NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Grassley Kicks Off ‘YouTube in Session’ Series with Wide-Ranging Conversation Alongside UnHerd’s Emily Jashinsky

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was featured as the inaugural guest in YouTube’s new series, ‘YouTube in Session,’ which brings together members of Congress and YouTube content creators to foster conversation and civic engagement. Grassley sat down with Emily Jashinsky, host of UnHerd’s “Undercurrents” podcast, to reflect on his time in public service and discuss the latest on Iran, government oversight, the One Big Beautiful Bill and more.

    Watch the full video HERE and below. Excerpts of Grassley’s remarks follow.

    [embedded content]

    On President Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and Iran:

    “I don’t think Iowans are different than Americans [on this issue]. They prefer peace to war, they prefer diplomacy to war… I think it’s not a war against Iran, it’s [a] war against Iran’s nuclear capability. I haven’t had the briefing on it that we’re going to get Thursday, but we assume that what’s been reported so far that…it’s decimated the Iranian nuclear program. 

    “I think it proves that the President says he’s a peacemaker. Look it – he had 60 days. He wanted to negotiate. At the end of 60 days, he put on another two weeks that really turned out to be two days. I think he worked very closely with the Israelis, and I think he had plans for the Israelis to accomplish a heck of a lot before we put our efforts in jeopardy. And I think now that this…ceasefire, if it holds – you don’t know what the Ayatollah’s thinking right now – but maybe it’ll bring about peace for another decade or two, or maybe longer than that.”

    On what motivates Grassley’s public service:

    “…I think [it’s] the responsibilities that we have to leave a better nation than we receive… I think since the pilgrims came here, this is about nine generations. Each generation’s left the country better than the previous generation. That’s a little bit in question now, but it’s my responsibility to continue that as best we can. 

    “And…being number one in the United States Senate, as far as seniority is concerned, puts me in a position for my number one interest – the state of Iowa, to represent that. But it goes way beyond the state of Iowa… I think it’s just the problems the country confronts, and your ability to help solve those problems.”

    On the media’s developing role in political discourse:

    “[Podcasts are] something we’ve found out in the 2024 election made a big impact, particularly on people under 50 years of age, or maybe under 40 years of age. 

    “I was maybe one of the first ones [in the Senate] to get a fax machine, and I did satellite back to Iowa once a month, on a TV interview that I did. But whether it’s that or radio programs I do – there’s three that I do every week, but there’s others I do once a month, maybe 10 or 12… [J]ournalism is a policeman, policing the political system we have. It’s to keep government constitutional, to keep those of us in government abiding by the law [and] being ethical… You expect the freedom of the press, the First Amendment and the people that practice journalism to take that seriously and keep government functioning, and reduce the cynicism that people have towards government or towards politicians. All of that is to build respect – because we may have the best Constitution in the world and the longest living Constitution in the world, but that very good piece of paper is useless if people don’t have respect for it. [Respect] for the institutions of government and for those of us that serve in government.”

    On the importance of representative government:

    “Whether it’s Twitter, or whether it’s the fax machine, or whether it’s radio programs, or whether it’s on podcasts…representative government is a dialogue with our constituents…

    “I try to explain at my town meetings that I’m one-half of the process of representative government. You, my constituents, [are] the other one-half, and this face-to-face meeting we’re having is the best way to do it. But I only see a few thousand people face-to-face as I visit each one of the 99 counties every year for a Q&A. So, I have to depend upon email and postal mail and telephones and any way people want to communicate with me. Because I only see a few thousand people, but I’ve got three and one-tenths million constituents…You’re the other half of representative government, and you’ve got to have dialogue. I’ve got to know what’s on your mind.”

    On FBI oversight and whistleblowers:

    “There is great respect, maybe in both political parties, for the FBI. But then…what journalists exposed, as well as Chuck Grassley and other people… You find out that [the FBI] can’t be trusted, and that the word ‘political weaponization’ is entirely legitimate. I think I proved that with what I exposed about Special Agent Thibault and lot of other people that aren’t as famous as him. But I mean, they actually [said] within their job in the FBI that ‘we’re going to see how we can get Trump.’

    “This all goes back to a pretty basic principle of government. What you learn in eighth grade civics: checks and balances of government. We not only appropriate money, we not only pass laws, and that’s not the end of it – you’ve got a responsibility to make sure that the executive branch faithfully executes those laws. That’s what it’s all about. 

    “And then these big departments – or even a small department – the people, the head of it, they can’t know what’s going on underneath. They ought to be listening to their whistleblowers… I think I have a reputation for taking most whistleblowing very seriously and some of this stuff has been exposed, and then you find out they’re retaliated against. Now, we’ve got a friendly administration in, and we’re getting some of these whistleblowers back into their job or we’re getting them back their reputation…but you shouldn’t treat whistleblowers that way. And if people like Christopher Wray and, before him, Comey – if they had listened to whistleblowers, this stuff would’ve never happened. Unless they wanted it to happen. And I can’t say they wanted it to happen, but you can’t know what’s going on below. And just patriotic people that I call whistleblowers – they just want the government to do what the government’s supposed to do and spend money the way Congress [and the people of this country] want it spent. 

    “So it’s just important that Congress do its oversight work, and it’s important that the executive branch listens to whistleblowers. There’s no reason for a whistleblower to come to me if the people that are in management in that department – from low to high – start listening to them.

    “Everything that has been covered up in the first Trump administration, without Trump knowing it, and in the Biden administration – we’re getting the cooperation that I need to bring transparency to government, to show what was wrong and to get protection for the whistleblowers, getting them back their job. We’re getting full cooperation on that [from this administration], and we never got it out of Wray.”

    On Congress delegating away too much of its authority:

    “Just think, the recent trade policies of this administration [are] just a little bit more severe than previous administrations under both Republicans and Democrats. But that’s all because Congress in 1962 and 1974 delegated one of its 18 powers to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the president. Now, you can take that back, but you can imagine – if you don’t have two-thirds vote to take it back, the president isn’t going to give it up.

    “You‘ve got to write legislation [that’s] more specific. And it’s really easy to say, ‘Well, we don’t really know whether we should use this word or that sentence. Let’s just say, let’s give a broad authority and then let the regulators figure it out.’ That’s what the Supreme Court is now turning a corner on… In other words, anything over $100 million I think [in] economic impact – you better show us in the law exactly where Congress gave you the authority to do it. Now, this is going to put a big burden on Congress to write this legislation more specifically. That’s what we should be doing all the time anyway.”

    On bipartisanship:

    “Let me start with saying something I’m very sincere about saying: I don’t think a single senator dislikes me, and there’s no senator I dislike. And if anybody dislikes me, I don’t want to know who they are.

    “And then another thing I think is pretty important is the fact that I try to work in a bipartisan way. So don’t take my word for it – go to the Georgetown University website. Click on Senator Lugar Center, and they do an index every year. And I’m always in the top 12, sometimes in the top five – nobody can beat Senator Collins; it’d be useless to try. But then also remember the Senate, as an institution, drives bipartisanship because [of] the 60-vote requirement to shut off debate to get to finality on a bill. 

    On Washington then vs. now:

    “The biggest way [the Senate’s] changed in the 45 years I’ve been in the Senate is the first 25 or 30 years, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 p.m. on Friday. And now… we start the first vote at 5:30 on Monday, we work a full day Tuesday, a full day Wednesday, and usually by two in the afternoon, Thursday, it’s shut down.

    “Now I want to make very clear – for an individual senator, there’s enough work between Iowa and here. You can work seven days a week if you want to… There’s plenty of work to do, more than just when the Senate’s in session. But if you’re going to solve this country’s problems, you’ve got to spend more than two and a half days a week doing it. 

    “…[W]e’ve got to do things more efficiently than we’re doing it. We’re basically nothing but a confirmation body, confirming nominations all the time.

    “This Senate, under [Majority Leader] Thune, has passed more legislation than [former Majority Leader] Schumer did in the last two years, but there’s still a lot more we’ve got to do. I keep bringing up [that] we haven’t passed a new five-year Farm Bill. It’s supposed to be done in [20]23 and it hasn’t been done. I think it’ll be done this year. And then there’s 65 or 70 of us [senators] who want to get prescription drug prices down by bringing Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers under control – PBMs, nobody knows what they do, and if we knew what they do, we’d be find[ing] out some way of reducing prescription drug prices. How are you going to get those things [done] if you’re just working two and a half days a week?”

    On the One Big Beautiful Bill:

    “The [Senate Majority] Leader – and I’m proud of him for saying this – [said] we’re going to stay in session till we get this [bill] done… It’s got to be done. 

    “If you don’t get this bill passed, you’re going to have the largest tax increase in the history of the country – four and seven-tenths trillion dollars, over a 10-year period of time. It’s going to really hurt the middle class if we don’t do it.

    “The Democrats are saying this bill is nothing but [to] cut taxes for billionaires. But there isn’t a rate change from [the] 2017 [tax cuts], so that’s intellectually dishonest to say that. And [the bill] does a lot for working men and women, like through the not taxing tips. And it helps senior citizens with a special credit for them, and it helps overtime pay and the economic benefits that comes from that.

    “We’ve got to get this bill passed, because the economy is going to be disrupted very much if we have that big tax increase. And if we do pass it, it’s going to really help the economy grow.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Judiciary Committee Advances Judicial Nominations for Sixth Circuit and Missouri District Courts, U.S. Attorney Nominations for Idaho and Pennsylvania

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the following nominations:

    • Whitney D. Hermandorfer, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, by a vote of 12-10;
    • Zachary M. Bluestone, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, by a vote of 12-10;
    • Joshua M. Divine, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, by a vote of 12-10; 
    • Maria A. Lanahan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, by a vote of 12-10;
    • Cristian M. Stevens, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, by a vote of 12-10; 
    • Bart McKay Davis, to be United States Attorney for the District of Idaho, by a voice vote; and
    • David Metcalf, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, by a voice vote.

    Watch the executive business meeting HERE. A recording of the judicial nominations hearing can be found HERE.

