NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI China: US sanctions on UN human rights expert unacceptable: UN spokesman

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

    U.S. sanctions against a UN human rights expert are unacceptable, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

    The imposition of sanctions on UN human rights special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in response to U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Member states are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the special rapporteurs, said the spokesman, “but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture. The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official, is unacceptable.”

    He also noted that Albanese, like all other UN human rights special rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Geneva-based council.

    Special rapporteurs do not report to the UN secretary-general, who has no authority over them or their work, added Dujarric.

    Washington on Wednesday announced sanctions against Albanese over her role in investigating alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. The move marks Washington’s latest efforts to deter international investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

    The sanctions follow an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in February, which authorized punitive measures against the International Criminal Court for what the administration described as “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and Israel. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US sanctions on UN human rights expert unacceptable: UN spokesman

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

    U.S. sanctions against a UN human rights expert are unacceptable, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

    The imposition of sanctions on UN human rights special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in response to U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Member states are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the special rapporteurs, said the spokesman, “but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture. The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official, is unacceptable.”

    He also noted that Albanese, like all other UN human rights special rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Geneva-based council.

    Special rapporteurs do not report to the UN secretary-general, who has no authority over them or their work, added Dujarric.

    Washington on Wednesday announced sanctions against Albanese over her role in investigating alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. The move marks Washington’s latest efforts to deter international investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

    The sanctions follow an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in February, which authorized punitive measures against the International Criminal Court for what the administration described as “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and Israel. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement Following Immigration Enforcement Activities in Camarillo

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Camarillo, CA – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) released the following statement in response to recent immigration enforcement activities and large federal agent presence at a farm in Ventura County. This raid comes amid a broader escalation of immigration enforcement actions across Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and Southern California.

    “I am aware of the recent immigration enforcement activities and large federal agent presence on Laguna Road in Camarillo and have been closely monitoring the situation. I’m deeply frustrated by the lack of transparency from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, and I will be demanding answers to find out who they detained and where the detainees are being taken.

    “These militarized raids are not routine immigration enforcement. They are part of a deliberate, disruptive, and ongoing campaign of cruelty that is an unacceptable assault on our way of life. ICE should be focused on individuals who pose real threats to public safety, not carrying out broad sweeps that destabilize entire communities.

    “The farmworkers being targeted in these operations are the same individuals who break their backs day in and day out to feed this country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they were rightly declared essential workers who were vital to sustaining our nation’s food supply. To turn around and target them is wrong and profoundly immoral.

    “These raids are a misuse of federal resources, and they are not how we keep our neighborhoods safe. In fact, this kind of chaos only makes our communities more insecure. And as these actions continue to traumatize families and tear communities apart, they are also tearing at the fabric of our humanity.

    “I am continuing to work to hold this administration accountable and ensure that all Ventura County families, regardless of immigration status, feel safe. We can, and we must, enforce our immigration laws while upholding the rule of law and respecting due process.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress, Immigration, Local Issues

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A weakened Iran and Hezbollah gives Lebanon an opening to chart path away from the region’s conflicts − will it be enough?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mireille Rebeiz, Chair of Middle East Studies and Associate Professor of Francophone and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Dickinson College. Adjunct Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law., Dickinson College

    The national Lebanese flag hangs on a building amid a Hezbollah demonstration in the southern suburbs of Beirut on July 6, 2025. Photo by Nael Chahine / Middle East Images via AFP

    After a 12-day war launched by Israel and joined briefly by the United States, Iran has emerged weakened and vulnerable. And that has massive implications for another country in the region: Lebanon.

    Hezbollah, Tehran’s main ally in Lebanon, had already lost a lot of its fighters, arsenal and popular support during its own war with Israel in October 2024.

    Now, Iran’s government has little capacity to continue to finance, support and direct Hezbollah in Lebanon like it has done in the past. Compounding this shift away from Hezbollah’s influence, the U.S. recently laid down terms for a deal that would see the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in return for the total disarmament of the paramilitary group – a proposal seemingly backed by the Lebanese government.

    As an expert on Lebanese history and culture, I believe that these changing regional dynamics give the Lebanese state an opening to chart a more neutral orientation and extricate itself from neighboring conflicts that have long exacerbated the divided and fragile country’s chronic problems.

    The shaping of modern Lebanon

    Ideologically, developments in Iran played a major role in shaping the circumstances in which Hezbollah, the Shiite Islamist political party and paramilitary group, was born.

    The Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 toppled the widely reviled and corrupt Western-backed monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza and led to the establishment of an Islamic republic. That revolution resonated among the young Shiite population in Lebanon, where a politically sectarian system that was intended to reflect a balanced representation of Muslims and Christians in the country had led to de facto discrimination against underrepresented groups.

    Since Lebanon’s independence from France in 1943, most of the power has been concentrated in the hands of the Maronite Christians and Sunnis, leaving Shiite regions in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley lacking in development projects, social services and infrastructure.

    At the same time, Lebanon for decades had been irreparably changed by the politics of its powerful neighbor in Israel.

    In the course of founding its state in 1948, Israel forcibly removed over 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland – what Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or “catastophe.” Many fled to Lebanon, largely in the country’s impoverished south and Bekaa Valley, which became a center of Palestinian resistance to Israel.

    In 1978, Israel invaded Lebanon to push Palestinian fighters away from its northern borders and put an end to rockets launched from south Lebanon. This fighting included the massacre of many civilians and the displacement of many Lebanese and Palestinians farther north.

    In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon again with the stated purpose of eliminating the Palestinian Liberation Organization that had moved its headquarters to the country’s south. An estimated 17,000 to 19,000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and armed personnel were killed during the conflict and the accompanying siege of Beirut.

    It was in this cauldron of regional and domestic sectarianism and state abandonment that Hezbollah formed as a paramilitary group in 1985, buoyed by Shiite mobilization following the Iranian revolution and Israel’s invasion and occupation.

    Hezbollah’s domestic spoiler status

    Over time and with the continuous support of Iran, Hezbollah become an important player in the Middle East, intervening in the Syrian civil war to support the Assad regime and supporting the Kata’ib Hezbollah, a dominant Iraqi pro-Iranian militia.

    In 2016, Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah officially recognized Iran’s role in funding their activities.

    People gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran in front of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 25, 2025.
    Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images

    With Tehran’s support, Hezbollah was effectively able to operate as a state within a state while using its political clout to veto the vast majority of Lebanese parliamentary decisions it opposed. Amid that backdrop, Lebanon endured three long presidential vacuums: from November 2007 to May 2008; from May 2014 to October 2016; and finally from October 2022 to January 2024.

    Lebanon also witnessed a series of political assassinations from 2005 to 2021 that targeted politicians, academics, journalists and other figures who criticized Hezbollah.

    How the equation has changed

    It would be an understatement, then, to say that Hezbollah’s and Iran’s weakened positions as a result of their respective conflicts with Israel since late 2023 create major political ramifications for Lebanon.

    The most recent vacuum at the presidential level ended amid Hezbollah’s military losses against Israel, with Lebanon electing the former army commander Joseph Aoun as president.

    Meanwhile, despite the threat of violence, the Lebanese opposition to Hezbollah, which consists of members of parliament and public figures, has increased its criticism of Hezbollah, openly denouncing its leadership and calling for Lebanon’s political neutrality.

    These dissenting voices emerged cautiously during the Syrian civil war in 2011 and have grown after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war on Gaza.

    During the latest Israel-Iran war, the Lebanese opposition felt emboldened to reiterate its call for neutrality. Enabled by the U.S’s growing tutelage over Lebanon, some opposition figures have even called to normalize relations with Israel.

    These efforts to keep Lebanon out of the circle of violence are not negligible. In the past, they would have been attacked by Hezbollah and its supporters for what they would have considered high treason. Today, they represent new movement for how leaders are conceiving of politics domestically and diplomacy across the region.

    The critical regional context going forward

    As the political system cautiously changes, Hezbollah is facing unprecedented financial challenges and is unable to meet its fighters’ needs, including the promise to rebuild their destroyed homes. And with its own serious internal challenges, Iran now has much less ability to meaningfully support Hezbollah from abroad.

    But none of that means that Hezbollah is defeated as a political and military force, particularly as ongoing skirmishes with Israel give the group an external pretext.

    The Hezbollah-Israel war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France on Nov. 27, 2024. However, Israel has been attacking south Lebanon on an almost daily basis, including three incidents over the course of 10 days from late June to early July that have left several people dead and more than a dozen wounded.

    Amid these violations, Hezbollah continues to refuse to disarm and still casts itself as the only defender of Lebanon’s territorial integrity, again undermining the power of the Lebanese army and state.

    Lebanon’s other neighbor, Syria, will also be critical. The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 diminished Hezbollah’s powers in the region and land access to Iraq and Iran. And the new Syrian leadership is not interested in supporting the Iranian Shiite ideology in the region but rather in empowering the Sunni community, one that was oppressed under the Assad dictatorship.

    While it’s too early to say, border tensions might translate into sectarian violence in Lebanon or even potential land loss. Yet the new Syrian government also has a different approach toward its neighbors than its predecessor. After decades of hostility, Syria seems to be opting for diplomacy with Israel rather than war. It is unclear what these negotiations will entail and how they will impact Lebanon and Hezbollah. However, there are real concerns about new borders in the region.

    The U.S. as ever will play a major role in next steps in Lebanon and the region. The U.S. has been pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, and the U.S Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” by Lebanon’s response thus far. But so far, there has been no fundamental shift on that front.

    Meanwhile, despite the calls for neutrality and the U.S pressure on Lebanon, it is hard to envision a new and neutral Lebanon without some serious changes in the region. Any future course for Lebanon will still first require progress toward peace in Gaza and ensuring Iran commits not to use Hezbollah as a proxy in the future.

    Mireille Rebeiz is affiliated with American Red Cross.

    – ref. A weakened Iran and Hezbollah gives Lebanon an opening to chart path away from the region’s conflicts − will it be enough? – https://theconversation.com/a-weakened-iran-and-hezbollah-gives-lebanon-an-opening-to-chart-path-away-from-the-regions-conflicts-will-it-be-enough-260031

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University

    Hulu

    Reality TV series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a number of social media influencers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who rose to prominence through social media, and particularly TikTok.

