to ensure we are prepared for and can respond to emergencies of all types,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “Our county is no stranger to emergencies like landslide, floods, or fires. We live in a remarkably beautiful place, and that comes with the responsibility to limit risks and respond to needs in communities near powerful rivers, active volcanoes, and expansive forests. The federal government has been a key partner in that work, but proposed changes threaten to fracture that partnership. In the long run, I would expect reduced support for planning, mitigation, and recovery to cost our nation more, both in dollars and human suffering.”

    “Skagit County is facing increasingly complex threats such as coastal and riverine flooding, encroaching wildfires, and the potential for the Cascadian earthquake. We already have the frameworks in place to address these challenges with FEMA, but effective emergency management is only possible if federal agencies fulfill their obligation to being a reliable and enduring partner to local emergency responders. The federal government must not abandon communities during times of crisis, and we call on them to adhere to their responsibility to support local jurisdictions in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery,” said Julie de Losada, Skagit County Emergency Management Chief.

    “Tribes being a sovereign nation, each individually unique, comes with its own sets of challenges. The uncertainty of FEMA potentially being dismantled and pulling up critical funding leaves tribes in a position that makes it harder to implement mitigation strategies, plans, response and to recover in the event or prior to a disaster happening. Tribes also face a historical challenge with their local and state governments that you and I are both aware of,” said Angel Cortez, Emergency Preparedness Manager at Tulalip Tribes. “The reality of today is we need FEMA, and FEMA needs us. We need our states and local partners, and they need us too. None of us will be able to go through a major disaster alone. For disasters are not restricted to borders, political ideologies, or economic status.”

    “Whether you call it FEMA reform, change, restructuring, or transformation—what matters is that it’s thoughtful, strategic, incremental, and grounded in the real needs of our communities,” said Sharon Wallace, Deputy Director of Washington’s Emergency Management Division.

    “Effective and sustainable resilience in the face of wildland fire requires cooperation and collaboration across all levels of government.  We need to have engaged federal partners supporting our efforts in Public Education, Fuels Reduction, and Incident Management, as well as Response and Recovery,” said Chandra Fox, Deputy Director at Spokane County Emergency Management. “The Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program provides essential funding to Fire Agencies and community partners, directly supporting fuels reduction and home hardening efforts at the local level.  Without this funding opportunity, these efforts would be severely curtailed, limiting their effectiveness and reach.”

    Senator Murray is a leading voice pushing back against the Trump administration’s attacks on FEMA and other federal agencies, including NOAA and the U.S. Forest Service, that support disaster preparedness and response in Washington state and across the country. At a budget hearing, Senator Murray grilled Secretary Kristi Noem on the Department of Homeland Security’s sweeping funding freeze, including FEMA disaster relief and public safety grants, and its plans to weaken FEMA and recent denials of disaster declarations. Last week, Senator Murray led Washington state’s entire congressional delegation in a letter President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024. Murray previously led the entire delegation in a letter urging President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    Earlier this month, Senator Murray held a press conference with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and wildfire officials in Washington state and Oregon to sound the alarm on how the Trump administration’s funding freezes and punishing cuts to the workforce at the U.S. Forest Service and other key agencies are seriously undermining wildfire preparedness and response in Washington state and Oregon and putting communities at risk. Senator Murray is working to secure critical investments in wildfire suppression and mitigation—and in our firefighters. Last year, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she secured nearly $22 million in funding for wildfire risk reduction projects across Washington state as part of the USFS Wildfire Crisis Strategy. In the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024, she worked to include essential investments in wildfire preparedness and suppression. And in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, she secured $25 million in funding for wildfire mitigation projects across Washington state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Everett, Murray Holds Roundtable on Trump Putting $16.7 Million for Snohomish County Homelessness Prevention At Risk, Hears from Affected Organizations—Vows to Fight Housing Budget Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL FROM EVENT HERE***

    ***AUDIO HERE***

    Everett, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion on the Trump administration’s senseless decision to jeopardize Continuum of Care (CoC) grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—which helps communities address homelessness—by placing new, potentially unlawful conditions on the grant funding. Joining Senator Murray for the roundtable were: Snohomish County Human Services Director Mary Jane Brell-Vujovic; Joe Alonzo, CEO of Cocoon House; Kathryn Opina, Interim CEO of Housing Hope; Mary Anne Dillon, Vice President of Permanent Housing for the YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish; Becky Megard, Chief Operations Officer of Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County; and Theresa Jones, a single mother of three whose family has benefitted from Housing Hope’s programs and who is now working toward obtaining her associate’s degree in Family and Social Services.

    Local governments and non-profits across the country that had qualified for the federal CoC grant programs were informed in March that this year’s funding would require recipients to comply with vaguely worded executive orders that Trump signed in the opening weeks of his second term, specifically related to immigration status, abortion and reproductive care, “gender ideology,” and DEI programs. Snohomish County had already been allocated $16.7 million in CoC grant funding this year—only to be told their receipt of that funding is conditional on meeting the requirements of the president’s various executive orders. CoC grant funding goes toward 23 programs that offer housing and supportive services for homeless individuals and families in Snohomish County. Snohomish County anticipates that its partner agencies—who provide rapid rehousing and rental assistance, as well as specific services for young adults, people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence—would also not be able to sign off on the administration’s new conditions.

    Snohomish County is one of eight original plaintiffs in a King County-led coalition of local governments across the country who are suing the Trump administration over the potential loss of funding. The lawsuit was filed on May 2nd. Pierce County also joined the City and County of San Francisco, Santa Clara County, New York City, Boston, and Columbus (Ohio) in filing the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Sound Transit, the Port of Seattle, and at least 20 other local governments across the country have since joined the lawsuit, which also challenges similar conditions in U.S. Department of Transportation grant agreements. On May 8th, District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) preventing the Trump Administration from imposing these conditions on CoC funds or withholding CoC funds based on the conditions, and on May 23 she extended that TRO to June 4.

    “Continuum of Care grant funding helps local organizations provide really important services for people experiencing homelessness—these are proven, effective investments that actually save communities money in the long run. But Trump is ripping away funding to prevent homelessness at the same time that he’s pushing Republicans to pass new, deficit-busting tax breaks for billionaires,” said Senator Murray. “Affordable housing and homelessness is a crisis and President Trump is making it a lot worse—from pushing out staff across HUD who work with groups like everyone here to keep programs running and get grants we pass out the door, freezing funding across the government, and turning federal funds meant to help people into a tool for his own partisan goals with outrageous, illegal restrictions that cut providers off from funds. President Trump hasn’t put out his full budget yet, but when it comes to housing, I’ve seen enough—he would kick millions out onto the street and make the homelessness and affordable housing crisis so much worse. Trump can write a budget, but Congress can tear it up—and we will as long as I have anything to say about it. I’ll keep fighting back in Congress to protect our investments in preventing homelessness when we write our funding bills and highlight the stories of organizations like the ones we heard from today.”

    President Trump’s “skinny budget” proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 would slash funding for HUD by almost 50 percent—a staggering cut that would decimate the HUD housing assistance programs, making millions of Americans vulnerable to homelessness. Trump’s budget proposes to convert all rental assistance programs into a formula-based “State Rental Assistance Block Grant” and reduce total funding by $26.7 billion, or a 42 percent cut. His budget also proposes to consolidate the CoC Program with the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program within the formula-based Emergency Solutions Grant and to time-limit assistance to two years, all while reducing overall funding by $532 million, or 12 percent. In addition, President Trump’s budget proposes to eliminate or reduce numerous HUD programs, including eliminating major formula programs communities rely upon to develop new affordable housing and for community development activities. The President’s full budget request has not yet been released. As the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray plays a key role in negotiating annual funding for HUD through the appropriations process.

    “Snohomish County has created one of the most successful Continuum of Care networks in the nation, and the federal support is essential to save lives and reduce human suffering,” said Snohomish County Department of Human Services Director Mary Jane Brell Vujovic. “There are no additional resources at the local or state level to make up for the federal funding, and the lives of people literally hang in the balance.”

    “If the most vulnerable members of our community—domestic violence victims, people with disabilities, unhoused youth and veterans—cannot receive basic life-saving support from the federal government, they will suffer and possibly die,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “The programs funded by the Continuum of Care are some of the most powerful tools to keep people off the streets and safe. We are very grateful for Senator Murray’s compassionate advocacy for these fundamental responsibilities of the federal government.”

    “Our housing program is a critical component of the safety net for survivors of domestic violence. It not only provides immediate refuge but also a foundation for long-term stability, recovery, and self-sufficiency. Without this vital support, families are at risk of cycling back into danger or falling into homelessness. Continued federal investment ensures that our shelter system remains responsive, accessible, and equipped to break the cycle of violence—one safe home at a time,” said Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County Chief Operational Officer Becky Megard.

    “The young people we serve don’t care about political power struggles, nor do they have interest in having their identities erased.  They want the opportunity to find a stable and supportive housing environment, to gain skills, and to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.  In this situation, they unfortunately stand to lose the most,” said Joe Alonzo, CEO of Cocoon House. “Loss of CoC funds will have immediate and ripple impacts on homeless youth and young adults in Snohomish County.  Without CoC funding or a viable replacement option, nearly 200 young people will experience loss of housing and vital supports.  These funds are critical for the operation of programs and services that were designed to address their unique situations.”

    “In Snohomish County, HUD Continuum of Care funds are the backbone of our homelessness response system. These funds are absolutely essential for providing services to individual families and ensuring that our system functions effectively,” said Kathryn Opina, Interim CEO of Housing Hope. “Without this funding, we will see a significant increase in homelessness, particularly for families with children and other vulnerable populations. Housing Hope thanks Senator Murray for fighting for this critical funding.”  

    “The women and families YWCA serves matter. Cutting funding only creates more barriers for those we serve, and these threats have the potential to be devastating. Even in the face of these challenges, it’s important that we continue to provide the services our community relies on,” said Mary Anne Dillon, Vice President of Permanent Housing at the YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish.

    “Housing Hope has been active in my life since 2020, so five years now,” said Theresa Jones, a 45-year-old single mother of three. “They were a godsend; they came into my life 2 months before everything shut down for COVID. At the time they came into life I was living in a motel room with my 3 daughters… And I was working two jobs, so it was ultimately up to my 16-year-old, with an autoimmune disease, to raise my younger two just so I could work to keep some sort of roof over our head and some sort of food. And every time I tried to get assistance, I was told I didn’t qualify or I made too much money, all because I didn’t check the right boxes. And so by the time Housing Hope came into my life, my kids were not going to school regularly because of mental and physical health reasons, with us being homeless. My physical health was getting worse… [Housing Hope] immediately got us into a family shelter. That way I could back off from working enough to help raise my family and to see what steps we needed to do next. They got me into a transitional housing unit, which I am still there, and it is a very big blessing. Because of having the safe and stable housing that I can afford, without having to struggle, I have been able to get myself and my children the mental health they need. We are now better physically than we have been in a long time, because I’m able to keep up with our physical issues as they come up instead of having to postpone them because I can’t afford to take off of work… Now I’m a full-time college student going to get my associate’s degree in Family and Social Services because that’s where I feel I can have the most impact.”

    Senator Murray has consistently worked to address Washington state’s housing crisis and has secured major federal investments to help families keep a roof over their heads. Throughout the pandemic, Senator Murray—then Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee—played a major role in writing federal COVID-19 relief legislation that secured major support for people facing housing insecurity, championing sizable investments in rental assistance and other programs that collectively resulted in the largest eviction prevention effort in American history. In the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill Murray negotiated and passed as Appropriations Chair, Murray secured billions for HUD as well as millions of dollars in Congressionally Directed Spending for affordable housing projects throughout Washington state.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Convenes Rapid-Response Press Conference on Chaos for Ports, Businesses as Courts Rebuke Trump‘s Ability to Impose Arbitrary Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    05.29.25
    Cantwell Convenes Rapid-Response Press Conference on Chaos for Ports, Businesses as Courts Rebuke Trump‘s Ability to Impose Arbitrary Tariffs
    Port of Seattle Commissioner: “If we’re not seen as a reliable partner, it doesn’t mean that trade doesn’t continue – it just doesn’t go through our gateway”; Cantwell praises lower courts’ decisions to end Trump’s illegal tariffs
    SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman and Barry Barr, CEO of local outdoor apparel company KAVU, for a press conference overlooking the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 46 to respond to the chaos caused in the last 24 hours as President Donald Trump scrambles to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.
    “Two courts have ruled against President Trump’s tariffs. They basically have said he’s exceeded his authority. For almost 24 hours, [business owners] just like Barry heard that good news and thought maybe we were having a reprieve against these terrible actions that are costing consumers more,” Sen. Cantwell said. “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets.”
    “In business, we need predictability. And it’s just been chaos and uncertainty – and we’re not sure what to do or even where to find the information to lead. Especially in sourcing and manufacturing – the timelines are so long and so far out there, several years, and we just don’t know where to go,” Barr said. “This court verdict is a great sign for American consumers. Hopefully prices won’t increase if we can get back to normal tariffs.”
    “These trade relationships are sticky, in that when you move to another market, once you set up these supply chains, they don’t all come back. And so this is a very dangerous period of time,” Commissioner Felleman said. “If we’re not seen as a reliable partner, it doesn’t mean that trade doesn’t continue – it just doesn’t go through our gateway or our country.”
    Video of the press conference is available HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks are HERE.
    Last night, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump illegally overstepped his authority when he imposed tariffs on most U.S. trading partners on April 2, as well as the additional tariffs on goods from China, Mexico, and Canada.  The Trump administration appealed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit, which this afternoon put a hold on the ruling while it will consider arguments in the case.
    Today, a second federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also ruled that the President exceeded his authority and issued a preliminary injunction on the collection of the duties, while staying the court’s order for two weeks pending appellate review. The Trump administration also appealed this decision.
    In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill. On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy.
    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  
    For the past four months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, amid legal appeals to a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia

    Earlier this week, a US court blocked the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs that US President Donald Trump imposed on imported goods from around 90 nations.

    On Wednesday (US time), the Court of International Trade ruled the emergency authority Trump used to impose the tariffs could not override the role of Congress, which has the right to regulate commerce with other countries.

    The following day, however, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington paused the trade court’s ruling, temporarily reinstating Trump’s tariffs. The earlier court ruling, and the fresh uncertainty prompted by the appeal have left the implementation of Trump’s trade policy in disarray.

    Even though it has been paused, the trade court’s ruling calls into question trade negotiations underway with more than 18 different nations, which are trying to lower these tariffs. Do these countries continue to negotiate or do they wait for the judicial process to play out?

    The Trump administration still has other mechanisms through which it can impose tariffs, but these have limits on the amount that can be imposed, or entail processes which can take months or years. This undermines Trump’s preferred method of negotiation: throwing out large threats and backing down once a concession is reached.

    Emergency powers were a step too far

    The lawsuits were filed by US importers of foreign products and some US states, challenging Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

    The lawsuits argued the national emergencies cited in imposing the tariffs – the trade deficit and the fentanyl crisis – were not an emergency and not directly addressed by the tariff remedy. The court agreed, and said by imposing tariffs Trump had overstepped his authority.

    The ruling said the executive orders used were “declared to be invalid as contrary to law”.

    The act states the president is entitled to take economic action in the face of “an unusual and extraordinary threat”. It’s mainly been used to impose sanctions on terrorist groups or freeze assets from Russia. There’s nothing in the act that refers to tariffs.

    The decision means all the reciprocal tariffs – including the 10% tariffs on most countries, the 50% tariffs Trump was talking about putting on the EU, and some of the Chinese tariffs – are ruled by the court to be illegal.

    The ruling was based on two separate lawsuits. One was brought by a group of small businesses that argued tariffs materially hurt their business. The other was brought by 12 individual states, arguing the tariffs would materially impact their ability to provide public goods.

    Some industry tariffs will remain in place

    The ruling does not apply to tariffs applied under Section 201, known as safeguard tariffs. They are intended to protect industries from imports allegedly being sold in the US market at unfair prices or through unfair means. Tariffs on solar panels and washing machines were brought under this regulation.

    Also excluded are Section 232 tariffs, which are applied for national security reasons. Those are the steel and aluminium tariffs, the automobile and auto parts tariffs. Trump has declared all those as national security issues, so those tariffs will remain.

    Most of the tariffs against China are also excluded under Section 301. Those are put in place for unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft or forced technology transfer. They are meant to pressure countries to change their policies.

    Other trade investigations are still underway

    In addition, there are current investigations related to copper and the pharmaceuticals sector, which will continue. These investigations are part of a more traditional trade process and may lead to future tariffs, including on Australia.

    The Trump administration is still weighing possible sector-specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
    Planar/Shutterstock

    Now for the appeals

    Following the subsequent reinstatement of tariffs, we now have to wait for the appeals process to play out. This may take some time. The plaintiffs have until June 5 to respond, and the Trump administration has until June 9.

    In the meantime, there are at least five other legal challenges to tariffs pending in the courts.

    If the appeals court provides a ruling the Trump administration or opponents don’t like, they can appeal to the Supreme Court.

    Alternatively, the White House could direct customs officials to ignore the court and continue to collect tariffs.

    The Trump administration has ignored court orders in the past, particularly on immigration rulings.

    The administration is unlikely to lie down on this. In addition to its appeal process, officials complained about “unelected judges” and “judicial overreach” and may contest the whole process. The only thing that continues to be a certainty is that uncertainty will drive global markets for the foreseeable future.

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

    – ref. Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, amid legal appeals to a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – https://theconversation.com/trumps-global-trade-plans-are-in-disarray-amid-legal-appeals-to-a-us-court-ruling-on-liberation-day-tariffs-257812

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Proposed Trump Threats, Rosen Fights to Keep Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is calling on the Trump Administration to reverse course on plans to eliminate federal funding and issue a stop work order for the Job Corps program, which would force the closure of the Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center in Reno. This center has operated since 1979, serving approximately 25,000 Nevadans and helping students secure full-time employment by providing them with in-demand job skills training. In her letter to the Trump Administration, Senator Rosen highlighted the program’s critical role in addressing workforce shortages, supporting low-income youth, and boosting local economies—stressing that a shutdown would leave hundreds of Nevada students without housing or access to career training. She urged immediate action to preserve the program, resume student enrollment, and stop a reported nationwide order that would impact more than 300 students in Nevada by halting operations and evicting those who rely on the center for housing and job training.
    “At a time when our nation is facing skilled workforce shortages in key sectors, Job Corps plays a critical role in equipping at-risk youth with the skills they need to meaningfully contribute to their communities, fill needed labor gaps, and help boost local economies,” wrote Senator Rosen in the letter. “For decades, the Job Corps program has cultivated a strong and resilient workforce in Nevada, and eliminating the program will have detrimental consequences on the communities, employers, and youth that rely on it.”
    “A stop work order would have immediate and severe impacts in Nevada, cutting off our youth population from critical job training needed to build the skills necessary to secure and maintain good-paying jobs,” she continued. 
    The full letter to the Administration can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has long supported the Sierra Nevada Job Corps Program and championed investments in job training. She has helped lead the fight in the Senate to protect and fully fund the Job Corps program every year. In August 2024, she visited Sierra Nevada Job Corps to participate in their graduation ceremony. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Wraps Up Tenth Stop of “Hands Off Medicaid” Tour in Superior

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    SUPERIOR, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) made a tenth stop on her “Hands Off Medicaid” Tour, convening Wisconsinites whose health care coverage is in jeopardy under the Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for corporate tax breaks. One analysis found nearly 230,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing their health care coverage in the plan that House Republicans voted to advance last week, including nearly 150,000 Wisconsinites on Medicaid.

    “Donald Trump came into office promising to lower costs on day one. Instead, he’s kicking hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites off their health care and jacking up costs on working families,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve travelled across Wisconsin meeting with families who rely on Medicaid to make ends meet and keep themselves or their loved ones safe and well. Every single one of them had a clear message to Congressional Republicans: ‘Hands Off Our Health Care.’ Working families don’t want their care ripped away so the wealthiest Americans can get richer, and I’m fighting to stop this plan dead in its tracks.”

    Senator Baldwin has hosted roundtables in La Crosse, Milwaukee, Wausau, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Racine, Waukesha, Superior, and twice in Madison to raise the alarms on Republicans’ plan to pass tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations by making deep cuts to programs that Wisconsinites rely on like Medicaid.

    Last week, House Republicans advanced a plan that would give tax breaks to big corporations and the top one percent while cuts to Medicaid and the ACA would result in roughly 13.7 million people losing their health insurance by 2034. A new report shows that in Wisconsin, 228,659 people would lose their coverage, including 81,308 Wisconsinites who rely on Affordable Care Act tax breaks to afford their insurance and 147,351 Wisconsinites on Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representative Peters Joined by Housing Providers, Veteran Service Organizations to Urge Congress to Protect Funding for Homeless Veterans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

    Washington, DC – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) and local housing service providers highlighted the encouraging results from this year’s Point-in-Time Count and the need for Congress to continue funding proven strategies that are making a difference to curb veteran homelessness in San Diego. The Point-in-Time Count revealed that veteran homelessness in San Diego County is down 25 percent.  

    “No one who honorably served our nation should end up living on the street,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “The results of this year’s Point in Time Count show we are headed in the right direction, but we can’t continue to make progress toward reducing veteran homelessness, or homelessness among any population, if our local partners cannot count on support from the federal government. I urge my Republican colleagues to stand up for the investments and the federal jobs that are helping us get people off the street and into safe, stable housing.”  

    Rep Peters brought service providers, case managers, and veterans who utilize these programs together to discuss San Diego’s ongoing efforts to end veteran homelessness. They also discussed the harm that proposed funding and staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would have on our communities.  

    “San Diegans want to see continued progress in reducing homelessness,” said San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn. “One reason we have made progress is that Congressman Peters has brought funding home to San Diego to help end veteran homelessness. But continued progress depends on the federal government continuing to fund these programs.”

    “Every veteran we house and help reintegrate into the community is a success story,” said Hanan Scrapper, PATH San Diego Regional Director. “With continued support, we can make veteran homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. Let’s not forget—these are more than statistics; they’re real people, real stories, and there are real threats to the progress we’ve made. With bipartisan commitment and sustained focus, we can not only end veteran homelessness, but we can also build a blueprint to end homelessness for all Americans.”

    “We can trace that result to targeted federal funding, local collaboration, and housing options available to veterans,” Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) CEO, Tamera Kohler said. “RTFH recently started producing monthly data reports focused entirely on veteran homelessness because it’s our goal to ensure every veteran has a place to call home. We can’t do that without federal funding. Washington plays a central role in this collaborative effort to reduce and ultimately end veteran homelessness. We must sustain and enhance this commitment for all who have served this country.”

    “The Point-in-Time Count this year provided a glimpse of the positive results collaboration, coordination and commitment can produce in our community, but funding is key,” San Diego Housing Commission President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “We thank Congressman Peters for his leadership, advocacy and support of the federal funding that is crucial to continuing to advance comprehensive homelessness solutions.”  

    “Thanks to PATH and my case managers, I’ve been able to stabilize my life and get back to work,” said William Applegate, a veteran and PATH program participant who struggled with homelessness after a divorce and challenges with his mental health. “In January, I moved into my own place thanks to my HUD-VASH voucher and all the support I was offered.”

    Rep. Peters is working to bring down the cost of housing by cutting red tape so America can build more low- and middle-income housing faster. He has also authored legislation that is now law to expand the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, (HUD-VASH) program and legislation to ensure non-profits can directly administer homelessness assistance grants to those who need it. Last year, the House of Representatives adopted a bipartisan amendment led by Rep. Peters encouraging local VA systems and public housing authorities to work together to streamline the HUD-VASH voucher application process in order to reduce barriers for veterans seeking housing assistance.

    Rep. Peters fought back and stopped the Trump Administration from cutting housing vouchers for homeless veterans in 2018. He will push back once again if President Trump and Republicans’ actions threaten to roll back hard-fought progress to house our nation’s heroes.    

    A livestreamed recording of the press conference can be found here.

    Additional photos from the event are available courtesy of Rep. Peters’ office here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOE Announces New Supercomputer Powered by Dell and NVIDIA to Speed Scientific Discovery

    Source: US Department of Energy

    BERKELEY— During a visit to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced a new contract with Dell Technologies to develop NERSC-10, the next flagship supercomputer at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) user facility at Berkeley Lab. The new system, due in 2026, will be named after Jennifer Doudna, the Berkeley Lab-based biochemist who was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry in recognition of her work on the gene-editing technology CRISPR.

    The new supercomputer, a Dell Technologies system powered by NVIDIA’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform, will be engineered to support large-scale high-performance computing (HPC) workloads like those in molecular dynamics, high-energy physics, and AI training and inference—and provide a robust environment for the workflows that make cutting-edge science possible.  

    This announcement reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to restoring the gold standard of American science and unleashing the next great wave of innovation. Doudna will be one of the most advanced supercomputers ever deployed by the Department, advancing U.S. leadership in the global race for AI.

    “The Doudna system represents DOE’s commitment to advancing American leadership in science, AI, and high-performance computing,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “It will be a powerhouse for rapid innovation that will transform our efforts to develop abundant, affordable energy supplies and advance breakthroughs in quantum computing. AI is the Manhattan Project of our time, and Doudna will help ensure America’s scientists have the tools they need to win the global race for AI dominance.”

    “At Dell Technologies, we are empowering researchers worldwide by seamlessly integrating simulation, data, and AI to address the world’s most complex challenges,” said Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies. “Our collaboration with the Department of Energy on Doudna underscores a shared vision to redefine the limits of high-performance computing and drive innovation that accelerates human progress.”

    “Doudna is a time machine for science — compressing years of discovery into days,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Built together with DOE and powered by NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin platform, it will let scientists delve deeper and think bigger to seek the fundamental truths of the universe.”

    “The Doudna supercomputer is designed to accelerate a broad set of scientific workflows. We are collaborating with NVIDIA and Dell to prepare our 11,000 users to effectively use this system’s exciting new workflow capabilities,” said NERSC Director Sudip Dosanjh. “Doudna will be connected to DOE experimental and observational facilities through the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), allowing scientists to stream data seamlessly into the system from all parts of the country and to analyze it in near-real time.”

                                                                                                      ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOE Issues LNG Export Authorization for Port Arthur Phase II, Advancing President Trump’s Commitment to Unleash American Energy

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today approved a final authorization for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to non-free trade agreement (non-FTA) countries from Port Arthur LNG Phase II in Jefferson County, Texas, following the Response to Comments on the 2024 LNG Export Study issued on May 19. This is the first final LNG export approval under President Trump’s leadership and marks another step in restoring regular order to LNG export permitting–reversing the previous administration’s pause and delivering on the President’s pledge to unleash American energy. 

    “Port Arthur LNG Phase II marks a significant expansion of the first phase already under construction– turning more of the liquid gold beneath our feet into energy security for the American people,” said Secretary Wright. “With President Trump’s leadership, the Energy Department is restoring America’s role as the world’s most reliable energy supplier.”  

    “U.S. LNG exports continue to gain momentum, and I am glad DOE is able to do its part to answer the call for more reliable and affordable energy, at home and abroad,” said Tala Goudarzi, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. 

    Port Arthur LNG Phase II, owned by Sempra Energy, is projected to export 1.91 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) once completed. In addition to Port Arthur Phase I—which is currently under construction and expected to begin exporting LNG in 2027—Sempra also operates the Cameron LNG export terminal in Louisiana, which has been exporting LNG since 2019, and is currently constructing the Energia Costa Azul terminal in Mexico, which will begin commercial export operations of U.S.-sourced gas as LNG beginning in 2026. 

    Today’s action marks the fifth LNG export authorization issued by Secretary Wright, bringing the total volume of exports associated with approvals under President Trump’s leadership to 11.45 Bcf/d.  

                                                                                                 ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proclaims Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    Source: US State of California Governor

    May 29, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 2025, as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

    The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

    PROCLAMATION

    California is home to more than 6 million Californians of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, each invaluable to our state and nation. During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we celebrate all the ways in which AAPI Californians enrich and strengthen our society as part of California’s incredibly diverse heritage.

    Unfortunately, throughout our history, AAPI communities have been the target of violence, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and other xenophobic policies at the federal, state, and local levels. Echoes of this dark history are still evident in shameful anti-Asian hate acts seen across the country. We must confront past and present racism and fight for the safety and inclusion of our AAPI friends and neighbors, who continue to show strength and resilience in the face of this discrimination.

    AAPI communities in California have created and sustained some of the oldest and strongest cultural enclaves in the country, offering refuge and connection during times of hardship. Rebuilt from the ground up after the 1906 earthquake and fire, Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest and largest in North America. All three remaining Japantowns in the country are in California – each with residents resilient enough to rebuild these thriving neighborhoods after they returned from unjust imprisonment in internment camps to ransacked homes and businesses. Across California, communities like Cambodia Town in Long Beach, Little Saigon in Orange County, Historic Filipinotown and Koreatown in Los Angeles, and Little India in Artesia are now thriving cultural enclaves, but many of these distinct neighborhoods were born of discrimination and segregation. Today, Californians from over 30 different countries and communities, including Native Hawaiians, live inside and outside of these historic boundaries. Their pride in their heritage and in themselves, in spite of prejudice, has always been and continues to be foundational to this state. 

    Few movements and turning points in California history were not shaped, at least in part, by AAPI leaders. Throughout California’s history, AAPI communities have driven change, doing so not just for themselves but in solidarity and partnership with other communities. We would not be the same without the AAPI communities and individuals that have made this state the leader it is in arts and culture, in labor rights and human rights, in business starts, in research, and so much more.

    During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, California takes the opportunity to pay tribute to the irreplaceable legacy of our AAPI communities, their incredible strength and resilience, and their essential role in driving our state and nation forward. This month and every month, let us celebrate all members of our California family and work together to achieve the promise of a California for all.

    NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 27th day of May 2025.

    GAVIN NEWSOM
    Governor of California

    ATTEST:
    SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
    Secretary of State

    Recent news

    May 28, 2025

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    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement after a federal court ruled today that President Trump exceeded his use of emergency powers to enact broad-sweeping tariffs that hurt states, consumers, and businesses: “Like we said when we filed…

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    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bill:SB 49 by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) – Tribal gaming: compact and amendment ratification.For full text of the bill, visit: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.  Recent…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Exposes Sanctuary Jurisdictions Defying Federal Immigration Law

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Sanctuary jurisdictions undermine the rule of law and endanger the lives of Americans and Law Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens. Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger. This action follows the signing of an Executive Order by President Donald J. Trump on April 28, 2025. The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and the Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and publicly highlight jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

    DHS is committed to exposing these lawless jurisdictions to the public and making them accountable for not respecting the rule of law.

    “These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law. President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.”

    Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance and all potential violations of federal criminal statutes. DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.

    Review the jurisdictions list.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Urges DOD to Protect Civilians During Military Operations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined 13 of his colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging him to preserve the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence at the Department of Defense (DOD) to minimize civilian deaths during combat.

    According to a Washington Post report, the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence was instructed by Pentagon leadership to halt all civilian harm mitigation work, including winding down the center and firing or reassigning nearly 170 personnel who advise military leaders on limiting noncombatant casualties.

    “Minimizing civilian casualties in warfare is a moral duty and a strategic imperative,” wrote the senators. “We remind you that the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (“the Center”) was established by Congress… and the law requires you to operate it.”

    “Nevertheless, public reporting indicates that the Trump Administration is preparing to ‘abolish’ the Center,” they continued. “Regardless of your personal views regarding the importance of reducing civilian casualties, neither you nor the President have such authority.”

    “The credibility of U.S. foreign policy flows not just from our raw military power but also from our reputation as a nation that values innocent life and protects noncombatants,” they wrote. “When American forces deploy, the world should understand that they are not just the most lethal and capable force in human history, but also that their operations are conducted consistent with the highest moral and humanitarian standards.”