    Read Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) opening statement at the executive business meeting HERE, and his statement at the judicial nominations hearing HERE.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Presses U.S. Postal Service to Improve Service, Address Long-Term Viability Concerns Following Outreach from Iowans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote to the United States Postal Service (USPS) about concerns the institution is not fulfilling its service mission and sustaining financial self-sufficiency through its policies. Iowans from across the state have contacted Grassley’s office this year to share their challenges with the mail, prompting Grassley to take action. New Postmaster General David Steiner is anticipated to formally join USPS in July. 

    “I often hear from postal customers that they are facing issues with sending and receiving their mail in a timely and reliable manner. In addition, businesses that utilize the postal service for the delivery of market dominant products are facing postage rate price hikes that are impacting business operations and causing companies to decrease mailing volume,” Grassley wrote. 

    Specifically, Iowans have reported issues with bills and checks not being delivered on time, missing mail and increased delays in mail pickup. Businesses reported challenges maintaining mail volumes given dramatic rate increases of more than 50% and poor handling of packages.  

    “Delivering to every corner of the United States is no small feat, and I applaud the dedicated postal workers that serve their communities daily and USPS for the successes of decreasing its projected losses. That said, USPS must not let the quality of its service decline as reforms to achieve stronger financial footing are considered and implemented,” Grassley continued. 

    Grassley noted that, in addition to quality service, USPS must focus on long-term viability to continue serving the American people for another 250 years and beyond. He is encouraging the agency to take an innovative approach to rightsize the institution, as well as support flexibility when reforms are not working. 

    Background:

    Unlike regular federal agencies, USPS does not receive congressionally appropriated funding. Instead, it’s self-financed with revenue from postage, packages and shipping. For many years, USPS has faced a significant decline in first-class mail volume and has operated with revenue losses. 

    Previous administrations, lawmakers and government watchdogs have recommended reforms to strengthen the Postal Service’s ability to modernize its operations, uphold commitments to its workforce and maintain its fundamental mission of universal service. 

    Text of the letter can be found HERE and below. 

    June 26, 2025 

    Ms. Amber F. McReynolds
    Chair, Board of Governors
    United States Postal Service
    475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW 
    Washington, DC 20260 

    Dear Ms. McReynolds and members of the Board of Governors, 

    As the United States Postal Service (USPS) approaches 250 years of its establishment as an institution that serves the American people, I write to you with skepticism that the institution is delivering on its mission. I often hear from postal customers that they are facing issues with sending and receiving their mail in a timely and reliable manner. In addition, businesses that utilize the postal service for the delivery of market dominant products are facing postage rate price hikes that are impacting business operations and causing companies to decrease mailing volume. 

    I have been a partner of the USPS to ensure that it remains self-sufficient and, as advised by USPS, direct Iowans to the proper channels to seek remedies for the problems they face. Though, the persistence of issues with USPS’s services remains. For example, so far in 2025, no fewer than two dozen Iowans have contacted me outlining the challenges they are having with bills and checks being delivered on time, mail missing, and increased duration of mail pickup and delivery times. These issues are not location specific and span across every congressional district in Iowa. Additionally, I have heard from businesses about difficulties in maintaining mail volumes given the dramatic rate increases of more than 50% on USPS market dominant products, or that there is poor handling of packages and improper planning to satisfy shipping demand. Further, changes to rural delivery are impacting postal workers and customers alike. 

    In Congress, we often hear from USPS leaders that the legislative branch tends to hinder USPS’s ability to adapt to address the challenges it faces because members and the American people do not want any change to how USPS operates. While there may be some truth to that as change is often met with resistance, the initial years of the implementation of USPS’ self-help “Delivering for America Plan,” has not demonstrated that USPS is striking a needed balance of financial self-sufficiency and quality service. Delivering to every corner of the United States is no small feat, and I applaud the dedicated postal workers that serve their communities daily and USPS for the successes of decreasing its projected losses. That said, USPS must not let the quality of its service decline as reforms to achieve stronger financial footing are considered and implemented. 

    I recognize the challenges USPS faces and understand that given the advent of the internet and competition with other entities, there has been a considerable decrease in mail volume which has impacted the Postal Service’s operations and bottom line. The need for innovation is apparent. It appears that efforts, such as recovering market dominant revenue, are in practice facilitating counterproductive outcomes. The long-term viability of USPS ought to be the focus, so the institution remains to serve the American people for another 250 plus years. 

    As the USPS awaits to formally welcome Mr. David Steiner as the new Postmaster General; I strongly encourage you and Mr. Steiner to be innovative in the approaches to right size the institution as well as flexible when reforms are not working to ensure that it fulfills its mission successfully. Americans depend on it. 

    Sincerely, 

    Chuck Grassley 

    United States Senator 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: B-29 Memorial Ceremony honors Airmen, deepens US–Japan bonds

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SASEBO, NAGASAKI, Japan (U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing along with members of the Japan Air Self‑Defense Force and community officials gathered atop Mount Shizuhata, June 21, 2025, for the annual B‑29 Memorial Ceremony. The event paid tribute to 23 U.S. aircrew members killed in a midair collision on June 20, 1945, during a B‑29 Superfortress air raid over Shizuoka, which also claimed nearly 2,000 Japanese civilian lives.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: B-29 Memorial Ceremony honors Airmen, deepens US–Japan bonds

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SASEBO, NAGASAKI, Japan (U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing along with members of the Japan Air Self‑Defense Force and community officials gathered atop Mount Shizuhata, June 21, 2025, for the annual B‑29 Memorial Ceremony. The event paid tribute to 23 U.S. aircrew members killed in a midair collision on June 20, 1945, during a B‑29 Superfortress air raid over Shizuoka, which also claimed nearly 2,000 Japanese civilian lives.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Delegation Announces $900K Investment for NH Manufacturing Sector

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)—a top member and former chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies that funds the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced with U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) that the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NH MEP) will receive $924,376 in funding from NIST to help New Hampshire’s small and medium-sized manufacturers fully participate in the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network National Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network.

    “Investing in American manufacturing is critical in order to grow our economy, advance American national security and out build competitors, like China,” said Senator Shaheen. “New Hampshire is a small business state, and this funding will help ensure that Granite State manufacturers have the support they need to drive that progress. MEPs are proven winners that bolster our economy, generate growth and support good-paying jobs in Granite State communities. I’ll continue working to secure investment in them.”

    “When Granite Staters are given a fair shot and the freedom to compete and thrive, there’s no limit to what they can do, and the NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership provides vital technical support and assistance that help manufacturers succeed,” said Senator Hassan. “Thanks to the advocacy of the leaders of New Hampshire MEP, we overcame attempts by the Trump Administration to dismantle the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in New Hampshire and across the country and got this funding restored. I look forward to continuing to get New Hampshire’s small businesses the support that they need.”

    “Smart investments in American manufacturing can grow our economy, create jobs, increase our global competitiveness, and bolster national security. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network is one effective way we do this,” said Congressman Pappas. “This funding will support their work to help small and medium-sized New Hampshire manufacturers make more products and create more good-paying jobs in our state. I’ll always support investing in American innovation and manufacturing.”

    “Today is a good day for the future of manufacturing in New Hampshire,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “The federal funding we are announcing today for New Hampshire manufacturers is going to strengthen the economic and national security of hardworking people across our state. I’ve been on the frontlines of the fight to protect and strengthen the Manufacturing Extension Partnership because in the midst of lawless and costly trade wars that threaten to put small businesses out of business, these investments will actually bring good paying manufacturing jobs back to New Hampshire.”

    The CHIPS and Science Act, which Shaheen, Hassan and Pappas supported, created the National Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network, a supply chain and manufacturing resiliency initiative designed to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers build resilient, local supply chains and strengthen manufacturing capabilities. The MEP National Network helps manufacturers to meet critical needs, ranging from process improvement and workforce development to specialized business practices, including supply chain integration, innovation, and technology transfer.

    Since 1988, MEP has worked with over 150,000 manufacturers, leading to nearly $150 billion in sales, creating or retaining more than 1.6 million jobs, and saving firms nearly $31.6 billion. In the past year alone, firms assisted by MEP served as critical parts of our defense industrial base supply chain, made innovations in hazardous waste removal for the industries that power American energy production and invested in workforce development programming and certifications.

    During an Appropriations Committee hearing earlier this month, Shaheen raised concerns over U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s plans to eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, noting that in Fiscal Year 2023, every dollar of federal investment in the program generated $24.60 in new sales growth and $27.50 in new client investment.

    Goodlander and Pappas have been advocating to protect NH MEP funding in the House since potential cuts were first announced in April of this year. Goodlander and Pappas sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging support for domestic manufacturers in New Hampshire and across the country in the wake of the Trump Administration’s move to end contracts for 10 Manufacturing Extension Partnership programs. They also urged Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Meng to support NH MEP funding in the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Issa Bill Will Incentivize Wildfire Prevention Through Innovative Targeted Tax Relief

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) has introduced the Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief Act of 2025 (WILTR Act) to provide an unprecedented and innovative ability to make wildfire mitigation and resilience attainable for homeowners who know it provides essential protection from future fires.

    “It’s not enough to say we will be ready for the fire next time. We need to back it up with real solutions that put homeowners in charge,” said Rep. Issa. “This legislation makes it more possible than ever for homeowners to adopt breakthrough innovations in wildfire defense through targeted tax relief we know will make it possible.”

    The WILTR Act contains two key provisions that will incentivize homeowners to reduce wildfire risks on their property:

    • Exclusion from Gross Income – The Act excludes hazardous fuel reduction and firefighting infrastructure improvements on personal-use property from being considered taxable income. This ensures that homeowners receiving assistance from government agencies or non-profits will not face unexpected tax bills at the end of the year.

    • Above-the-Line Deduction – The Act allows homeowners to claim an above-the-line tax deduction for out-of-pocket expenses spent on hazardous fuel mitigation, encouraging residents to invest in wildfire prevention efforts that protect their families, neighbors, and communities.

    This legislation was inspired by Rep. Issa’s constituent landowners in Escondido, CA.  