    The show is based in Utah, United States, where the church has its headquarters. But it stands in stark contrast with the stereotypical perception of Mormons – and especially Mormon women – the church has promoted for more than a century.

    Through its exploration of traditionally “taboo” topics such as sex, marital issues, mental illness and sexual abuse, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives clashes against the church’s carefully curated public image.

    Historical pariahs

    Historically, the church’s practice of polygamy placed it at odds with the mainstream sexual and familial norms of 19th century America.

    Polygamy had been practised by Mormons since at least the 1830s, and was officially announced as permissible by the church in 1852. The church now acknowledges its founder, Joseph Smith, married almost 40 women and teenage girls before his death in 1844.

    When Mormon missionaries began to proselytise throughout the world, newspapers criticised the practice, and Mormons were framed as sexual deviants and racialised “pariahs”. In other words, Mormons were presented as being racially different to the rest of white American society. This claim was even supported by doctors at the time.

    1904 Time cartoon by C.J. Rudd, captioned: ‘Mormon Elder Berry – out with his six year olds, who take after their mothers.’
    KUER/Religion of a Different Color: Mormonism and the Struggle for Whiteness’ (2017) by W. Paul Reeve.

    To Mormons, however, polygamy was a reintroduction of the correct form of marriage, and they pointed to biblical prophets to justify it.

    In 1862, the US congress passed a series of laws aimed at abolishing polygamy. This resulted in the arrest of church leaders and the confiscation of church-owned funds and properties in Utah.

    Then, in the 1870s, exposés written by former Mormons (particularly women) decried polygamy as evil, increasing hostility against Mormon leaders.

    Ann Eliza Webb Young, ex-wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, wrote the exposé ‘Wife No. 19, Or The Story of Life in Bondage’.
    Internet Archive Open Library

    In 1890, church leader Wilford Woodruff announced in a revelation known as the Manifesto that polygamy would cease. The Manifesto was accepted by most Mormons as the government’s harassment increased. However, breakaway groups called “fundamentalists” continued the practice.

    Today, Mormon scriptures continue to state polygamy is the correct form of marriage, and will exist in the afterlife.

    The stereotypical Mormon

    Since the ending of polygamy, the church has sought to establish itself as a moral equal to mainstream Christian norms, especially sexual norms. In 1995, it released a document titled Family: A Proclamation to the World which emphasised the view that heterosexual marriage and strict gender roles are divinely ordained.

    The 1995 official Mormon document, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’.
    BYU Scholar Arcive

    As the church has grown, it has presented its members as model citizens of the nations they reside in.

    In doing so, it has promoted unique doctrines and practices, such as sexual abstinence before marriage, and a particular health code called the Word of Wisdom which bars alcohol, tea, coffee and tobacco.

    These doctrines, and existing stereotypes of Mormons, are examined in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

    Colliding perceptions

    The 2024 release of the series caused waves in the Latter-day Saints community, with a number of Mormon-focused publications condemning it.

    Before the show was released, the church published a general statement saying media portrayals of Mormons “often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members”. It has yet to directly comment on the show.

    Nonetheless, the representation of Mormons in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is problematic for the church, because it transgresses its highly curated image of Mormonism.

    As the influencers put it, there is a desire to push back against stereotypes around Mormonism, and particularly Mormon women. These stereotypes have been crystallised by the church to combat perceptions of Mormons as sexually abhorrent, due to past practices of polygamy.

    The women in the show wear clothing that would not cover “temple garments”, the mandatory Latter-day Saint undergarments which seek to impose sexual modesty.

    There is also a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that while the church prohibits stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol, Mormons within Utah and surrounds still consume other, somewhat surprising, substances. For instance, the use of ketamine in therapy is allowed when administered by a healthcare professional.

    The series also engages with topics considered taboo in the church, such as marital issues, mental health struggles and consensual sex. Even if these are being played up by the cast or producers, such discussions are lacking in broader Mormon circles.

    Importantly, there are admissions by some cast members, including one of the husbands, of being sexually abused as children. According to the cast members themselves, these disclosures are intended to empower viewers who may have had similar experiences.

    This is a powerful critique, because the Mormon church has come under intense scrutiny for its failure to properly respond to child sexual assault, both in the US and globally.

    The next steps

    The show is having a marked impact on perceptions of Mormonism, despite the church’s stance it doesn’t represent the beliefs and lifestyle of Mormons more broadly.

    For many viewers, it might be their introduction to the religion. This is concerning for adherents, and particularly for the church’s leadership.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion special aired earlier this month.
    Hulu

    There are internal tools the church could use against the show’s cast members, such as disciplinary councils or excommunication. But these would be ineffective since only about half the members consider themselves “faithful” Mormons.

    It’s interesting the church has yet to condemn the show. Perhaps maintaining an image of reluctant acceptance is more important, as in recent years the church has been criticised for overreach against its own members.

    In this case, the show would be an uncomfortable reality the church will just have to live with. Either way, the damage to the stereotypical Mormon image is done.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is available to stream on Disney+.

    Brenton Griffin was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is no longer a practising member of the church. His research is focused on the religion’s place in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, politics, and society from the 19th century to present.

    – ref. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image – https://theconversation.com/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-shatters-the-churchs-century-long-effort-to-curate-its-own-image-260418

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Belinda Clarence, Law Lecturer, RMIT University

    During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major shipping routes.

    Would that be possible, and what effects would it have?

    The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It is used to transport about 20% of global daily oil consumption.

    Iran effectively controls this crucial shipping route because it is a coastal state bordering this narrow stretch of water. The strait is too narrow to avoid navigating waters claimed by Iran. This raises thorny legal questions about whether it is really possible for Iran to block the strait, and what recourse other states have if it does.

    This geographical reality is far from new, and the legal frameworks governing international maritime activity have developed over centuries. At its heart is the lex mercatoria — the “law of merchants” — a body of transnational commercial law that emerged organically from the practices of traders operating across borders.

    Within this broader framework sits the lex maritima, or customary maritime law, which has long adapted to the hazards of shipping across vast oceans.

    The lex maritima originated from the shared practices of seafarers and merchants. Its purpose? To manage the unpredictable nature of maritime trade that demands coherent and stable rules.

    One of the most enduring principles of this legal tradition is the idea of mare liberum, or “the free sea”, set out by Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1609. He argued the high seas should remain open to all for peaceful navigation and trade. This conveniently legitimised the ambitions of European colonial powers, granting them unfettered access to global maritime routes at a time when control over sea-based trade promised immense economic and strategic advantage.

    The shifting boundaries of maritime law

    One of the most fundamental questions in maritime law is: where do a nation’s territorial waters end, and the high seas begin?

    After the second world war, a series of conferences culminated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), where the customary 3 nautical miles (5.56km) of territorial waters states could claim as their own was extended. This narrow limit was rooted more in historical naval range – the so-called “cannon shot rule” – than in modern geopolitical or environmental realities.

    In 1959, Iran took the unusual step of unilaterally extending its territorial sea to 12 nautical miles, despite not being a party to UNCLOS. Two decades later, following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis, Washington grew increasingly anxious about the security of oil flows from the Persian Gulf. These concerns intensified during the Iran-Iraq War, especially as Iran began using small islands in the Strait of Hormuz to deploy military forces and threaten commercial shipping.

    UNCLOS and the new rules of the sea

    One of the key compromises of UNCLOS was an extension of territorial waters for states that ratified the treaty. In exchange, UNCLOS replaced the older concept of “innocent passage” – which allowed only surface navigation through territorial seas – with the broader notion of “transit passage”. Under this regime, vessels and aircraft from other states are granted the right to travel not only on the surface, but also under the sea and through the air above straits used for international navigation.

    While 169 states have ratified UNCLOS, both Iran and the United States remain notable holdouts. This means Iran does not enjoy the broader 12-nautical-mile limit recognised under UNCLOS, and the US cannot claim the agreement’s protections for transit passage through strategic choke points.

    While the geopolitical and legal tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz may seem far removed from the world of private commerce, the global economy continues to function thanks to a powerful legal tool: the contract. Contracts offer a predictable framework that allows trade across borders without parties needing to trust one another personally.

    The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by active, assertive states such as Iran, which means the potential for interstate conflict is relatively high. This doesn’t mean commercial contracts are irrelevant to the recent dispute in the Strait of Hormuz — far from it. But their influence is more indirect.

    What can be learned?

    Without significant political change in Tehran, it’s unlikely either Iran or the US will shift its position on adopting UNCLOS. Yet despite Iran’s repeated threats to close the strait, it has never followed through — and the US Navy continues to maintain a steady presence in the region. For now, a fragile but persistent equilibrium holds.

    Belinda Clarence 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. What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-why-is-it-so-important-for-global-shipping-260920

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other”.

    Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of conflicts from Israel and Iran, to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    With the conflict in Gaza still raging, we ask five experts – could Trump be rewarded with the world’s most prestigious peace prize?

    Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

    Jasmine-Kim Westendorf has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Shahram Akbarzadeh receives funding from Australia Research Council.

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

    – ref. Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts – https://theconversation.com/does-donald-trump-deserve-the-nobel-peace-prize-we-asked-5-experts-260801

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Trump is aiming to silence public media in the US – and if he succeeds, his supporters here will take note

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Bruce Wolpe, Non-resident Senior Fellow, United States Study Centre, University of Sydney

    The ABC dodged a bullet in the Australian election. The Albanese government supports the ABC. In the United States, however, the 2024 presidential election severely wounded public media in America.

    Fresh from his decisive victory in Congress – passage of the One Big Beautiful bill that locks in the legislation to prosecute Trump’s domestic policy agenda – Trump is demanding Congress cancel funding for public media, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). Hardliners in the US House of Representatives have already voted to end all federal funding for public media. The Senate will vote on this issue in mid-July.

    We have tale of two vital and powerful media institutions in Australia and the US. What happens over there can affect what happens here.

    Towards the end of Australia’s election campaign, Peter Dutton, then leader of the Liberal Party, opened up on the ABC. He looped in The Guardian for good measure. And he implied other media deserved his words:

    Forget about what you have been told by the ABC, The Guardian and the other hate media.