    In addition to Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    The full letter can be found here and below.

    Dear Secretary Hegseth,

    We write to urge that you cease any effort to close the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence at the Department of Defense. Minimizing civilian casualties in warfare is a moral duty and a strategic imperative.

    We remind you that the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (“the Center”) was established by Congress, fully funded by Congress in each of the last two fiscal years, and the law requires you to operate it. Congress established the Center, with overwhelming bipartisan support, in 2022. Its purpose, per 10 U.S. Code § 184, is to “institutionalize and advance knowledge, practices, and tools for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm” that result “from military operations involving the United States Armed Forces.” It was established in response to an inquiry led by previous Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis into civilian casualties that resulted from U.S. airstrikes in Iraq.

    Nevertheless, public reporting indicates that the Trump Administration is preparing to “abolish” the Center. Regardless of your personal views regarding the importance of reducing civilian casualties, neither you nor the President have such authority.

    Reducing civilian casualties in warfare is an obvious moral imperative necessary for its own sake. But it is also a strategic imperative. The credibility of U.S. foreign policy flows not just from our raw military power but also from our reputation as a nation that values innocent life and protects noncombatants. When American forces deploy, the world should understand that they are not just the most lethal and capable force in human history, but also that their operations are conducted consistent with the highest moral and humanitarian standards. Furthermore, U.S. forces’ freedom of maneuver and the sustainability of deployments in complex environments often depends upon the trust and good faith of the local civilian population.

    We urge you to support the work of the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, and not to undo years of work by your predecessors to ensure the United States military remains the most capable, responsible, and respected in the world.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A U.S. federal judge has extended an injunction blocking Trump’s policy of revoking Harvard’s permission to admit foreign students.

    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

    WASHINGTON, May 29 (Xinhua) — A U.S. federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary restraining order against the Donald Trump administration’s policy of barring international students from Harvard University.

    According to the Massachusetts District Court document, the temporary injunction “will remain in effect” until the parties consult and submit either a joint motion for a preliminary injunction or individual motions to the judge for consideration, at which point a final order for a preliminary injunction will be entered.

    Judge Allison Burrows held a hearing in the case Thursday morning.

    On May 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it had revoked Harvard University’s certification for its undergraduate and exchange student program, effectively barring the university from enrolling international students.

    On May 23, Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the policy. That same day, Burrows issued a temporary injunction blocking the administration’s policy and ordering the status quo to be maintained until the merits of the case are heard.

    According to Harvard, international students made up more than 27 percent of the university’s total enrollment in the fall 2023 semester. The university currently has about 6,800 international students and scholars from more than 140 countries and regions, most of whom are pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carbajal Blasts Trump Executive Order Undermining Nuclear Safety

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to undermine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s ability to independently and responsibly regulate civilian nuclear activity in the United States. The order, titled “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” directs the Commission to facilitate the expansion of nuclear energy, coordinate with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut staff and overhaul existing regulations, set time limits on license application reviews, and reduce public input under the guise of streamlining.

    “The Central Coast is home to California’s last remaining active nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon. Our community understands that safety must always come first when using nuclear energy,” said Rep. Carbajal. “President Trump’s order to shake up the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is yet another reckless decision that could weaken the agency’s ability to protect communities near nuclear plants. I will fight any attempts to roll back the safety and environmental protections that keep Central Coast residents safe.”

    Diablo Canyon, situated just north of Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, generates 9% of California’s total electricity.

    In February 2024, Rep. Carbajal, along with Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49), introduced legislation to raise the design standards on waste canisters for spent nuclear fuel. The 100 Year Canister Actwould require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to change the minimum design lifespan for canisters from the current regulation of 40 years to 100 years. This bill would ensure spent nuclear fuel remains safe within its canister for longer as more long-term solutions are developed to store and ultimately dispose of spent nuclear fuel.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cotton, Westerman to Driscoll: Army Must Analyze Pine Bluff’s Potential to Address Munitions Shortage

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) followed up an initial push in support of Pine Bluff Arsenal’s long-term outlook with new requests for Secretary of the U.S. Army Dan Driscoll to provide detailed plans for the future of the Arsenal as a critical element of the defense industrial base and promptly deliver a congressionally-mandated report outlining a strategy to address issues facing America’s domestic munitions production and supply chain chokepoints. 
    “We remain committed to ensuring, in line with President Trump’s directive to the department, that the military has the munitions it needs to fight and win decisively. Fortunately, Pine Bluff Arsenal can help the Army solve the munitions crisis, hence we’re not willing to allow its capabilities to wither on the vine,” the lawmakers wrote, in part.
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    The Honorable Dan P. Driscoll
    Secretary of the Army
    101 Army Pentagon
    Washington, DC 20310-0101
     
    Secretary Driscoll,
     
    We write to establish next steps regarding the future of Pine Bluff Arsenal and to secure its crucial role in the defense industrial base. Please provide answers to the following inquiries no later than June 6, 2025.
     
    As we discussed, we believe the Army’s organic industrial base has an irreplaceable role to play in addressing this nation’s munitions crisis. Our delegation has worked for years to persuade the Army to take steps to improve its arsenals, ammunition plants, and depots, including by re-orienting production at Pine Bluff Arsenal to address urgent military-munitions requirements.
     
    To that end, we passed language in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Joint Explanatory Statement that directed the Secretary of the Army to provide a plan to “establish secondary domestic production sources at existing arsenals, depots, and ammunition plants of the U.S. Army to address munition supply chain chokepoints” no later than June 1, 2025. We expect the Army to produce this report in accordance with the law and provide a thorough, well-considered set of plans that explains how it should use Pine Bluff Arsenal and the other facilities within the Army’s organic industrial base to meet urgent operational needs.
     
    Furthermore, we are justifiably concerned that Army is attempting to circumvent the law by slowing operations at the arsenal before the FY26 NDAA and appropriations season, thus presenting Congress with a virtual fait accompli and limiting our ability to perform our constitutional oversight and budgetary responsibilities. Title 10 USC § 2687, base closures and realignments, specifies the Army may not close any military installation of more than 300 civilians or reduce its personnel by more than 50 percent without notifying Congress and presenting it with detailed strategic and economic evaluations of the impact of such a downsizing or closure. Title 10 USC § 4532, the Arsenal Act, requires the Secretary of the Army to procure supplies in government-owned factories or arsenals if possible “on an economical basis.” We expect, and insist, that the Army will comply with current statute when producing a path forward at Pine Bluff Arsenal.
     
    Please note that we’re particularly interested to understand your cost assumptions regarding your compliance with the Arsenal Act. As we have explained on multiple occasions, we believe ample evidence indicates that Pine Bluff Arsenal is more economical than most commercial options. Thus, we want to assess what assumptions the Army is using to argue otherwise.
     
    In addition to the required report, we now request the following additional information:
     
    The Army’s planned actions over the next 30 to 90 days at Pine Bluff Arsenal, to include proposed or enacted changes to staffing and production schedules. If no changes to Pine Bluff operations or personnel will occur, please definitively state that.
     
    The courses of actions the Army is developing for Pine Bluff Arsenal’s future, with at least the following information:
     1. How each course of action complies with both 10 USC § 2687 and 10 USC § 4532, to include detailed cost data analysis.
     2. At least one course of action explaining how the Army could use the arsenal to produce materials such as nitrocellulose, RDX, or TNT to address supply chain chokepoints.
     3. Detailed estimates of the costs that will be incurred if Army moves the white phosphorus ammunition mission away from Pine Bluff Arsenal, including the cost and time associated with acquiring the necessary environmental permits.
     
    Current capability gaps within the Army where manufacturing placement in the Army organic industrial base is possible, i.e. s-UAS, battery technology, brushless motors, etc.
     
    We remain committed to ensuring, in line with President Trump’s directive to the department, that the military has the munitions it needs to fight and win decisively. Fortunately, Pine Bluff Arsenal can help the Army solve the munitions crisis, hence we’re not willing to allow its capabilities to wither on the vine.
     
    We look forward to hearing from you.
     
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Applauds EPA for Awarding Nearly $4 Million in Grants to Clean Up Communities Across Kansas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) released the following statement after U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the selection of nearly $4 million in Brownfields Grants to clean up Kansas communities.
    “I am grateful to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for awarding nearly $4 million to the Sunflower State,” Senator Marshall said. “This funding will help us revitalize our communities, create opportunities for growth, and protect Kansans’ health. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s leadership, the EPA is restoring American greatness by ensuring we have the cleanest air, land, and water while being good stewards of American taxpayer dollars.”
    “The $267 million in Brownfield Grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,” EPA Administrator Zeldin said. “EPA’s Brownfields program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.”
    EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek, and Mitchell County Economic Development Director Emily Benedick also joined Senator Marshall and EPA Administrator Zeldin in releasing the following statements.
    “EPA Region 7 is proud to work with our partners across the state of Kansas, advancing cooperative federalism and empowering local and state partners to take the lead in revitalizing their communities,” EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy said. “This collaborative approach ensures fiscal responsibility, promotes economic development, and transforms potentially contaminated properties into clean, usable land that supports long-term growth and sustainability.”
    “The Community Wide Assessment Grant for State and Tribal will help increase property values and create jobs across Kansas,” Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek said. “Receiving these substantial dollars to support the redevelopment of brownfields throughout the state not only benefits the environment, but it elevates communities and industries by turning underutilized and vacant properties into productive ones. This is a win for the entire state.”
    “The City of Beloit is incredibly grateful and excited to receive EPA Brownfield Cleanup funding. This funding enables our community to repurpose two vacant buildings into housing, a critical need in our rural community,” Mitchell County Economic Development Director Emily Benedick said. “This grant gives us the peace of mind to know we are providing a safe environment for future housing development.”
    The following organizations in Kansas have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding:

    The City of Beloit has been selected to receive $418,620. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Kansas Industrial School Campus, located at 1720 N. Hersey Avenue. The 0.8-acre cleanup site operated as a juvenile detention center for girls and has been vacant since 2009. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants. Grant funds will also be used to conduct community engagement activities.
    The Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1 million. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund (RLF), from which Flint Hills Regional Council Inc. will provide up to three loans and up to two subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds will also be used to establish the RLF, market the program, and support community engagement activities. RLF activities will focus on Chase, Geary, Lyon, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, and Wabaunsee counties, with a focus on the cities of Herington, Junction City, and Manhattan.
    The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been selected to receive $2 million. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 116 Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also support the development of at least three cleanup plans and at least one community meeting annually, with each community to provide general updates on the grant. The target area for this grant includes the Oak Grove neighborhood in Kansas City and the cities of Eureka and El Dorado. Priority sites include Land Bank properties in Oak Grove; a former horse racetrack, a former nursing home, sites adjacent to the existing fire department to accommodate its expansion, Memorial Hall, and the former Masonic Lodge in Eureka; and the Grizzly Development in El Dorado.
    The City of Topeka has been selected to receive $500,000. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct eight Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to inventory brownfield sites and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the City of Topeka. Priority sites include the 36-acre, former White Lakes Mall and two former schools.

    Background:
    EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfield investments have leveraged over $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding created over 220,500 jobs from both public and private sources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Google is going ‘all in’ on AI. It’s part of a troubling trend in big tech

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University

    Google recently unveiled the next phase of its artificial intelligence (AI) journey: “AI mode”.

    This new feature will soon be released as a new option to users of Google’s search engine in the United States, with no timeline yet for the rest of the world. The company says it will be akin to having a conversation with an expert well versed on a wide range of topics.

    This is just one of many steps Google is taking in pursuit of its “all-in” approach to AI.

    The “all-in” approach extends beyond just integrating the technology into different applications. Google is providing products all along the AI supply chain – a process known as “vertical integration” – housing everything from AI computer chips through to the user interfaces we interact with on a daily basis, such as Google maps or Gmail.

    Google isn’t the only AI company with ambitions of vertical integration. For example, OpenAI recently acquired a hardware startup co-founded by Apple’s Jony Ive, which will centralise hardware development within the company. Amazon is taking similar steps. It owns cloud computing platforms, custom chips, device plans and is incorporating more AI services into products.

    This may be the beginning of a trend of vertical integration across big tech. And it could have significant implications for users and companies alike.

    The AI ‘tech stack’

    Hardware, software, data sources, databases and servers are some of the layers that make up what is commonly referred to as the “AI tech stack”.

    There are four main layers to Google’s evolving vertical tech stack:

    1. Hardware layer. Google develops its own AI chips, known as tensor processing units (TPUs). The company claims these chips provide superior performance and efficiency compared to general purpose processors.

    2. Infrastructure layer. The company uses its own cloud infrastructure to source its computing power, networking and storage requirements. This infrastructure is the foundation for running and scaling AI capabilities.

    3. Model development layer. In-house research capabilities are used to drive the development of their products and services. This includes research around machine learning, robotics, language models and computer vision.

    4. Data layer. Data is constantly sourced from users across all Google platforms, including its search engine, maps and email. Data collection is a condition of using any Google application.

    Some argue vertical integration is an optimal and cost-effective business strategy in many industries, not just tech. However, the realities of this set-up prove otherwise.

    Google is seeking to become a vertically integrated AI company.
    RYO Alexandre/Shutterstock

    Fuelling power imbalances

    Google and OpenAI are two of just a handful of companies which dominate the global technology market.

    Thanks to this market dominance, these companies can charge higher markups for their goods and services and abuse practices in online advertising.

    Vertical integration further skews this power imbalance by centralising the layers of the AI tech stack to one company. A distribution of hardware, infrastructure, research and development and data across multiple industries helps support a more equitable playing field across the industry.

    The loss of this equity creates greater barriers to entry for smaller companies as the larger conglomerates keep everything in-house.

    It also reduces incentives to innovate in ways that benefit consumers because it eliminates the business competition that usually drives innovation.

    Data is often described as the new gold. This is especially true in the case of AI, which is heavily reliant on data. Through its many platforms, Google has access to a continuous stream of data. In turn, this gives the company even more power in the industry.

    Other tech companies such as Amazon are moving towards vertical integration in the AI sector.
    ACHPF/Shutterstock

    The vulnerabilities of vertical integration

    The success of a company that is vertically integrated relies on housing the best knowledge and expertise in-house. Retaining this level of resourcing within a small handful of companies can lead to knowledge and expertise hoarding.

    Research shows knowledge and expertise hoarding reduces social learning and increases disparities between “winners” and “losers” in a given market. This creates an overall vulnerable industry, because net gains are lost in the pursuit of exclusivity.

    Exclusivity also breeds a lack of resilience. That’s because the points of failure are centralised.

    Risk is better managed with additional oversight, transparency and accountability. Collaborations across industry rely on these processes to work together effectively.

    Centralising the AI tech stack within one organisation eliminates external scrutiny, because it reduces interactions with external providers of products and services. In turn this can lead to a company behaving in a more risky manner.

    Regulatory bodies can also provide external scrutiny.

    However, the current push to deregulate AI is widening the gap between technology development and regulation.

    It is also allowing for big tech companies to become increasingly opaque. A lack of transparency raises issues about organisational practices; in the context of AI, practices around data are of particular concern.

    The trend towards vertical integration in the AI sector will further increase this opacity and heighten existing issues around transparency.

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

    – ref. Google is going ‘all in’ on AI. It’s part of a troubling trend in big tech – https://theconversation.com/google-is-going-all-in-on-ai-its-part-of-a-troubling-trend-in-big-tech-257563

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Pressley Delivers Keynote at Boston University School of Public Health Convocation

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

    “A decision to pursue a career in public health is a noble and worthwhile decision, and to do so especially right now, is in and of itself, an act of radical courage.”

    “Keep dreaming and remain in unapologetic and in active pursuit of making those dreams a reality, just as you did with your degree. Change can’t wait. And neither can the world—for you.”

    BOSTON – In case you missed it, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered the keynote address at the Boston University School of Public Health’s (BUSPH) 2025 Convocation in which she shared a powerful and personal message of hope, urgency, and moral clarity. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley described her own journey at Boston University, discussed the critical role of public health professionals amidst the Trump Administration’s anti-health, anti-science, and anti-research agenda, and encouraged graduates to continue doing the work necessary to build a more just and healthy world.

    A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks, as delivered, is available below, and the full video is available here.

    Transcript: Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Keynote Address at Boston University School of Public Health’s Convocation
    May 17, 2025

    Thank you, Dean Stein, for that warm welcome and introduction. I am so deeply disappointed to be joining you by Zoom. This is what you call a hard pivot. I was in the airport for some seven hours—planes, trains and automobiles trying to get to you all. 

    I’m so sorry that weather got in the way of that, but I am so glad that I’m joining you, at least virtually, because nothing ultimately was going to stop me from congratulating the BU School of Public Health on this incredible milestone in your life and this incredible occasion.

    And it’s full circle in so many ways—you know, for me, as I’ve said many times before, Chicago is the city that raised me, Boston is the city that changed me, and Boston University had so much to do with that. So again, I’m so grateful and humbled to be invited to be your convocation speaker this year. 

    Again, Boston University, even virtually, it’s good to be in community with you. Chicago is a city that raised me, Boston is the city that changed me, and Boston University is the place that forever changed the trajectory of my life. 

    It is the place where I arrived as an idealistic teenager, eager to continue my education and expand my horizons. 

    So what a gift, truly, to share this life milestone and achievement for these 440 scholars and very soon graduates,  the Class of 2025. 

    This is one of my favorite times of the year: commencement. A time to pause and recognize the extraordinary achievements of students here at BU and beyond, who have persevered and sacrificed in order to make this day a reality for themselves and their families. 

    Now I don’t know each of your stories, but I know that you each have one. I know you’ve overcome life obstacles. I know that there were days you questioned what it’s all for and wanted to quit—where you were overwhelmed by life, fatigue, self doubt. But you persisted. And I’m so damn glad that you did.

    A decision to pursue a career in public health is a noble and worthwhile decision, and to do so right now—to do so, especially right now, is in and of itself, an act of radical courage.

    An act of faith in a belief in something greater, a belief that another world is possible—one not dominated by greed or a culture of grievance, one that sees and centers the humanity, dignity, and health of all people. 

    As you all know, while we may be in the wealthiest nation in the world, we also face unacceptable and persistent disparities in outcomes that are too often determined by the zip code you live in or the color of your skin. 

    To be clear, these outcomes are human made. They are the consequence of moral failings, budgetary neglect, and policy violence. 

    You need look no further than the case study of the Massachusetts 7th, right here, where a simple three mile bus ride from Harvard to Roxbury sees life expectancy drop by 30 years. 

    No doubt you’ve heard this statistic before—you may have even heard me recite it before. I imagine folks are tired of hearing it, but I don’t care, because what matters most is how tired people are of living it. 

    These are the challenges that the class of 2025 will face head on, against the backdrop of an anti-science, anti-research, anti-data, anti-equity, anti-health, anti-people agenda. 

    The essential mission of public health is under attack right now. The landscape you will be forced to navigate is unprecedented. The systems that public health professionals have poured their sweat equity into building are being dismantled with carelessness and a cruelty that is shocking, that will have devastating consequences for generations.

    There is a greed that pulls too many, to look past the humanity of those who are struggling or less fortunate. These decisions are driven by greed—and cruelty is the point.

    Some people think cutting pediatric cancer research is a fair trade for an unnecessary tax cut. Some people think taking food out of the mouths of hungry children to pay for a private jet is acceptable. Some people think government efficiency means making people hungrier and sicker. 

    It is easy to lose hope in the overwhelm of it all. In fact, that is just the point. That is the design of it all. 

    The current occupant of the White House and his dangerous conspirators want you to see their dark vision for our country as an inevitable fate, but I know better. You know better. We know better.

    We possess the superpower that is hope. Hope that is strengthened by the moral clarity and resolve each of you have demonstrated to arrive at this very day. 

    You have chosen to devote your lives to literally saving lives. 

    Please hear me when I say you have made the right choice. You are on the right path. 

    It is the brilliance and impatience of your generation who did not come to play, who will see us through these turbulent times.

    And when we get to the other side of this—and we will—you will be able to tell your children and your grandchildren about where you stood and the choices you made. 

    You’ll be able to tell them when everything was at stake, when it would have been easier and perhaps even safer, to retreat, to be silent, to change paths—you held firm. 

    You chose to stand for truth. You chose to stand for justice. You chose to stand for your neighbor, by your neighbor, and for humanity. You chose to stand for public health because you believe like I do, that our greatest wealth as a nation is the health of our people. 

    Here in Massachusetts and in Boston, we are lucky to have some of the brightest minds in public health, in the arts, in biotech, in higher education, and on and on. I know that the amazing faculty and dedicated staff here at BU have prepared you well to join that distinguished club.

    Whether you are preparing to join the workforce or planning to continue your education, just know that we need you. 

    We need your ideas and idealism. We need your passion and perspectives. We need your empathy and expertise. And I know the diversity of this year’s class will only serve to strengthen the solutions to our most pressing challenges. 

    You know, it’s hard to believe diversity is more frightening to some than a dictator and the rise of fascism. It’s hard to believe there are men in leadership who care more about growing their millions and billions than preventing measles outbreaks. And yet, here we are. 

    But I digress. While the current occupant of the White House carries out a coordinated attack on our public health systems, you are prepared to stand in the gap. 

    From the Black maternal health crisis to the opioid epidemic to the lingering impacts of COVID and those living with long COVID, there is no shortage of work to be done. As the Congresswoman who represents Massachusetts’ 7th, one of the most unequal districts in our Commonwealth and country across all outcomes, especially health — I know the need for care is great. 

    Our communities need you. Our communities deserve you. The years you have spent learning, growing, and forging partnerships here at Boston University will be brought to our nonprofits, our hospitals, our board rooms—and we will be the better for it. 

    For many, you may be the first person in your family to receive a master’s or a doctorate—impressive achievements that I hope will carry you in difficult times.

    Your next role will have its difficulties. You may be in rooms where no one else looks like you, grew up where you did, or shares your background. While that can be daunting, it is also essential in order for our communities to have the best policies.

    There have been times in my life, from my first internship while a student at BU—at a satellite office in Roxbury, working for former Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II—all the way to my own time in Congress, where I was the only Black woman in the room.

    And when I entered, I called the question, I raised different questions that would not have come up otherwise. We’re all better served when solutions are being developed through a diverse prism, not through one that is monolithic and homogenized. 

    This is why personnel is policy. We live intersectional lives that demand intersectional policies. Any organization can’t be its best if you do not have a diversity of perspective, opinion, and thought around the table. 

    And in this work, I have relied on and benefited from two Boston University School of Public Health grads to legislate health, wellness, and justice. As a Boston City Councilor, my longtime Chief of Staff, Jessica Ridge, was a proud BU School of Public Health graduate, and her experience here — her unique lens and attention to the intersectional nature of health outcomes — were critical to our policy agenda.

    From fighting for more walkable sit down restaurants and communities to literally rewriting the sex ed curriculum at Boston Public Schools, she connected the policy decisions to outcomes. And together, we centered the people who stood to be the most impacted in crafting the solutions. 

    That’s where my ethos, “the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, driving and informing the policy making,” came from. The practice of cooperative governing, being proximate to those closest to the pain, to better understand the nuances, complexities and intersectionalities, but also to harness the best solutions. 

    That practice continued in Congress. My first senior advisor in DC, Lynese Wallace, used what she learned on campus and her own lived experiences as a Black woman to shepherd our shared work to address the Black maternal mortality crisis. 

    Now for you. There is a set path laid before you as a researcher, clinician, practitioner, policymaker, or whatever role sings to your soul and your passions. 

    I know the degree you walk out of this ceremony with today will give you the foundation to make a difference. It has to me, and the constituents that I serve.

    And ultimately, we are all better served by the policies advanced when we include different approaches and perspectives in writing them. 

    As a former BU student, I’m especially proud that the School of Public Health has not in any way run away or retreated from your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, even as assaults on these programs and initiatives rage on across the country. I hope that your courage is contagious.

    While there are active efforts underway to perpetuate fiction rather than to teach facts, it is a fact that systemic oppression, codified in our laws and budgets, has discriminately harmed women, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, persons with disabilities, and other underserved communities in this country. 

    I’m so glad that you have been called. I’m so glad that you have been compelled to pursue a career in public health because you want to undo the harms of past injustices and prevent future harms. You want policies and systems that are just, equitable, and people-centered. 

    It is the challenge and the responsibility before each of us during these deeply consequential times to summon our unique gifts and talents in service to our communities to mitigate harm and to advance progress. 

    The moment in time — this moment in time — isn’t merely about how to survive the next four years. It is about shaping the next 100 years. 

    And I am enlisting each of you as architects in that shaping. I believe it is possible. I believe another world is possible. You do too.

    Cling to that and pass it on. Radical work begins with a radical dream. 

    I dream of a world where health equity is a given, not an afterthought. 

    I dream of a world where Black men grow old. 

    I dream of a world where gender affirming care is a right, and trans children are not political props. 

    I dream of a world where pain is believed — everyone’s pain is believed — in healthcare settings. 

    I dream of a world where you can be Black and birthing and safe and live to raise your child. 

    I dream of a world where housing and healthcare are rights, not privileges. 

    I dream of a world where no one knows hunger, water is drinkable, air is breathable.

    Radical work begins with a radical dream. 

    Graduates, keep dreaming and remain in unapologetic and active pursuit of making those dreams a reality, just as you did with your degree.

    Change can’t wait. And neither can the world for you. 

    Congratulations, graduates!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amidst Trump Admin Attacks, RI Delegation & Local Librarians Highlight Importance of Public Libraries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    CRANSTON, RI – The Trump Administration is targeting the main source of federal funding for public libraries across the nation, putting interlibrary lending, adult education, summer reading, workforce development, and many other essential programs and community services in jeopardy.
    As public libraries continue to grapple with an uncertain future due to the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo are teaming up with Ocean State librarians and advocates to underscore the important role libraries play in the state’s communities and to urge robust federal support for the nation’s public libraries.
    In Rhode Island, IMLS cuts proposed by the Trump Administration would eliminate roughly 45 percent of the Office of Library and Information Services’ (OLIS) budget. OLIS is Rhode Island’s state library agency and provides support and services to libraries across the state.
    Today, the Rhode Island congressional delegation joined Rhode Island Chief of Library Services, Karen Mellor, Director of Cranston Public Library, Ed Garcia, and library directors from across Rhode Island to discuss the Trump Administration’s latest actions and work being done in congress to protect IMLS and strengthen federal funding and support for libraries.
    “The Trump Administration’s attacks on public libraries and IMLS are really an attack on learning, knowledge, and opportunity,” said Senator Reed, the leading champion of public libraries in Congress.  “Public libraries are among the best institutions we have, providing central gathering places where all community members are welcome to access an entire world of information.  I’m proud that Rhode Island is helping to lead the push against President Trump’s misguided IMLS cuts. And I will continue to fight to ensure our libraries have the funding, resources, and support they need to serve our communities.”
    “Public libraries enrich lives and make communities stronger,” said Whitehouse.  “As the Trump administration makes chaotic cuts to public libraries, I will do everything in my power to protect federal programs and resources that so many Rhode Islanders rely on.” 
    “Public libraries in Rhode Island are essential for people of all ages, as a source of education and community building,” said Magaziner.  “President Trump’s plan to cut funding for Rhode Island libraries and museums to pay for tax breaks for billionaires is cruel and shortsighted, and we are determined to fight back.”
    “From my first-hand experiences at the Pawtucket Public Library in my youth, I truly believe that public libraries are an invaluable resource for Rhode Islanders to achieve so many goals,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01). “Whether using their local library’s internet to search for a job or checking out a book to learn a new skill, the least resourced Rhode Islanders will be hit hardest by Trump’s attacks on libraries and museums. Funding and resources for museums and libraries help communities thrive and I will fight in Congress every day to make sure these vital community hubs have the funding they need to succeed.”
    “Every city and town in Rhode Island has a public library, and they work together as a seamless network to provide services and programs for children, students, jobseekers, adult learners, senior citizens, and anyone in between,” said Karen Mellor, Chief of the state’s Office of Library and Information Services. “We are extremely grateful to our congressional delegation for their ongoing efforts to preserve the federal funding that enables our agency to provide and support critical services for Rhode Islanders at libraries across the state.”
    “When we rally for libraries, we rally for the heart of our communities – our libraries, our museums, our educators, and our future. Our entire congressional delegation understands what is at stake, and we are proud to stand with them to ensure these vital institutions are not only protected but empowered to thrive,” said Ed Garcia, Director of Cranston Public Library.  “Elimination of IMLS funding would be devastating to Rhode Island libraries and the communities we serve, putting important programs and services our patrons rely on at risk.”
    In March, President Trump issued an executive order that called for the closing of several government agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Following the order, all IMLS staff were put on leave and some states began seeing their previously awarded federal IMLS grants being rescinded.
    While President Trump’s order has been challenged in federal court, the Administration has continued to target support for public libraries in a proposed budget that would eliminate funding for IMLS completely.
    For the current year, Congress has provided more than $294 million to IMLS to support grants and research funding, including about $1.4 million for Rhode Island’s Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) alone. Additionally, several Rhode Island institutions had their previously approved grants from IMLS rescinded, and recently received notification that their grants would be restored due to a court order.
    In most cases, public libraries receive the majority of their funding from state and local budgets. IMLS provides critical federal grants to state library agencies that help to strengthen libraries and boost services for patrons, such as workforce development training, interlibrary loans, e-book and audiobook lending, and much more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Hosts Discussion in Nashua on Threats to Health Care Under Republican Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    NASHUA – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan heard directly this week from Lamprey Health Care leaders, other Nashua-area health care providers, and a Granite State Medicaid recipient about the importance of protecting Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. This discussion comes as President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue their efforts to gut the health care that millions of Americans rely on in order to pay for tax breaks for corporate special interests and billionaires.  
    “President Trump and Congressional Republicans continue to push forward a plan that will make severe health care cuts, while also giving tax breaks to billionaires and corporate special interests… They are paying for these tax breaks by cutting Medicaid and taking health care coverage away from about 36,000 Granite Staters,” said Senator Hassan. “At a time when families are struggling with rising costs… I just can’t think of a worse idea than what the Administration and Congressional Republicans are proposing, which is to make it harder to afford health care, too.” 
    Senator Hassan, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health, has been hearing directly from Granite Staters about the importance of safeguarding Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, and has been voicing her opposition to the GOP’s plan to cut these programs. A recent analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that because the Congressional Republican plan increases the deficit by $2.3 trillion, it will trigger automatic cuts of $490 billion to Medicare. More than 60 million American seniors are enrolled in Medicare. An additional recent analysis of the Republican tax plan estimates that 36,856 Granite Staters will lose their health insurance by 2034 because of proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Exposes Biden-Harris Backlog of Criminal Complaints in Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today released a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) summary revealing thousands of concerning reports were identified in the Biden-Harris administration’s unaccompanied alien children (UC) program, but left unresolved, including cases of potential trafficking and fraud. 
    The Trump administration is now working to process 65,605 reports concerning migrant children, which were ignored or dismissed during the previous administration. These reports include 56,591 notifications of concern, 7,346 reports of human trafficking and 1,688 fraud leads. In a little over 100 days, the Trump administration has processed over 28 percent of the Biden-Harris backlog, resulting in 528 investigative leads, 36 investigations accepted for prosecution by U.S. Attorneys, seven indictments, 25 arrest warrants, 11 arrests and three convictions.
    “My oversight exposed the Biden-Harris administration for placing unaccompanied migrant children with dangerous sponsors and actively obstructing law enforcement and Congress’ efforts to rescue vulnerable kids. I applaud the Trump administration for its swift action to protect unaccompanied migrant children by addressing the concerning reports the Biden-Harris administration shelved,” Grassley said. “I look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to ensure justice is served.”
    Read Grassley’s full letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HERE.
    Background:
    Grassley has spearheaded efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse for more than a decade.
    Last year, he submitted a law enforcement referral, including legally protected whistleblower disclosures, to the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation flagging potentially criminal activity in the UC program. Homeland Security Investigations used this referral to identify over 100 suspicious UC sponsors. However, the Biden-Harris administration failed to fully respond to two thirds of the subpoenas issued by law enforcement as a result of Grassley’s referral. At Grassley’s request, President Trump’s HHS has pledged to review compliance with those subpoenas to help law enforcement find and rescue children, and shut down possible trafficking networks. 
    This Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General published a report which validated Grassley’s findings and confirmed the Biden-Harris administration lost track of hundreds-of-thousands of migrant children, placed children with dangerous sponsors and restricted information sharing with law enforcement. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Pfluger Joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business

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

    Watch the full interview HERE or read highlights of the conversation below.

    Maria Bartiromo: You did your work in the House. You passed this bill before Memorial Day. What are you thinking when you hear your colleagues in the Senate talk like this?

    Rep. Pfluger: Number one, we got it done on time, and that gives the predictability to the business community that they know they can plan for next year, that they know they can take the biggest tax cuts that President Trump extended and has enhanced and in many cases made permanent, and plan for next year. And number two, we are saving over a trillion and a half dollars, $1.6 trillion, that’s the largest amount of savings ever garnered in 250 years of this country. So it’s not perfect. Nobody argues for that, but it is an incredible bill, and we need it to be done quickly. That’s the most important thing.

    Maria Bartiromo: What about all these green subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act? You know, that’s what some people are complaining about as well. I mean, you represent the largest capacity in America for oil and gas drilling in the Permian Basin, and we’ve talked about the incredible opportunity for oil and gas. Why all of these subsidies for other things, these green energy subsidies? Is it because your colleagues complained about job losses? Why are they still in there?

    Rep. Pfluger: It’s a great question. I think many of us tried to get to a point where we had a level playing field, a transparent playing field, where we are not just picking winners and losers. We want energy to work on its own. Of course, representing the Permian Basin, we believe that natural gas, we believe that nuclear, and things that are reliable, that have baseload capacity, are the best way to go, and we’re going to keep standing up for that.

    Maria Bartiromo: What do you want to say about the President’s energy agenda, “the drill, baby drill,” and the permitting easing, which the deregulation part of the agenda cannot be underestimated, with permitting easing, right?

    Rep. Pfluger: He is right. We need to unleash American energy. We need to have energy dominance, and it’s important that we get rid of that regulatory posture that Biden tried to kill the industry with. He tried to use every tool possible in every agency and every way to do that. But we’re resilient. The President now understands, President Trump understands that American energy, producing it here, unleashing our domestic potential, is the foundation for every business in this country, including national security issues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The 40: Pfluger Interview, No Tax on Tips, and DOJ v. Democrats

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

    A Conversation with Pfluger

    While in the midst of ongoing negotiations for the budget reconciliation bill and other general chaos in Washington, D.C., Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX-11) graciously took time for a phone call with The Texan last week. 

    Among the topics we discussed was one I’ve noodled on throughout various editions of The 40 since January: how has Trump impacted the dynamic of the 119th Congress? 

    Of course, no president has come and gone without leaving behind a signature mark on the legislature during his term — but Trump takes a unique position, as folks on either party would agree, but not on whether it’s been a positive impact. He’s been vocal in sharing how he would like Congress to legislate, which members he wants to see ousted (complete with colorful epithets and descriptions), and his perception of Congress members’ duty to fulfill his agenda.  

    Pfluger said that Trump has indeed “impacted it in every way, shape and form.” He acknowledged that “We look at the election on November 5 as a mandate, for the things that 77 million people who voted for him demanded needed to be changed.”

    Pfluger said Trump’s influence spans over “the whole gamut of issues,” following a Congress that was “under a  government that we lost trust and faith in, a government that was bloated and insanely expensive … Overreaching agencies that were overreaching into Americans lives, an energy landscape where the Biden administration wanted to basically assault fossil fuels — it spans over the entirety of it.”

    “Trump has brought a real sense of urgency to change the way that we do business,” Pfluger added, “to hit the reset button in Washington, D.C., to hit the reset button button in the international system, to hit the reset button with our military.”

    He added that Trump’s urgent tone “has prompted and prodded Congress to move quickly.”  

    “You see that with this ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB) that just passed this morning on the House floor, that he is driving an agenda to get our country back on track, and Congress is legislating to codify many of the executive actions that he has taken,” Pfluger concluded.

    Pfluger’s legislative record over the past few months is emblematic of this prodding from Trump for haste — as Pfluger has passed the most legislation in the House of Representatives since the start of the 119th Congress. 

    Stay posted next week for an update on the OBB’s inclusion of border security reimbursement provisions and Pfluger’s inside analysis of it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Leads Fight for, Colleagues Urge Full CDC Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, and 28 Senators pressed Senate Appropriators stressing the need for full funding for the Georgia-based CDC to protect the centers’ national security and public health work

    Earlier this year, Senator Warnock led the charge in demanding answers about the termination of 20,000 full time staff at HHS, including thousands of CDC employees

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) led 29 Senate colleagues in urging Senate leadership to work across party lines and protect the mission of the Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by providing at or near $9.683 billion in support of the agency. In a letter sent to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senators Warnock, Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and 28 other Senate colleagues stressed the importance of protecting the CDC’s national security and public health work.

    “During the first several months of 2025, the Trump administration fired thousands of dedicated public health professionals who have devoted their life’s work to the health, safety, and security of our constituents. These mass terminations not only destabilize our country’s public health infrastructure, but they also put our economy at risk when people get sick, and no one is there to respond,” the senators said.

    “These cuts will not make American’s healthy. The CDC must remain the world’s preeminent public health agency and to do so, the CDC must have the tools it needs to continue its work. We support robust funding for CDC’s response efforts to domestic health threats, much of which flows through state and local public health agencies,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the Democratic senators emphasize their willingness to work with their Republican counterparts on legislation that can pass the Senate.

    “In 2023, Congress, on a bipartisan basis, affirmed the importance of CDC by requiring its director to be confirmed by the Senate, which was a critical step to bolstering the public’s trust in the CDC. By prioritizing funding for its essential programs, including non-communicable disease prevention, global health initiatives, data modernization, and workplace safety, Congress can ensure that the CDC will continue to protect and enhance the health and safety of all Americans,” the senators closed.

    Senator Warnock has repeatedly stood up in defense of CDC workers, including joining them at a rally, delivering a floor speech opposing Secretary Kennedy’s nomination, demanding answers from administration nominees at Congressional hearings, and more. Since the CDC and its employees became a target of this administration, Senator Warnock has led several efforts defending their employment and the crucial role they play in keeping the nation safe. Earlier this year, Senator Warnock sent a letter to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy requesting additional information about the termination of 20,000 full-time staff and organizational restructuring at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    In addition to Senators Warnock and Ossoff, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below

    Dear Chairwoman Capito and Ranking Member Baldwin,

    As you consider the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we thank you for your strong commitment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to the nation’s public health security. We respectfully request that you protect the mission of CDC by providing robust funding at or near the level of $9.683 billion for the agency.

    In recent months, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have taken a hatchet to our public health agencies by massively reducing or eliminating programs historically authorized and appropriated by Congress on a bipartisan basis. During the first several months of 2025, the Trump administration fired thousands of dedicated public health professionals who have devoted their life’s work to the health, safety, and security of our constituents. These mass terminations not only destabilize our country’s public health infrastructure, but they also put our economy at risk when people get sick, and no one is there to respond.

    The President’s FY26 Discretionary Budget Request proposes drastic reductions to CDC’s budget of nearly 44 percent, despite rising rates of measles, STIs, maternal deaths, and chronic diseases. The elimination of the CDC’s chronic disease prevention office also contradicts the Administration’s stated goal of addressing the chronic disease epidemic in our country. These cuts will not make American’s healthy. The CDC must remain the world’s preeminent public health agency and to do so, the CDC must have the tools it needs to continue its work.

    We support robust funding for CDC’s response efforts to domestic health threats, much of which flows through state and local public health agencies. Our public health departments use this funding to provide access to vaccines, STI testing, disease outbreak tracing, and general improvements to health care access. Continued investment in the CDC will have a direct, positive effect on the economy, since healthy people means a healthy economy. Additionally, the return on investment for public health funding results in savings over the long-term

    Without funding appropriated to and administered by the CDC, many of our state and local public health agencies would be critically underfunded or worse, nonexistent. We request that the committee support the public health workforce and public health departments by fully funding Public Health and Preparedness programs, including programs that prevent HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STI and TB, as well as the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion program and the Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSF). In particular, the National Center on Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion must be fully funded, unlike the President’s FY26 Budget Request, to allow CDC to respond to the chronic disease crisis.

    Another longstanding mission of the CDC is its Global Health Securityprograms, and we are concerned by the Trump administration’s efforts to prevent CDC researchers and officials from working directly with non-government organizations and global public health organizations. More than 70 percent of the world remains underprepared to respond to a public health emergency, and with our globally-connected society, disease outbreaks around the world pose threats to the U.S. We urge continued funding for global health programs at the CDC, so the agency can continue to work with other countries to build capacities in surveillance, disease detection, and outbreak response to stop deadly diseases at their source.

    We also encourage funding for Public Health Data Modernization efforts. Enhanced data systems enable the CDC to better track health trends, identify emerging threats, and allocate resources efficiently. Policymakers and researchers rely on precise data to make informed decisions and provide sound health guidance to the public. Modernized data infrastructure supports interoperability between agencies, facilitating collaboration and improving the overall quality of health information. The CDC should have the necessary data authority to access the information required for effective decision-making, ensuring public health strategies are based on the most reliable data available. Investing in data modernization not only strengthens domestic health security but also enhances global health initiatives by enabling swift responses to international health challenges.

    We also strongly support keeping all Centers at the CDC fully operational and funded, including the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The NCIPC helps CDC address public health challenges like opioid use disorder, child abuse, drowning, falls in the elderly population, and domestic violence. The NCIPC, which was eliminated in the President’s FY26 Discretionary Budget Request, will make our country healthier and safer. Additionally, NIOSH benefits from the CDC’s comprehensive public health infrastructure, facilitating collaboration and resource sharing that enhances its research and intervention capabilities. Continued funding for NIOSH supports its mission to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more productive workforce and reducing healthcare costs associated with occupational hazards.

    The CDC is the cornerstone of public health in the United States and the world. In 2023, Congress, on a bipartisan basis, affirmed the importance of CDC by requiring its director to be confirmed by the Senate, which was a critical step to bolstering the public’s trust in the CDC. By prioritizing funding for its essential programs, including non-communicable disease prevention, global health initiatives, data modernization, and workplace safety, Congress can ensure that the CDC will continue to protect and enhance the health and safety of all Americans.

    Your support in maintaining and expanding these vital resources will empower the CDC to effectively address current and future health challenges. Thank you for considering this request, and for your commitment to advancing public health through robust funding support of the CDC.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Nanette Barragán Leads Entire California Democratic Delegation in Urging Trump Administration to Protect Head Start Funding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 22, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Nanette Barragán Leads Entire California Democratic Delegation in Urging Trump Administration to Protect Head Start Funding

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) led the entire California Democratic Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., urging them to safeguard federal funding for the Head Start program. The letter comes in response to alarming reports that the Trump Administration considered eliminating Head Start funding during recent federal budget discussions.

    “From Los Angeles County to the Central Valley to rural tribal lands, Head Start provides comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services to children who are disproportionately impacted by poverty and housing instability,” wrote the members. “These essential services support our state’s economy by allowing parents to work and go to school, while giving our future workforce the strong start that they need to be successful later in life.”

    California is home to one of the largest populations of Head Start children in the nation. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, Head Start and Early Head Start programs served more than 94,000 children across the state. These programs offer critical support to children by integrating early education with health, nutrition, and family services—providing targeted support to those experiencing poverty, housing insecurity, and systemic inequities.

    “The elimination or reduction of Head Start funding would be catastrophic,” the letter states. “In California, it would shut the doors of 1,835 Head Start and Early Head Start Centers and eliminate access to early education for tens of thousands of children—disproportionately children of color, English learners, children with disabilities, and those living in low-income and rural communities.”

    Since its founding in 1965, Head Start has served over 40 million children and families nationwide. Decades of research confirm that the program improves school readiness, boosts long-term academic and employment outcomes, and helps break the cycle of poverty.

    “Head Start is not optional—it is a national commitment that must be honored,” members added. “I will continue fighting to protect this vital investment in our children’s futures.”

    Rep. Barragán’s letter was co-signed by each of the 45 Democratic members of the California Congressional Delegation: Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, and Representatives Pete Aguilar, Nancy Pelosi, Robert Garcia, Linda Sánchez, John Garamendi, Kevin Mullin, Mark Takano, Ted Lieu, Julia Brownley, Maxine Waters, Laura Friedman, J. Luis Correa, Ro Khanna, Mike Thompson, Norma Torres, Mark DeSaulnier, Juan Vargas, Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr., Judy Chu, Derek Tran, Raul Ruiz, Jared Huffman, Doris Matsui, Salud Carbajal, Brad Sherman, Ami Bera, Jimmy Panetta, Zoe Lofgren, Eric Swalwell, Lateefah Simon, Dave Min, Jimmy Gomez, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Jim Costa, George Whitesides, Luz Rivas, Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Josh Harder, Adam Gray, Mike Levin, and Sam Liccardo.

    The full letter can be found here and below:

    President Trump and Secretary Kennedy:

    We write today to express serious concern over reports that your Administration considered proposals to eliminate federal funding for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program in recent budget discussions. While we are relieved that the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Fiscal Year 2026 proposal did not include this cut, that such an action was even contemplated underscores the vulnerability of this vital program under your Administration. As members of the California Congressional Delegation, we urge you to safeguard this critical program, which plays an irreplaceable role in supporting California’s children and families, especially those facing economic hardship and systemic barriers.

    California is home to one of the largest populations of Head Start children in the nation. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, more than 94,000 children and pregnant women in California were served by Head Start and Early Head Start programs.[1] These services are not just beneficial—they are essential. From Los Angeles County to the Central Valley to rural tribal lands, Head Start provides comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services to children who are disproportionately impacted by poverty and housing instability. These essential services support our state’s economy by allowing parents to work and go to school, while giving our future workforce the strong start that they need to be successful later in life.

    Since its founding in 1965, Head Start has supported more than 40 million children and their families nationwide—and millions in California alone.[2] Research continues to confirm what educators and parents have long known: Head Start works. It boosts school readiness, improves long-term academic outcomes, increases high school graduation and employment rates, and helps break cycles of generational poverty.

    The elimination or reduction of Head Start funding would be catastrophic. In California, it would shut the doors of 1,835 Head Start and Early Head Start Centers and eliminate access to early education for tens of thousands of children—disproportionately children of color, English learners, children with disabilities, and those living in low-income and rural communities.[3] Thousands of parents would also lose their ability to go to work or school, and otherwise participate in the economy.

    Head Start is not optional—it is a national commitment that must be honored. For these reasons, we urge you to reject any future attempts to weaken or eliminate this program and to ensure its continued success for the children and families who rely on it every day.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Slams House Republicans for Advancing Trump’s Tax Scam Bill to Put Billionaires Over Working Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 22, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Slams House Republicans for Advancing Trump’s Tax Scam Bill to Put Billionaires Over Working Families

    Washington, D.C. — Today, House Republicans forced through Donald Trump’s Tax Scam budget bill — a sweeping proposal that slashes support for working families in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Not a single Democrat voted for the bill.

    Knowing that Americans would disapprove of the Tax Scam bill, House Republicans opened debate on the bill in the dead of night, when they thought Americans would be unaware of their betrayal. House Democrats, however, stayed up throughout the long nights to offer amendment after amendment to lessen the harms of the bill — these amendments were all rejected by Republicans. 

    The bill would slash nearly one trillion dollars from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and trigger more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare — ripping health care away from millions of Americans. It would also drastically cut food assistance, leaving children, seniors, veterans, and low-income families at greater risk of going hungry. And by prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy, the bill would drive down household income for the lowest-income families. 

    “Americans only needed four Republicans to do the right thing and vote no on the House floor,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44). “It is a sad day for our country when House Republicans choose to rubber-stamp Donald Trump’s Tax Scam — handing tax breaks to their billionaire donors while turning their backs on parents, kids, grandparents, veterans, and people with disabilities. People’s lives are at stake, and Republicans have shown exactly where their priorities lie.”

    The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: One Big Beautiful Bill Achieves the Largest Amount of Savings in the History of Planet Earth

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — This afternoon, Speaker Johnson joined Fox News’s America Reports to discuss Senate consideration of the One Big Beautiful Bill, dispel the CBO’s inaccurate estimates, and outline the House’s efforts to codify savings found by the Department of Government Efficiency.  

    Watch the full interview here

    On Senate Consideration of the One Big Beautiful Bill:

    I’ve encouraged them to do as little reworking as possible because we have a very delicate balance we’ve maintained in the House, and in the Senate, we both have small majorities. I don’t disagree with my good friend Ron Johnson. He’s right. We have a big national debt problem. But I think what’s being discounted here is the fact that we are achieving the largest amount of savings in the history of government on planet Earth. I mean, we’re going to save over $1.5 trillion in spending. That’s a big, big thing. We didn’t get in this economic situation overnight, and it’s going to take us a while to get out of it, but this would be the biggest, largest, most dramatic turn that we’ve ever had in Congress. And it’s a big achievement.

    On the CBO’s history of inaccurate estimates:

    They’ve always been off. By way of example, they were off on their projections of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the first Trump administration by $1 trillion. The problem is they do not use what we call dynamic scoring. What that means in layman’s terms is they don’t give us any credit for the extraordinary economic growth that will be spurred along by this bill.

    This is a pro-growth package. Lower tax rates, less regulation. We’ll do exactly what we did in the first Trump administration, but this time on steroids. And so we’re going to have an extraordinary growth in the economy. You’re going to have more jobs created, higher wages, more labor participation, and all those things need to be factored in because that’s reality. And by the way, the CBO is giving no credence whatsoever, no calculation at all to the new revenues that are being produced by the Trump tariff policies and all these other things that are happening. We believe we’re going to get the economy going, and this is going to be deficit reducing at the end of the day. It matters how you do the math, and that’s what’s important for everybody to remember.

    On House efforts to codify DOGE savings:

    I think you’ll find a big appetite across the conference, every Republican in Congress wants to cut fraud, waste, and abuse. We want government to be leaner and more efficient and effective. And the beauty of what DOGE has been able to do, the reason it’s so revolutionary, is because Elon cracked the code. He had access, all the stars aligned. We had a President who was bold enough to do it, and we had somebody with Elon’s talent and capability to come in and have his magic algorithms running through the data to find all these irregularities. And these are things that have been hidden from Congress. We’ve been trying to do our oversight responsibility, but the bureaucracy was hiding these things. And so, this changes the way government works. And Elon’s exactly right, the DOGE effort will go on long beyond his tenure as a temporary assistant in all this. Because it’s changing the way people look at this. And the oversight’s a really important component. And that’s going to be a permanent part of government now, and it’s an exciting thing.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announces leadership realignment as enforcement efforts continue to ramp up

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement today announced a leadership realignment to support its increasing operational tempo as the agency achieved its highest number of arrests in its history this week.

    Organizational realignments will help ICE achieve President Trump and the American people’s mandate of arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safe.

    After 33 years of service to the agency and the American people, ICE’s Acting Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Ken Genalo has decided to retire and will continue to serve the public as a special government employee to ICE. The decision, which places him in a valuable advising role for field leadership, will allow him to spend more time with his family after being away from them since early January.

    “Ken Genalo, who’s dedicated more than three decades to ICE and the American people, served as a field office director in New York City before selflessly agreeing to come to ICE Headquarters at the beginning of the Trump administration,” said ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons. “Genalo has served in this acting capacity to help meet the mandate set forth by the American people — his contributions were integral in the successes we’re seeing today. He’s now going to serve as a special government employee working with field office directors within ICE. I can’t thank him enough.”

    Homeland Security Investigations Acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer, who has spent the past two decades with HSI and has a wealth of operational knowledge, will transition to another critical leadership position within the agency’s headquarters that requires his unique expertise.

    In addition, the following changes were implemented:

    • Marcos Charles will become the Acting Executive Associate Director of ERO, and Mellissa Harper will serve as his Acting Deputy.
    • Derek Gordon will step into the role of Acting Executive Associate Director of HSI. William “Bill” Walker will serve as Gordon’s Deputy.
    • Garrett Ripa will resume his duties as Field Office Director for ERO Miami, FL.
    • Tatum King will serve as HSI Acting Assistant Director of Domestic Operations.
    • Denesha Helland will serve as Acting Assistant Director of ERO’s Non-Detained Management Division.
    • Tom Giles will serve as the Acting Director for ERO Field Operations.
    • Charles Wall will head the agency’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
    • Susan Cullen Dunbar will become the Executive Associate Director of the agency’s Management and Administration Directorate.

    MIL OSI USA News –