    “I am extremely grateful to Congressman Issa for introducing legislation to remove tax penalties associated with conducting wildfire mitigation on private properties throughout California. Rancho Guejito is a pristine ranch in northern San Diego County that raises cattle, grows avocados and citrus, and operates vineyards and a winery. Without appropriate management, wildfires could ravage the property and move west toward populated areas. Congressman Issa’s proposed legislation will help ensure that Rancho Guejito Corporation does not incur federal tax penalties for partnering with government agencies and non-profits to conduct wildfire mitigation that the entire community will benefit from.” –- Hank Rupp III, Rancho Guejito Corporation

    “The California Association of Realtors strongly supports the WILTR Act and thanks Congressman Issa for introducing this important legislation. By incentivizing wildfire prevention through the tax code, this bill gives property owners the tools and assistance to take responsible, proactive steps that reduce risk to their homes and communities. At a time when wildfire threats are intensifying across California, the WILTR Act is a smart, forward-looking approach that supports the very people working to protect lives and property before disaster strikes.” — Heather Ozur, President, California Association of Realtors

    “On behalf of the National Water Resources Association (NWRA), I am pleased to offer our strong support for the Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief Act of2025 (WILTR Act),” said Greg Morrison, NWRA Executive Vice President. “We commend your leadership in advancing this bipartisan solution to support wildfire prevention, protect public safety, and improve land and watershed resilience. Your bill aligns squarely with NWRA’s ongoing efforts this Congress to modernize federal tax law in ways that support land stewardship, public-private partnerships, and climate resilience.”

    “The WILTR Act not only encourages proactive fuel mitigation but also aligns economic incentives with public safety and land stewardship… By supporting both prevention and recovery efforts, the WILTR Act also recognizes the essential role local agencies and landowners play in creating the wildfire-resilient communities… We thank [Congressman Issa] for your continued efforts on behalf of California’s fire-prone communities and for providing our residents with the tools they need to safeguard lives and property.” – Keith McReynolds, Chief, North County Fire Protection District 

    “I want to thank and commend Congressman Issa for authoring the ‘Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief Act of 2025,’ said Robin Maxson, Chair, San Diego Country Association Planning Groups (SANDAG). “Every day our residents struggle with the cost of living and seek solutions to the risks and preventative measures that property owners and taxpayers shoulder in East County, the backcountry, and unincorporated communities due to fires. Mr. Issa’s legislation will give these taxpayers relief for their efforts to practice fire safety and readiness. As the Chair of the Association of Planning Groups – San Diego County, I support this legislation and encourage Mr. Issa and his colleagues to make it law.”

    “As fire season approaches and readiness increasingly becomes a year-round effort, many property owners and taxpayers already assume the responsibility of fire safety and readiness to protect their land. I commend Congressman Issa for his proactive approach to safety and dedication to taxpayers by introducing the WILTR Act. The WILTR Act will provide a well-earned deduction to the taxpayer and an incentive to many people in San Diego County who take proactive steps toward fuel management and reduction.” – Ed Musgrove, Councilman, San Marcos

    “I would like to thank Congressman Issa for his introduction of the WILTR Act and his continued commitment to fire readiness and to the protection of lives and property. The WILTR Act provides both tax relief and increased incentives to landowners who take preventive measures in support wildfire risk reduction, and I enthusiastically support Congressman Issa’s WILTR Act.” – Judy Fitzgerald, Councilwoman, Escondido 

    “NAHB commends Rep. Issa for introducing the Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief (WILTR) Act of 2025 and is proud to offer its strong support for this important legislation. By encouraging proactive wildfire mitigation, the WILTR Act not only strengthens community resilience, but also helps preserve access to insurance in fire-prone areas, where coverage is becoming increasingly unaffordable or unavailable. This targeted approach will help keep families safe and homes protected.”— Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders

    Cosponsors: Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05), Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

    Industry support includes the California Association of Realtors, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Family Farm Alliance, and National Water Resources Association (NWRA). 

    Additional California Support:

    State Senator Brian Jones

    San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond

    North County Fire Protection District Chief Keith McReynolds

    Southwest California Legislative Council

    Councilman Ed Musgrove, San Marcos

    The bill text can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Receives Inaugural Lieberman Award from No Labels

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE for individual photos

    Washington, D.C. – Today, at a bicameral meeting of congressional No Labels members, U.S. Senator Susan Collins was presented with the inaugural Senator Joseph I. Lieberman Award.

    The award, established by No Labels in memory of its co-founder Senator Joseph Lieberman, recognizes courageous leaders who embody his legacy of principled pragmatism and bipartisanship. These individuals have endeavored to persuade and forge consensus for the good of the country, often in opposition to powerful constituencies within their own parties. By acting according to principle rather than party allegiance, they inspire others to follow their lead, just as Senator Lieberman did during his many illustrious years in public service.

    “I had the privilege of serving in the Senate alongside Joe Lieberman, and I saw firsthand his deep commitment to public service and bipartisanship. Joe believed that respectful dialogue could bridge even the deepest divides, and he never stopped working to bring his colleagues on both sides of the aisle together to solve problems,” said Senator Collins. “I’m honored to receive this inaugural award in memory of my good friend, and I remain committed to carrying on his spirit of cooperation as we confront the many challenges facing our nation.”

    “Susan Collins is a giant of the United States Senate who should be a model for every member of Congress who comes to Washington,” said No Labels board chair Andy Bursky. “She exudes decency, works tirelessly to understand the issues that matter most to her constituents, and has authored and led the passage of the most consequential bipartisan legislation in modern American history. She is both courageous and pragmatic, and I cannot think of anyone who better deserves No Labels’ Lieberman award.”

    Senator Collins has ranked as the most bipartisan member of the Senate in 9 of the last 11 years, according to the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s Bipartisan Index.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TOMORROW: Governor Newsom to respond to Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, outline devastating hit to Californians’ health care

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 26, 2025

    SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom will join state healthcare and social service officials to host a virtual press conference in response to Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which threatens to eliminate coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians and cut at least $28.4 billion in Medicaid funding to California.

    WHEN: Friday, June 27 at approximately 1:15 p.m.

    WHO: 

    • Governor Gavin Newsom
    • Secretary Kim Johnson, California Health and Human Services Agency
    • Director Michelle Baass, California Department of Health Care Services
       

    LIVESTREAM: Governor’s Twitter page, Governor’s Facebook page, and the Governor’s YouTube page. This event will also be available to TV stations on the LiveU Matrix under “California Governor.”

    NOTE: Credentialed media interested in asking a question during the virtual press conference must RSVP by clicking here no later than 12:30 p.m., June 27. 

    Media advisories, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 26, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Kira Younger, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Finance and Accounting Division at the California Department of Social Services. Younger has…

    Jun 26, 2025

    News What you need to know: La Passeggiata on Lindsey Street in Stockton is the latest site to be transformed from excess, underutilized state land into affordable housing under Governor Newsom’s executive order. STOCKTON — Today, state leaders broke ground on a new…

    Jun 25, 2025

    News What you need to know: There are many disingenuous claims swirling about California gas prices “set to soar” – the truth is that gas prices won’t come anywhere close to increasing by 65 cents, as many would have you believe.   SACRAMENTO – California gas prices…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A strange bright burst in space baffled astronomers for more than a year. Now, they’ve solved the mystery

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clancy William James, Senior Lecturer (astronomy and astroparticle physics), Curtin University

    CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope on Wajarri Country. © Alex Cherney/CSIRO

    Around midday on June 13 last year, my colleagues and I were scanning the skies when we thought we had discovered a strange and exciting new object in space. Using a huge radio telescope, we spotted a blindingly fast flash of radio waves that appeared to be coming from somewhere inside our galaxy.

    After a year of research and analysis, we have finally pinned down the source of the signal – and it was even closer to home than we had ever expected.

    A surprise in the desert

    Our instrument was located at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara – also known as the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory – in remote Western Australia, where the sky above the red desert plains is vast and sublime.

    We were using a new detector at the radio telescope known as the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder – or ASKAP – to search for rare flickering signals from distant galaxies called fast radio bursts.

    We detected a burst. Surprisingly, it showed no evidence of a time delay between high and low frequencies – a phenomenon known as “dispersion”.

    This meant it must have originated within a few hundred light years of Earth. In other words, it must have come from inside our galaxy – unlike other fast radio bursts which have come from billions of light years away.

    A problem emerges

    Fast radio bursts are the brightest radio flashes in the Universe, emitting 30 years’ worth of the Sun’s energy in less than a millisecond – and we only have hints of how they are produced.

    Some theories suggest they are produced by “magnetars” – the highly magnetised cores of massive, dead stars – or arise from cosmic collisions between these dead stellar remnants. Regardless of how they occur, fast radio bursts are also a precise instrument for mapping out the so-called “missing matter” in our Universe.

    When we went back over our recordings to take a closer a look at the radio burst, we had a surprise: the signal seemed to have disappeared. Two months of trial and error went by, until the problem was found.

    ASKAP is composed of 36 antennas, which can be combined to act like one gigantic zoom lens six kilometres across. Just like a zoom lens on a camera, if you try to take a picture of something too close, it comes out blurry. Only by removing some of the antennas from the analysis – artificially reducing the size of our “lens” – did we finally make an image of the burst.

    We weren’t excited by this – in fact, we were disappointed. No astronomical signal could be close enough to cause this blurring.

    This meant it was probably just radio-frequency “interference” – an astronomer’s term for human-made signals that corrupt our data.

    It’s the kind of junk data we’d normally throw away.

    Yet the burst had us intrigued. For one thing, this burst was fast. The fastest known fast radio burst lasted about 10 millionths of a second. This burst consisted of an extremely bright pulse lasting a few billionths of a second, and two dimmer after-pulses, for a total duration of 30 nanoseconds.

    So where did this amazingly short, bright burst come from?

    The radio burst we detected, lasting merely 30 nanoseconds.
    Clancy W. James

    A zombie in space?

    We already knew the direction it came from, and we were able to use the blurriness in the image to estimate a distance of 4,500 km. And there was only one thing in that direction, at that distance, at that time – a derelict 60-year-old satellite called Relay 2.

    Relay 2 was one of the first ever telecommunications satellites. Launched by the United States in 1964, it was operated until 1965, and its onboard systems had failed by 1967.

    But how could Relay 2 have produced this burst?

    Some satellites, presumed dead, have been observed to reawaken. They are known as “zombie satellites”.

    But this was no zombie. No system on board Relay 2 had ever been able to produce a nanosecond burst of radio waves, even when it was alive.

    We think the most likely cause was an “electrostatic discharge”. As satellites are exposed to electrically charged gases in space known as plasmas, they can become charged – just like when your feet rub on carpet. And that accumulated charge can suddenly discharge, with the resulting spark causing a flash of radio waves.

    Electrostatic discharges are common, and are known to cause damage to spacecraft. Yet all known electrostatic discharges last thousands of times longer than our signal, and occur most commonly when the Earth’s magnetosphere is highly active. And our magnetosphere was unusually quiet at the time of the signal.

    Another possibility is a strike by a micrometeoroid – a tiny piece of space debris – similar to that experienced by the James Webb Space Telescope in June 2022.

    According to our calculations, a 22 micro-gram micrometeoroid travelling at 20km per second or more and hitting Relay 2 would have been able to produce such a strong flash of radio waves. But we estimate the chance the nanosecond burst we detected was caused by such an event to be about 1%.

    Plenty more sparks in the sky

    Ultimately, we can’t be certain why we saw this signal from Relay 2. What we do know, however, is how to see more of them. When looking at 13.8 millisecond timescales – the equivalent of keeping the camera shutter open for longer – this signal was washed out, and barely detectable even to a powerful radio telescope such as ASKAP.

    But if we had searched at 13.8 nanoseconds, any old radio antenna would have easily seen it. It shows us that monitoring satellites for electrostatic discharges with ground-based radio antennas is possible. And with the number of satellites in orbit growing rapidly, finding new ways to monitor them is more important than ever.

    But did our team eventually find new astronomical signals? You bet we did. And there are no doubt plenty more to be found.

    Clancy William James receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. A strange bright burst in space baffled astronomers for more than a year. Now, they’ve solved the mystery – https://theconversation.com/a-strange-bright-burst-in-space-baffled-astronomers-for-more-than-a-year-now-theyve-solved-the-mystery-259893

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A strange bright burst in space baffled astronomers for more than a year. Now, they’ve solved the mystery

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Clancy William James, Senior Lecturer (astronomy and astroparticle physics), Curtin University

    CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope on Wajarri Country. © Alex Cherney/CSIRO

    Around midday on June 13 last year, my colleagues and I were scanning the skies when we thought we had discovered a strange and exciting new object in space. Using a huge radio telescope, we spotted a blindingly fast flash of radio waves that appeared to be coming from somewhere inside our galaxy.

    After a year of research and analysis, we have finally pinned down the source of the signal – and it was even closer to home than we had ever expected.

    A surprise in the desert

    Our instrument was located at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara – also known as the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory – in remote Western Australia, where the sky above the red desert plains is vast and sublime.

    We were using a new detector at the radio telescope known as the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder – or ASKAP – to search for rare flickering signals from distant galaxies called fast radio bursts.

    We detected a burst. Surprisingly, it showed no evidence of a time delay between high and low frequencies – a phenomenon known as “dispersion”.

    This meant it must have originated within a few hundred light years of Earth. In other words, it must have come from inside our galaxy – unlike other fast radio bursts which have come from billions of light years away.

    A problem emerges

    Fast radio bursts are the brightest radio flashes in the Universe, emitting 30 years’ worth of the Sun’s energy in less than a millisecond – and we only have hints of how they are produced.

    Some theories suggest they are produced by “magnetars” – the highly magnetised cores of massive, dead stars – or arise from cosmic collisions between these dead stellar remnants. Regardless of how they occur, fast radio bursts are also a precise instrument for mapping out the so-called “missing matter” in our Universe.

    When we went back over our recordings to take a closer a look at the radio burst, we had a surprise: the signal seemed to have disappeared. Two months of trial and error went by, until the problem was found.

    ASKAP is composed of 36 antennas, which can be combined to act like one gigantic zoom lens six kilometres across. Just like a zoom lens on a camera, if you try to take a picture of something too close, it comes out blurry. Only by removing some of the antennas from the analysis – artificially reducing the size of our “lens” – did we finally make an image of the burst.

    We weren’t excited by this – in fact, we were disappointed. No astronomical signal could be close enough to cause this blurring.

    This meant it was probably just radio-frequency “interference” – an astronomer’s term for human-made signals that corrupt our data.

    It’s the kind of junk data we’d normally throw away.

    Yet the burst had us intrigued. For one thing, this burst was fast. The fastest known fast radio burst lasted about 10 millionths of a second. This burst consisted of an extremely bright pulse lasting a few billionths of a second, and two dimmer after-pulses, for a total duration of 30 nanoseconds.

    So where did this amazingly short, bright burst come from?

    The radio burst we detected, lasting merely 30 nanoseconds.
    Clancy W. James

    A zombie in space?

    We already knew the direction it came from, and we were able to use the blurriness in the image to estimate a distance of 4,500 km. And there was only one thing in that direction, at that distance, at that time – a derelict 60-year-old satellite called Relay 2.

    Relay 2 was one of the first ever telecommunications satellites. Launched by the United States in 1964, it was operated until 1965, and its onboard systems had failed by 1967.

    But how could Relay 2 have produced this burst?

    Some satellites, presumed dead, have been observed to reawaken. They are known as “zombie satellites”.

    But this was no zombie. No system on board Relay 2 had ever been able to produce a nanosecond burst of radio waves, even when it was alive.

    We think the most likely cause was an “electrostatic discharge”. As satellites are exposed to electrically charged gases in space known as plasmas, they can become charged – just like when your feet rub on carpet. And that accumulated charge can suddenly discharge, with the resulting spark causing a flash of radio waves.

    Electrostatic discharges are common, and are known to cause damage to spacecraft. Yet all known electrostatic discharges last thousands of times longer than our signal, and occur most commonly when the Earth’s magnetosphere is highly active. And our magnetosphere was unusually quiet at the time of the signal.

    Another possibility is a strike by a micrometeoroid – a tiny piece of space debris – similar to that experienced by the James Webb Space Telescope in June 2022.

    According to our calculations, a 22 micro-gram micrometeoroid travelling at 20km per second or more and hitting Relay 2 would have been able to produce such a strong flash of radio waves. But we estimate the chance the nanosecond burst we detected was caused by such an event to be about 1%.

    Plenty more sparks in the sky

    Ultimately, we can’t be certain why we saw this signal from Relay 2. What we do know, however, is how to see more of them. When looking at 13.8 millisecond timescales – the equivalent of keeping the camera shutter open for longer – this signal was washed out, and barely detectable even to a powerful radio telescope such as ASKAP.

    But if we had searched at 13.8 nanoseconds, any old radio antenna would have easily seen it. It shows us that monitoring satellites for electrostatic discharges with ground-based radio antennas is possible. And with the number of satellites in orbit growing rapidly, finding new ways to monitor them is more important than ever.

    But did our team eventually find new astronomical signals? You bet we did. And there are no doubt plenty more to be found.

    Clancy William James receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. A strange bright burst in space baffled astronomers for more than a year. Now, they’ve solved the mystery – https://theconversation.com/a-strange-bright-burst-in-space-baffled-astronomers-for-more-than-a-year-now-theyve-solved-the-mystery-259893

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Lack of essentials in Gaza leads to increase in preventable diseases: UN

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

    Palestinians gather to receive food aid at a food assistance distribution point in Gaza City, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    UN humanitarians said Thursday that its partners delivering health aid in Gaza reported a spike in preventable diseases linked to a lack of clean water, sanitation and fuel.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that in the last two weeks, more than 19,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea were recorded, alongside more than 200 cases each of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhea.

    “These outbreaks are directly linked to the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for fuel, medical supplies, and water, sanitation and hygiene items to prevent further collapse of the public health system,” the humanitarians said.

    Palestinians collect items in the rubble of a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike at the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The partners also reported yet another mass casualty incident for Al Aqsa Hospital following an airstrike in Deir al-Balah.

    They said the hospital received more than 20 people killed and 70 others injured. Additional wounded patients had to be transferred to Nasser Medical Complex and two other health facilities.

    “Civilians in Gaza continue to be killed or injured daily, whether in Israeli airstrikes, shelling, or while trying to find food for their families,” said OCHA. “These tragic events must not be normalized and must come to an immediate end.”

    On a more positive note, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported delivering its first medical shipment into Gaza since March 2, when Israel imposed a full blockade on the strip. Nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma were transported from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing.

    Palestinians carry aid they received from trucks that entered the northern Gaza Strip, at a street north of Gaza City, on June 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The WHO said the supplies were being distributed to priority hospitals. The blood and plasma were delivered to the cold storage facility at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, to be distributed to hospitals facing critical shortages amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at the non-UN, militarized food distribution sites run by the United States.

    The WHO said the shipment of the badly needed medical supplies is only a drop in the ocean.

    OCHA said that to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting, it is essential to increase the flow of humanitarian and essential commercial goods into Gaza through multiple crossings and routes and facilitate their safe distribution across the strip.

    The office said that on Wednesday, six out of 17 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza were rejected outright by the Israeli authorities. The planned UN missions included trucking water and repairing roads. Nine other coordination attempts, including the removal of solid waste and collection of cargo from the crossings, were facilitated by the Israeli authorities. Two additional attempts were not made.

    “The continued restrictions on humanitarian access are severely undermining life-saving operations,” the office said.

    People carry the bodies of three Palestinians killed in an Israeli settler attack in the town of Kafr Malik east of Ramallah, central West Bank, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    OCHA said it is gravely concerned about escalating violence and Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

    The office said it documented an attack where three Palestinians were killed and several others injured when hundreds of settlers, some armed and accompanied by Israeli forces, raided the village of Kafr Malik and set fire to occupied homes on Wednesday. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in the Ramallah governorate reported that Kafr Malik has a population exceeding 3,000.

    OCHA said that in another attack on Wednesday, about 20 settlers set fire to farmland in Asira al Qibliya village in Nablus governorate.

    “Civilians continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged Israeli occupation,” the office said of violence in Gaza and the West Bank. “OCHA reiterates its call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, full respect for international law, and unfettered humanitarian access.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iranian Supreme Leader says US gains nothing from war with Iran

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

    Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends the second round of Iran’s 12th parliamentary election in Tehran, Iran, May 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Thursday the United States gained nothing from the war against Iran and instead received a “harsh slap” in the face.

    He made the remarks in a video message broadcast by state-run IRIB TV while congratulating the Iranian nation on its “victory” in the war with Israel and the United States.

    “Despite all its propaganda and claims, Israel was almost knocked down and crushed under Iran’s blows,” said Khamenei.

    He added that the Iranian missiles and other weapons managed to pass through Israel’s “advanced multi-layered defense” and raze to the ground many of Israel’s urban and military areas.

    Khamenei said Israel should know that any aggression against Iran would be heavily costly for it.

    He added the United States entered the war to rescue Israel, “but accomplished nothing from this war.”

    He noted that the United States exaggerated its achievements in the war because they failed to achieve their objective and needed that to cover up the truth, emphasizing that “here again, the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved victory and responded by giving the United States a harsh slap in the face.”

    Khamenei said Iran attacked U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, “which is among the U.S. important bases in the West Asia region,” and inflicted damages, stressing that some sought to downplay it and said nothing had happened.

    On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and many civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and damage.

    On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran on Monday struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles.

    Following the 12-day war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on Tuesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Announces Special Guest at Entrepreneur Expo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: June 26, 2025

    SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler to participate in the 3rd annual event.

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is announcing that she will host Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler as a featured speaker at her upcoming Entrepreneur Expo.
    The third annual event, which will take place at Iowa State University on Tuesday, August 12, will provide Iowa small businesses an unparalleled chance to learn about opportunities across the federal marketplace with networking and hands-on instruction.
    “Administrator Loeffler has been a leading champion for Iowa small businesses in Washington,” said Ernst. “I have worked hand in hand with her and the Trump administration to Make Main Street Great Again. Her expertise is part of the invaluable knowledge attendees will gain from my Expo to ensure that small businesses can not only compete but thrive in the federal marketplace.”
    “I’m thrilled to be part of this year’s Entrepreneur Expo led by Senator Ernst, and to work with her as Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee,” said Loeffler. “President Trump knows that small businesses are our nation’s economic and innovation engine. This Administration is returning the focus to Main Streets in Iowa and across America to ensure they have the resources they need to succeed.”
    Click here to learn more and RSVP for the event.
    Background:
    Last year, 40 federal and state entities came to Ernst’s Expo to connect with small businesses on opportunities in federal contracting and innovation programs.
    Hundreds of Iowans attended Ernst’s 2023 Expo, which featured 31 federal and state entities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst: Washington-opoly is a Losing Game for Taxpayers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – With the federal government clinging to a bloated and costly real estate portfolio of 7,700 vacant buildings and 2,265 largely empty properties, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) says it’s game over for Washington-opoly, the swamp’s backwards game where taxpayers always lose.
    Ernst unveiled her board of underutilized federal fixer uppers that her FOR SALE Act will put on the auction block to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and save taxpayers billions more in overdue maintenance.

    Click here to watch Ernst play the game.
    Ernst’s full remarks below:
    “Uncle Sam is the nation’s largest landlord.
    “Yet, he will never win a round of Monopoly, the classic boardgame where players try to make money—and avoid going bankrupt—by buying, renting, and selling property.
    “That’s because Uncle Sam, who is already $37 trillion in debt, refuses to sell off unused and unneeded properties that are costing tens of millions of dollars a year to maintain.
    “Many of Uncle Sam’s properties are also fixer uppers, requiring billions of dollars in much-needed renovations and overdue upgrades.
    “Some of which are listed on this board. 
    “Holding onto unaffordable properties that are nearly vacant, while being just a roll or two away from going bankrupt, is not only a losing strategy in Monopoly, but also a bad gameplan in real life.
    “But Uncle Sam gets away with it because Washington plays by its own set of rules.
    “And no matter how you roll the dice, Washington-opoly is a losing game for taxpayers.
    “To demonstrate, why don’t we play a round? 
    “We rolled a three!
      
    “We landed on the Department of Agriculture, South Building in Washington, D.C.
    “And guess what folks?
    “It’s owned by good ole Uncle Sam!
    “Let’s look at the stats for the USDA South Building.
    “78% of this building isn’t even being used on a day-to-day basis.
    “Yet, we are paying more than $11 million for utilities every year;
    “And the building requires $1.7 billion for repairs and upgrades.
    “We could hold onto this property and pay these costs for a nearly empty building…
    “Or we could sell it and make $261 million or more.
    “What would you do?
    “Well, Uncle Sam has decided to keep it and is passing along the costs to taxpayers.
    “Let’s roll again… 
    “Two!
      
    “We landed on Community Chest!
    “Let’s pick up a card.
    “PAY $81 MILLION FOR UNUSED PROPERTY.
    “That’s right folks, every year, Uncle Sam pays out over $81 million maintaining underutilized offices. 
    “This includes nearly 7,700 vacant buildings and another 2,265 that are largely empty.
    “No wonder the non-partisan Public Buildings Reform Board, says Washington’s ‘wasteful real estate practices would not endure for so long in a private sector company.’
    “But when playing Washington-opoly, Uncle Sam doesn’t pay the costs for his wasteful decisions, you do!
    “How about take one more turn…
    “Six!
      
    “This time we landed on Chance, so we get to pick another card.
    “There’s our Chance card.
    “PASS THE FOR SALE ACT AND ADVANCE TO GO.
    “Folks, that is exactly the type of chance we need to protect taxpayers.
    “Selling off Uncle Sam’s unneeded property has long been tied up by overly restrictive red tape and bureaucratic barriers.
    “To revamp Washington’s real estate rules, I introduced The FOR SALE Act.
    “Passing this bill will put six pieces of prime property in the nation’s capital on the auction block immediately.
    “Selling just these spots will bring in at least $400 million while also canceling costs, including $2.9 billion for overdue maintenance.
    “This is just the first step in downsizing Uncle Sam’s unused, unneeded, and unaffordable real estate holdings.
    “To any interested potential buyers, you can build a house, or even a hotel, on these properties and earn rent, just like in Monopoly.
    “But best of all, taxpayers finally get to advance to ‘Go’ and collect $400 million.
    “That, folks, is how you win the game!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iran’s parliament submits law on suspending IAEA cooperation to gov’t

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

    Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that a law suspending the country’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog has been submitted to the government for implementation, following approval by the Constitutional Council.

    The move, which halts Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), comes amid heightened regional tensions after recent military exchanges with Israel and the United States.

    “Today, after the Constitutional Council’s approval, the law suspending cooperation with the IAEA was handed over to the administration,” Ghalibaf said in a post on social media platform X.

    He accused the IAEA of acting as a “guardian of Israel’s anti-human interests” and said continued cooperation would be impossible until the security of Iran’s nuclear facilities could be guaranteed.

    According to ICANA, the parliament’s official news agency, the bill was passed in an open session on Wednesday with 221 votes in favor and one abstention.

    The legislative move follows a series of escalations that began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, scientists, and civilians. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets.

    On Saturday, U.S. airstrikes hit Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In response, Iran targeted the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday with missiles.

    A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday, ending 12 days of hostilities.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s driverless tech finds new traction on global roads

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

    Driverless sedans glide smoothly to the curb, autonomous shuttles whisk travelers through airport terminals, and robotic sweepers hum along busy streets. These once-futuristic scenes are fast entering everyday life across the globe, and many of them are powered by Chinese technology.

    From San Jose of California to Paris and Riyadh, China’s swiftly advancing autonomous driving industry is gaining ground, exporting cutting-edge solutions that are quietly transforming how people move and how cities function.

    “Chinese autonomous driving firms are accelerating their global expansion, fueled by mature technologies, swift deployment cycles and rising international demand,” said Liu Jinshan, a professor at Jinan University in south China’s Guangzhou.

    This photo taken on April 17, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus (front) operating at an airport in Zurich, Switzerland. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Going global 

    In late May, Chinese autonomous driving firm WeRide made headlines as its self-driving vehicles began rolling through the streets of the capital Riyadh and the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia.

    Almost simultaneously, another major player, Guangzhou-based Pony.ai, also shifted its global ambitions into higher gear, announcing a strategic partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch autonomous transport services.

    These moves are among the latest examples of a broader trend — a larger push by Chinese autonomous vehicle (AV) developers to expand their global presence.

    Chinese-developed autonomous driving technologies have made inroads into a growing number of global markets — including the United States, France, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    Chinese tech giant Baidu serves as a prime example of this momentum. In the first quarter of 2025, its autonomous ride-hailing arm, Apollo Go, completed over 1.4 million rides, up 75 percent year on year, bringing its global total to over 11 million rides by May.

    Much of this success can be attributed to China’s innovation-friendly environment. By the end of 2024, the country had established 17 national-level intelligent connected vehicle testing zones, with more than 32,000 kilometers of open test roads and over 120 million kilometers of cumulative test mileage, according to official figures.

    As Chinese AV firms gain global traction, collaboration with global players is deepening. Uber, for instance, has teamed up with WeRide and Pony.ai to integrate Chinese-developed AVs into its ride-hailing platform, starting with pilot operations in the Middle East.

    “It’s clear that the future of mobility will be increasingly shared, electric and autonomous,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “We look forward to working with Chinese leading AV companies to help bring the benefits of autonomous technology to cities around the world.”

    This photo taken on March 11, 2025 shows an interior view of a WeRide Robobus operating in downtown Barcelona, Spain. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Mutual benefits 

    The rise of China’s autonomous driving industry is creating ripple effects across global markets, offering development opportunities far beyond transportation.

    Peng Jun, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, said the company’s overseas expansion has sparked deep collaboration across the broader mobility value chain — spanning auto manufacturing, R&D, logistics and smart mobility services.

    “Deploying autonomous vehicles attracts global component suppliers to invest in local facilities, which helps form industrial clusters and boosts the competitiveness of local manufacturing,” Peng noted.

    The benefits go beyond factories. According to Zhang Yuxue, WeRide’s director of PR and marketing, local partnerships have also led to job creation in areas such as safety operations, fleet management and technical support.

    Notably, as Chinese AV companies venture into regions with varied road conditions, climates and regulatory environments, their technologies are evolving in step.

    “Expanding globally helps us sharpen our algorithms to adapt to complex, real-world scenarios, ranging from the narrow urban roads of Europe to the extreme heat of the Middle East,” said Zhang.

    Wu Qiong, an autonomous driving expert at Baidu, said Apollo Go is building a “full-spectrum technical validation chain” as it expands overseas. “For example, we’re testing in Switzerland, a right-hand-drive country with some of the world’s most stringent traffic laws, which offers one of the toughest proving grounds for autonomous vehicles,” Wu said.

    This photo taken on May 25, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus operating in the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Challenges on road ahead 

    Despite impressive strides, industry insiders note that autonomous driving remains in the early stages of commercialization and global expansion.

    China’s autonomous driving industry still faces significant headwinds on its path to global growth, said Wu Zhanchi, a professor at Jinan University. “Challenges range from adapting to overseas regulatory frameworks and overcoming high technical localization barriers, to ensuring compliance with cross-border data regulations and fierce competition from international giants,” Wu added.

    “The sector also faces significant challenges in technological innovation and the development of sustainable business models,” said Zhu Xichan, professor at Tongji University in Shanghai.

    Zhu emphasized that achieving scale is crucial for the long-term viability of the AV industry. “Global expansion not only broadens the range of real-world application scenarios but also boosts deployment volumes, both of which are vital for refining technologies and developing commercially viable models,” he said.

    Yet, several companies have begun to tackle these hurdles head-on. Peng Jun of Pony.ai said the company has overcome key challenges — such as cost reduction and front-end mass production. “Our products have reached a level of maturity, and we have achieved positive unit economics,” he noted.

    Looking ahead, Peng said Pony.ai will continue to expand in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, leveraging existing partnerships to accelerate the growth of its global footprint.

    Zhang Yuxue echoed this sentiment, saying that WeRide is committed to broadening its international reach by promoting a diverse fleet of autonomous solutions, ranging from robotaxis and minibuses to freight trucks, sanitation vehicles and advanced self-driving systems.

    General Manager of Apollo Go for Europe and the Middle East Zhang Liang said Baidu aims to build the largest driverless fleet in Abu Dhabi by partnering with local stakeholders to jointly foster a robust autonomous driving ecosystem.

    In addition, Baidu is exploring cooperation with local new energy firms to develop innovative services, including battery swapping, which Zhang said will help improve operational efficiency.

    “Given their growing track record in both domestic and international markets, there is good reason to believe that Chinese AV firms will secure a strong foothold in this global mobility market, ultimately becoming a hallmark of ‘Made-in-China’ innovation,” Wu noted. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Neymar crucial to Brazil’s World Cup hopes: Ancelotti

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

    Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has urged Neymar to focus on being ready for next year’s World Cup, saying the country’s all-time leading scorer remains crucial to his plans.

    Neymar has not played for Brazil since October 2023, when he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

    Neymar (3rd R) of Brazil vies with Luka Modric of Croatia during the Quarterfinal match between Croatia and Brazil of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Dec. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

    The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star returned to action last October after more than a year on the sidelines but has since struggled with a series of minor muscle injuries.

    “He is a very important player for our team in the World Cup,” Ancelotti said in an interview with South American football confederation CONMEBOL published on Thursday.

    On Wednesday, Santos announced it had reached an agreement to extend Neymar’s contract until December. The 33-year-old has made just 12 appearances since rejoining his boyhood club from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January.

    “He needs to prepare well,” said Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil last month after leaving Real Madrid. “He has time for that. I spoke to him about that: to prepare well, because we believe he should be a very important player.”

    Brazil will conclude its World Cup qualifying campaign against Chile and Bolivia in September. The five-time World Cup winners are currently third in the 10-team South American zone standings and have already secured a place at football’s showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for Brazil since his international debut in 2010.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jun 27, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

     For best viewing experience, please enable browser JavaScript support.

    Jun 27, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Updated: Fri Jun 27 00:55:28 UTC 2025 (Print Version |   |  )

    Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

     Forecast Discussion

    SPC AC 270055

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0755 PM CDT Thu Jun 26 2025

    Valid 270100Z – 271200Z

    …THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE NEXT
    COUPLE OF HOURS ACROSS EASTERN IOWA INTO SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN…

    …SUMMARY…
    Isolated wind damage and marginally severe hail will be the main
    threats through late evening/early tonight from eastern Kansas into
    southern Wisconsin, parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachians, the
    Texas Panhandle, and eastern Montana.

    …Eastern KS to southern WI through late evening…
    Convection has evolved into a line of storms from northwest MO into
    eastern IA and southwest WI along a conglomerate outflow, in advance
    of a weak midlevel trough approaching the upper MS Valley.
    Weakening buoyancy with the loss of daytime heating and weakening
    vertical shear over time in the warm sector suggests that the storms
    are likely past peak, though isolated wind damage will remain
    possible for the next 2 hours or so before the storms weaken
    sufficiently and the low levels stabilize.

    …Mid-Atlantic and Appalachians through 03z…
    Scattered thunderstorms are ongoing in multiple small clusters from
    central NC into VA/WV/MD and southern PA. A few strong storms with
    isolated wind damage will be possible through about 02-03z,
    especially with storm mergers, before gradual stabilization of the
    boundary layer brings an end to the largely diurnal severe threat.

    …TX Panhandle through late evening…
    A few storm clusters are ongoing across the central TX Panhandle to
    the TX/NM state line. Lingering steep low-level lapse rates, modest
    vertical shear and storm/outflow mergers could maintain a marginal
    severe threat for another few hours before buoyancy weakens and the
    storms diminish.

    …Eastern MT this evening…
    Deep-layer vertical shear is not particularly strong and low-level
    moisture is limited, but steep lapse rates through the low-midlevels
    are sustaining a couple of stronger storm clusters across northeast
    MT where low-level moisture is a bit richer. There will remain
    sufficient midlevel moisture/ascent downstream of an ejecting
    midlevel trough to maintain the potential for thunderstorms for the
    next several hours. Isolated strong outflow gusts may occur with
    the high-based convection into central MT, while isolated strong
    gusts and marginally severe hail will remain possible this evening
    across eastern MT.

    ..Thompson.. 06/27/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    .html”>Latest Day 2 Outlook/Today’s Outlooks/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No MDs are in effect as of Fri Jun 27 02:02:01 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated:  Fri Jun 27 02:05:02 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.

    Notice:  The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice.
    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No watches are valid as of Fri Jun 27 02:02:01 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated:  Fri Jun 27 02:05:05 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid

    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No watches are valid as of Fri Jun 27 02:02:01 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated:  Fri Jun 27 02:05:05 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid

    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: With Medicaid in GOP Crosshairs, Reed Helps Introduce Bill to Provide Federal Support for Home and Community-Based Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – As Congressional Republicans are seeking to slash Medicaid, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is teaming up with U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) to improve the health, safety, and independence of older adults and people with disabilities by introducing the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act (S.2076).

    This legislation would provide dedicated Medicaid funds for home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults, children, and youth and adults with disabilities for two years.  The HCBS Relief Act would decrease the need to move people into congregate settings and allow them to receive the services and support they need from their own homes. The bill is also designed to bolster the home care workforce by supporting service provider agencies and direct care workers who provide services in homes.

    HCBS — used by older adults and people with disabilities — include services like home health aides and personal care attendants (help with bathing, laundry, and mobility assistance), supportive housing, adult day health services, and supported employment. These services allow people with physical, cognitive, intellectual, and mental health disabilities to live independently outside of nursing homes or other institutions.  HCBS services are difficult to afford out of pocket and are not typically covered by private insurance or Medicare.  Medicaid is the primary payer for HCBS, financing two-thirds of services annually according to KFF.

    “Right now, millions rely on HCBS for basic everyday needs – help getting dressed, taking medications, preparing meals, and so much more,” said Senator Luján. “To support Americans who depend on home and community-based care, I’m proud to introduce my HCBS Relief Act. My bill would address chronic underfunding that has pushed families into crisis and forced many into institutions simply because they can’t access support at home.”

    “Everyone deserves to live with dignity and be a valued member of society.  Medicaid’s home and community-based services make independent, inclusive living possible for millions of older adults and people with disabilities.  This bill is severely needed at a time when Medicaid is facing unprecedented Republican cuts that would force more vulnerable Americans into institutions and untenable living situations, leaving individuals isolated and families in crisis.  The HCBS Relief Act would provide dedicated Medicaid funds to states to stabilize their HCBS service delivery networks, bolster their HCBS workforce, and ensure the federal government serves as a reliable partner when it comes to compensating in-home caregivers and ensuring the right supports are there for people in need,” said Senator Reed.

    In addition to Luján and Reed, the HCBS Relief Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators: Tim Kaine (D-VA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The National Association of Counties reports: “The rapidly aging population in the United States has increased demand for home and community-based services, resulting in a long-term care services and supports financing crisis, said Lisa Harootunian, director of health for the Bipartisan Policy Center. More than 4 million people rely on Medicaid-funded home and community-based services — including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, older adults and people with complex medical needs. A “crucial” element of accessing those services is having a strong and robust direct-care workforce, she said.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Encouraged by Bipartisan Skepticism of Trump’s Rescissions Package

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC — During a contentious hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, White House budget chief Russell T. Vought was challenged on a bipartisan basis regarding the Trump Administration’s efforts to cancel billions of dollars in spending for humanitarian aid, public health, National Public Radio (NPR), and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) a leading Democratic member of the Appropriations Committee, and other senators questioned Mr. Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), about a host of issues.  Reed took Vought to task for failing to produce any cost-benefit analysis and instead attempting to impose ideological preferences on the American people in a harmful and unproductive manner.

    The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has already voted to claw back $9.4 billion as requested by the Trump Administration. Now, the U.S. Senate is considering the proposed package ahead of a July 18 deadline for legislative action, which only requires a simple majority vote in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority.

    During the hearing, senators from both parties raised questions about several types of public interest programs that the Trump Administration has proposed to slash and the consequences of clawing back this funding.

    Senator Reed came away from the hearing cautiously optimistic that enough Republicans could join Democrats in voting against the reckless rescission package, but the outcome of the vote is far from a foregone conclusion and Republicans have shown a propensity this Congress to vote the way Trump wants.

    “I sensed real skepticism from many of my colleagues during the hearing, both Democrats and Republicans.  They raised valid concerns about the harms this rescission package would do and Mr. Vought failed to provide a compelling rationale for ending lifesaving nutrition assistance and public broadcasting support,” said Senator Reed, who took Mr. Vought to task for trying to run a “backroom empire.”

    Reed noted that former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sounded alarmed by such a reckless claw back and noted the importance of the U.S. maintaining “soft power” overseas:  “Reforming the way we invest in peace and stability is certainly worthwhile,” McConnell told Vought before going on to note: “But the Administration’s attempt to root it out has been unnecessarily chaotic. In critical corners of the globe, instead of creating efficiencies, you’ve created vacuums for adversaries like China to fill.”

    During the hearing, the Chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Collins (R-ME) told Mr. Vought:  “I am puzzled why you would be cutting funds that the president signed in March as part of the continuing resolution,” referring to the appropriations funding Trump signed to keep the federal government operating through the end of the fiscal year in September.

    Regarding the $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP), which provides some funding to NPR and PBS, several senators raised the importance of supporting public broadcasting and the negative impacts the proposed cuts would have for local stations in the next fiscal year.  The proposed cuts to PBS and NPR would undermine efforts to ensure that all Americans have access to unbiased news, educational programs, and diverse broadcasts that are not available through commercial media.

    Senator Collins stated: “The vast majority of this funding, more than 70 percent, actually flows to local television and radio stations.  In Maine this funding supports everything from emergency communications in rural areas to coverage of high school basketball championships and a locally produced high school quiz show. Nationally produced television programs such as ‘Antiques Roadshow,’ ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,’ are also enjoyed by many throughout our country.”

    Republican senators from Alaska, Nebraska, and South Dakota also highlighted the importance of public broadcasting to their constituents in rural communities. 

    Speaking about public broadcasting in South Dakota, Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) noted: “They get their funding through NPR – 90 some percent of what they use. They will not continue to exist if we don’t find a way to take care of their needs.  It’s not a large amount of money, but would you be willing to work with us to try and find a way for these places where, literally, they’re not political in nature?  These are the folks that put out the emergency notifications. They talk about community events and so forth. But they’re in very, very rural areas where there simply isn’t an economy to support buying advertising on these stations.”

    The Corporation for Public Broadcasting received $525 million in federal funding in 2024 and $535 million in 2025.  If the Trump rescissions package is passed into law, CBP would see its federal budget completely eliminated for 2026 and 2027. 

    During his first term, President Trump attempted a similar maneuver to rescind federal funds but was unsuccessful, even though Republicans controlled a majority of both the House and Senate at the time.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Travelling with food allergies? These 8 tips can help you stay safer in the skies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Koplin, Evidence and Translation Lead, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Chief Investigator, Centre of Food Allergy Research; Associate Professor and Group Leader, Childhood Allergy & Epidemiology Group, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland

    Anchiy/Getty Images

    With the school holidays approaching, many families will be travelling, including on planes interstate and overseas. But travel can pose unique challenges for people with serious food allergies.

    Research shows air travel is a significant source of anxiety for people living with or caring for someone with a food allergy. In a global survey of 4,704 people with food allergies and their caregivers published in 2024, 98% said having a food allergy adds anxiety to air travel.

    Fortunately, there are things you can do to help keep yourself or children with food allergies safe in the skies.

    What are the concerns about plane travel with allergies?

    Reassuringly, documented allergic reactions during flights are very rare. A 2023 review that combined data from 17 studies estimated about seven in every 10 million passengers had an allergic reaction while flying.

    While many people have more mild food allergies, some are at risk of anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) and need to carry adrenaline with them at all times in the form of an EpiPen or Anapen. The review found reports of severe reactions needing adrenaline were even rarer – about eight cases per 100 million passengers.

    In fact, this study concluded people were less likely to experience an allergic reaction on a plane than in their everyday lives. However, some of this might be due to the precautions passengers with food allergies already take.

    People with food allergies are sometimes worried about food particles travelling in the air of the plane cabin and causing a reaction.

    Thankfully, research has shown this risk is very low. It’s difficult for food proteins (the part of the food that causes the allergic reaction) to become airborne. And if they do, air filters fitted on large commercial planes can remove any airborne food particles quickly from the cabin air.

    Peanuts are one of the foods commonly associated with anaphylaxis. Studies that have tested opening and shaking containers containing peanuts and de-shelling peanuts found peanut proteins were only detected directly above the container, at a low level, and for a short period of time.

    Other studies have found airborne peanut was not detected when eating peanuts in a confined space. And studies found no severe reactions among people with peanut allergy when peanut butter or peanuts were held close to their face or kept in a bowl close by in a small room.

    A bigger risk for reactions is the food protein ending up on a seat or tray table. However, casual contact with food crumbs or smears is highly unlikely to cause a severe allergic reaction. This type of contact can cause mild to moderate skin reactions that can be treated with antihistamines if needed.

    Staying safe on a plane with allergies

    For people at risk of anaphylaxis:

    1. take your adrenaline in your hand luggage (not your checked baggage). Store it under the seat in front of you or in the seat pocket so it’s in easy reach

    2. carry a travel plan and action plan for anaphylaxis, completed and signed by a medical professional, or similar documentation, showing the traveller’s food allergy status and what to do in an emergency. (Templates of these plans are available via the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy)

    3. let the flight crew know you have an allergy and indicate the location of your adrenaline and anaphylaxis action plan. This is particularly important for people travelling alone, since anaphylaxis can be mistaken for other non-allergic symptoms, which could lead to a delay in receiving adrenaline.

    For people with food allergies generally:

    1. let the airline know you have a food allergy and ask about their food and medication policies when booking or before travelling

    2. take allergy-safe food from home. Airlines don’t guarantee allergy-safe food will be available, and not all food supplied on a plane will have an ingredient label (but check liquid restrictions and be aware of potential restrictions on taking fresh food across borders)

    3. wipe down surfaces such as the seat, armrests and tray table with wet wipes when boarding. You can request early boarding from airlines to do this

    4. wash your hands before eating (wet wipes and handwashing with soap are more effective than plain water or hand sanitiser)

    5. you may choose to sit a child with food allergy away from areas where food or drink will be passed over the top of them (for example, next to a window or between family members). Tell passengers sitting next to your child about their allergy so they don’t offer to share food or drink

    6. if you think you’re experiencing an allergic reaction, let the flight crew know immediately.

    Most people with food allergies feel anxiety about plane travel.
    joo830908/Shutterstock

    What can other passengers and airlines do?

    If you’re travelling, you could wipe down surfaces around you at the end of the flight. Remove rubbish from seatbacks and other areas around your seat and aisle before disembarking.

    Also, ask about allergies before offering to share any food with your neighbours during the flight (and check with parents before offering anything to their children).

    Airlines, meanwhile, should have clear policies relating to food allergies easily available and consistently applied by ground staff and cabin crew, such as allowing early boarding on request.

    The patient support organisation Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia has a Food Allergy Travel Hub with advice on how to stay safe when travelling with food allergies.

    Jennifer Koplin receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), which is supported by funding from the Australian government.

    Christopher Warren receives institutional research funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Food Allergy Research and Education, Genentech Inc, and The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Desalegn Markos Shifti is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)-funded Centre for Food Allergy Research (CFAR) Postdoctoral Funding.

    – ref. Travelling with food allergies? These 8 tips can help you stay safer in the skies – https://theconversation.com/travelling-with-food-allergies-these-8-tips-can-help-you-stay-safer-in-the-skies-258387

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast – and the rate has doubled in 20 years

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

    NASA, CC BY-NC-ND

    How do you measure climate change? One way is by recording temperatures in different places over a long period of time. While this works well, natural variation can make it harder to see longer-term trends.

    But another approach can give us a very clear sense of what’s going on: track how much heat enters Earth’s atmosphere and how much heat leaves. This is Earth’s energy budget, and it’s now well and truly out of balance.

    Our recent research found this imbalance has more than doubled over the last 20 years. Other researchers have come to the same conclusions. This imbalance is now substantially more than climate models have suggested.

    In the mid-2000s, the energy imbalance was about 0.6 watts per square metre (W/m2) on average. In recent years, the average was about 1.3 W/m2. This means the rate at which energy is accumulating near the planet’s surface has doubled.

    These findings suggest climate change might well accelerate in the coming years. Worse still, this worrying imbalance is emerging even as funding uncertainty in the United States threatens our ability to track the flows of heat.

    Energy in, energy out

    Earth’s energy budget functions a bit like your bank account, where money comes in and money goes out. If you reduce your spending, you’ll build up cash in your account. Here, energy is the currency.

    Life on Earth depends on a balance between heat coming in from the Sun and heat leaving. This balance is tipping to one side.

    Solar energy hits Earth and warms it. The atmosphere’s heat-trapping greenhouse gases keep some of this energy.

    But the burning of coal, oil and gas has now added more than two trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. These trap more and more heat, preventing it from leaving.

    Some of this extra heat is warming the land or melting sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets. But this is a tiny fraction. Fully 90% has gone into the oceans due to their huge heat capacity.

    Earth naturally sheds heat in several ways. One way is by reflecting incoming heat off of clouds, snow and ice and back out to space. Infrared radiation is also emitted back to space.

    From the beginning of human civilisation up until just a century ago, the average surface temperature was about 14°C. The accumulating energy imbalance has now pushed average temperatures 1.3-1.5°C higher.

    Ice and reflective clouds reflect heat back to space. As the Earth heats up, most trapped heat goes into the oceans but some melts ice and heats the land and air. Pictured: Icebergs from the Jacobshavn glacier in Greenland, the largest outside Antarctica.
    Ashley Cooper/Getty

    Tracking faster than the models

    Scientists keep track of the energy budget in two ways.

    First, we can directly measure the heat coming from the Sun and going back out to space, using the sensitive radiometers on monitoring satellites. This dataset and its predecessors date back to the late 1980s.

    Second, we can accurately track the build-up of heat in the oceans and atmosphere by taking temperature readings. Thousands of robotic floats have monitored temperatures in the world’s oceans since the 1990s.

    Both methods show the energy imbalance has grown rapidly.

    The doubling of the energy imbalance has come as a shock, because the sophisticated climate models we use largely didn’t predict such a large and rapid change.

    Typically, the models forecast less than half of the change we’re seeing in the real world.

    Why has it changed so fast?

    We don’t yet have a full explanation. But new research suggests changes in clouds is a big factor.

    Clouds have a cooling effect overall. But the area covered by highly reflective white clouds has shrunk, while the area of jumbled, less reflective clouds has grown.

    It isn’t clear why the clouds are changing. One possible factor could be the consequences of successful efforts to reduce sulfur in shipping fuel from 2020, as burning the dirtier fuel may have had a brightening effect on clouds. However, the accelerating energy budget imbalance began before this change.

    Natural fluctuations in the climate system such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation might also be playing a role. Finally – and most worryingly – the cloud changes might be part of a trend caused by global warming itself, that is, a positive feedback on climate change.

    Dense blankets of white clouds reflect the most heat. But the area covered by these clouds is shrinking.
    Adhivaswut/Shutterstock

    What does this mean?

    These findings suggest recent extremely hot years are not one-offs but may reflect a strengthening of warming over the coming decade or longer.

    This will mean a higher chance of more intense climate impacts from searing heatwaves, droughts and extreme rains on land, and more intense and long lasting marine heatwaves.

    This imbalance may lead to worse longer-term consequences. New research shows the only climate models coming close to simulating real world measurements are those with a higher “climate sensitivity”. That means these models predict more severe warming beyond the next few decades in scenarios where emissions are not rapidly reduced.

    We don’t know yet whether other factors are at play, however. It’s still too early to definitively say we are on a high-sensitivity trajectory.

    Our eyes in the sky

    We’ve known the solution for a long time: stop the routine burning of fossil fuels and phase out human activities causing emissions such as deforestation.

    Keeping accurate records over long periods of time is essential if we are to spot unexpected changes.

    Satellites, in particular, are our advance warning system, telling us about heat storage changes roughly a decade before other methods.

    But funding cuts and drastic priority shifts in the United States may threaten essential satellite climate monitoring.

    Steven Sherwood receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Mindaroo Foundation.

    Benoit Meyssignac receives funding from the European Commission, the European Space Agency and the French National Space Agency.

    Thorsten Mauritsen receives funding from the European Research Council, the European Space Agency, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish National Space Agency and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research.

    – ref. Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast – and the rate has doubled in 20 years – https://theconversation.com/earth-is-trapping-much-more-heat-than-climate-models-forecast-and-the-rate-has-doubled-in-20-years-258822

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Bill Seeks to Give State, Municipalities a Tool to Help Tackle National Debt

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    June 26, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) have introduced the Pay Down the Debt Act, legislation that would allow state and municipal governments to return federal grant money they receive directly toward lowering the federal deficit. 
    “Three years have passed since I first proposed this legislation, during which time our national debt has ballooned from $28 trillion to nearly $37 trillion,” said Lummis. “This explosive growth is unacceptable, fiscally irresponsible, and fundamentally contrary to American values. Our state and local governments currently lack any mechanism to meaningfully address the debt crisis. This bill would empower them to return surplus or unnecessary federal funds they’ve received back to the Treasury, specifically for debt reduction. We must change course immediately to avoid financial catastrophe – every dollar returned makes a difference in this fight.”
    Background:
    If a state or local government does not accept a grant from the federal government, an equal amount to be awarded to the state or local government is rescinded from the applicable appropriation account. Amounts rescinded are deposited in the general fund of the Treasury for the sole purpose of deficit reduction. 
    Read the entire bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Tuberville, & Blackburn Call for the Senate Parliamentarian to be Term Limited

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), introduced a resolution to implement term limits on the Senate Parliamentarian, a key figure in the United States Senate who advises on rules, procedures, and precedents as it relates to the reconciliation process. The Senators call for the parliamentarian to serve one six-year term, which would prevent power entrenchment, promote accountability, and encourage fresh perspectives.
    “Based upon early reports, the Senate Parliamentarian may eliminate some $500 billion in savings for the American people, all of which are arbitrary decisions, with minimal guidance,” said Senator Marshall. “The current parliamentarian has been in office since 2012, appointed by former Democrat Senator Harry Reid. This is NOT an elected position. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Term limits on a person with this absolute power need to be implemented. Therefore, we are dropping a resolution calling for just that, limiting a parliamentarian of the Senate to a maximum of 6 years.”
    “The woke, Radical Left Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and was an advisor to Al Gore, is actively trying to undermine President Trump’s agenda,” said Senator Tuberville. “Unelected bureaucrats should not be able to overturn the will of the 77 million Americans who voted for President Trump and his agenda. This is exactly why Americans hate the swamp. Proud to join my friend Senator Roger Marshall in introducing this resolution imposing 6-year term limits for the Senate Parliamentarian.”
    “The Senate parliamentarian holds unchecked power over major legislation, despite never being elected by the American people,” said Senator Blackburn. “This individual has served for a decade, having been appointed by Harry Reid, we must act now to impose term limits on the Senate parliamentarian to ensure this position is accountable to the will of the people.”
    Background:

    The parliamentarian of the Senate serves at the will of the Secretary of the Senate, who is chosen by the Senate Majority Leader.
    Since 1981 only three different individuals have served as parliamentarian of the Senate. Each served on average 15 years.

    Click HERE to read the full text of the resolution

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bonamici, Fitzpatrick, Dingell, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Mental Health Care for Educators, School Staff

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

    WASHINGTON, DC [06/26/25] – Today Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), and Don Bacon (R-NE 02) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to mental health care for teachers and school staff.

    Educators are more likely to report symptoms of depression than other adults, but schools are often not equipped with specific resources to address staff mental health challenges. The Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will address ongoing mental health needs in public education, which have increased in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread teacher shortages, difficult working conditions, and student behavior issues. 

    “Our education system cannot function without the hard work of teachers and school support staff,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “Unfortunately, too many dedicated professionals are experiencing burnout and leaving the education workforce. The bipartisan Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will expand access to mental health care for educators and school staff so they can receive the support they need and continue to serve students.”

    “A school is only as strong as the people who serve in it. Our educators are mentors, protectors, and community builders—and too often, silently shouldering the weight of burnout, trauma, and stress,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. “This bipartisan legislation delivers the mental health support they have long needed and deserved. When we care for those who care for our kids, we are not just protecting their well-being—we are investing in the future of every student they serve and inspire.”

    “Teachers have some of the most important roles encouraging children to reach their full potential and supporting, shaping, and inspiring the next generation of leaders,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. “Too often the needs and wellbeing of teachers are overlooked, leading to burnout. We must make sure educators have the support they need and deserve to do their jobs.”

    “The mental health crisis in our country requires immediate action, particularly within our education system where both students and staff are struggling,” said Representative Don Bacon. “The bipartisan Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will strengthen mental health resources for our educators while creating evidence-based approaches that destigmatize seeking help and support.”

    The legislation has been endorsed by: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Psychological Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Council on Teacher Quality, Teach for America, and The Education Trust.

    “Educators are frontline responders to our students’ most urgent social and emotional needs, which have only increased in recent years,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Less than half of schools reported having the resources they need to help kids. That leaves teachers with the immense responsibility of supporting kids in crisis, and it takes an emotional toll – that stress, on top of the ongoing struggle for resources, increased paperwork, overcrowded classrooms, and stagnant wages make teachers’ mental health a growing concern. Representative Bonamici’s Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act commits resources to reduce educator stress, promote teacher wellbeing, and create the foundation for teacher longevity, which is good for students, too. This is how we keep teachers in the classroom—by giving them what they need to attain the same kind of joy, fulfillment, and calm that they ensure for our kids on a daily basis. The AFT supports this legislation and calls for its swift passage.”

    “Our teachers and school support staff do so much to help in the development of our children,” said National Alliance on Mental Illness’s Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski. “They serve in one of the most difficult, although often one of the most rewarding, professions and play a significant role in our kids’ lives. We must provide them with the information and resources they need to care for their own mental health. This bill is an important step in providing our educators and school staff with the tools they need to support their mental wellbeing.”

    “NAESP proudly endorses the Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act,” said L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE, Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. “While school leaders dedicate themselves to supporting their students’ mental well-being, we must also prioritize the mental health of their staff too. When educators demonstrate self-care practices, they are not only taking care of their own well-being but also creating positive examples for their students to follow. We applaud Congresswoman Bonamici’s leadership on this important issue and look forward to working with her and other congressional supporters to pass this legislation.”

    “School leaders urgently need comprehensive tools to support their staff’s mental health, and this act would provide exactly that foundation,” said National Association of Secondary School Principals CEO Ronn Nozoe. “When we invest in educator wellbeing, we strengthen the entire school community and ultimately improve outcomes for students. NASSP is grateful to Representative Bonamici for this critical and compassionate legislation.”

    The Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act will increase access to critical resources by designing and scaling up evidence-based approaches to addressing the mental health needs of the education workforce across the United States. It will:

    • Require coordination between federal agencies to develop best practices for (1) preventing suicide and improving mental health and resiliency among education professionals; and (2) training education professionals in appropriate strategies to promote their mental health;
    • Destigmatize mental health care among the education workforce by designing and disseminating an education and awareness initiative encouraging education professionals to use mental health and substance use disorder services;
    • Provide direct support to educators and school staff members by establishing programs to promote mental health among the education professional workforce; and
    • Promote accountability for federal resources for new programs.

    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Oregon Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by March Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to Oregon small businesses, private nonprofits and residents to offset physical and economic losses from severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring March 13-20. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Tina Kotek on June 23.

    The declaration covers the Oregon counties of Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lane.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP)organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.62% for PNPs, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers play a vital role in helping small businesses and their communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “At these centers, SBA specialists assist business owners and residents with disaster loan applications and provide information on the full range of recovery programs available.”

    Beginning Friday, June 27 SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the following Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

    The DLOC hours of operation are as follows:

    DOUGLAS COUNTY
    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS)
    Third Floor Conference Room
    738 W. Harvard Ave.
    Roseburg, OR  97471

    Opens at 12:00 p.m., Friday, June 27

    Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Closed Friday, July 4 for Independence Day

    Permanently closes at 4:30 p.m., Monday, July 21

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return physical damage applications is Aug. 25, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 24, 2026.

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    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –