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Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 16, 2025 Rep. Mullin Proposes Bill to Help Evaluate Safety of Autonomous Vehicles Washington, D.C. – In response to federal regulators weakening oversight as more driverless cars hit the roads, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced a bill to require more robust safety data from autonomous vehicle (AV) manufacturers. AVs are already operating in numerous… Read More

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – In response to federal regulators weakening oversight as more driverless cars hit the roads, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced a bill to require more robust safety data from autonomous vehicle (AV) manufacturers.

    AVs are already operating in numerous states including California, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas, with several manufacturers getting their start in the San Francisco Bay Area where Rep. Mullin’s district is located. Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires AV companies to report some collision data, but it isn’t required to provide other basic metrics that would help the public to determine how safe they actually are.

    Rep. Mullin’s AV Safety Data Act would help ensure the public is entitled to basic transparency about how many miles driverless cars are traveling and when there are other types of incidents like unplanned stoppages or the blocking of emergency vehicles. Requiring this type of consistent data reporting would help compare safety rates across various manufacturers and help determine whether AVs are safer than human drivers.

    “Every day, people are interacting with AVs in my district – whether they’re hailing a ride or walking across the street as one approaches. The public deserves to know how safe autonomous vehicles actually are and that the federal government is working to ensure we’re protecting people on the road,” Rep. Mullin said. “The technology behind autonomous vehicles is rapidly developing and has the potential to dramatically improve safety on our roads. While there is no doubt AV technology will continue to evolve, we simply will not know if it is getting better without more independent, verifiable data collected at the national level. AV companies that are performing well and prioritizing safety should welcome this basic transparency effort.”

    In addition to codifying NHTSA’s existing collision data reporting requirements in law, the AV Safety Data Act would also require that companies report to NHTSA:

    • The number of miles traveled on public roads
    • AV collisions that result in any injuries to other human drivers, pedestrians or bicyclists
    • Information on unplanned stoppages and any impacts to law enforcement, first responders, or public transit agencies

    Since 2021, over 3,000 crashes have been recorded involving AVs and Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which resulted in 53 fatalities and 303 injuries. Yet earlier this year, NHTSA weakened its AV reporting requirements. Lawmakers have been urging NHTSA to improve its AV safety data collection for years, and Rep. Mullin led several letters calling upon federal regulators to act in 2024 and 2023. While Rep. Mullin supports advancements in the AV industry, his bill seeks to help increase transparency and prioritize public safety on our roads.

    “Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are increasingly on our roadways. Yet, there are no minimum federal safety standards and insufficient data collection, transparency and accountability for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems (ADS). The AV Safety Data Act will enhance reporting requirements for these vehicles,” Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “Robust data is essential to evaluate performance, detect safety defects and inform sound policy. Advocates commends Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA) for his safety leadership and innovative thinking to introduce this bill and urges Congress to advance it. Road users, whether as drivers, passengers, pedestrians or bicyclists, deserve this oversight and consumer protection.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Frankel Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

    Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee’s markup of the fiscal year 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill:

    -As Prepared For Delivery-

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    Let me start by recognizing the collegiality of Chairman Diaz-Balart and the thoughtful members on both sides of the aisle. I also want to thank the dedicated committee staff—and my own team—for their hard work and guidance. But above all, I want to express my deep gratitude to the public servants who bring American values to life around the world—diplomats, development professionals, and humanitarian workers. They serve and served in some of the most dangerous and difficult places on earth. Many have recently been forced out of their jobs, dismissed without cause or ceremony. To those who’ve served and those still standing: You are patriots. You represent the best of who we are. And we owe you more than thanks—we owe you the tools to do your job.

    With the right allocation and a White House that actually valued diplomacy, development, and humanitarianism, I believe we could have crafted a strong, bipartisan measure worthy of our nation’s leadership.

    Instead, I rise in fierce opposition to the Republican FY26 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill—a reckless, shortsighted blueprint for American retreat.

    It follows a deeply troubling pattern. The White House has illegally impounded foreign aid, dismantled USAID, gutted the State Department—all without input from Congress. More than ten thousand USAID staff were dismissed. Over 5,000 aid programs have been axed. Just last week, 1,300 State Department employees were let go. Entire offices eliminated.

    And all of this in the middle of a global convergence of crises: armed conflicts, climate disasters, health emergencies, famine, mass migration, and rising authoritarianism.

    This is not theoretical. These crises are slamming into us. When fragile states collapse, migration surges. When we cancel trade support, American farmers and manufacturers lose customers. When we fail to build climate resilience, homes and crops are washed away. When global health systems fail, disease reaches our shores. And when the U.S. pulls back, China and Russia are right there to take our place.

    Worse still, our closest allies—pressured to increase military spending—are also cutting their foreign aid. So as global needs explode, the soft power of democratic nations is vanishing. And the vacuum left behind? It’s being filled by regimes that don’t share our values—or our interests.

    This bill slashes international affairs funding by 22 percent—$13 billion in deep, devastating cuts.

    It guts development and economic support: children pulled from classrooms and left without clean water; farmers cut off from tools that feed communities; young entrepreneurs abandoned, fueling extremism and instability; conflict prevention programs eliminated—so violence erupts unchecked; local organizations, our most trusted partners, shut down.

    It cuts humanitarian assistance by 42 percent. That’s not just unwise—it’s inhumane: women and girls in conflict zones left without care after suffering horrific sexual violence; refugees denied shelter, medicine, hope; food rations slashed below survival levels in places like Syria, Sudan, Bangladesh; and millions of children dying from malnutrition.

    This bill is cruel. It is cold. And it is not who we are.

    And of course, Republicans couldn’t resist another attack on women—reviving the Global Gag Rule, gutting funding for the UN Population Fund, and shortchanging family planning programs that save lives and lift up communities.

    This bill also abandons multilateral institutions like the United Nations and World Health Organization; it sidelines the U.S. from global decision-making; weakens our ability to promote peace and defend allies; forces partners into the arms of authoritarian regimes; and forfeits the power of burden-sharing through institutions like UNICEF, the World Bank, and the UN.

    It’s putting China in charge of the world.

    Let me be blunt: These cuts are not abstract. They are deadly.

    In Nigeria, malnourished infants are dying because therapeutic food deliveries have stopped. In Myanmar, hospitals are shutting their doors in the middle of conflict. In The Gambia, programs to support survivors of female genital mutilation have been halted just as the country debates re-legalizing the practice. In Ukraine, wounded soldiers are going without care. In Afghanistan, pregnant women are being turned away from clinics. In Ecuador, women entrepreneurs—stripped of support—are being pushed toward our border.

    This isn’t just a loss of aid. It’s a loss of American credibility. A loss of moral authority. A loss of global influence.

    And it will cost us dearly.

    Why should the American people care? Because when we fail to lead with compassion and common sense, the world becomes less stable, our troops face more danger, and we pay the price—again and again.

    When we cut aid, we increase the risk of war. When we defund development, we undercut diplomacy. And when we turn our back on the world, we endanger our own.

    I speak as the proud mother of a U.S. Marine veteran. I know what happens when diplomacy fails. When we fail to prevent conflict with education, aid, and engagement, the burden falls on the Pentagon—and on families whose loved ones serve our military.

    Let’s remember: The entire international affairs budget has typically been less than one percent of federal spending. But it delivers exponential returns for our safety, prosperity, and moral standing.

    These programs give youth an alternative to violence. They build markets for American goods. They prevent wars. They reduce migration pressures. They keep our troops home.

    This bill—sadly—is a missed opportunity. A failure to lead. A failure to invest in the power of peace, progress, and partnership.

    But let me end with this: Democrats are not giving up. We stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues—to fight for a bill that reflects our values, honors our commitments, and protects American lives.

    A sustained path to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous nation cannot be built on isolation and threats.

    Because we cannot bomb our way to peace. We cannot drone our way to stability. And we cannot retreat our way to safety.

    A strong America leads—not with fear, but with courage. 

    Not by pulling back, but by reaching out.

    And that’s the bill we should all fight for.

    Thank you. I yield back.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Simpson Denounces Attack on Texas Border Patrol Facility

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Rep. Simpson Denounces Attack on Texas Border Patrol Facility

    Washington, July 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON—Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson cosponsored a resolution denouncing the July 7th attack on a border patrol facility in McAllen, Texas. This resolution is sponsored by Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX).
    “The work of law enforcement—whether police, border patrol, or any other agency—is the work of a hero,” said Rep. Simpson. “The recent purposeful attacks on brave ICE officers and Border Patrol agents have been a direct result of the dangerous rhetoric and false information spread by the Left. The 700% rise in assaults on ICE agents is no coincidence, and I encourage the Left to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror. These heroes risk their lives every day to secure our borders and protect our communities – they deserve our respect and appreciation.”
    On July 7th, 2025, a shooter armed with tactical gear and a rifle opened fire on Border Patrol agents as they arrived at a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas. According to DHS, two officers and a border patrol employee were injured before the suspect was neutralized. Law enforcement believes the attack was a purposeful ambush targeting Border Patrol officials.
    Congressman Simpson is an original cosponsor of this important resolution. The full text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rochester man going to prison for five years for arson

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jermaine Fields, 38, of Rochester, NY, who pleaded guilty to arson, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on April 17, 2024, the Rochester Fire Department received an alarm call from the Abundance Co-Op Market on South Avenue in Rochester, for a fire in the men’s bathroom. When firefighters arrived, they entered the bathroom and smelled an odor of burning rubber, but there were no flames visible.  Firefighters did observe burned debris with burn patterns on the floor and on the wall behind the toilet.  Law enforcement reviewed security camera footage from the store, which depicted a person later identified as Fields, walking throughout the store and entering the men’s bathroom and then exiting. The store fire alarm activated seconds later. Fields was arrested several days later and charged with arson. Fields has also admitted to starting papers on fire in one of the stairwells at the Hall of Justice on Exchange Boulevard in Rochester on April 5, 2024. 

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Stefano Napolitano, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cashius Carter, 21, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

    On September 25, 2024, a Fitchburg police officer stopped a vehicle that Carter was driving. The vehicle smelled of marijuana and the officer asked Carter to exit the vehicle so it could be searched. Carter fled from the scene but was ultimately caught. In the vehicle, the officer found a loaded Glock 19 9mm with an extended magazine between the driver’s seat and center console. In the back seat, officers recovered almost 700 grams of marijuana. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory later recovered Carter’s DNA on the firearm. Carter is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm or ammunitions because of a prior felony conviction for eluding an officer.

    At sentencing, Judge Peterson found that Carter’s possession of a loaded firearm with a large quantity of marijuana was dangerous. Judge Peterson also noted that Carter had an aggravated criminal history, which included a violent battery and a high-speed police chase. Judge Peterson explained that he was imposing the sentence to protect the public and deter Carter from further criminal conduct.

    The charge against Carter was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien from Mexico and Straw Purchaser from Fort Worth Charged with Unlawfully Acquiring Two Gas-Operated Rifles

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    An illegal alien from Mexico and a Fort Worth man were indicted for falsely acquiring two firearms from licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

    Illegal alien Oscar Guadalupe Cruz Gonzalez, 28, and U.S. citizen Jose Juan Flores, 45, of Fort Worth, were charged by indictment on March 18, 2025, with Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Licensed Firearms Dealer, and two counts of Acquiring a Firearm from Licensed Firearms Dealers by False or Fictitious Statement.  Cruz Gonzalez was also charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien.  The defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges on July 3 and July 7, respectively.  