    Dutton’s words embellished previous policies under Coalition governments, with budget cuts to the ABC of over $500 million, and several inquiries into the degree of ABC’s neutrality and objectivity in its coverage of news and current affairs.



    Read more:
    Peter Dutton calling the ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’ rings alarm bells for democracy

    Kim Williams, chair of the ABC, said the network would “perform well” under any scrutiny from a Dutton government. Dutton himself, shortly before the election, demanded the ABC show “excellence” in order to prove to taxpayers that its almost $1.2 billion annual budget was justified.

    The Coalition’s defeat aided the ABC’s victory in its longstanding quest for financial stability and future growth. The ABC can continue to build on the commitments established by the Albanese Labor government in 2023 – even though there are choppy waters for the ABC as its new leadership makes programming and staffing decisions for the years ahead.

    With a new Coalition shadow cabinet in place, we will see as future budgets play out whether they have changed their tune on their approach to the ABC.

    We will see how both the government and the Coalition react to Kim Williams’ powerful case he recently presented for “more investment for much-needed renewal” in the ABC.

    Public media in Trump’s America

    In America today, public media are facing Trump’s wrath.

    Trump’s hatred of mainstream media is legendary. For the past decade, Trump has called the major media outlets the “enemy of the people” – the same label that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin used against those who dared to oppose him.

    In his second term, Trump is engaged in aggressive muscling of the enemies he sees in the media. The Associated Press is barred from the pool of journalists covering the president. Trump has silenced the Voice of America. The US ABC and CBS television networks have both settled lawsuits filed by Trump to seek damages for their broadcast coverage of him and the 2024 presidential campaign. The price to help avoid regulatory punishment by the government of those two networks: $US16 million (A$24.5 million) each.

    For a country that established freedom of the press under its Constitution, Trump’s attacks on news media are an ongoing assault on America’s democracy.

    Trump’s attacks on PBS and NPR show the existential threat they face.

    In 1967, Congress established and funded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to bring to life public television and radio across America. Money from CPB supports the stations. The stations contract with PBS and NPR to help produce the programming they air, from the PBS NewsHour, Frontline and Sesame Street on PBS to Morning Edition and All Things Considered on NPR – and much more.

    Trump holds the same sentiment that Dutton expressed against the ABC – that the public broadcasters are biased toward the “extreme woke Marxist left”. Trump wrote on Truth Social that:

    Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of the most influential Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, was in-your-face direct on the case against public media:

    This bill’s real simple. Don’t spend money on stupid things, and don’t subsidize biased media.

    In late April, Trump ordered the firing of three of CPB’s five directors. On May 1, Trump issued an executive order that will savage public media’s existence:

    At the very least, Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage […] The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS.“

    Public media has filed red-hot lawsuits against Trump and his officials for crushing the First Amendment free-speech rights of public televion and radio stations, and for cancelling funds appropriated by Congress. The court rulings in these cases will be crucial to the outcome.

    The last near-fatal threat to public broadcasting was in 1981, when President Ronald Reagan sought Congress’ approval to decimate its funding. Under Reagan conservatism, media belong in the private sector. The conservative’s political bias against public broadcasting framed the push to cancel government funding.

    But Congress rose up successfully against the Reagan cuts – led not only by Democrats but with Senate Republicans from rural states who understood how important public broadcasting was to their communities. Their budgets were trimmed, but PBS and NPR were not decapitated.

    Lessons for the ABC

    The same is true here: ABC stations in country areas are similarly held in high regard.

    The cuts to public media passed the US House by one vote on June 12.

    The Senate will vote in the coming days. We will see if some Senate Republicans who voted against Trump’s One Big Beautiful bill last week will stand up again and vote to buck Trump on this issue and protect public media in their states.

    If Trump succeeds in silencing public media in America, the Trump echo chamber in Australia will take note. Some hard conservatives in Canberra and the Murdoch media will likely leverage Congress’ approval of Trump’s order that PBS and NPR be punished for their left-wing bias and that public media should become the province of the private sector. Defunding public media in the US will sustain the sentiment that one day, under a future government here, the scythe will be wielded at the ABC.

    If the US Senate supports Trump, the fight for the ABC in Australia – not just over money, but over its role, responsibilities and standing in Australia – may not be over.

    Bruce Wolpe is a (non-resident) Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. The views expressed herein are his own. Wolpe served on the staff of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He worked on the Democratic staff in Congress on public broadcasting issues and was an executive with NPR. He is the author of two books on Trump and Australia.

    – ref. Trump is aiming to silence public media in the US – and if he succeeds, his supporters here will take note – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-aiming-to-silence-public-media-in-the-us-and-if-he-succeeds-his-supporters-here-will-take-note-260584

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch Introduce Bill to Ban Radical Gender Ideology in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to introduce the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.

    “Children should not be radicalized, indoctrinated or taught gender ideology in public elementary or secondary schools funded by federal tax dollars,” Crapo said.  “This legislation places commonsense guardrails around the use of these dollars in public education, which will ensure schools are providing foundational instruction in subjects like mathematics and reading rather than divisive concepts of gender ideology.”

    “Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Risch.  “The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s commonsense policy permanent.”

    The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama).  It has received support from Concerned Women for America and American Principles Project.

    “For far too long, radical left-wing ideology has preyed on K-12 students in our nation’s school systems.  It’s high time we put a stop to these woke lesson plans that take advantage of children and undermine parental rights,” said Budd.  “I am proud to join Senator Risch and my colleagues to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding public schools that teach gender ideology.” 

    “As American students lag behind globally in math, reading and writing, the last thing our taxpayer-funded teachers and schools should be doing is teaching radical leftist nonsense like so-called gender theory,” said Marshall.  “I’m proud to support this legislation to codify President Trump’s executive order, and ensure our children’s education is focused on meaningful, future-ready skills, not woke ideology.”

    “Parents send their kids to school to learn the skills they need to succeed later in life, not to be indoctrinated with radical gender ideology.  There are only two genders—male and female, and not a single penny of federal funds should go to schools that teach anything different,” said Schmitt.

    “Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Tuberville.  “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity.  But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ.  Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write and do math.  I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”

    The Say No to Indoctrination Act codifies the Executive Order President Trump issued on January 20, 2025, declaring that no taxpayer dollars be sent to K-12 schools that teach or promote radical gender ideology.

    Full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: Jonathan Gould Ready to Lead the OCC

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, congratulated Jonathan Gould on his confirmation to be the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) by a vote of 50-45.

    “Jonathan’s extensive background, including his firsthand experience at the OCC, means he’ll be ready to hit the ground running as Comptroller.  I am confident in his ability to carry out the agency’s critical mission to ensure the safety and soundness of our banking system, and to ensure banks provide fair access to financial services.  He has the experience, quality of character and demeanor to be an effective leader of the agency, and I look forward to working with him in this new role.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 21st Iteration of Pacific Partnership Prepares for Indo-Pacific Mission Aboard USS Pearl Harbor

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) officially kicks off with the arrival of the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, led by Rear Admiral Todd F. Cimicata, U.S. Pacific Fleet Executive Agent for Pacific Partnership, and the mission commander, U.S. Navy Captain Mark B. Stefanik.

    The PP-25 team, embarked aboard the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to make final preparations ahead of its upcoming port visits throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The PP-25 team will conduct medical exchanges, engineering projects, community outreach, and disaster preparedness engagements with host nation partners.

    “Pacific Partnership is a testament to what we can achieve together,” said Cimicata. “By working alongside our allies and partners, we strengthen regional capacity and resilience and lay the foundation for a collective response to crises. It’s about preparing in calm to respond in crisis.”

    This year’s PP-25 mission will include mission stops in Papua New Guinea, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Prior to the USS Pearl Harbor’s departure, separate fly-in missions were conducted in the Philippines, Fiji, and Tonga in June.

    “This enduring mission provides us the opportunity to build on our relationships, share expertise, and learn from one another,” said Stefanik. “Our shared experiences help create more resilient communities, and I’m proud to lead a team committed to strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.”

    Pacific Partnership brings together more than 1,500 personnel from the United States and participating nations including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Activities will include engineering projects at schools and clinics, medical subject matter expert exchanges, and performances by the Pacific Partnership Band, composed of musicians from the U.S. Pacific Fleet and partner nations.

    The mission team will work alongside allies and partners to strengthen relationships, bolster host nation capacity to provide essential humanitarian services, and support efforts to reduce the risk of, prepare for, and respond to disasters.

    Every day, the U.S. Pacific Fleet operates to protect the security, freedom, and prosperity for the U.S. and our allies and partners. The U.S. Pacific Fleet continues to advance a shared vision, alongside our allies and partners, of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.

    Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

    For updates and multimedia from Pacific Partnership 2025, follow #PacificPartnership, #PP25, and #PacificPartnership25 on social media or visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership

    Date Taken: 07.09.2025
    Date Posted: 07.10.2025 20:57
    Story ID: 542493
    Location: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US
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    This work, 21st Iteration of Pacific Partnership Prepares for Indo-Pacific Mission Aboard USS Pearl Harbor, by LCDR Andrew Bertucci, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Rips Trump’s Reckless Tariff Threat Against Brazil That Would Raise Costs for Americans to Help Trump’s Political Ally on Trial in Brazil

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – After President Trump threatened Brazil – a significant U.S. trading partner that does $92 billion in trade with American companies annually and with which the U.S. has a trade surplus — with a 50 percent tariff rate and linked the levy in large part to the prosecution of disgraced former Brazilian president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) strongly condemned Trump’s move, stating:
    “President Trump’s chaotic tariffs are recklessly raising costs for Americans, putting the U.S. economy at risk, and sending a dangerous signal that he will put his own personal grievances ahead of America’s economic interests.  Let’s be clear: Trump is threatening to financially harm millions of Americans in order to benefit one disgraced foreign radical who is charged with corruption.  President Trump lacks the legal authority for this partisan gambit, which would damage U.S. interests and only serve to drive Brazil into the arms of adversaries like China.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 10th, 2025 N.M. Delegation Welcomes Emergency Declaration for Ruidoso Flooding, Maintains Push for Major Disaster Declaration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    RUIDOSO, N.M. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following joint statement, welcoming President Donald Trump’s granting of an emergency declaration for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia Counties, while renewing their call for President Trump to grant a Major Disaster Declaration in the wake of severe flooding that took the lives of three people and damaged homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

    “The loss of life and devastation in Ruidoso as a result of this catastrophic flooding is horrific and heartbreaking, with three confirmed fatalities and dozens of homes and businesses already destroyed. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have been lost to this flooding and the hundreds of New Mexicans who have had to flee their homes. And our gratitude is with the first responders, local leaders, medical providers, and rescue teams helping respond to this disaster. We’re grateful that this approval will unlock funding needed for immediate disaster response, and we will continue to push President Trump to grant the state’s Major Disaster Declaration request to make sure that all New Mexicans impacted by this disaster are provided with the federal support necessary to rebuild.”

    The emergency declaration opens up access to specific FEMA funds for immediate disaster response, including support for search and rescue and incident management efforts. An emergency declaration does not preclude a subsequent Major Disaster Declaration. Therefore, the N.M. Delegation will continue to push President Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

    Through a Major Disaster Declaration request, the State of New Mexico has requested Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State also requested Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.

    This news comes on the heels of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation urging the Trump Administration to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 10th, 2025 N.M. Delegation Welcomes Emergency Declaration for Ruidoso Flooding, Maintains Push for Major Disaster Declaration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    RUIDOSO, N.M. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following joint statement, welcoming President Donald Trump’s granting of an emergency declaration for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia Counties, while renewing their call for President Trump to grant a Major Disaster Declaration in the wake of severe flooding that took the lives of three people and damaged homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
    “The loss of life and devastation in Ruidoso as a result of this catastrophic flooding is horrific and heartbreaking, with three confirmed fatalities and dozens of homes and businesses already destroyed. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have been lost to this flooding and the hundreds of New Mexicans who have had to flee their homes. And our gratitude is with the first responders, local leaders, medical providers, and rescue teams helping respond to this disaster. We’re grateful that this approval will unlock funding needed for immediate disaster response, and we will continue to push President Trump to grant the state’s Major Disaster Declaration request to make sure that all New Mexicans impacted by this disaster are provided with the federal support necessary to rebuild.”
    The emergency declaration opens up access to specific FEMA funds for immediate disaster response, including support for search and rescue and incident management efforts. An emergency declaration does not preclude a subsequent Major Disaster Declaration. Therefore, the N.M. Delegation will continue to push President Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
    Through a Major Disaster Declaration request, the State of New Mexico has requested Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State also requested Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.
    This news comes on the heels of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation urging the Trump Administration to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s innovative solutions propel global shifts toward smarter, greener industries

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

    A staff member sets parameters before welding at Guangdong Lyric Robot Automation Co., Ltd. in Huizhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    As global industries accelerate their transition toward intelligence and sustainability, China’s innovative solutions form vital components of international supply chains, driving cross-sector transformation.

    Smarter factories 

    At Guangdong Lyric Robot Automation’s Huizhou facility in south China, an automated warehouse operates efficiently with only two staff members. Materials glide autonomously through storage systems, arriving precisely at workstations as needed. A central control screen displays real-time inventory levels, material usage frequency, and shelf capacity.

    “This system cuts operational costs by over 30 percent while boosting productivity by 40 percent,” said Duan Yajie, general manager of Lyric subsidiary Shunchu Intelligence. Overseas orders for such integrated solutions now constitute over 40 percent of the subsidiary’s total business.

    Lyric’s intelligent factories serve industry leaders across six countries. From battery plants in North America to a comprehensive automotive logistics center in Hungary, as well as sectors like renewable energy and AI computing, Lyric has supported clients in establishing digital factories using technologies such as intelligent sensing, precision control and execution systems.

    With subsidiaries in 14 countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and the United States, Lyric has navigated cross-cultural challenges through co-developed standards. “Building consensus during the design phase helps prevent conflicts during implementation,” Lyric’s co-founder Lu Jiahong said.

    “Once rare on European streets, electric vehicles are now increasingly common, reflecting the combined efforts of Chinese equipment, battery and auto manufacturers,” she added.

    Powering energy revolution 

    EVE Energy Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese lithium battery company headquartered in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, is advancing its global manufacturing strategy with a new battery production base in Hungary’s Debrecen.

    The facility represents a transformative industrial upgrade for the region, introducing advanced manufacturing systems where agricultural production once dominated the local economy.

    “We’re bringing advanced industrial production to this region, creating employment while accelerating the energy transition,” stated EVE vice president Jiang Min. He added that the Debrecen base is scheduled to begin production in late 2026, while their overseas facility in Malaysia is already operational.

    Ranked fourth globally in cylindrical battery shipments and second in energy storage capacity for 2024, EVE Energy operates 12 production bases across Asia, Europe and North America. Its power batteries supply premier global automakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover.

    According to Jiang, the company continues to expand investments in carbon-reduction technologies. It has recently established a comprehensive resource recovery ecosystem with over 10 partners. “Collaborative expansion across the industrial chain creates mutual benefits,” Jiang said.

    A staff member operates a robot to perform synchronous action at a provincial embodied artificial intelligence robot innovation center in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, June 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Vision for intelligent machines 

    At Orbbec’s Shenzhen exhibition hall, a food-delivery robot navigates through display areas, skillfully avoiding obstacles.

    This agility comes from its 3D vision sensors, powered by the proprietary “MX6600” chip, which measures about 9 square millimeters. This chip processes depth-sensing data to enable high-precision spatial mapping.

    Currently, 7 out of 10 service robots in China use Orbbec sensors, while international clients grew by 77 percent year on year to 1,469 in 2024, including major companies like Nvidia and Microsoft.

    “We concentrate on foundational technologies,” said Huang Yuanhao, founder of Orbbec. “We are one of the few companies worldwide to cover all major 3D vision perception technology approaches, serving global robotics enterprises across various sectors, such as smart factories, warehouse logistics, construction automation, and intelligent inspection,” he added.

    Orbbec also offers rapid technical support to better serve its global users. “Some of our products have demanding technical service requirements, and excellent service is a major factor why overseas users choose us,” said Orbbec’s CFO Chen Bin.

    China’s global engagement is transitioning from manufacturing exports to integrated technological empowerment, said Yang Boru, professor at the School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong. As these innovative solutions expand worldwide, they have become key drivers of intelligent and sustainable industrialization, he added.  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Booker, Vargas, Peters Announce Bicameral Bill to Clean Up Tijuana River

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Booker, Vargas, Peters Announce Bicameral Bill to Clean Up Tijuana River

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with Representatives Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), introduced bicameral legislation to help combat the ongoing Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis across the U.S.-Mexico border.

    The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2025 would designate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the lead agency to coordinate all federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies to build and maintain critical infrastructure projects to address long-standing, systemic water infrastructure and pollution issues in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds. The bill would create a new Geographic Program within EPA to manage each watershed through a comprehensive water quality management plan. These provisions and other key components of the bill follow the findings and recommendations of the Government Accountability Office’s February 2020 Report, “International Boundary and Water Commission: Opportunities Exist to Address Water Quality Problems.” The bill also directs EPA to consider projects based on new research examining how wastewater pollutants get into the air, harming air quality and public health.

    “Raw sewage and toxic waste from the Tijuana River are still shutting down public beaches, threatening the health of our families, and jeopardizing the readiness of our military and border personnel,” said Senator Padilla. “By assigning the Environmental Protection Agency with the clear role of coordinating with federal, state, local, and tribal leaders to maintain the health of the watershed, we’re bringing the full weight and commitment of the federal government to address the Tijuana River pollution crisis.”

    “The Tijuana River pollution crisis is one of the worst ongoing ecological crises in this country, posing serious environmental and public health risks to Californians living and working near the U.S.-Mexico border and nearby beaches. We must work quickly on a resolution, and this bill would provide clear direction and authority to EPA to work with state and local partners on a plan to give this crisis the focused attention it demands,” said Senator Schiff.

    “For too long, communities along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border have suffered the consequences of untreated sewage and toxic waste flowing into the Tijuana River,” said Senator Booker. “What I observed during my visit to Imperial Beach in May was unacceptable. This public health crisis, with growing economic and environmental impacts, would never be tolerated in Malibu or Mar-a-Lago and it shouldn’t be tolerated here. This bicameral legislation will ensure the EPA leads a comprehensive effort in coordination with local, state, and federal officials to clean up the Tijuana River and New River watersheds, and finally deliver clean air and water to the San Diego community.”

    “This horrible pollution has harmed the health of our communities, our local businesses, and our environment,” said Representative Vargas. “It’s absolutely critical that we have a streamlined response from the federal government. But right now, there is no one agency in charge of addressing the pollution. There are too many cooks in the kitchen. Our legislation would finally change that and charge the EPA with coordinating the whole-of-government effort needed to combat this pollution.”

    “This is an environmental crisis, a public health crisis, and an economic crisis for San Diegans. The federal government should treat it as such,” said Representative Peters. “Our legislation institutes a whole-of-government approach for resolving this disaster. This is the same type of program you see in the San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and Great Lakes; San Diego is no less deserving.”

    Since 2018, more than 200 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.

    The Tijuana River pollution crisis has disproportionately harmed underserved communities along San Diego’s southern border for decades. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local environment and economy have also suffered harmful impacts from waterborne and airborne transboundary sewage flows.

    To address these long-standing issues, the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2025 would:

    • Direct EPA, in coordination with relevant federal, state, Tribal, and local governments, to implement a comprehensive water quality management program for the Tijuana River and New River watersheds within 180 days;
    • Require EPA and its partners to identify a consensus list of priority projects, including incorporating a comprehensive suite of water quality projects identified by EPA and IBWC in the 2022 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement implementation plan, as well as the construction and operations and maintenance costs associated with them;
    • Provide transfer authority to EPA to accept and distribute funds to federal, state, Tribal, and local partners to construct, operate, and maintain the identified priority projects;
    • Provide technical assistance for restoration and protection activities to federal, state, Tribal, and local stakeholders;
    • Codify the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) to fund water infrastructure projects that benefit U.S. communities;
    • Require the IBWC Commissioner to participate in the construction of projects identified in the Tijuana and New River comprehensive plans; and
    • Authorize the IBWC to address stormwater quality and accept funding made available by the bill.

    EPA currently administers 12 Geographic Programs that help protect local ecosystems through water quality improvement, ecosystem and habitat restoration, environmental education, and local capacity building. Establishing such a program for the Tijuana River and New River is important for the long-term improvement and monitoring of the watersheds during and after the expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP).

    Representatives Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), and Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) are cosponsoring the bill in the House of Representatives.

    The legislation is endorsed by the City of San Diego, City of Coronado, County of Imperial, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, SANDAG, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Surfrider.

    Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate, working with the San Diego Congressional delegation to secure $250 million in the federal disaster relief package last year to clean up the Tijuana River. This marked the final tranche of funding required to complete the SBIWTP upgrade project. The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the coming years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Crucially, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is now operational, which will help further reduce flows to California communities.

    In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Whitehouse Introduce Bills to Slash Emissions From Ocean Shipping

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced a pair of bills to reduce dangerous air pollution within the shipping industry.

    Padilla’s Clean Shipping Act of 2025, led by Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42) in the House, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry to protect the health of port communities and address the environmental injustice impacts of the climate crisis. Padilla also co-leads the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act, led by Whitehouse in the Senate and Representatives Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15) in the House. The bill aims to reduce emissions by imposing a pollution fee on large marine vessels offloading cargo at U.S. ports to fund decarbonization efforts in the U.S. maritime economy.

    “California’s ports are the powerhouse of our country’s economy, moving critical freight and providing good-paying jobs, all while leading the nation’s decarbonizing efforts. But neighboring communities have been forced to shoulder the brunt of global shipping pollution for too long,” said Senator Padilla. “Our legislation would strengthen the sustainability of our shipping industry by reducing emissions in maritime transportation while simultaneously protecting coastal communities. The health of our communities and our planet requires us to be forward-looking and ambitious — we owe future generations nothing less than bold, transformative action.”

    “As climate change destroys lives and drives up costs for families, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to avoid the worst consequences for communities, businesses, and the environment,” said Ranking Member Whitehouse. “Encouragingly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has put forward a global carbon price on shipping emissions. This legislation reinforces that work, further cutting harmful emissions while supporting the maritime innovators that are pioneering clean technologies to protect public health and can help put us on course to climate safety.”

    Globally, maritime shipping is a major source of climate-warming pollution, including climate-warming GHG emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) and harmful air pollutant emissions (oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter). According to the International Maritime Organization 2020 GHG Study, the global shipping industry emits approximately one billion tons of GHG emissions per year, roughly 3 percent of total anthropogenic global-warming carbon-dioxide emissions. The study projects in future scenarios that shipping’s GHG emissions could more than double between 2018 and 2050. These emissions are not only harmful for the environment, but jeopardize the air quality and public health of the nearly 40 percent of Americans who live within three miles of a port.

    Clean Shipping Act

    The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 would set a path to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all ocean shipping companies that do business with the United States. It would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set progressively tighter carbon intensity standards for fuels used by ships in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

    Specifically, the bill would direct the EPA to:

    • Set carbon intensity standards for fuels used by ships. The bill sets progressively tighter carbon intensity standards for fuels used by ships consistent with a 1.5°C decarbonization pathway. These standards would require lifecycle carbon dioxide-equivalent reductions of 30 percent from January 1, 2030, 58 percent from January 1, 2034, 83 percent from January 1, 2040, 92 percent from January 1, 2045, and 100 percent from January 1, 2050 (based on a 2027 baseline).
    • Set requirements to eliminate in-port ship emissions by 2035. By January 1, 2035, all ships at-berth or at-anchor in U.S. ports would emit zero GHG emissions and zero air pollutant emissions.

    “Our nation’s ports, particularly the Port of Long Beach, are crucial parts of the economy that drive our supply chain at home. However, they’re also among the largest sources of pollution in our coastal communities,” said Representative Garcia. “Ship pollution is harmful for the health of people living near ports, and disproportionately affects low-income, working-class neighborhoods and communities of color. That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that addresses greenhouse gas pollution and creates a path to fully eliminate emissions. We must protect people’s health and stop our climate crisis, while ensuring good-paying jobs for the future.”

    “In order to protect our ocean and stay competitive with the rest of the world, we need federal leadership to help modernize and clean up U.S. shipping. By driving the shipping sector to develop, scale and deploy zero-emission technologies, we can spur job creation, help tackle the climate crisis and help create cleaner air for the millions of Americans living near ports. We commend Representative Garcia and Senator Padilla for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with members of Congress to make this bill a reality,” said Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy’s Shipping Emissions U.S. Policy Manager.

    “The shipping industry has been polluting communities for decades, but we have the power to make shipping cleaner. Port expansions across the country have been especially devastating for communities living closest to the harbors where large ships spew toxic diesel exhaust that worsens air quality and contributes to the climate crisis. People living near ports deserve to breathe clean air, and the Clean Shipping Act will help make that a reality,” said Katherine García, Director of the Clean Transportation for All Campaign, Sierra Club.

    “GreenLatinos endorses the urgently needed Clean Shipping Act, which protects Latino/e and other vulnerable communities from further exposure to port pollution and takes important steps to reduce harm from toxic ship fuels. 1 in 3 Latines live in the top 20% of most pollution-impacted communities. Pollution burdened communities are facing even more exposure as idling ships wait days to enter port and offload their cargo. We urge Congress to act swiftly in passing this vital legislation and protect our coastal communities from the harms of port emissions,” said Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, Policy Advisor, GreenLatinos.

    “The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 will help us work toward a future where healthy port communities thrive and everyone benefits from leveraging the tremendous potential of the ocean and ocean industries as powerful sources of climate solutions. We are grateful for the leadership of Congressman Garcia and Senator Padilla for advancing this legislation for our ocean, climate, and communities,” said Sarah Guy, Executive Director, Ocean Defense Initiative.

    “The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 will send a clear signal to the shipping industry that they must reduce their emissions by phasing out the use of fossil fuels and transition to a cleaner future. Technology-forcing policies like this legislation will enable large-scale investment in sustainable maritime fuels and technologies and establish a level playing field, minimizing the risk for manufacturers and suppliers. For far too long, dirty ships have brought significant levels of air pollution into U.S. port communities. We commend Representative Garcia and Senator Padilla for reintroducing this important bill and leading the effort to help protect communities disproportionately impacted by these harmful emissions,” said Antonio Santos, Federal Climate Policy Director, Pacific Environment.

    The bill is supported by industry leaders including ABB, Evolve Hydrogen Inc., Maritime Battery Forum, and Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association, as well as NGOs including Breathe Southern California, CleanEarth4Kids.org, Don’t Waste Arizona, Environmental, Investigation Agency, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Intheshadowofthewolf, Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Defense Initiative, Pacific Environment, Restoring Earth Connection, San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, Seattle Cruise Control, Sierra Club, Sunflower Alliance, 350 Bay Area Action, 350 Sacramento, Turtle Island Restoration Network, and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act

    The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act would:

    • Impose a pollution fee on the largest marine vessels offloading cargo at U.S. ports, driving industry-wide decarbonization efforts and incentivizing the use and development of cleaner maritime fuels. 
    • Levy a $150 per ton fee on the carbon emissions of fuel burned on an inbound trip, as well as fees for the nitrogen oxides ($6.30/lb.), sulfur dioxide ($18/lb.), and particle pollution (PM2.5) ($38.90/lb.) that ships emit.  The fees would apply only to those ships with 5,000 gross tonnage or more, excluding most of the domestic industry, and the fee on carbon emissions would sunset if the IMO implemented and enforced a fee on the greenhouse gas emissions of marine shipping that was equal to or greater than the $150 per ton fee levied in the bill.
    • Provide critical funding to modernize the Jones Act fleet with low-carbon vessels, revitalizing and electrifying U.S. shipbuilding, and addressing and reducing pollutants in America’s port communities, along our coasts, and in our oceans.

    The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act has been endorsed by EV Maritime, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Ocean Conservancy, Pacific Environment, San Pedro & Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, Sierra Club, 350 Bay Area Action, and 350 Brooklyn.

    Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) are cosponsoring the legislation. 

    Full text of the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act is available here, and a one-pager is available here. 

    Senator Padilla believes decarbonizing our ports is vital for powering economic growth and protecting public health. Last year, he announced over $1 billion in EPA funding across seven California ports to build zero-emission port infrastructure and implement climate and air quality management plans. The funding comes through the Clean Ports Program, which is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and aims to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality at ports across the nation. California ports will receive three of the largest seven grants nationwide, including over $411 million for the Port of Los Angeles, the biggest award in the country. In 2023, he announced $74.5 million from the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration to decarbonize, upgrade, and rehabilitate key ports along California’s coast.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Grills Forest Service Chief on Trump’s Plan to Eliminate State Fire Assistance Funding

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Grills Forest Service Chief on Trump’s Plan to Eliminate State Fire Assistance Funding

    WATCH: USFS Chief: we are “pushing [funding cuts] to the states”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, pressed U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on President Trump’s elimination of all funding for critical state fire assistance programs in his Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. Padilla also warned that the Administration still has not finalized funding assistance for this year ahead of its self-imposed August 15 deadline, risking essential wildfire support that vulnerable communities around the country depend on.

    The Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry programs that President Trump is proposing to zero out include state fire assistance, volunteer fire assistance, and the broader state, private, and Tribal forestry initiatives. These programs provide crucial financial and technical support to state and local fire departments for wildland fire prevention, detection, and suppression. Padilla slammed Chief Schultz for the Trump Administration’s delay in disbursing FY25 funding and plan to zero out FY26 funding from these vital fire assistance programs.

    • PADILLA: These programs are essential for building and maximizing the capacity in fire-adapted communities and ensuring the safety of first responders during wildfires. What is the status of FY25 funding for these programs? … What’s your confidence level getting the funding out by the August 15 deadline?
    • SCHULTZ: Sure. Thank you, sir. So Senator the Fiscal Year 25, we’re still working with OMB on that request, so we’re looking to finalize that here, probably, within the next couple of weeks.
    • PADILLA: Look, that worries me. I don’t mean to cut you off. … The deadline to get this out is August 15. We’re a month out, and you’re still finalizing the numbers?
    • SCHULTZ: So Q4 numbers for 25 are still being finalized for some of those programs, yes sir.
    • PADILLA: That should be a big red flag for all of us. … From past fires in California, including Santa Rosa years ago, Los Angeles, more recently — these are the types of programs that we should be supporting. I asked you about the FY25 numbers. Do you know the FY26 numbers? My understanding is the President’s proposed budget zeroes out this program. How does that make any sense?
    • SCHULTZ: So Senator, I think what the intent of that program in ’26 is to transfer that responsibility to the states. That’s the intent of that and then giving that state some heads up that that’s coming.
    • PADILLA: Look as every state that I’m aware of is having a tougher budget picture to face, the threat of fires is real. The threat of fires is growing. How does it make sense for the federal government to zero out these programs that you said are so critical?
    • SCHULTZ: Sir, we would still be partnering with the states in dialog and discussions, but the transfer–
    • PADILLA: But you’re zeroing out their resources. How does that make any sense?
    • SCHULTZ: That’s correct. Well, it’s sharing that responsibility and pushing that to the states.
    • PADILLA: You’re pushing it to the states that have less resources to work with. How does that make any sense?
    • SCHULTZ: In a sense it makes sense because it’s putting that responsibility on the states to make those decisions locally.
    • PADILLA: Look, it may be residents of California or Utah, or other states in between: these are all Americans, communities in the United States of America that are at increased risk because of the actions of this Administration which contradict the supposed goals and objectives.

    Padilla also warned that the Trump Administration’s mass staffing reductions at the Forest Service will hurt their capacity and capabilities to fight increasing wildfire threats. He condemned Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, which diverted them away from critical wildfire response efforts.

    • PADILLA: I’m concerned that this represents a significant reduction in capability and capacity and poses a serious danger to communities, not just in California, elsewhere in the West and across the country. The staffing reductions coupled with the President diverting National Guard units in California mean that those resources are no longer available to support our wildfire response capacity. It’s not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous.

    Video of Senator Padilla’s full questioning is available here.

    More information on the hearing is available here.

    In the aftermath of the catastrophic Southern California fires, Senator Padilla has introduced more than 10 bills to help prevent and respond to future wildfires, including the Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act, bipartisan legislation to combat catastrophic wildfires, restore forest ecosystems, and make federal forest management more efficient and responsive. Padilla highlighted the Senate Fix Our Forests Act after joining federal and state emergency officials for a tour of the Pacific Palisades fire recovery area led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Padilla and Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also introduced the FEMA Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to restore FEMA as an independent, cabinet-level agency and improve efficiency in federal emergency response efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: American Politicians Try to Shift Their Employment Problems to China — Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 10 /Xinhua/ — The rhetoric of American politicians about “China depriving Americans of manufacturing jobs” is essentially an attempt to attribute the internal structural economic problems of the United States to other countries, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an opinion piece published in the Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty on Thursday.

    As Zhang Hanhui noted in an article titled “Who ‘stole’ American manufacturing jobs?”, in recent years, American politicians have often promoted the thesis of “China taking away American manufacturing jobs.” From US President Donald Trump’s statement that “China has taken more jobs from the United States than any other country” to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s unfounded claim of a “China shock,” the US leadership has continued to try to shift responsibility for its own problems to other countries.

    According to the Chinese ambassador, the decline in employment in manufacturing is a global trend in developed economies. “Research by the Groningen Growth and Development Center (GGDC) in the Netherlands shows that employment in manufacturing typically follows an inverted U-shaped trajectory: during the industrialization stage, labor moves from agriculture to industry, but as socio-economic development progresses, consumer spending shifts from finished goods to services, and the labor force accordingly moves from industry to services,” the article notes.

    The United States has long since transitioned to a service-based economy, with manufacturing providing only 10 percent of all jobs in the country. Some experts point out that the process of gradual reduction in manufacturing in developed countries began even before China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). From 1977 to 2001, manufacturing employment in the United States fell by 41 percent, while in 10 other developed countries, including Japan, Great Britain, France, and Canada, it fell by 20 to 50 percent.

    As Zhang Hanhui pointed out, the main reason for the decline in industrial employment is the technological revolution. For example, some experts point out that from 2001 to 2023, US manufacturing employment fell by 22 percent, while output grew by 50 percent, which convincingly proves how automation and technological progress are replacing a significant part of the workforce. The Chinese diplomat also cites research from the US Brookings Institution, according to which it took 25 jobs to create $1 million in manufacturing in 1980, while today it only takes 6.5.

    The ambassador is confident that the US’s own problems have accelerated the erosion of its industrial potential. First, the negative gap in labor costs in the United States is virtually insurmountable. For example, the hourly wage of a garment worker in the US is about $22, which is many times higher than $2.8 in Bangladesh, while the productivity of an American worker is only about 60 percent of that of a Bangladeshi worker.

    The diplomat also points out the aging US infrastructure, which seriously limits the competitiveness of American industry. Much of the US electrical grid was built in the 1960s and 1970s and has reached or is approaching the end of its useful life; a third of the country’s bridges require major repairs or reconstruction.

    In addition, the unilateral imposition of tariffs on many imported goods has hit American industry hard. The long-term shift of the American economy toward the financial sector has led to a shortage of skilled labor in the labor market, Zhang Hanhui noted.

    “China calls on the United States to immediately stop the erroneous practice of ‘slinging mud at China’, to return to the mainstream of multilateral cooperation and, together with the Chinese side, on an equal basis, to find ways of mutually beneficial cooperation,” the head of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Russia emphasized.

    In a changing world, China and Russia, with their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, will jointly advance bilateral cooperation along the designated path, uphold the multilateral trading system led by the WTO, and promote the safe, stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains through in-depth cooperation, he said.

    “We will consistently promote an equitable and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization to inject strong impetus and new hope into global development,” Zhang Hanhui concluded. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Honors Texas Flood Victims, Will Join POTUS in Texas Tomorrow

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) honored those who lost their lives in the catastrophic flooding in Texas and highlighted that he will be in Texas with President Trump and the First Lady tomorrow. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “For many who are affected by this tragedy, the pain will never go away.”

    “At this point in the rescue and recovery efforts, more than 119 deaths so far have been confirmed across the state.”

    “I think it’s important to remember these are not just numbers. These are human lives that were lost in this tragedy and families left behind.”

    “Mary [Stevens] and Linnie [McCown] were just two of the victims of this horrific flooding, but there are many others with their own stories, and families, and futures that were cut far too short.”

    “The President and the First Lady are expected to come to Central Texas tomorrow, and I look forward to joining them.”

    “It’s not hard for each of us to imagine – as parents or grandparents or husbands or wives – what a loss like this must mean.”

    “Now is not the time for partisanship. Now is the time for unity.”

    “While I can’t show the photos of every person who’s died or still missing due to the flooding, I want all who’ve lost loved ones to know that the prayers of those of us here, and I believe across the nation, are lifting them up and are with them during this, their time of unimaginable grief.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Honors Texas Flood Victims, Will Join POTUS in Texas Tomorrow

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) honored those who lost their lives in the catastrophic flooding in Texas and highlighted that he will be in Texas with President Trump and the First Lady tomorrow. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “For many who are affected by this tragedy, the pain will never go away.”
    “At this point in the rescue and recovery efforts, more than 119 deaths so far have been confirmed across the state.”
    “I think it’s important to remember these are not just numbers. These are human lives that were lost in this tragedy and families left behind.”
    “Mary [Stevens] and Linnie [McCown] were just two of the victims of this horrific flooding, but there are many others with their own stories, and families, and futures that were cut far too short.”
    “The President and the First Lady are expected to come to Central Texas tomorrow, and I look forward to joining them.”
    “It’s not hard for each of us to imagine – as parents or grandparents or husbands or wives – what a loss like this must mean.”
    “Now is not the time for partisanship. Now is the time for unity.”
    “While I can’t show the photos of every person who’s died or still missing due to the flooding, I want all who’ve lost loved ones to know that the prayers of those of us here, and I believe across the nation, are lifting them up and are with them during this, their time of unimaginable grief.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Kelly Introduce Bill to Enhance U.S.-Mexico Counternarcotics Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) today introduced the Counternarcotics Enhancement Act, which would direct the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit to Congress an action plan to enhance counternarcotics collaboration, coordination, and cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico:
    “One innocent life lost because of illicit narcotics smuggled into the U.S. by way of Mexico is one too many,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would ensure our Intelligence Community leverages the U.S.-Mexico relationship to most effectively root out these silent killers and keep citizens in both countries safe.”
    “To win the fight against drug trafficking, the U.S. and Mexico have to work together against the cartels. This effort with Republicans and Democrats will make our country safer by keeping drugs off our streets through Intelligence Community engagement with the government of Mexico,” said Sen. Kelly.
    Background:
     The Counternarcotics Enhancement Act would require the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit to the Congressional intelligence committees an action plan to enhance counternarcotics collaboration, coordination, and cooperation with the government of Mexico that includes the following information from leaders of the Intelligence Community (IC):
    A description and assessment of their relationship, if any, with any element of the government of Mexico, including an assessment of the counterintelligence risks of such relationship;
    A strategy to enhance counternarcotics cooperation and appropriate coordination with each element of the government of Mexico they have a direct relationship with;
    And recommendations and a description of the resources required to efficiently and effectively implement this strategy to further the national interest of the U.S.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Kelly Introduce Bill to Enhance U.S.-Mexico Counternarcotics Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) today introduced the Counternarcotics Enhancement Act, which would direct the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit to Congress an action plan to enhance counternarcotics collaboration, coordination, and cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico:

    “One innocent life lost because of illicit narcotics smuggled into the U.S. by way of Mexico is one too many,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would ensure our Intelligence Community leverages the U.S.-Mexico relationship to most effectively root out these silent killers and keep citizens in both countries safe.”

    “To win the fight against drug trafficking, the U.S. and Mexico have to work together against the cartels. This effort with Republicans and Democrats will make our country safer by keeping drugs off our streets through Intelligence Community engagement with the government of Mexico,” said Sen. Kelly.

    Background:

     The Counternarcotics Enhancement Act would require the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit to the Congressional intelligence committees an action plan to enhance counternarcotics collaboration, coordination, and cooperation with the government of Mexico that includes the following information from leaders of the Intelligence Community (IC):

    • A description and assessment of their relationship, if any, with any element of the government of Mexico, including an assessment of the counterintelligence risks of such relationship;
    • A strategy to enhance counternarcotics cooperation and appropriate coordination with each element of the government of Mexico they have a direct relationship with;
    • And recommendations and a description of the resources required to efficiently and effectively implement this strategy to further the national interest of the U.S.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Snowshoeing on Kīlauea? High fountain episodes pose new challenges to volcano monitoring

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. 

    Following episode 27 of the Kīlauea summit eruption on June 29, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers visited several sites southwest of Halemaʻumaʻu on July 1 to remove tephra that had accumulated on the solar panels and station infrastructure. USGS photos by M. Warren. 

    On July 10, HVO field engineers strapped snowshoes on as they prepared to work in the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, southwest of the

    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers visited monitoring stations downwind of the Kīlauea summit eruptive vents on July 10.  USGS video. 

     two eruptive vents in Halemaʻumaʻu. With each step, the ground crunched and their feet sunk a little. The large footprint of snowshoes keep the field engineers walking on top of the frothy pumice everywhere, rather than through it. Tiny pieces of volcanic glass shimmered in the air, which was filled with the soft sound of clinking glass.  They wore full-face respirators to protect themselves from these particles, called tephra. 

    Tephra is a word for any volcanic material that is erupted and travels through the air before landing on the ground. It includes very small particles, such as volcanic ash, as well as light and frothy rocks full of holes called reticulite, more robust rocks like scoria, larger pieces called bombs, and ever-present Pele’s Hair. 

    Lava fountains of the ongoing episodic eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu have created a growing tephra blanket downwind of the eruptive vents.  On the crater rim closest to the vents, the tephra is as thick as 80 feet (25 meters). Lava flows fed by these fountaining episodes have also covered nearly 850 acres (344 hectares) of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor, up to 236 feet (72 meters) thick in some areas. 

    HVO staff have moved several monitoring stations that were located in areas too close to lava flows or areas buried by falling tephra. The instruments themselves remained functional and most, including the F1 thermal camera, KWcam, B1cam, and continuous laser rangefinder, have been redeployed near the V1 streaming camera, an area less likely to be impacted by the eruption. The B2cam on the crater floor underwent a full melt down, but its solar power supply survived and was airlifted to the south rim to power the new V3 livestream camera. 

    Several other monitoring stations are located farther away from the vents but are still being impacted by the eruption. The instruments at these stations, many of which measure volcanic gas, are positioned southwest of the summit because that direction is usually downwind of summit eruptions during common trade wind conditions. Being downwind of the ongoing eruption means that, in addition to the gas they are designed to measure, the stations are subjected to tephra fall. 

    Infrastructure at monitoring stations in this area can be covered by tephra depending on the wind direction during an eruptive episode. Following eruptive episodes, HVO staff have visited these sites dig them out and to remove tephra from solar panels, restoring power to the station.

    Sulfur dioxide emission rates, which HVO measures to help track eruptive activity, are not possible when this part of the network is down. HVO staff are exploring other methods for obtaining sulfur dioxide emission rates. In the meantime, numerous measurements during past pauses and eruptive episodes allow us to generally estimates these emissions during different types of activity. During past eruptive pauses, sulfur dioxide emission rates have been measured as around 1,200-1,500 tonnes per day During past eruptive episodes, sulfur dioxide emission rates have been measured up to 75,000 tonnes per day. It’s likely that sulfur dioxide emission rates have been even higher during recent eruptive episodes, though measurements have not been possible. 

    High lava fountains can also temporarily block radio telemetry, preventing data flow from monitoring stations. Most telemetry paths have been re-routed to avoid this issue, but several instruments, including the Sandhill tiltmeter, Cone Peak (CNPK) GPS, and several seismic stations (WRM, SDH, CPKD, OTLD), may continue to be affected during episodes with high lava fountains. 

    The area southwest of eruptive vents can be difficult to access. Depending on the wind direction during lava fountaining episodes, more tephra can blanket the landscape (and access road) to the southwest with every episode. After each episode, HVO staff assess the feasibility of visiting monitoring sites with staff safety being the primary priority. 

    Although a small portion of the Kīlauea monitoring network is being impacted by the summit eruption, HVO is still able to adequately monitor Kīlauea. Maintaining the instrument network during eruptions is one of the challenges that comes with monitoring one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 28 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on July 9, with approximately 9 hours of fountaining from the north vent. The south vent did not activate and has been completely covered by new deposits.  Summit region inflation since the end of episode 28, along with persistent tremor, suggests that another episode is possible though more time (and data) are needed before a forecast can be made. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.9 earthquake 10 km (6 mi) S of Volcano at 6 km (3 mi) depth on July 6 at 5:04 a.m. HST.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Paving, bridge repair projects to reduce westbound I-90 in Issaquah to one lane for up to 10 weekends

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Additional nighttime work to begin in July on eastbound I-90 

    ISSAQUAH – A series of construction projects will repair and replace aging pavement and repair several bridges along the Interstate 90 corridor in Issaquah and from Mercer Island to Bellevue. 

    People traveling through the area should expect weekend and nighttime I-90 lane reductions and ramp closures. This includes up to 10 weekends when westbound I-90 will be reduced to a single lane in Issaquah.

    Starting in July, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin construction on three new projects, that will:

    What to expect 

    Eastbound I-90 in Issaquah

    Contractor crews will grind and replace more than 4 miles of eastbound I-90 beginning Sunday, July 13, between West Lake Sammamish Parkway (milepost 13) and East Sunset Way (milepost 18). 

    Construction is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday nights and from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights. This work will require closing up to three lanes of eastbound I-90, with occasional ramp closures at West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast/Lakemont Boulevard Southeast, 17th Avenue Northwest, Front Street North and East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast. To help create a safer space for workers, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph through the work zone.

    People travelling in the area should watch for slower speed limits, occasional ramp closures with signed detours and traffic delays during overnight lane reductions. This project is expected to finish in fall 2025.

    Westbound I-90 in Issaquah

    Beginning in late July or early August, contractor crews will begin repair work on five bridges on westbound I-90 and grind and replace 2.5 miles of pavement between East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast (milepost 18) and Tibbets Creek (milepost 15).

    During this project, crews will reduce westbound I-90 to a single lane for up to 10 weekends to repair pavement, waterproof protection and expansion joints on five bridges. These weekend lane closures will start at 7 p.m. Friday nights and continue through 9 a.m. Sunday mornings. Speed limits in the work zone will be reduced to 45 mph.

    In addition to bridge work, paving is scheduled between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly Saturdays through Thursdays. This nighttime work will require closing up to three lanes of westbound I-90 and occasional ramp closures at East Sunset Way/Highlands Drive Northeast, Front Street North and 17th Avenue Northwest.

    People travelling in the area should expect significant traffic delays during weekend closures, slower speeds through the work zone and occasional ramp closures with signed detours during the project. Work is expected to continue through spring 2026.

    Eastbound I-90 from Mercer Island to Bellevue

    As early as fall 2025, contractor crews will begin a pavement and bridge repair project on eastbound I-90 between Mercer Slough (milepost 9) and 150th Avenue Southeast in Bellevue (milepost 12). Crews will perform crack sealing and grind and replace pavement along a nearly 2-mile section of road. They’ll also resurface the Richards Road Southeast bridge near the I-405 interchange and replace expansion joints.

    During this project, crews will close up to three eastbound I-90 lanes overnight to grind and repair pavement, replace bridge joints and sensors, and seal cracks in the pavement. Crews will work Saturday through Thursday nights, with varying hours depending on how many lanes need to be closed. Nightly lane reductions could start as early as 8 a.m., and all lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. The HOV lane will be open to all vehicles during right lane closures.

    Additionally, this project has up to four weekend-long lane reductions, including:

    • Two weekend, two-lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.
    • Two weekend, three-lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, immediately followed by a two-lane closure until 2 p.m. Sunday.

    Ramps along eastbound I-90 may close during portions of this work as needed, including the 150th Avenue Southeast/Southeast Eastgate Way off-ramp, 148th Avenue Southeast off-ramp, Richards Road Southeast/Factoria Boulevard off-ramp and 142nd Place Southeast HOV on- and off-ramps. 

    This project is expected continue through 2026. People travelling in the area should expect traffic delays and occasional ramp closures with signed detours.

    Other nearby I-90 projects

    In addition to these three projects, the I-90 Sunset Creek Fish Passage project in Bellevue also is expected to continue until 2027, and two other projects will begin shortly:

    For the most up-to-date information on upcoming closures with these projects, please visit the project webpages. Real-time travel information is available from the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center map or by signing up for WSDOT’s email updates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: School smartphone bans reflect growing concern over youth mental health and academic performance

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Margaret Murray, Associate Professor of Public Communication and Culture Studies, University of Michigan

    New laws that ban smartphones or social media for youth are being introduced across several Western nations. SeventyFour/iStock via Getty Images

    The number of states banning smartphones in schools is growing.

    New York is now the largest state in the U.S. to ban smartphones in public schools. Starting in fall 2025, students will not be allowed to use their phones during the school day, including during lunch, recess or in between classes. This bell-to-bell policy will impact almost 2.5 million students in grades K-12.

    By banning smartphones in schools, New York is joining states across the country. The bans are happening in both traditionally liberal and conservative states.

    Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and West Virginia all passed legislation in 2025 that requires schools to have policies that limit access to smartphones. The policies will go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year. This brings the total to 17 states, plus Washington, D.C., that have phone-free school legislation or executive orders.

    I’m a professor who studies communication and culture, and while writing a book about parenting culture, I’ve noticed the narrative around smartphones and social media shifting over the past decade.

    A turning tide

    Statewide cellphone policies are gaining momentum, with many states aiming to restrict use of the devices in classrooms.
    Thomas Barwick/Digital Vision via Getty Images

    According to the Pew Research Center, 67% of American adults support banning smartphones during class time, although only 36% support banning them for the entire school day. Notably, a majority of Republican, Democratic and independent voters all support bans during class time.

    More broadly, parent-led movements to limit children’s use of smartphones, social media and the internet have sprung up around the country. For example, the Phone-Free Schools Movement in Pennsylvania was launched in 2023, and Mothers Against Media Addiction started in New York in March 2024. These organizations, which empower parents to advocate in their local communities, follow in the footsteps of organizations such as Wait Until 8th in Texas and Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay in Massachusetts, which were formed in 2017.

    The concerns of these parent-led organizations were reflected in the best-selling book “The Anxious Generation,” which paints a bleak picture of modern childhood as dominated by depression and anxiety brought on by smartphone addiction.

    Phone-free schools are one of the four actions the book’s author, Jonathan Haidt, recommended to change course. The other three are no smartphones for children before high school, waiting until 16 for social media access, and allowing more childhood independence in the real world.

    Haidt’s research team collaborated with The Harris Poll to survey Gen Z. They found that almost half of those age 18-27 wish social media had never been invented, and 21% wish smartphones had never been invented. About 40% of Gen Z respondents supported phone-free schools.

    The Pew Research Center found that almost 40% of kids age 8-12 use social media, and almost 95% of kids age 13-17 use it, with nearly half of teens reporting that they use social media almost constantly.

    Phone-free schools are also part of the larger trend of states and nations resisting Big Tech, the large technology companies that play a significant role in global commerce.

    In May 2025, two U.S. senators introduced the Stop the Scroll Act, which would require mental health warnings on social media.

    New laws that ban smartphones or social media for youth are being introduced across several Western nations. Australia has banned all social media for those under 16.

    After a fatal stabbing at a middle school in eastern France on June 10, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the same day that he wants the European Union to set the minimum age for social media at 15. He argued that social media is a factor in teen violence. If the EU doesn’t act within a few months, Macron has pledged to enact a ban in France as soon as possible.

    The impact on learning

    Research suggests that students are less focused in class when they have access to cellphones.
    isuzek/E+ via Getty Images

    Although this trend of restricting use of phones in school is new, more states may adopt smartphone bans in the future. Bell-to-bell bans are viewed as especially powerful in improving academic performance.

    Some research has suggested that when children have access to a smartphone, even if they do not use it, they find it harder to focus in class. Initial research has found that academic performance improves after the bans go into effect.

    Test scores fell across the U.S. during the pandemic lockdown and have not returned to prepandemic levels. Some states, such as Maine and Oregon, are almost a full year behind grade level in reading. Not a single state has recovered in both math and reading.

    Statewide bans free local school districts from having to create their own technology bans, which can lead to heated debates. Although a majority of adults approve of banning smartphones in class, 24% oppose it for reasons such as wanting to be able to contact their kids throughout the day and wanting parents to set the boundaries.

    However, 72% of high school teachers say that phones are a major distraction. Anecdotally, schools report that students like the bans after getting used to the change.

    I signed the Wait Until 8th pledge mentioned in the article, promising not to give my kids a smartphone or social media until at least the end of 8th grade.

    – ref. School smartphone bans reflect growing concern over youth mental health and academic performance – https://theconversation.com/school-smartphone-bans-reflect-growing-concern-over-youth-mental-health-and-academic-performance-259962

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Announces Arrest of East Idaho Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador Announces Arrest of East Idaho Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested twenty-three-year-old Luke Birch on Thursday, June 26, 2025, for alleged sexual exploitation of a child.
    Luke Birch was charged with ten counts of possession of child exploitation material and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor.
    “These charges demonstrate the excellent work our ICAC team does protecting Idaho families,” said Attorney General Labrador. “I’m grateful for our partnership with federal and local agencies who work with our ICAC Task Force to make arrests like this one.”
    The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations assisted the Idaho ICAC Task Force in the arrest. Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org. The charges listed above are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Clarence, Law Lecturer, RMIT University

    During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major shipping routes.

    Would that be possible, and what effects would it have?

    The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It is used to transport about 20% of global daily oil consumption.

    Iran effectively controls this crucial shipping route because it is a coastal state bordering this narrow stretch of water. The strait is too narrow to avoid navigating waters claimed by Iran. This raises thorny legal questions about whether it is really possible for Iran to block the strait, and what recourse other states have if it does.

    This geographical reality is far from new, and the legal frameworks governing international maritime activity have developed over centuries. At its heart is the lex mercatoria — the “law of merchants” — a body of transnational commercial law that emerged organically from the practices of traders operating across borders.

    Within this broader framework sits the lex maritima, or customary maritime law, which has long adapted to the hazards of shipping across vast oceans.

    The lex maritima originated from the shared practices of seafarers and merchants. Its purpose? To manage the unpredictable nature of maritime trade that demands coherent and stable rules.

    One of the most enduring principles of this legal tradition is the idea of mare liberum, or “the free sea”, set out by Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1609. He argued the high seas should remain open to all for peaceful navigation and trade. This conveniently legitimised the ambitions of European colonial powers, granting them unfettered access to global maritime routes at a time when control over sea-based trade promised immense economic and strategic advantage.

    The shifting boundaries of maritime law

    One of the most fundamental questions in maritime law is: where do a nation’s territorial waters end, and the high seas begin?

    After the second world war, a series of conferences culminated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), where the customary 3 nautical miles (5.56km) of territorial waters states could claim as their own was extended. This narrow limit was rooted more in historical naval range – the so-called “cannon shot rule” – than in modern geopolitical or environmental realities.

    In 1959, Iran took the unusual step of unilaterally extending its territorial sea to 12 nautical miles, despite not being a party to UNCLOS. Two decades later, following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis, Washington grew increasingly anxious about the security of oil flows from the Persian Gulf. These concerns intensified during the Iran-Iraq War, especially as Iran began using small islands in the Strait of Hormuz to deploy military forces and threaten commercial shipping.

    UNCLOS and the new rules of the sea

    One of the key compromises of UNCLOS was an extension of territorial waters for states that ratified the treaty. In exchange, UNCLOS replaced the older concept of “innocent passage” – which allowed only surface navigation through territorial seas – with the broader notion of “transit passage”. Under this regime, vessels and aircraft from other states are granted the right to travel not only on the surface, but also under the sea and through the air above straits used for international navigation.

    While 169 states have ratified UNCLOS, both Iran and the United States remain notable holdouts. This means Iran does not enjoy the broader 12-nautical-mile limit recognised under UNCLOS, and the US cannot claim the agreement’s protections for transit passage through strategic choke points.

    While the geopolitical and legal tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz may seem far removed from the world of private commerce, the global economy continues to function thanks to a powerful legal tool: the contract. Contracts offer a predictable framework that allows trade across borders without parties needing to trust one another personally.

    The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by active, assertive states such as Iran, which means the potential for interstate conflict is relatively high. This doesn’t mean commercial contracts are irrelevant to the recent dispute in the Strait of Hormuz — far from it. But their influence is more indirect.

    What can be learned?

    Without significant political change in Tehran, it’s unlikely either Iran or the US will shift its position on adopting UNCLOS. Yet despite Iran’s repeated threats to close the strait, it has never followed through — and the US Navy continues to maintain a steady presence in the region. For now, a fragile but persistent equilibrium holds.

    Belinda Clarence 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. What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-why-is-it-so-important-for-global-shipping-260920

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, US maintain close economic, trade communication at multiple levels: commerce ministry

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

    China and the United States have maintained close economic and trade communication at multiple levels, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

    Spokesperson He Yongqian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when responding to a question about whether the U.S. commerce secretary and other senior U.S. trade officials would meet with Chinese negotiators in early August.

    Since May this year, guided by the consensus reached between the heads of state of China and the United States, the economic and trade teams of both countries have held high-level trade talks in Geneva and London, establishing a consensus in Geneva and a framework in London, the spokesperson said, adding that the teams have been working to implement these outcomes, which have stabilized bilateral trade relations.

    It is hoped that the United States will work with China in the same direction, adhere to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and make good use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism while continuing to strengthen dialogue and communication, said the spokesperson.

    The spokesperson also called on the U.S. side to take concrete actions to uphold and implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state during their recent phone talks, with the aim of promoting stable, healthy, sustainable China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and of injecting more certainty and stability into global economic development.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Lin advances on three fronts at WTT US Smash

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

    Chinese paddler Lin Shidong overcame the demands of playing three matches in one day to advance in the men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash on Wednesday.

    Lin had little difficulty in defeating Feng Yi-hsin of Chinese Taipei 11-8, 11-4, 11-8. The world No. 1 was joined in the last 16 by teammate Xiang Peng, who beat Indian qualifier Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in four games.

    Lin Shidong returns the ball during the men’s singles second round match against Feng Yi-hsin at the World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash in Las Vegas on July 9, 2025. (Photo courtesy of WTT)

    Third seed Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan was pushed to the limit in a five-game battle but prevailed over Nigerian ace Quadri Aruna, winning 11-1, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5. However, Sweden’s fifth seed Truls Moregard was eliminated after a full-distance loss to Japan’s Yuta Tanaka.

    In doubles action, Lin teamed up with Huang Youzheng to reach the men’s quarterfinals by defeating American brothers Sid and Nandan Naresh in straight games. They will next face fellow Chinese duo Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun.

    Lin also partnered with Kuai Man in mixed doubles, cruising into the semifinals with a 3-0 win over Brazil’s Guilherme Teodoro and Giulia Takahashi.

    In women’s singles, China’s Wang Manyu and Wang Yidi delivered solid performances. Second seed Wang Manyu overcame South Korea’s Lee Eun-hye 11-4, 11-9, 11-9, while fourth seed Wang Yidi dispatched Portuguese veteran Fu Yu 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6.

    “I kept patient and was focused on my own game when facing crucial points,” said Wang Manyu.

    Wildcard Xu Yi was unable to join them in the last 16, falling to German veteran Han Ying 9-11, 7-11, 9-11.

    Elsewhere, Japan’s Mima Ito and Satsuki Odo, along with South Korea’s Shin Yu-bin, all advanced with straight-game victories.

    Also on Wednesday, Chinese women’s pairs Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, and Wang Yidi and Kuai Man, progressed to the quarterfinals in doubles.

    MIL OSI China News –