    According to the indictment, in January 2023 and March 2023, Cruz Gonzalez paid Flores a combined total of approximately $2,500 to acquire two semi-automatic gas-operated rifles from two separate licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Each rifle had the ability to be belt-fed ammunition.  Cruz Gonzalez supplied Flores with the funds to purchase both guns, more than $10,000 for the first rifle and over $15,000 for the second.  Flores allegedly purchased the two firearms knowing he was going to transfer them to Cruz Gonzalez.  To conceal this intended transfer when purchasing each rifle, Flores made false statements on the required ATF Form, stating that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms.  After purchasing the first rifle, Flores gave the rifle to Cruz Gonzalez, who was an illegal alien.  In the United States, it is a federal offense for an illegal alien to knowingly possess a firearm.  

    “A straw purchase means that someone bought a firearm for a person who they knew could not legally purchase one,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson.  “Here, as we allege in the indictment, Flores used a significant amount of money to purchase two firearms for an illegal alien from Mexico.  This type of crime flouts our gun laws, which are designed to ensure safe, lawful purchases of firearms by U.S. citizens.  This will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas.”

    “Straw purchasing is a federal crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s firearm laws and enables dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they are prohibited from possessing,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “This case highlights the importance of our partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to identify and stop illegal firearm trafficking before it results in violence.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  Like all defendants, Cruz Gonzalez and Flores are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 
    If convicted, each defendant faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers is prosecuting the case.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guam Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 135-Months in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Gavin Domingo Alimurong, age 27, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 135-months imprisonment.  He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)(viii) and 846. Alimurong also forfeited four vehicles, jewelry, luxury bags, and $350,164 in cash.  The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.  In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.

    Between July 2019 and July 2022, Alimurong conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Guam. He obtained methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy through the dark web, converting U.S. currency into Bitcoin to pay for drugs shipped to Guam via the U.S. Postal Service. In December 2021, Guam Police Department investigated a domestic violence incident involving Alimurong.  During searches of his residence and vehicle, law enforcement seized 594 grams of methamphetamine and 401 grams of cocaine, in addition to pharmaceuticals including oxycodone, alprazolam, and amphetamine pills.  Police also seized glass pipes, a pill crusher, a digital scale, plastic zip-top bags, a money counter, a postal stamp printer, and various luxury items.  Officers also recovered a firearm, ammunition, and $93,124 in cash.

    A search of a storage locker revealed an additional $257,040 in U.S. currency from illegal drug sales. Western Union records indicated that Alimurong wired $103,165 to multiple individuals in China, Vietnam, Bolivia, Colombia, Laos, and the United States.

    “Law enforcement removed a prolific drug dealer from the streets of Guam,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “Drug defendants, such as Alimurong, face more than a substantial term of imprisonment.  We will also take any property earned from or facilitating drug trafficking.  I applaud our multi-agency partners that continue to protect our communities from this dangerous activity.”

    “Drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Guam. “We will vigorously pursue all criminals who flood our streets with their poison and ensure they face the full force of the law.”

    “The defendant in this case callously chased profits with no concern for the impact and harm he brought to public safety,” said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.  “HSI and its partners in law enforcement will aggressively investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the transnational flow of illegal drugs and ensure those that choose to traffic them are held accountable for the harm they bring to the communities of Guam.”

    “You will lose your freedom and the unlawful proceeds or your crime if you try to exploit the U.S. mail to traffic dangerous controlled substances,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I would like to thank our federal partners, and our task force partners with Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counter Drug Program for helping keep methamphetamine out of the mail and out of our communities.”

    “Drugs and guns are a losing combination,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Mr. Alimurong’s actions put the community in great harm and was only exacerbated by his possession of firearms.  Because of his actions, this sentence is well deserved.” 

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strategic Initiative. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guam Police Department, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Guam Police Department Special Investigations Section, and the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency.

    Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Urges DOJ to Swiftly Implement RECA for Radiation Survivors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), urging the Department to prioritize implementation of the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The Senator’s expansion provision revives RECA for survivors, allows tens of thousands of new claimants to receive life-saving assistance—including those across Missouri—and protects the program for years to come.
    “I write to ensure prompt implementation of the reauthorized and expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (‘RECA’), as passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The Department of Justice plays a central role in administering RECA, and with the enactment of the expanded law, the Department is now responsible for receiving, evaluating, and processing a broader universe of claims. I urge you to devote sufficient manpower and departmental resources for this important work,” wrote Senator Hawley.
    He continued, “It is critical that the Department promptly renews its claims process and application, given that prospective claimants have until December 31, 2027, to submit their paperwork. Timely processing of new claims is both feasible and imperative under the law, especially given the age and health of many claimants. The current RECA statute also explicitly allows the Department to use existing funds and resources to process RECA claims. Congress included this provision to ensure that the Department has sufficient resources to implement RECA fully and without delay.”
    Senator Hawley offered his support in implementing the program, saying, “I will closely monitor the Department’s implementation of the law in the months ahead and respectfully request an update on the Department’s implementation progress by August 1, 2025. I stand ready to work with you and the Department to ensure a fair, efficient, and accessible claims process for new RECA claimants.”
    Read the full letter here or below.  
    Brett ShumateAssistant Attorney GeneralU.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20530
    Dear Assistant Attorney General Shumate:
    I write to ensure prompt implementation of the reauthorized and expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (“RECA”), as passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The Department of Justice plays a central role in administering RECA, and with the enactment of the expanded law, the Department is now responsible for receiving, evaluating, and processing a broader universe of claims. I urge you to devote sufficient manpower and departmental resources for this important work.
    As you know, RECA compensates victims and their families who have been exposed to radiation from the federal government’s nuclear programs. Since Congress created the program in 1990, it has provided benefits to tens of thousands of Americans who have developed cancer or other specified diseases after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing or uranium mining, milling, or transporting. Many harrowing tales have emerged for decades after the United States shuttered its test sites and uranium mines, as negligently stored waste continued infiltrating waterways and communities across the country. Now, President Trump and Congress have extended the program to cover more victims and geographic areas.
    It is critical that the Department promptly renews its claims process and application, given that prospective claimants have until December 31, 2027, to submit their paperwork. Timely processing of new claims is both feasible and imperative under the law, especially given the age and health of many claimants. The current RECA statute also explicitly allows the Department to use existing funds and resources to process RECA claim.[1]Congress included this provision to ensure that the Department has sufficient resources to implement RECA fully and without delay.
    I will closely monitor the Department’s implementation of the law in the months ahead, and respectfully request an update on the Department’s implementation progress by August 1, 2025. I stand ready to work with you and the Department to ensure a fair, efficient, and accessible claims process for new RECA claimants.
    Sincerely,
    Josh HawleyUnited States Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaLota’s Office Returns $11.3+ Million to Suffolk Residents

    Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

    HAUPPAUGE, NY – Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-01) announced today that his office has recovered more than $11.3 million for Suffolk County residents since taking office in January 2023. These funds include delayed or wrongly withheld Social Security payments, Veterans’ benefits, IRS refunds, and other federal reimbursements secured through direct constituent casework. This milestone comes just days after Congressman LaLota helped deliverover $5,000 in annual SALT deduction relief for many Long Island families by negotiating key provisions in H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025.

    “From Day One, our team has focused on delivering results—through both legislative wins and direct constituent service,” said LaLota. “We’ve returned over $11.3 million to Long Islanders from the IRS, VA, and Social Security, and helped small business owners recover funds they were owed. Now, thanks to the SALT cap increase I fought for, middle-class families on Long Island can keep $2,500 to $7,500 more of their hard-earned income each year. Whether it’s cutting through red tape or cutting your taxes, we’re here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency, contact my Hauppauge office at (631) 289-1097 or visit LaLota.house.gov.”

    Background:

    Federal dollars Congressman Nick LaLota’s office has returned to his constituents since taking office in January 2023 include:

    • Internal Revenue Service (IRS): $5,571,717.63

    • Social Security Administration (SSA): $1,054,559.03

    • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): $44,903.71

    • Office of Personnel Management (OPM): $126,507.32

    • Small Business Administration (SBA): $20,833.00

    • Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS): $6,083.04

    • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): $315,104.84

    • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): $6,494.30

    • Railroad Retirement Board: $90,000.00

    • Department of Education: $109,872.55

    LaLota’s staff in Hauppauge is able to assist Long Islanders with the federal bureaucracy and receive government benefits they have earned. These include Social Security, Medicare, Veterans’ benefits, the IRS, passports and visas, and small business assistance.

    LaLota’s office in Hauppauge can be reached at 631-289-1097. Mail can be sent to 515 Hauppauge Road, Suite 3B, Hauppauge, NY 11788. Visit https://lalota.house.gov/ for more information.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Issa Introduces Legislation to Reform Hookah Tobacco Taxation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) and Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) introduced the Hookah Clarification Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to amend the tax classification of hookah products under the Internal Revenue Code.  

    “The Hookah Clarification Act will end longstanding confusion about the existing tax classification of hookah and establish clarity for the future,” said Rep. Issa. “This is a win for common sense and fundamental fairness, and I thank Rep. Davis for joining this important effort.”

    The legislation amends section 5701 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code to create a subcategory for Waterpipe Tobacco (i.e., shisha), separating it from pipe tobacco to ensure it is classified appropriately.

    Despite being significantly lighter, Hookah shisha is currently taxed by weight at the same rate as loose-leaf pipe tobacco. This bill adjusts the tax rate for hookah to accurately reflect that only 20 percent of the product is taxable tobacco. 

    “Tobacco production remains a key pillar of eastern North Carolina’s economy and culture,” said Congressman Don Davis (NC-01). “We must create a level playing field to ensure all tobacco products manufactured in North Carolina are taxed fairly.”

    Read the bill text here. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Demands USDA Safeguard Farmers’ Financial Information, Revoke DOGE’s Access to Payment System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) safeguard Wisconsin farmers’ personal and financial information and rescind the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) unprecedented access to USDA’s payment systems. Recent reports exposed that DOGE has access to USDA databases containing farmers’ sensitive financial information. This intrusion not only breaches farmers’ privacy but also raises serious concerns about the future of USDA payments, our nation’s food security, and the consolidation of farmland and processing operations.

    “Wisconsin farmers share sensitive financial information with USDA when seeking federal loans or disaster assistance. Historically, only trained Farm Service Agency staff and senior USDA officials have had access to this data. However, reports indicate that DOGE has been granted sweeping access to the National Payment System that controls tens of billions of dollars in payments and loans to farmers and ranchers across the United States. There is no clear justification for this, and it raises serious concerns about data security, farmers’ privacy, and the potential misuse of confidential records,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.

    “At a time when farmers and rural communities are facing volatile market conditions and increasingly severe weather, the accessibility and security of USDA resources is more important than ever,” Senator Baldwin continued. “I urge you to take immediate steps to restore the public’s confidence in the security of USDA’s payment systems. I request that you rescind DOGE’s access to farmers’ private data, as well as their involvement in payment and loan decisions. The agency must ensure that farmers are safeguarded from the unauthorized use of their data and that funds they have been promised are not unjustifiably blocked or delayed.”

    The full letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Rollins:

    I am writing to you today on behalf of Wisconsin farmers who partner with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). When farmers utilize USDA services to produce the highest quality food and contribute to their rural economies, they must be able to trust their partners in Washington. For that reason, I am alarmed by recent reports that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has access to USDA databases containing farmers’ personal information—an intrusion that not only breaches their privacy, but also raises serious concerns about the future of USDA payments, our nation’s food security, and the consolidation of farmland and processing operations.

    Wisconsin farmers share sensitive financial information with USDA when seeking federal loans or disaster assistance. Historically, only trained Farm Service Agency staff and senior USDA officials have had access to this data. However, reports indicate that DOGE has been granted sweeping access to the National Payment System that controls tens of billions of dollars in payments and loans to farmers and ranchers across the United States. There is no clear justification for this, and it raises serious concerns about data security, farmers’ privacy, and the potential misuse of confidential records.

    DOGE has already been granted unprecedented access to sensitive data from other federal databases. While at the National Labor Relations Board, DOGE accessed and possibly exported sensitive and personally identifiable information regarding union members, lawsuits and corporate data. USDA systems and staff are charged with storing similarly sensitive information. Farmers deserve to know that their private information is protected and will not be exported for unauthorized, and potentially illegal, uses. In the wrong hands, sensitive data about our nation’s agricultural sector could be taken advantage of to exploit vulnerabilities in our food supply chains. It could also be used to further consolidate agricultural processing capacity and land ownership.

    I am also concerned by the reports that DOGE has the ability to approve or block USDA payments and loans. An unappointed and unelected group of Washington insiders with no accountability to farmers should not be in charge of delaying disaster relief checks or blocking contracts. At a time when farmers and rural communities are facing volatile market conditions and increasingly severe weather, the accessibility and security of USDA resources is more important than ever.

    I urge you to take immediate steps to restore the public’s confidence in the security of USDA’s payment systems. I request that you rescind DOGE’s access to farmers’ private data, as well as their involvement in payment and loan decisions. The agency must ensure that farmers are safeguarded from the unauthorized use of their data and that funds they have been promised are not unjustifiably blocked or delayed.

    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Joins Bipartisan Coalition to Reintroduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill: The Dignity Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    July 15, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) joined Reps. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), along with 17 of their colleagues, to reintroduce a historic, bipartisan immigration bill: the Dignity Act of 2025. After more than two years of negotiation, this bill is an updated compromise agreement that addresses legal status and protections for undocumented immigrants, border security, asylum reform, and visa reform.

    Watch Rep. Levin’s remarks here.

    The Dignity Act makes meaningful reforms to several aspects of our immigration system:

    • It grants legal status and protections to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States;
    • It reforms the asylum screening process to provide opportunity for review and access to council;
    • It creates new regional processing centers, so migrants do not have to make the perilous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum;
    • It invests in border security and modernizes our land ports of entry;
    • It mandates accountability for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE);
    • It provides protections for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders.

    “It’s long past time for Congress to do its job when it comes to immigration reform. Mass deportations are not the answer. Neither is punishing working families or tearing apart communities. We can invest in border security and still uphold our values. We can enforce our laws and still protect families. These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive — they’re fundamentally American,” said Rep. Levin “For those who are contributing positively to our society and economy, we need a better process and a realistic path for them to stay in this country. These are our neighbors and our friends. Let’s honor that promise — by protecting Dreamers, improving pathways to legal status, securing the border, and passing the Dignity Act.”

    The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, which was driven by Republicans and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill eliminated several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable.

    As we are witnessing historic executive overreach and redirection of resources to our border, it is clear Congress needs to update our immigration laws. And it is not like Congress has not had the opportunity; over the last 10 years, eight major pushes for immigration reform have failed:

    • In 2013, the Senate on a bipartisan basis passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, but House Republicans refused to take up the bill.
    • In 2018, a bipartisan group of Senators advanced the Uniting and Securing America Act to protect Dreamers and provide pathway to citizenship, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Again in 2018, the Senate tried to advance the United and Securing America Act “Common Sense” Proposal Amendment, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Yet again in 2018, the Uniting and Securing America Act made it to the Senate floor but was blocked.
    • In 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • In 2021, the House again passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans again blocked it.
    • In 2021 and 2022, the President proposed record funding for more border agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more border technology, and more detention capacity. Republicans in Congress failed to fund these both requests.
    • In 2024, Republican Senator James Lankford (R-OK) led a bipartisan group of senators to fund a border security and foreign aid package, which failed due to significant pushback from Republicans such as Donald Trump.

    “I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system,” said Rep. Escobar. “Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy. The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, despite how maligned they have been by the administration, most Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interest to find a solution. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a bipartisan, balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. The reintroduction of this legislation includes changes that reflect the challenges in today’s political environment. I’m proud of my bipartisan work with Rep. Salazar, who has been a strong partner on this issue since December 2022. It is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to take an important step forward on this issue.”

    “The Dignity Act is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work. No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future,” said Rep. Salazar.

    The Dignity Act is also cosponsored by Democratic representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Susie Lee (NV-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Hilary Scholten (MI-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Adam Gray (CA-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) and Republican representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Mike Lawler (NY-17), David Valadao (CA-22), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Young Kim (CA-40).

    A summary of the bill can be found here.

    ##

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues FEMA for Cutting Bipartisan Funding for Natural Disasters

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 19 other states in suing the Trump administration over its deadly decision to illegally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which has supported critical infrastructure to protect communities from disasters before they happen. Since the 1990s, FEMA has provided billions of dollars to state and local governments to support infrastructure improvements to prepare for natural disasters. These funds have been proven to save lives, protect property, and reduce the cost of rebuilding after a disaster strikes. While BRIC has received bipartisan support and funded projects in all 50 states, the administration abruptly and illegally terminated the program earlier this year, jeopardizing billions of dollars intended to help communities prepare for disasters nationwide. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a court order to stop the termination of the BRIC program and prevent the administration from illegally reallocating its funds.

    “This administration’s decision to slash billions of dollars that protect our communities from floods, wildfires, and other disasters puts millions of New Yorkers at risk,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers depend on quality roads, floodwalls, and other vital infrastructure to keep them safe when disaster strikes. This administration has no authority to cut this program that has helped save countless lives, and I will continue to fight to ensure New York gets the support we need to prepare for dangerous natural disasters.”

    The BRIC program provides financial and technical assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to implement new measures that protect communities from natural disasters. The program’s grants cover up to 75 percent of a project’s costs, and can rise to 90 percent for small rural communities, making them a critical lifeline. BRIC funding supports the construction of evacuation shelters and flood walls, protections for water and power infrastructure, and improvements to roads and bridges. Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects from every corner of the country to receive roughly $4.5 billion in funding. Due to the unique threats they face, coastal communities have received the largest allocations over the past four years, with New York among the states receiving the most BRIC funding. 

    New York has 38 BRIC projects throughout the state totaling over $380 million that are all in jeopardy as a result of the termination of the program. New York City, which is particularly vulnerable to flooding, is expecting to receive BRIC funds for 19 different projects. This includes $50 million for the Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation Project, which is designed to provide flood protection measures to over 45,000 city residents vulnerable to flash flooding of the Harlem River. 

    Multiple studies have shown that BRIC funds more than pay for themselves by preventing costly damage during disasters. Each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs, with some investments saving even more. BRIC program funds have helped avoid over $150 billion in costs and saved lives in communities throughout the country.

    Despite the program’s success and longtime bipartisan support, the Trump administration unlawfully terminated the program in April 2025, diverting over $4 billion out of FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation fund and into funds for post-disaster grants. This abrupt termination has jeopardized critical projects throughout the country. Communities have been forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of projects that depend on BRIC funding. Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have already spent millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened. As a result, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters.

    Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the abrupt termination of BRIC is unconstitutional and illegal. Congress has written into law that disaster preparedness is a core part of FEMA’s mission and has appropriated funds for BRIC. Congress has also specified that the executive branch cannot alter this mission or reduce FEMA’s ability to carry out any of its core functions unless the law changes. FEMA also cannot refuse to spend congressionally appropriated funds in violation of the Constitution. In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that President Trump’s FEMA administrator and his successor, who carried out BRIC’s termination, were not lawfully appointed to run FEMA and lack the authority to shut down the program.

    With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from spending BRIC funds on other purposes and a permanent injunction to reverse the termination of the BRIC program and require the restoration of these critical funds to the communities relying on them.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues FEMA for Cutting Bipartisan Funding for Natural Disasters

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 19 other states in suing the Trump administration over its deadly decision to illegally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which has supported critical infrastructure to protect communities from disasters before they happen. Since the 1990s, FEMA has provided billions of dollars to state and local governments to support infrastructure improvements to prepare for natural disasters. These funds have been proven to save lives, protect property, and reduce the cost of rebuilding after a disaster strikes. While BRIC has received bipartisan support and funded projects in all 50 states, the administration abruptly and illegally terminated the program earlier this year, jeopardizing billions of dollars intended to help communities prepare for disasters nationwide. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a court order to stop the termination of the BRIC program and prevent the administration from illegally reallocating its funds.

    “This administration’s decision to slash billions of dollars that protect our communities from floods, wildfires, and other disasters puts millions of New Yorkers at risk,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers depend on quality roads, floodwalls, and other vital infrastructure to keep them safe when disaster strikes. This administration has no authority to cut this program that has helped save countless lives, and I will continue to fight to ensure New York gets the support we need to prepare for dangerous natural disasters.”

    The BRIC program provides financial and technical assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to implement new measures that protect communities from natural disasters. The program’s grants cover up to 75 percent of a project’s costs, and can rise to 90 percent for small rural communities, making them a critical lifeline. BRIC funding supports the construction of evacuation shelters and flood walls, protections for water and power infrastructure, and improvements to roads and bridges. Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects from every corner of the country to receive roughly $4.5 billion in funding. Due to the unique threats they face, coastal communities have received the largest allocations over the past four years, with New York among the states receiving the most BRIC funding. 

    New York has 38 BRIC projects throughout the state totaling over $380 million that are all in jeopardy as a result of the termination of the program. New York City, which is particularly vulnerable to flooding, is expecting to receive BRIC funds for 19 different projects. This includes $50 million for the Central Harlem Cloudburst Flood Mitigation Project, which is designed to provide flood protection measures to over 45,000 city residents vulnerable to flash flooding of the Harlem River. 

    Multiple studies have shown that BRIC funds more than pay for themselves by preventing costly damage during disasters. Each dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of $6 in post-disaster costs, with some investments saving even more. BRIC program funds have helped avoid over $150 billion in costs and saved lives in communities throughout the country.

    Despite the program’s success and longtime bipartisan support, the Trump administration unlawfully terminated the program in April 2025, diverting over $4 billion out of FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation fund and into funds for post-disaster grants. This abrupt termination has jeopardized critical projects throughout the country. Communities have been forced to delay, scale back, or cancel hundreds of projects that depend on BRIC funding. Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have already spent millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened. As a result, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters.

    Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the abrupt termination of BRIC is unconstitutional and illegal. Congress has written into law that disaster preparedness is a core part of FEMA’s mission and has appropriated funds for BRIC. Congress has also specified that the executive branch cannot alter this mission or reduce FEMA’s ability to carry out any of its core functions unless the law changes. FEMA also cannot refuse to spend congressionally appropriated funds in violation of the Constitution. In addition, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that President Trump’s FEMA administrator and his successor, who carried out BRIC’s termination, were not lawfully appointed to run FEMA and lack the authority to shut down the program.

    With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from spending BRIC funds on other purposes and a permanent injunction to reverse the termination of the BRIC program and require the restoration of these critical funds to the communities relying on them.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Shutting Down Longstanding Disaster Prevention Program

    Source: US State of California

    Over a billion in funding potentially at stake for California projects to address flooding, wildfires, landslides, drought, and earthquakes

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful termination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Since 2020, FEMA has made billions of dollars available under the BRIC program to prepare for and mitigate the risks from disasters before they happen. From flooding to wildfires to landslides to earthquakes, California is uniquely at risk from natural disasters and the largest beneficiary of this program; already, it has been awarded tens of millions of dollars, and if the program continues, could receive over a billion more for projects that FEMA had selected for grant funding. In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta, alongside a coalition of 19 other states, asks the court to compel FEMA to reverse the unlawful termination of the BRIC program so that communities across the country can protect themselves from natural disasters before they strike.  

    “Nearly thirty years ago, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress recognized a simple fact: Preparing for disasters, instead of just reacting to them, saves money and lives,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Yet in the name of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety with their indiscriminate slashing of pre-disaster mitigation funding. We’re taking them to court – not because we want to, but because we have to. As we continue to build a climate resilient California, we deserve a federal government that is a partner, not a roadblock in our efforts – and that’s exactly what Congress intended.” 

    Across five Presidential administrations, Congress and FEMA have worked together to provide funding through FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program so that communities across the nation can invest in projects that reduce harm from natural disasters. The rationale is simple: by proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs. 

    Given the program’s effectiveness in protecting both people and pocketbooks, it is little surprise that it has had broad bipartisan support. The bill codifying the program passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 415–2 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent before President Bill Clinton signed it. More recently, during President Trump’s first term, a bipartisan group of legislators overwhelmingly passed a bill by a vote of 398–23 in the House and 93–6 in the Senate that provided the program with an additional funding stream. And in 2021, Congress invested another $1 billion in the program through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    In California, projects that have been awarded funding include: 

    • A project in City of Rancho Palos Verdes to reduce geologic landslide movement that threatens most of the City’s residents and infrastructure, including a major arterial roadway that provides community and emergency access, sanitation sewer lines located along this roadway, electric and communication lines, potable water lines, and gas lines. Without this project, landslide movement will continue to threaten critical infrastructure, damage homes and property, and endanger lives. 
    • A project in the City of Sacramento to mitigate flooding of five major interchanges, 3.9 miles of a major interstate highway, a runway at an airport, surface streets, 27,000 housing units, and more. Among other things, the project would have improved floodwall sections, improved levee sections, and relocated a pump station. 
    • A project in Kern County to seismically retrofit the Kern Valley Healthcare District’s hospital that provides acute care and emergency medical services to a remote population in the mid-northern region of the Kern River Valley area. Unless seismically retrofitted, the hospital may soon need to close. This would force hundreds of thousands of Californians to seek services at hospitals over two hours away. 

    In Texas, where heavy rains turned into devastating floods earlier this month, FEMA was set to provide hundreds of million in federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects, including for several flood mitigation projects.

    All that changed when Cameron Hamilton, who the Trump Administration unlawfully installed to act as FEMA’s Administrator, suddenly shut down the program. His unilateral decision to shutter the nation’s largest, most popular, and most cost-effective pre-disaster mitigation program is illegal. Neither Cameron Hamilton nor his successor, David Richardson, were lawfully appointed or qualified to run FEMA, as required by the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and statutory requirements. Their purported termination of the BRIC program flatly contravenes Congress’s decision to continue to fund it, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Congress’s power of the purse. In their lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Attorney General Bonta and a coalition urge the court to reverse FEMA’s unlawful decision to shut down this program – before the devastating impact of this loss of funding results in permanent damage to our communities.  

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the state of Pennsylvania, in filing the lawsuit.  

    A copy of the lawsuit will be available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Shutting Down Longstanding Disaster Prevention Program

    Source: US State of California

    Over a billion in funding potentially at stake for California projects to address flooding, wildfires, landslides, drought, and earthquakes

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful termination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Since 2020, FEMA has made billions of dollars available under the BRIC program to prepare for and mitigate the risks from disasters before they happen. From flooding to wildfires to landslides to earthquakes, California is uniquely at risk from natural disasters and the largest beneficiary of this program; already, it has been awarded tens of millions of dollars, and if the program continues, could receive over a billion more for projects that FEMA had selected for grant funding. In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta, alongside a coalition of 19 other states, asks the court to compel FEMA to reverse the unlawful termination of the BRIC program so that communities across the country can protect themselves from natural disasters before they strike.  

    “Nearly thirty years ago, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress recognized a simple fact: Preparing for disasters, instead of just reacting to them, saves money and lives,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Yet in the name of cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety with their indiscriminate slashing of pre-disaster mitigation funding. We’re taking them to court – not because we want to, but because we have to. As we continue to build a climate resilient California, we deserve a federal government that is a partner, not a roadblock in our efforts – and that’s exactly what Congress intended.” 

    Across five Presidential administrations, Congress and FEMA have worked together to provide funding through FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program so that communities across the nation can invest in projects that reduce harm from natural disasters. The rationale is simple: by proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs. 

    Given the program’s effectiveness in protecting both people and pocketbooks, it is little surprise that it has had broad bipartisan support. The bill codifying the program passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 415–2 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent before President Bill Clinton signed it. More recently, during President Trump’s first term, a bipartisan group of legislators overwhelmingly passed a bill by a vote of 398–23 in the House and 93–6 in the Senate that provided the program with an additional funding stream. And in 2021, Congress invested another $1 billion in the program through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

    In California, projects that have been awarded funding include: 

    • A project in City of Rancho Palos Verdes to reduce geologic landslide movement that threatens most of the City’s residents and infrastructure, including a major arterial roadway that provides community and emergency access, sanitation sewer lines located along this roadway, electric and communication lines, potable water lines, and gas lines. Without this project, landslide movement will continue to threaten critical infrastructure, damage homes and property, and endanger lives. 
    • A project in the City of Sacramento to mitigate flooding of five major interchanges, 3.9 miles of a major interstate highway, a runway at an airport, surface streets, 27,000 housing units, and more. Among other things, the project would have improved floodwall sections, improved levee sections, and relocated a pump station. 
    • A project in Kern County to seismically retrofit the Kern Valley Healthcare District’s hospital that provides acute care and emergency medical services to a remote population in the mid-northern region of the Kern River Valley area. Unless seismically retrofitted, the hospital may soon need to close. This would force hundreds of thousands of Californians to seek services at hospitals over two hours away. 

    In Texas, where heavy rains turned into devastating floods earlier this month, FEMA was set to provide hundreds of million in federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects, including for several flood mitigation projects.

    All that changed when Cameron Hamilton, who the Trump Administration unlawfully installed to act as FEMA’s Administrator, suddenly shut down the program. His unilateral decision to shutter the nation’s largest, most popular, and most cost-effective pre-disaster mitigation program is illegal. Neither Cameron Hamilton nor his successor, David Richardson, were lawfully appointed or qualified to run FEMA, as required by the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and statutory requirements. Their purported termination of the BRIC program flatly contravenes Congress’s decision to continue to fund it, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and Congress’s power of the purse. In their lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Attorney General Bonta and a coalition urge the court to reverse FEMA’s unlawful decision to shut down this program – before the devastating impact of this loss of funding results in permanent damage to our communities.  

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the state of Pennsylvania, in filing the lawsuit.  

    A copy of the lawsuit will be available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Enlight to Report Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on Wednesday, August 6, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TEL AVIV, Israel, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enlight Renewable Energy (“Enlight”, “the Company”, NASDAQ: ENLT, TASE: ENLT.TA), a leading renewable energy platform, today announced it will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, before market open on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

    Conference Call Information

    Enlight will host two calls to review its financial results and business outlook, one in English and one in Hebrew. Management will deliver prepared remarks followed by a question-and-answer session. Participants may join by conference call or webcast:

    English Conference Call & Webcast

    The conference call in English will be held at: 8:00am Eastern Time / 3:00pm Israel Time.

    Please pre-register to join the live conference call:
    https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI46289c60b7164253aa692c51490ef8ad Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number, direct passcode and unique PIN.

    In addition, a live webcast will be available. Please register and join using the following link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/8u3xaw6u

    Hebrew Webcast

    The webcast in Hebrew will be held at: 6:00am Eastern Time / 1:00pm Israel Time.

    Please pre-register to join the live webcast:
    https://enlightenergy-co-il.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fz0XzgWkRBKz4OA0OO7cnQ

    The earnings release with the financial results as well as additional investor presentation materials will be accessible on the Company’s website prior to the calls. An archived version of the English webcast will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://enlightenergy.co.il/events/

    About Enlight

    Founded in 2008, Enlight develops, finances, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale renewable energy projects. Enlight operates across the three largest renewable segments today: solar, wind and energy storage. A global platform, Enlight operates in the United States, Israel and 10 European countries. Enlight has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2010 (TASE: ENLT) and completed its U.S. IPO (Nasdaq: ENLT) in 2023. Learn more at www.enlightenergy.co.il.

    Investor Contact

    Yonah Weisz
    Director IR
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Erica Mannion or Mike Funari
    Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
    +1 617 542 6180
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the Project, the PPA and the related interconnection agreement and lease option, and the completion timeline for the Project, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to site suitable land for, and otherwise source, renewable energy projects and to successfully develop and convert them into Operational Projects; availability of, and access to, interconnection facilities and transmission systems; our ability to obtain and maintain governmental and other regulatory approvals and permits, including environmental approvals and permits; construction delays, operational delays and supply chain disruptions leading to increased cost of materials required for the construction of our projects, as well as cost overruns and delays related to disputes with contractors; our suppliers’ ability and willingness to perform both existing and future obligations; competition from traditional and renewable energy companies in developing renewable energy projects; potential slowed demand for renewable energy projects and our ability to enter into new offtake contracts on acceptable terms and prices as current offtake contracts expire; offtakers’ ability to terminate contracts or seek other remedies resulting from failure of our projects to meet development, operational or performance benchmarks; various technical and operational challenges leading to unplanned outages, reduced output, interconnection or termination issues; the dependence of our production and revenue on suitable meteorological and environmental conditions, and our ability to accurately predict such conditions; our ability to enforce warranties provided by our counterparties in the event that our projects do not perform as expected; government curtailment, energy price caps and other government actions that restrict or reduce the profitability of renewable energy production; electricity price volatility, unusual weather conditions (including the effects of climate change, could adversely affect wind and solar conditions), catastrophic weather-related or other damage to facilities, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, unanticipated changes to availability due to higher demand, shortages, transportation problems or other developments, environmental incidents, or electric transmission system constraints and the possibility that we may not have adequate insurance to cover losses as a result of such hazards; our dependence on certain operational projects for a substantial portion of our cash flows; our ability to continue to grow our portfolio of projects through successful acquisitions; changes and advances in technology that impair or eliminate the competitive advantage of our projects or upsets the expectations underlying investments in our technologies; our ability to effectively anticipate and manage cost inflation, interest rate risk, currency exchange fluctuations and other macroeconomic conditions that impact our business; our ability to retain and attract key personnel; our ability to manage legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk across our global corporate structure; our ability to protect our business from, and manage the impact of, cyber-attacks, disruptions and security incidents, as well as acts of terrorism or war; changes to existing renewable energy industry policies and regulations that present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to renewable energy projects; the reduction, elimination or expiration of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy; our ability to effectively manage our supply chain and comply with applicable regulations with respect to international trade relations, the impact of tariffs on the cost of construction and our ability to mitigate such impact, , sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; our ability to effectively comply with Environmental Health and Safety and other laws and regulations and receive and maintain all necessary licenses, permits and authorizations; our performance of various obligations under the terms of our indebtedness (and the indebtedness of our subsidiaries that we guarantee) and our ability to continue to secure project financing on attractive terms for our projects; limitations on our management rights and operational flexibility due to our use of tax equity arrangements; potential claims and disagreements with partners, investors and other counterparties that could reduce our right to cash flows generated by our projects; our ability to comply with tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we currently operate as well as the tax laws in jurisdictions in which we intend to operate in the future; the unknown effect of the dual listing of our ordinary shares on the price of our ordinary shares; various risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel; the costs and requirements of being a public company, including the diversion of management’s attention with respect to such requirements; certain provisions in our Articles of Association and certain applicable regulations that may delay or prevent a change of control; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled “Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and our other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC.

    These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REP. HILL’S BILL TO TURN VACANT FEDERAL BUILDING INTO COMMUNITY SPACE IN PERRY COUNTY ADVANCES THROUGH COMMITTEE

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

     Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today released the following statement after his bill, H.R. 3187, advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources with unanimous consent. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a vacant U.S. Forest Service building and surrounding land to Perry County.

    Rep. Hill said, “I’m pleased to see my bill to transfer a long-vacant U.S. Forest Service building to Perry County unanimously passed the House Natural Resources Committee. That building has sat empty for years, and now it’s one step closer to being put to good use for youth programs, agricultural education, and local conservation efforts. It’s a smart use of public resources and a clear win for Perry County.

    “I’m especially thankful to my friend and fellow Arkansan, Chairman Westerman, for moving this bill through his committee. As it heads to the House Floor, I’ll keep working to get my bill passed so local leaders can finally put the building to work for the people of Perry County.”

    Following the passage of H.R. 3187 through the House Committee on Natural Resources, Chairman Westerman said, “Congressman Hill’s simple land transfer removes a burden from the American taxpayer and will help support the needs of a local community in my home state. This commonsense legislation will provide Perry County with new resources to support the community. I’d like to thank Congressman Hill for his work on this bill and for his work for Arkansans.”

    Background

    The 0.81-acre parcel, located at 1069 Fourche Avenue, includes a federal building operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The building is vacant, and the U.S. Forest Service has no plans to use it going forward. While the building will require repairs and updates, Perry County has the funds to make the necessary improvements. Once conveyed and repaired, the property will support permanent operations of the University of Arkansas Extension Program and the Perry County Conservation District and serve as the meeting space for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

    Several local leaders and Perry County residents have voiced their support for the building to be conveyed to Perry County.

    You can read the full bill text HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Voltage Park joins NSF-led National AI Research Resource pilot to expand access to advanced computing

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The U.S. National Science Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with Voltage Park in support of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot — a transformative public-private initiative designed to drive U.S. AI innovation, discovery and national competitiveness by expanding access to the tools and resources essential for cutting-edge AI resources for researchers and educators across the country.

    Voltage Park, a company committed to broadening access to AI infrastructure, will contribute high-performance cloud computing resources and expert support to help researchers nationwide pursue breakthrough innovations in AI. As part of the partnership, Voltage Park will provide one million NVIDIA H100 GPU hours, enabling a diverse range of AI research projects in science, engineering, health, climate, and more.

    “Voltage Park’s participation significantly strengthens our ability to deliver on the promise of the NAIRR pilot,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “By partnering with visionary private sector organizations like Voltage Park, we are expanding the frontiers of AI research and ensuring that the US continues to lead in AI innovation.”  

    ​​​“Expanding access to advanced computing is not just a technical initiative—it’s a strategic priority,” said Ozan Kaya, Chief Executive Officer of Voltage Park. “By lowering the barriers to high-performance AI infrastructure, we can unlock innovation from a more diverse and representative set of researchers. That inclusivity is what drives truly impactful AI—and strengthens our national edge in the global innovation landscape.”

    The NAIRR pilot, launched in 2024 and led by NSF, is a two-year proof-of-concept designed to inform the development of a full-scale national infrastructure. It connects researchers to a distributed ecosystem of computational, data, software, model, training, and user support resources essential for advancing AI research, development, and workforce training.

    The pilot brings together 12 federal agencies and now 27 partners from the private sector, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities, reflecting a whole-of-nation approach to building a more inclusive and impactful AI research ecosystem.

    Voltage Park’s team will work closely with NAIRR pilot operations staff to match researchers with the most appropriate resources, ensuring they receive expert support and training to maximize their use of the computing time provided.

    This collaboration exemplifies NSF’s commitment to forging strategic partnerships that advance U.S. leadership in AI while promoting innovation, economic growth and national competitiveness. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Celebrates Third Anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, New Resources Available to Help Those in Need

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Celebrates Third Anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, New Resources Available to Help Those in Need

    NCDHHS Celebrates Third Anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, New Resources Available to Help Those in Need
    jawerner

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week celebrates three years of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides help and support for anyone suffering from depression, anxiety or interpersonal/family issues or who just needs someone to talk to during a time of personal crisis. North Carolina is a national leader in 988 implementation with a focus on answering every call and ensuring every person gets the care they need. A recent survey shows many people reported feeling hopeful, grateful and motivated after calling 988 with more than 90% finding the service valuable in their community. Additionally, 33% of people in the survey say 988 saved their life or the life of someone they care about.

    From August 2022, the first full month of service, through May 2025, the state averaged more than 9,400 calls, texts or chats each month. Text and chat options were first offered in July 2023.

    From June 2024 through May 2025, the volume increased to 11,443 calls/chats/texts per month. National data shows 68 percent of contacts are phone calls, 18 percent are texts and 14 percent are chats.

    “No matter what you are facing, help is just a phone call away for all North Carolinians,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “The rapid and successful adoption of 988 is a testament to the need for accessible, compassionate and supportive counselors so someone experiencing a mental health crisis can feel cared for in their most vulnerable moments.”

    Mental health impacts every North Carolinian, and rates of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed in recent years. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and a leading cause of death among those aged 15-24. Experienced and trained 988 operators will respond to all calls to 988 and ensure that people receive the support and resources that they need.

    In North Carolina, the 13-17 age group averages the most contacts to 988, with 97 contacts per 10,000 residents, followed by 25-34 (96), 18-24 (93) and 35-44 (57), according to the most recent data from the North Carolina 988 Performance Dashboard.

    “The need for mental health care for young people in North Carolina has never been greater,” said Kelly Crosbie MSW, LCSW NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Substance Use Services and Developmental Disorders. “We are building a system of crisis services to ensure there will always be someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe for help if you are in crisis or just need someone to talk to.”

    Experienced and trained 988 operators will respond to all calls and ensure people receive the support and resources they need. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently announced it would eliminate federal funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline service dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth services. On July 17, 2025, people who call 988 will no longer have the option to Press 3, specific to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide. NCDHHS is committed to responding to everyone who needs mental health services. Everyone can and should still call 988, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

    The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an important component of NCDHHS’ ongoing work to ensure every North Carolinian has someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe place for help when experiencing a behavioral health crisis. 

    Of the $835 million investment in behavioral health in the 2023 state budget, NCDHHS has committed more than $130 million to transforming North Carolina’s mental health crisis response services and providing support when and where it is needed, no matter the crisis.

    The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is one of many crisis services offered by NCDHHS to those who need support. Mobile crisis teams can come to you to provide in-person help. Find the low or no cost crisis services right for you at ncdhhs.gov/CrisisServices.

    Community Crisis Centers are open 24/7 and provide access to licensed clinicians. No appointment is required, and help is available to people ages 4 and up.

    Our Crisis Services Communications Toolkit includes free flyers, posters and other resources to promote and explain crisis services in your community in English and Spanish. For additional information about 988, visit 988lifeline.org.

    ###

    If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or need someone to talk to, you are not alone. Resources are available on the NCDHHS Suicide Prevention website for social or family situations, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, alcohol or drug use, or if you just need someone to talk to.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte celebra esta semana tres años de la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis, que proporciona ayuda y apoyo a cualquier persona que sufra de depresión, ansiedad o problemas interpersonales y/o familiares, o que simplemente necesite a alguien con quien hablar durante un momento de crisis personal. Carolina del Norte es un líder nacional en la implementación de la línea 988 con un enfoque en responder a cada llamada y garantizar que cada persona reciba la atención que necesita. Una encuesta reciente muestra que muchas personas reportaron sentirse esperanzadas, agradecidas y motivadas después de llamar al 988, y más del 90 % considera que el servicio es valioso en su comunidad. Además, el 33 % de las personas en la encuesta dicen que la línea 988 salvó su vida o la vida de alguien que les importa.

    Desde agosto de 2022, el primer mes completo de servicio, hasta mayo de 2025, el estado respondió en promedio a más de 9,400 llamadas, mensajes de texto o chats cada mes. Las opciones de texto y chat se ofrecieron por primera vez en julio de 2023.

    Desde junio de 2024 hasta mayo de 2025, el volumen aumentó a 11,443 llamadas, chats y/o mensajes de texto por mes. Los datos nacionales muestran que el 68 por ciento de los contactos son llamadas telefónicas, el 18 por ciento son mensajes de texto y el 14 por ciento son chats.

    “No importa a lo que se enfrente, la ayuda está a solo una llamada telefónica de distancia para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “La adopción rápida y exitosa del 988 es un testimonio de la necesidad de consejeros accesibles, compasivos y de apoyo para que alguien que experimenta una crisis de salud mental pueda sentirse atendido en sus momentos más vulnerables”.

    La salud mental afecta a todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte, y las tasas de ansiedad y depresión se han disparado en los últimos años. El suicidio es la segunda causa de muerte entre los jóvenes de 10 a 14 años, y una de las principales causas de muerte entre los de 15 a 24 años. Los operadores experimentados y capacitados del 988 responderán a todas las llamadas al 988 y se asegurarán de que las personas reciban el apoyo y los recursos que necesitan.

    En Carolina del Norte, el grupo de edad de 13 a 17 años es el que registra más contactos al 988 en promedio, con 97 contactos por cada 10,000 habitantes, seguido del grupo de 25 a 34 (96), 18 a 24 (93) y 35 a 44 (57), según los datos más recientes del tablero de rendimiento del 988 de Carolina del Norte.

    “La necesidad de atención de salud mental para los jóvenes en Carolina del Norte nunca ha sido mayor”, dijo Kelly Crosbie MSW, LCSW, directora de la División de Servicios de Salud Mental, Discapacidades de Desarrollo y Uso de Sustancias del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Estamos construyendo un sistema de servicios de crisis para garantizar que siempre haya alguien con quien ponerse en contacto, alguien que responda y un lugar seguro para obtener ayuda si está en crisis o simplemente necesita a alguien con quien hablar”.

    Los operadores experimentados y capacitados del 988 responderán a todas las llamadas y se asegurarán de que las personas reciban el apoyo y los recursos que necesitan. El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos anunció recientemente que eliminaría los fondos federales para el servicio de la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis dedicado a los jóvenes LGBTQ+. El 17 de julio de 2025, las personas que llamen al 988 ya no tendrán la opción de oprimir 3, específicamente para los jóvenes LGBTQ+ que estén considerando suicidarse. El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) se compromete a responder a todas las personas que necesitan servicios de salud mental. Todos pueden y deben llamar al 988, incluidos los miembros de la comunidad LGBTQ+.

    La Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis es un componente importante del trabajo continuo del NCDHHS para garantizar que todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte tengan a alguien con quien comunicarse, alguien que responda y un lugar seguro para obtener ayuda cuando experimentan una crisis de salud conductual. 

    De la inversión de $ 835 millones en salud conductual en el presupuesto estatal de 2023, el NCDHHS ha comprometido más de $ 130 millones para transformar los servicios de respuesta a crisis de salud mental de Carolina del Norte y brindar apoyo cuando y donde sea necesario, sin importar la crisis.

    La Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis es uno de los muchos servicios de crisis ofrecidos por el NCDHHS a aquellos que necesitan apoyo. Los equipos móviles de respuesta a crisis pueden acudir a usted para brindarle ayuda en persona. Encuentre los servicios de crisis gratuitos o de bajo costo adecuados para usted en Servicios de respuesta a crisis de Carolina del Norte – en español | NCDHHS.

    Los centros comunitarios de respuesta a crisis están abiertos las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana y brindan acceso a médicos con licencia. No se requiere cita y hay ayuda disponible para personas de 4 años en adelante. 

    Nuestro Kit de herramientas de comunicación sobre los servicios de respuesta a crisis incluye volantes gratuitos, carteles y otros recursos para promover y explicar servicios de respuesta a crisis en su comunidad en inglés y español. Para obtener información adicional sobre el 988, visite Linea988.org/es.

    ###

    Si usted o alguien que conoce está luchando con su salud mental o necesita a alguien con quien hablar, no está solo. Los recursos están disponibles en el sitio web de Prevención del Suicidio del NCDHHS para situaciones sociales o familiares, depresión, ansiedad, ataques de pánico, pensamientos de suicidio, consumo de alcohol o drogas, o si solo necesita a alguien con quien hablar.

    Jul 16, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Roche and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) launch partnership to strengthen diagnostic leadership across Africa

    Source: APO

    • The partnership dubbed, Leadership Excellence for African Diagnostics (LEAD) between Roche and ASLM is a three-year programme to strengthen lab leadership in Africa
    • The initiative focuses on mentorship and training to build lab leadership capabilities

    Roche Diagnostics Africa (www.Roche.com) and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) (www.ASLM.org) have announced the launch of a three-year partnership to elevate laboratory leadership and improve access to quality diagnostic services across the continent. The initiative — titled LEAD: Leadership Excellence for African Diagnostics — brings together health ministries, laboratory directors, academic partners and technical experts to develop a new generation of capable, connected and future-ready lab leaders.

    “This partnership will build long-term leadership that would  shape the future of diagnostics in Africa — practically, strategically and sustainably. In a time where we need African healthcare systems to become less reliant on external funding sources, we are focused on increasing domestic diagnostics capacity more than ever,” says Dr Allan Pamba, Executive Vice President, Diagnostics, Africa, at Roche Diagnostics.

    “We are entering a new chapter where African health systems take the lead in their own transformation. By growing diagnostic leadership we support long-term resilience and impact. LEAD equips professionals who can influence policy, drive national strategy and build sustainable healthcare capacity.”

    Under the partnership, LEAD will deliver a series of integrated interventions including baseline leadership assessments to guide a tailored context-specific training approach, development of a pan-African curriculum in collaboration with a leading academic institution, structured mentorship and professional development for emerging lab leaders, peer learning and regional collaboration through workshops and best practise exchanges.

    ASLM Chief Executive Officer, Nqobile Ndlovu, added: “Diagnostics are the foundation of resilient health systems – but strong labs require strong leaders. LEAD focuses on people: their vision, their reach and their ability to transform public health from within. With this programme, we are supporting the leadership needed to move African healthcare forward.”

    Roche will provide funding, technical support and global platforms for visibility while ASLM will lead country-level implementation, stakeholder coordination and curriculum development.

    Laboratory strengthening is a key enabler for stronger health systems and this partnership is a commitment towards a healthier future for Africans.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Roche Diagnostics.

    Media queries: 
    Precious Nkabinde 
    Communications Lead 
    precious.nkabinde@roche.com 

    Nelly Rwenji
    Communications Lead
    ASLM
    nrwenji@aslm.org

    About Roche:
    Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

    In recognising our endeavor to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the thirteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

    Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

    For more information, please visit www.Roche.com.

    All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

    About ASLM:
    The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is a pan-African organization committed to achieving a healthier Africa by increasing access to quality laboratory services for all. We work to convene and mobilize stakeholders at all levels to improve access to diagnostic services and strengthen laboratory systems and networks.

    Since its founding in 2011, ASLM has played a key role in advancing laboratory medicine in Africa, collaborating with partners and stakeholders to promote disease diagnosis, surveillance, and control. Through its programs and initiatives, ASLM has contributed to the development of laboratory policies and guidelines, the expansion of laboratory networks, and the improvement of laboratory infrastructure and equipment. ASLM’s experience highlights the importance of laboratory medicine in public health and demonstrates the impact of collaborative efforts in advancing health outcomes in Africa.

    Learn more: www.ASLM.org

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators King, Collins, Smith Introduce Bill to Combat Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tina Smith (D-MN) today introduced legislation to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, their landmark legislation to improve research, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for tick-borne diseases, which became law in 2019. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joins them as an original co-sponsor. The Kay Hagan Tick Act unites the effort to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Confirmed cases of Lyme disease reached a record number in Maine – 3,035 – last year. Senators Collins and Smith named their bill in honor of former Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) who passed away on October 28th, 2019, due to complications from the tick-borne disease known as the Powassan virus.

    “Our state has been battling diseases like Lyme for decades, so it is critical we continue to invest in our research and understanding of these vector-borne diseases to better protect Maine residents and visitors,” said Senator King. “The Kay Hagan Tick Act will further the prevention efforts that keep us safe by funding research, testing and diagnostics along with resources for improved data collection. I am proud to work on this critical bipartisan legislation that will help mitigate this long-term public health threat for the future safety and health of all Maine people.”

    “Last year, Maine reported over 3,000 cases of Lyme disease—a record in our state. The reauthorization of our Tick Act is urgently needed to continue to support those who struggle with Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses and keep improving research, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention for these terrible diseases,” said Senator Collins. “Resources from the Tick Act have led to exciting developments such as the first-ever clinical trial for a Lyme disease vaccine for people, which is underway right now at the MaineHealth Institute for Research.”

    “My home state of Minnesota is proud to have more than 10,000 lakes and thousands of rivers for us to enjoy, and we’re always especially eager to get outside after a long winter,” said Senator Smith. “Unfortunately, the number of Lyme disease cases in the state—and states across the country—is on the rise. This bill would empower regional centers to lead the response against these diseases and expanded the federal government’s role in researching, testing and treating these diseases. For the sake of Americans’ health and well-being, we need to keep moving this bill forward.”

    “Reauthorizing the Kay Hagan Tick Act will continue the nation’s coordinated framework for tick-borne disease surveillance, diagnostics, and prevention”, said Griffin Dill, Director of the University of Maine Tick Lab. Continued support means earlier detection, targeted interventions, and fewer families facing the physical and financial burden of Lyme disease and other emerging infections. Through this investment, Congress can ensure a proactive approach to safeguarding our communities from increasing threats related to ticks.”

    “With an estimated 500,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, it is critical that the United States is equipped to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to this growing public health threat,” said Bonnie Crater, co-founder and board member at Center for Lyme Action. “We applaud the foundation laid by the Kay Hagan Tick Act, which established the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in Humans and we are committed to working with Congress and federal agencies to ensure this strategy is fully implemented and strengthened.  We commend Senator Collins, Senator King, and Senator Smith for their bipartisan leadership in advancing the reauthorization of this vital legislation to protect the health and safety of Americans nationwide.”

    Using a three-pronged approach, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act would:

    1. Require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue implementing and updating, as appropriate, its National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People.  This strategy has been integral in expanding research into tick-borne diseases, improving testing and diagnostics, and coordinating efforts across the federal government.
    1. Reauthorize Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease for five years. Funding for these centers, which was allotted in 2017, expires this year. These Centers have led the scientific response against tick-borne diseases, which now make up 75 percent of vector-borne diseases in the U.S.  There are four centers located at universities in California, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin. 
    1. Reauthorize CDC Grants to State Health Departments to improve data collection and analysis, support early detection and diagnosis, improve treatment, and raise awareness.  These awards would help states continue to build a public health infrastructure for Lyme and other vector-borne diseases and amplify their initiatives through public-private partnerships.   

    In May, Senator Collins delivered the opening remarks at the Center for Lyme Action Congressional Series and spoke to the need for continued federal funding for tick-borne disease research. Click here to watch and here to download her remarks. Senator Collins has also urged leading health officials to continue to support the development of treatment for these illnesses, including the clinical trials currently ongoing in Maine for the first Lyme disease vaccine for people.

    Senator King is a longtime advocate for the elimination of vector-borne diseases. His SMASH Act, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize critical public health tools that support states and localities in their mosquito surveillance and control efforts, especially those linked to mosquitos that carry the Zika virus, and improve the nation’s preparedness for Zika and other mosquito-borne threats like West Nile virus, chikungunya, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (“triple-e”) virus was signed into law in 2019. A re-authorization of SMASH was introduced in 2023 and included in the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act Reauthorization.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Senator Hassan’s Push, Manchester Wage and Hour Office to Stay Open After DOGE Targeted It for Closure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – Following advocacy by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the U.S. Department of Labor will keep open its Manchester Wage and Hour Division office, which recovers an average of nearly $2 million annually in back pay for New Hampshire workers. The office had previously been slated for closure by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). After learning of the planned closure, Senator Hassan pressed the U.S. Department of Labor about preserving the office, warning that closing this facility would jeopardize workers’ ability to get the wages that they are owed.
    “I am pleased that the Manchester Wage and Hour Division office will remain open to continue serving Granite Staters,” said Senator Hassan. “This office has delivered for New Hampshire workers by recovering wages that they have earned. We need to work together to eliminate waste and fraud in government in ways that help everyday people, not hurt them. DOGE’s arbitrary cuts to offices that are effectively serving constituents do not make our government more efficient and this closure would have threatened the ability of hardworking Granite Staters to recover wages that they are owed.”
    Senator Hassan has opposed the planned closure of the Manchester office, pressing Department of Labor officials on the issue in recent months. The office investigates reports of workers not receiving the full pay that they are entitled to, and it has recovered nearly $8 million for almost 5,600 New Hampshire workers over the last five years – more money per person than in 40 other states. Last month, Senator Hassan secured a commitment from Andrew Rogers, the nominee for Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the Department of Labor, to review DOGE’s decision to close the Manchester office. Senator Hassan later met with Rogers to personally underscore the importance of keeping the office open. The Department of Labor recently shared that the office will stay open and that the lease has been re-signed.
    Senator Hassan has also been speaking out against other DOGE targets, including Social Security offices. Following news that DOGE planned to close the Littleton Social Security office – the only Social Security field office accessible to Granite Staters in Northern New Hampshire – Senators Hassan and Shaheen called on the leaders of the General Services Administration and Social Security Administration to halt any efforts to close the Littleton office and stop broader attacks on Social Security services. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pic of the Week – Bizzell Memorial Library, Historic Landmark and Home to Library of Congress History

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    My summer travels always end at a library. Every library I have visited, from the one of my childhood home to my current place of employment, is special to me, not to mention the communities they continue to serve. On a visit to Oklahoma, I discovered another.

    The Bizzell Memorial Library is located in Norman, on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. Built in 1929, the library’s architectural style is Cherokee Gothic, like many other buildings on the campus. In 2001, it was made a National Historic Landmark.

    The Peggy V. Helmerich Great Reading Room of Bizzell Library on a summer day. Photo by Bailey DeSimone.

    While exploring the halls, I learned that the library was an important part of a civil rights case. In McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (229 U.S. 637 (1950)), a unanimous court ruled that George W. McLaurin, the first African American to attend the University of Oklahoma, was deprived of his 14th Amendment rights in the “separate but equal” segregation practices of the University. Before this ruling, McLaurin “was required to sit apart at a designated desk in an anteroom adjoining the classroom” and “a designated desk on the mezzanine floor of the library, but not to use the desks in the regular reading room.” (p. 4.) The ruling was also delivered on the same day as Sweatt v. Painter (339 U.S. 629 (1950)), a case in which Herman Marion Sweatt, an African American applicant to the University of Texas School of Law, was ruled to have had his 14th Amendment rights violated when he was denied admittance on the grounds of his race.

    Also in the Bizzell Library is a select collection of awards granted to, and publications by, Daniel J. Boorstin, a notable author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1974. He went on to serve as the Librarian of Congress from 1975 to 1987. Though not an alumnus of the University, Boorstin did grow up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1989.

    The Daniel J. Boorstin Collection at the University of Oklahoma Bizzell Memorial Library. Photo by Bailey DeSimone.

    I am grateful to every library that has welcomed me through its doors, and I am glad to add Bizzell Library to the list. I learn something new and interesting every time. This summer, check out your local library for their current displays and see what you learn!

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pic of the Week – Bizzell Memorial Library, Historic Landmark and Home to Library of Congress History

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    My summer travels always end at a library. Every library I have visited, from the one of my childhood home to my current place of employment, is special to me, not to mention the communities they continue to serve. On a visit to Oklahoma, I discovered another.

    The Bizzell Memorial Library is located in Norman, on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. Built in 1929, the library’s architectural style is Cherokee Gothic, like many other buildings on the campus. In 2001, it was made a National Historic Landmark.

    The Peggy V. Helmerich Great Reading Room of Bizzell Library on a summer day. Photo by Bailey DeSimone.

    While exploring the halls, I learned that the library was an important part of a civil rights case. In McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (229 U.S. 637 (1950)), a unanimous court ruled that George W. McLaurin, the first African American to attend the University of Oklahoma, was deprived of his 14th Amendment rights in the “separate but equal” segregation practices of the University. Before this ruling, McLaurin “was required to sit apart at a designated desk in an anteroom adjoining the classroom” and “a designated desk on the mezzanine floor of the library, but not to use the desks in the regular reading room.” (p. 4.) The ruling was also delivered on the same day as Sweatt v. Painter (339 U.S. 629 (1950)), a case in which Herman Marion Sweatt, an African American applicant to the University of Texas School of Law, was ruled to have had his 14th Amendment rights violated when he was denied admittance on the grounds of his race.

    Also in the Bizzell Library is a select collection of awards granted to, and publications by, Daniel J. Boorstin, a notable author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1974. He went on to serve as the Librarian of Congress from 1975 to 1987. Though not an alumnus of the University, Boorstin did grow up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1989.

    The Daniel J. Boorstin Collection at the University of Oklahoma Bizzell Memorial Library. Photo by Bailey DeSimone.

    I am grateful to every library that has welcomed me through its doors, and I am glad to add Bizzell Library to the list. I learn something new and interesting every time. This summer, check out your local library for their current displays and see what you learn!

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Melise Panetta, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

    Young adults in their 20s and 30s face an altered social landscape where financial realities influence their relationships. (Rene Ranisch/Unsplash)

    If it feels like rising prices are affecting your dating life or friendships, you’re not imagining it. Around the world, economic pressures are taking a significant toll on personal relationships.

    From strained romantic partnerships to postponed life milestones, financial uncertainty is changing the way people connect and relate to with one another.

    Young adults in their 20s and 30s, in particular, are facing an altered social landscape where even the most fundamental aspects of relationships are being influenced by financial realities.

    Dating today can feel like a mix of endless swipes, red flags and shifting expectations. From decoding mixed signals to balancing independence with intimacy, relationships in your 20s and 30s come with unique challenges. Love IRL is the latest series from Quarter Life that explores it all.

    These research-backed articles break down the complexities of modern love to help you build meaningful connections, no matter your relationship status.

    Financial stress and relationship strain

    Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships, but today’s economic landscape has made financial stress an even greater burden.

    In Canada, a staggering 77 per cent of couples report financial strain, and 62 per cent say they argue over money. The rising cost of rent, food and everyday expenses has forced many couples to make difficult financial decisions, sometimes at the expense of their relationship.

    These concerns are not unique to Canadian couples. A study in the United Kingdom found that 38 per cent of people in a relationship admit to having a secret account or “money stashed away” that their partner doesn’t know about. And in the United States, couples surveyed reported having 58 money-related arguments per year.

    Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships.
    (Shutterstock)

    Even more concerning, financial instability is affecting how long relationships last. A recent RBC poll found 55 per cent of Canadians feel they need to be in a relationship to afford their lifestyle.

    The economic barriers to independence are particularly pronounced for those contemplating separation or divorce. Traditionally, a breakup meant one partner moving out, but now more divorced and separated couples are finding themselves cohabitating simply because they can’t afford to live alone.

    Understanding how to maintain a healthy relationship when facing financial troubles is essential for couples to navigate these difficult times.

    Postponing major life decisions

    The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. A Statistics Canada survey found that 38 per cent of young adults have postponed moving out due to economic uncertainty, an increase from 32 per cent in 2018.

    This issue is not only delaying the journey to independent adulthood, it is also reversing it. For example, in the United Kingdom, one in five young adults who moved out have had to move back into their family home due to the cost of living crisis.

    Housing affordability plays a major role in these delays. With housing prices soaring in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, home ownership feels out of reach for many. For instance, 55 per cent of young Canadians report the housing crisis is fuelling their decision to delay starting a family.

    The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. Real estate signs seen in Calgary in May 2023.
    (Shutterstock)

    These delays have cascading effects on individuals and on broader societal trends, including lower fertility rates and shifts toward smaller families.

    Dating in a cost-conscious era

    One side effect of the rising cost of living is that couples are moving in together sooner than they might have otherwise in order to split living expenses. Others are adopting a more pragmatic approach to dating and bringing up topics like financial stability, job security and housing much earlier in their relationships.

    A dating trend known as “future-proofing” is also spreading. According to Bumble’s annual trend report, 95 per cent of singles say their worries about the future are impacting who they date and how they approach relationships. Top concerns include finances, job security, housing and climate change.



    Read more:
    The price of love: Why millennials and Gen Zs are running up major dating debt

    At the same time, financial strain is leading to simpler and cheaper date nights. More than half of Canadians say the rising cost of living is affecting dating. Many people are opting for budget-friendly activities like coffee dates, picnics or home-cooked meals instead of expensive dinners or weekend getaways.

    In the U.K., inflation and other day-to-day expenses have also made 33 per cent of the nation’s young singles less likely to go on dates. Around one-quarter of them say it has made them less likely to seek out a romantic partner altogether.

    Financial strain is leading fewer people to go on expensive, extravagent date nights.
    (Shutterstock)

    These costs are forcing single Americans to adjust their dating plans. With 44 per cent of single Americans reporting adjusting a date for financial reasons, and 27 per cent outright cancelling plans due to financial pressures, it is clear that the cost of living is fundamentally changing how Americans date.

    Also, with 38 per cent of dating Canadians saying the costs associated with dating have negatively impacted their ability to reach their financial goals, some are even skipping dating altogether.

    The cost of friendship

    Friendships, too, are feeling the pinch. Gone are the days of casually grabbing dinner or catching a concert on the weekend. Nearly 40 per cent of Canadians, 42 per cent of Britons and 37 per cent of Americans have cut back on social outings due to financial constraints.

    While this may seem like a small sacrifice, the decline in social interactions carries serious consequences. Regular social engagement is critical for mental health, resilience and career development. The more social activities are reduced, the greater the risk of loneliness and isolation — two factors that can significantly impact emotional well-being.

    For many, socializing now means opting for budget-friendly alternatives. However, even with creative adjustments, financial pressures are making it harder to maintain strong social ties.

    The changing landscape of connection

    If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you’ve probably felt the way the economic realities of today are reshaping what relationships look like. Rising costs are influencing everything, from who you live with, how you date and when — or if — you take major life steps.

    Maybe you’ve moved in with a partner sooner than planned to split rent, swapped nights out for budget-friendly hangs or put off milestones like starting a family. You’re not alone. Financial pressures are redefining how we connect with each other.

    Finding ways to maintain strong relationships under economic stress is essential. Research shows providing emotional support to your partner, employing positive problem-solving skills and engaging in open communication are key maintaining high-quality relationships.

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

    – ref. How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love – https://theconversation.com/how-rising-living-costs-are-changing-the-way-we-date-live-and-love-252709

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ showcases Donald Trump’s penchant for visual cruelty

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Marycarmen Lara Villanueva, PhD Candidate, Department of Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

    The United States government recently announced the opening of a massive immigrant detention facility built deep within the Florida Everglades that’s been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a media briefing that “there is only one road leading in … and the only way out is a one-way flight.”

    For some taking in her remarks, the moment felt dystopian. According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the facility is surrounded by swamps and alligators and is equipped with more than 200 security cameras, 8,500 metres of barbed wire and a security force of 400 personnel.

    Accounts from some of the first detainees at the facility have shed light on the inhumane conditions. They’ve described limited access to water and fresh air, saying they received only one meal a day and that the lights are on 24/7.

    Apparently designed to be an immigration deterrence and a display of cruelty, Alligator Alcatraz is much more than infrastructure. It is visual policy aimed to stage terror as a message while making Trump’s authoritarian and fascist politics a material reality.

    Contributing to this fascist visual apparatus, AI-generated images of alligators wearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hats have circulated widely on social media. Some have questioned whether these images were satire or state propaganda.

    A screenshot of a June 2025 Homeland Security post on X, formerly Twitter.

    Surveillance, migration, debilitation

    In a moment of growing right-wing rhetoric and support for anti-immigrant violence, understanding how visual regimes operate, and what they attempt to normalize, is important.



    Read more:
    Nearly 54% of extreme conservatives say the federal government should use violence to stop illegal immigration

    Surveillance and deterrence technologies used along the U.S.–Mexico border for decades were intentionally designed to restrict the movement of undocumented migrants. According to Human Rights Watch, this has resulted in more than 10,000 deaths.

    Since 1994, U.S. Border Patrol has been accused of directing migrants away from urban crossings along the southern border, intentionally funnelling them into harsh and inhospitable terrain like the Sonora Desert.

    The desert serves as a deterrent to prevent immigrants from reaching their destiny. American theorist Jasbir Puar’s concept of debility is useful in making sense of the strategic process whereby the state works not to kill, but to weaken, as a form of slow violence that wears people down over time. The desired outcome is deterrence.

    On the southern U.S. border, severe dehydration and kidney failure can be outcomes of this debilitating process, potentially resulting in disability or death.

    Infrastructures of violence

    Sarah Lopez, a built environment historian and migration scholar in the U.S., describes the architecture of migrant immobilization as existing on a continuum with prison design. She’s highlighted the increasingly punitive conditions of immigration detention facilities, such as small dark cells or the absence of natural light.

    French architect and writer Léopold Lambert explains that architecture isn’t just about buildings, but about how space is used to organize and control people. He coined and developed the term weaponized architecture to describe how spaces are designed to serve the political goals of those in power.

    Colonialism, capitalism and modernity are closely connected, and architecture has played a key role in making them possible. Alligator Alcatraz sits at the intersection of all three, intentionally created to invoke danger and isolation. In other words, it’s cruel by design.

    As Leavitt put it, the facility is “isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain.” The Trump administration has essentially transformed land into infrastructure and migrants into disposable threats.

    Terrorizing the marginalized

    State-sanctioned “unforgiving terrains” are not new, and the use of alligators to terrorize people of colour isn’t new either.

    The grotesque history of Black children being used as “alligator bait” in Jim Crow-era imagery is well-documented.

    So when Trump publicly fantasized about alligators eating immigrants trying to escape the new detention centre, it came as no surprise to those familiar with the long racist visual history linking alligators to representations of Black people.

    This logic is redeployed in the form of a racial terror that is made visible, marketable and even humorous in mainstream political discourse.

    Visuality and migration

    “Visuality” is a key term in the field of visual and cultural studies, originally coined by Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle and reintroduced in the early 2000s by American cultural theorist Nicholas Mirzoeff. It can be understood as the socially, historically and culturally constructed ways of seeing and understanding the visual world.

    Visual systems have historically been used to justify western imperial and colonial rule by controlling how people see and understand the world.

    While Alligator Alcatraz is a brand-new detention facility, it draws from a longer visual and spatial history of domination.

    The AI-generated images of alligators wearing ICE hats can be seen as part of a broader visual system that makes racialized violence seem normal, justified and even funny. In this absurd transformation, the alligator is reimagined as a legitimate symbol of border enforcement.

    Migrant death by water

    The spectacle of Alligator Alcatraz, with its swampy inhospitable landscape, cannot be divorced from the long visual history of migrant death by water that’s relied on the circulation of images to provoke outrage — and sometimes state action.

    Examples include the iconic image of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian child whose lifeless body washed ashore in Turkey in 2015, and the devastating photo of Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his two-year-old daughter who both drowned crossing the Rio Grande in 2019.

    These images sparked global concern, but they also reinforced the idea that migrant lives only matter when they end in death — as if borders only become visible when they cause deaths.

    Alligator Alcatraz was built in eight days. The fact that a detention camp — or what some have called a concentration camp — can be assembled almost overnight, while basic human needs like clean drinking water or emergency warning systems go unmet for years, speaks volumes about where political will and government priorities lie.

    Marycarmen Lara Villanueva 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. ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ showcases Donald Trump’s penchant for visual cruelty – https://theconversation.com/alligator-alcatraz-showcases-donald-trumps-penchant-for-visual-cruelty-260566

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Thomas Merritt, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University

    The beautiful, fascinating and often perplexing world around us grows from intricate and convoluted interactions of millions of pieces. As scientists, we work to understand and describe the parts and interactions of these systems.

    Scientific understanding is only as good as the questions we ask. Observing the world from a variety of viewpoints and asking questions from a diversity of perspectives helps us recognize and understand biological complexity. Science, and our own experience, tells us that diverse collaborations lead to better questions and more innovative solutions — but diversity in research is under threat.

    A major advancement in modern biology, specifically in the world of modern genetics that our research team works in, has been the realization that genes are far more complicated than we thought 20 years ago. When the human genome was first sequenced in 2001, scientists realized that each person’s DNA contained around 20,000 genes. Earlier estimates had been between 80,000 and 100,000.

    This drastic downsize may seem like a step back in complexity, but the reduced number means genes must be more complex in order to fulfil multiple roles and functions. There are fewer genes, but each gene has a complicated set of multiple functions modulated through intricate, interconnected and interactive gene-regulation mechanisms.

    Model species, surprising discoveries

    Our research group studies gene regulation using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model species — a non-human species studied extensively to reveal more about other organisms. Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome, each copy with a full set of genes. Typically, regulation of each copy has been assumed to be independent.

    Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome.
    (Mr.checker/Wikimedia)

    Unexpectedly, our research has found that in fruit flies, the copies on separate chromosomes physically interact to modulate each other’s regulation. This means that the chromosomes aren’t independent: they co-regulate in a way that depends on genome structure, or what we call chromosome architecture.

    This form of inter-chromosomal gene regulation, called transvection, was originally described in the 1950s, but is largely unknown. Its potential role to drive biological complexity is underappreciated because its effects are often (but not always) subtle and generally overshadowed by “typical” mechanisms of gene regulation along a single chromosome, cis-regulation.



    Read more:
    How to kill fruit flies, according to a scientist

    Complex genetic interactions

    Our transvection research focuses on subtle differences between individuals and environments. Too often, biology assumes that phenomena are simple, uniform and discreet.

    A classic example, taught in high school biology classes, demonstrates this thinking. Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel studied genetics in pea plants to propose dominant and recessive hereditary traits. His data was a little too clean, too good to be true: Mendel’s peas were either wrinkled or round, yellow or green.

    Genetics is works in more complex ways: think of eye colour. Our eyes are not a dichotomous brown or blue. Colour varies in a spectrum of shades of blues, greens, grays, hazels and browns.

    Similarly, we have shown that transvection, itself an unexpected twist, varies subtly and substantially, in unexpected ways. Recognizing that inter-chomosomal regulation was even possible, let alone could itself be modulated and variable, meant looking at our results from a non-typical view point, a different perspective.

    Our research into stress biology has drawn similar conclusions; diverse responses are the norm and appreciating this variability is absolutely fundamental to understanding the system.

    Differences between male and female biologies

    In our research into metabolism, we have repeatedly found significant and substantial differences between male and females. For example, in recent unpublished data, we find that differences between male and female fruit fly responses to metal toxicity were as large as we would have expected to occur between different species.

    Past conventional wisdom in the field assumed that the biology in the two sexes was interchangeable, with females essentially being just hypervariable males, although recent research in our lab and others is broadly pushing back against this misconception.



    Read more:
    Sex matters: Male bias in the lab is bad science

    The male and female responses are similar but distinct, and this is an important point. To understand biology, our research indicates, we need to identify, appreciate and study these subtle differences in order to produce more thorough scientific investigations.

    Unexpected complexity

    Our research regularly reveals unexpected biological complexity and, not coincidentally, the studies listed above were all collaborations. The technical complexity of research often requires involving experts in multiple disciplines.

    A typical project can involve half a dozen or more experiments and methods, ranging from biochemistry to genetics to life history, and techniques from enzyme kinetic assays to mass spectrometry and DNA sequencing.

    We are part of a genetics research group at Laurentian University whose diversity has greatly strengthened the quality and originality of contributions we have made to the field. In our experience, diverse collaborations combining different perspectives and viewpoints lead to innovative conclusions.

    The literature bears this out: a series of large-scale studies involving millions of researchers and publications repeatedly show that diverse groups of scientists ask more interesting, perceptive and innovative questions and pose more interesting solutions.

    Diversity and innovation

    But this diversity-innovation connection is under attack in the current social and political climate. This has been most visible under the current political regime in the United States, but is also present here in Canada.

    If successful, these attacks will narrow the perspective of scientific research and cripple scientific advances. Current diversity is the result of decades of programs fighting generations of systematic discrimination. Many researchers have been making research a more diverse and inclusive place.



    Read more:
    Want to reach out to an Indigenous scholar? Awesome! But first, here are 10 things to consider

    Sustainability is essential to the long-term health of scientific research. The research, and our own experiences, clearly shows that diverse groups of researchers conduct more creative, innovative and impactful science. Visibility in scientific research is important to ensure its sustainability. More young students will pursue careers in research if they can see themselves in that role.

    Our hope is that a broader appreciation of the importance of diversity in research, will lead to greater community and political, support for research programs that recognize the fundamental importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.

    The biological world is a beautifully diverse and complex place. To truly understand that world, the research laboratory must to be, too.

    Thomas Merritt receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

    Allie Hutchings 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. Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too – https://theconversation.com/biology-is-complex-and-diverse-so-scientific-research-approaches-need-to-be-too-260696

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Burlison Announces Hearing on Advancing Nuclear Energy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Burlison (R-Missouri 7th District)

    WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) today announced a hearing titled “The New Atomic Age: Advancing America’s Energy Future.” The hearing will examine advancements made in nuclear power technology and the importance of making small and micro modular reactors (SMRs and MMRs) commercially viable and available. Members will also evaluate supply chain challenges that limit access to nuclear fuel and discuss what Congress can do to grow and strengthen American energy.

    “America is at risk of falling behind in the global energy race—and that should concern every one of us. The hard truth is that excessive regulations and red tape from previous administrations have stifled private-sector innovation, preventing us from fully unleashing America’s energy potential. Fortunately, the Trump Administration is implementing common-sense policies designed to redefine power generation and open new pathways to solving our domestic energy challenges. Advanced nuclear reactors will make energy more accessible, more affordable, and more abundant for hardworking Americans. I look forward to hearing from witnesses on how Congress can bolster nuclear energy development and ensure American energy dominance,” said Subcommittee Chairman Burlison.  

    WHAT: Hearing titled “The New Atomic Age: Advancing America’s Energy Future”

    DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025

    TIME: 1:00 P.M. ET

    LOCATION: HVC-210, U.S. Capitol Visitors Center

    WITNESSES:

    Alex Epstein, President and Founder, Center for Industrial Progress  
    Joshua Smith, Energy Policy Lead, Abundance Institute  
     

    BACKGROUND:

    On July 11, 2025, Subcommittee Chairman Burlison and members of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs traveled to Los Angeles County, California, to examine nuclear power reactors and evaluate next steps toward advancing nuclear energy. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Honors Downwinders on 80th Anniversary of The Trinity Test

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 16, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) issued the following statement on the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test:

    “For 80 years, generations of New Mexican Downwinders have endured the Trinity Test’s devastating legacy while the government looked the other way,” said Vasquez. “Today, I’m proud that Congress has finally reauthorized and expanded the Radiation Expansion Compensation Act, delivering long overdue justice for the New Mexican families that were exposed to harm without their consent, knowledge, or recourse. This moment is about honoring the lives lost, the voices ignored, and the communities left behind — making sure they are never forgotten.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –