Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
BATANES ISLANDS, Philippines — Strategically positioned on an island in the Luzon Strait, U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, established a Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base (EAB) with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and conducted simulated maritime interdiction as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9, June 1, 2025.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Senator Murray Presses Secretary Kennedy on Decimation of NIOSH and Mass Firings at NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory
***NEW REPORT with testimonials from Spokane employees HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a new report on how President Trump and Elon Musk’s decimation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including their effective shuttering of the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory, will jeopardize on-the-job safety for firefighters, miners, agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, in Washington state and across the country. The report details the work that was done at the NIOSH Spokane Research laboratory, the Spokane Mining Research Division in particular, and outlines how the Trump administration’s mass firings across NIOSH will jeopardize the pipeline to train the next generation of workplace safety and health professionals, including those studying at Gonzaga University in Spokane and University of Washington in Seattle. Senator Murray’s report features testimonials from Washington state residents, including employees at NIOSH who were recently fired through no fault of their own.
The release of the report comes as the Trump administration’s large-scale reduction in force (RIF) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes NIOSH, has been put on hold by a U.S. District Court judge in San Francisco, who ruled that the administration violated separation of powers principles with its agency restructuring.
“The Trump administration’s unfathomable decision to gut NIOSH and fire nearly every person at the Spokane Research Lab is a devastating and shortsighted move that puts workers everywhere at risk,” Senator Murray said upon releasing the report. “In Spokane alone, President Trump abruptly fired nearly a hundred people working to protect those in high-risk professions including mining, firefighting, health care and emergency medicine, and the maritime industry—bringing their research to a screeching halt and creating a ticking time bomb for disasters in the workplace.”
“These thoughtless firings don’t just risk Americans’ health and safety in the workplace today, but threaten decades of progress toward preventing workplace hazards,” Senator Murray continued. “Researchers in Spokane who have dedicated their careers to protecting workers across the country are being kicked to the curb because Donald Trump and his conspiracy theorist Health Secretary don’t have a clue what NIOSH does and don’t care to learn—no one should be treated like this. We need answers and accountability. I’m going to keep fighting to hold the Trump administration to account and shine a bright spotlight on how this administration is hurting people and communities like Spokane and forcing critical, lifesaving research to go to waste.”
Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s destruction of HHS and America’s health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
The full report is available HERE and below:
Report: Mass Firings in Spokane and Beyond: How Gutting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Harms Workers
This report is part of a series detailing the harm President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless and devastating attacks on the federal workforce are causing on the ground in Washington state. The Trump administration’s mass firings and harmful actions have real consequences for Washington’s residents, their communities, and for the entire United States.
This report focuses on the mass firings of employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effectively shuttering the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory. These Reductions in Force (RIFs) will lead to increased health and safety risks for firefighters, miners, agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, and so many others. No one should have to worry about whether they will come home safe from their job or not come home at all – NIOSH is vital to keeping workers safe.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is Dedicated to Keeping Workers Safe Across America
NIOSH is the only government agency statutorily authorized to conduct workplace health and safety research. In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated about 900 of NIOSH’s approximately 1,100 employees, effectively shuttering the agency. Among these firings, the Trump administration eliminated 90 scientific positions at the Spokane Research Laboratory. In addition to NIOSH’s Spokane location, the agency also conducts research at campuses in Cincinnati, Ohio; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to recent outcry over these firings, the Trump administration has recently agreed to bring back around 300 NIOSH workers, but primarily in West Virginia and Ohio, leaving the Spokane Research Laboratory’s programming and research work shuttered.
By firing and then only bringing back a small portion of NIOSH workers, and almost none from Spokane, the Trump administration is jeopardizing decades of progress in improving worker health and safety. Over the course of NIOSH’s history, worker deaths, injuries, and illnesses in America have gone down—on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 15 a day in 2023, and from 10.9 incidents of worker injury and illness per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.4 per 100 in 2023. However, workplace hazards still kill and disable approximately 125,000 workers each year—5,190 from traumatic injuries and an estimated 120,000 from occupational diseases. Workplace injuries and illnesses cost businesses between $174 billion and $348 billion a year, which is still likely an underestimate given underreporting of workplace injuries.
Kyle Zimmer, recently retired from International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478 and current Chair of the Mine Safety Health Research Advisory Committee stated, “Losing these researchers will result in the loss of safety for every worker in the United States. This research turns into standards that become guidelines that every safety professional uses throughout the country in every industry, from health care, to auto body shops, to mining and firefighting. Once your workforce really understands what you are doing, that is when you get results and changes in workplace safety culture.”
NIOSH’s $362.8 million budget represents only 0.2% of the discretionary portion of the HHS budget. NIOSH’s lifesaving research has also saved more than $1 billion annually. For example, NIOSH research supporting improved protective equipment for firefighters is associated with an estimated $71 million in annual savings in medical and productivity losses.NIOSH work produces a tremendous return on investment, and the Trump administration’s firings have huge costs both for worker safety and the nation.
Tristan Victoroff, a union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions, pointed out: “The 900 people fired from NIOSH are scientists, mainly. We are industrial safety scientists, epidemiologists, engineers…. The goal is to work with industry to protect workers’ health and safety and find solutions to the problems. We do research and development. It’s not duplicative. [The Occupational Safety and Health Administration] doesn’t do this. They don’t have the capacity or the mandate. All of these cuts are supposedly to save costs. What costs are we going to tolerate? What are the costs of increased workers’ compensation claims? What are the costs of disabling injuries and chronic diseases from workplace exposures? What is the cost to a family of losing a parent to a workplace accident?”
The NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory is Critical to Keeping Workers Safe
NIOSH was created by Congress to address and prevent work-related injury and illness and was created in the same statute that authorized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the Department of Labor. While OSHA sets and enforces safety standards, NIOSH is required to conduct or fund research, experiments, and demonstrations on occupational safety and health; produce criteria identifying toxic substances including setting exposure levels that are safe for various periods of employment, and publish annually a list of all known toxic substances and the concentrations at which such toxicity is known to occur; disseminate information about occupational safety to employers and employees; conduct education programs about occupational safety; and contract with state personnel to provide compliance assistance for employers.
In Washington state, NIOSH conducts research to understand and promote safe job conditions and develop science-based products and interventions that support worker health, safety, and well-being, prevent future occupational injuries and deaths, and train new generations of health and safety professionals. This work is done through the Spokane Research Laboratory (which houses the Spokane Mining Research Division and the Western States Division) and the Region 10 Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Education and Research Center.
Tristan Victoroff, a union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions, explained: “The NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory in Washington State is the only NIOSH facility west of the Mississippi. Its two divisions— the Western States Division and the Spokane Mining Research Division — conduct safety research for natural resource industries across the western U.S. and Alaska, including commercial fishing, wildland firefighting, oil and gas extraction, and mining. They’re working directly with naval shipyards to assess exposures from new technology for corrosion control. They track commercial fishing deaths nationwide. They have major research efforts in high wall safety, rockfall and slope stability, and seismic monitoring using advanced fiber optic technology, to name just a few examples. This work is not duplicative, and it’s not wasteful. If we’re expanding domestic energy, mineral, and seafood production, we need to protect the people doing that work. These workers deserve to come home safe and be healthy enough to work again tomorrow. Cutting this research does not keep us competitive — it puts workers in danger.”
The Spokane Mining Research Division Keeps Washington Miners Safe on the Job
The Spokane Mining Research Division (SMRD) is part of the NIOSH Mining Program, which aims to eliminate mining fatalities and injuries. Since 1990, total injuries in mining have significantly decreased, reflecting safer practices industry-wide, strongly linked to NIOSH’s research and prevention programs. SMRD partners with labor, mining associations, equipment manufacturers, and mine operators to study worker health and safety problems in the field. Washington’s mining industry is vital to the state’s economy, supporting 18,845 jobs, directly and indirectly, and providing $4.07 billion in economic benefits to the state.
SMRD also conducts laboratory research at the Spokane, WA facility, where highly specialized scientists in unique laboratories develop products and interventions that offer solutions to mining challenges.Scientists in Spokane have been doing innovative laboratory work to:
Dr. Art Miller, a research engineer who retired from SMRD after 34 years, explains: “No one else in the world is doing this time-sensitive, cutting-edge research that will make workers safer. We conduct research in a lot of different ways. Our lab is a unique environment of cutting-edge technology and brain power aimed at improving worker health and safety. Discontinuing our work would be a huge loss to the future health and safety of workers. Workplace safety is dynamic, and our work is never going to be done. NIOSH is small relative to the federal government but it’s a well-run entity. Why would we want to get rid of something like that?”
Spokane Research Laboratory’s SMRD also runs the Miner Health Program, created in 2016 to collaborate with the mining community to improve workers’ physical and mental health.Prevention of opioid misuse is just one of many examples of the collaborative work being produced by the Miner Health Program. The mining industry has been hit particularly hard by drug overdoses. Work-related pain and injury increase workers’ chances of being prescribed an opioid and subsequent risks of worker prescription opioid misuse, long-term opioid use, and opioid use disorder (OUD). These overdoses and especially deaths related to opioid use have had a significant impact on mine workers, their families, and communities. This program is now archived on the CDC website, indicating that this program is no longer operating.
In Fall 2024, Spokane’s SMRD experts launched a new guide, Implementing Effective Workplace Solutions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder: A Resource Guide for the Mining Industry. This guide provides a model for planning and implementing prevention efforts to normalize conversations about OUD, reduce stigma, and break down barriers to treatment and recovery. Losing this Miner Health Program focused on preventing OUD will lead to increased overdoses and preventable deaths in the mining community.
The impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to NIOSH are already being felt in the mining industry. NIOSH is the only federal agency that can test and supply approved and certified respirators and personal dust monitors to keep miners safe on the job. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) at the U.S. Department of Labor announced a temporary enforcement pause of mine operators’ respiratory protection programs. Given that NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory has been effectively eliminated, the “Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection,” (“Silica Rule”), is now paused until at least August 2025.Without NIOSH, the Silica Rule cannot go into effect and workers will continue to be exposed to extremely harmful silica dust that results in the debilitating and often fatal condition of silicosis.
These respirators are not just used in mining; they are used across industries. As explained by Tristan Victoroff, union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions: “There will be no NIOSH-certified respirators, if there’s no NIOSH. NIOSH certifies all the respiratory protection equipment used in healthcare — and not just the N95 masks we’ve all become familiar with in recent years. That includes reusable respirators that filter oils and vapors… even supplied air systems. NIOSH is the only organization in the country equipped to perform all the required testing — more than 150 test procedures — to certify respirators that protect firefighters, miners, shipyard workers — anyone who needs respiratory protection on the job. In fact, any employer in general industry — from construction to manufacturing — if they have an OSHA-approved respiratory protection program, they must use NIOSH-certified equipment. Only NIOSH can certify that equipment to meet those standards. Rebuilding these labs somewhere else would take years, and there’s no guarantee we could replicate the expertise and facilities we currently have at NIOSH. NIOSH also monitors products on the market to spot counterfeits. Without that oversight, fake and substandard products will increasingly flood the market. That’s not theoretical. NIOSH recently found that every counterfeit product it purchased off the open market failed to meet established standards. These products were not fully protective. Workers using those products on the job could be exposed to dangerous particulates or chemicals. If these labs shut down, it will put workers at risk and stifle innovation in protective technology. Workers won’t know which products they can trust. The NIOSH certification is essential.”
The Western States Division of NIOSH Conducts Critical Research Focusing on Hazards in the Western States
Workers in the Western U.S. face hazards and issues unique to their industries and environment, including commercial fishing, agriculture, and firefighting. Many of these occupations include climate extremes, working at altitude, long distance commutes, remote locations, and wildland forest fires. NIOSH’s Western States Division (WSD)employs a diverse group of public health and safety scientists with expertise in industrial hygiene, epidemiology, engineering, occupational medicine and health communication, working together to reduce and eliminate workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. WSD is headquartered at the Spokane Research Laboratory, but also has staff at offices in Denver, Colorado, and Anchorage, Alaska. WSD in Spokane focused on health and safety research for several industries, including commercial fishing, firefighting and wildfires, maritime, and emergency medical services.
Commercial Fishing. NIOSH’s work has decreased the number of fatalities in the commercial fishing industry in Washington, which is recognized as one of the most hazardous work settings. Many operations are characterized by strenuous labor, long work hours, harsh weather, and moving decks with hazardous machinery and equipment. This industry generates nearly $46 billion and more than 170,000 jobs. The annual number of fatalities has declined over the past two decades because of the prevention work carried out by NIOSH.For 30 years, WSD has operated the Commercial Fishing Safety Program, working in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and the Gulf Coast in Southeastern states to keep fishermen safe from vessel disasters, falls overboard, onboard hazards, and more. WSD operates maintains the Commercial Fishing Incident Database, which tracks commercial fishing fatalities and provides statistics by region, fishery, type of vessel, and type of incident.This is the only national source for details of commercial fishing fatalities; neither the Bureau of Labor Statistics nor the U.S. Coast Guard report this type of information. Collecting this data is crucial for reducing the number of injuries and fatalities among the nation’s fishermen. Through NIOSH-funded research, WSD has developed solutions to prevent winch entanglements on commercial fishing boats, reducing loss of limb accidents. This critical research has come to a standstill with the Administration putting these scientists on administrative leave and scheduling them to be fired as of June 2, 2025.
Outdoor Workers and Wildfires. Washington is one of the five states with the highest average annual burned acreage in the U.S., and the state is home to over 8,500 firefighters. Washington’s firefightersput themselves at enormous risk to keep Washington residents safe. Wildfire smoke is also dangerous to outdoor workers like the state’s 8,280 farmworkers whose jobs have been made safer through the work of NIOSH. For example, NIOSH scientists were instrumental in developing Washington’s Wildfire Smoke Rule, put in place January 15, 2024, which protects the health of workers who are exposed to the small particles contained in wildfire smoke. NIOSH recently developed a comprehensive hazard assessment on exposure to wildland fire smoke among outdoor workers. If NIOSH is eliminated, this document might never be finalized, and necessary revisions to the Washington Wildfire Smoke Rule may not happen, threatening firefighters, farmworkers, and other outdoor workers.
NIOSH Provides Valuable Resources to Employers to Help Them Keep Workers Safe
NIOSH’s Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program has provided 11 technical assistance evaluations to businesses and industry in Washington over the last 20 years. The HHE program was established with the passage of the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act. The HHE program includes evaluations of occupational exposure to illicit drugs in toxicology laboratories, health effects in commercial airline employees associated with new, mandatory uniforms, transmission of tuberculosis to zoo employees working with Asian elephants, and respiratory effects following acute exposure to chlorine gas at a metal recycling facility. These evaluations and publications are at no cost to industry or the public, and recommendations from these reports are used to establish health and safety protocols throughout the state.
WSD conducts research to evaluate toxic exposures associated with removal and application of marine coatings on vessels at the U.S. Navy’s Trident Retrofit Facility near Bangor, WA, and at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, as part of the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies. Moreover, WSD evaluates exposures from rehabilitation of hydroelectric turbines, such as the Little Goose Dam on the Snake River in Southeast Washington.A timely WSD project involves assessing mental and physical health issues in emergency medical service (EMS) responders in Tribal communities in the Puget Sound area. The Trump administration RIFs have effectively shut down each of these programs.
NIOSH Trains the Next Generation of Occupational and Safety Health Professionals
Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to require funding for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health. NIOSH funds 18 Education and Research Centers (ERCs), which provide high-quality interdisciplinary graduate and post-graduate training in occupational safety and health disciplines.The Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Education and Research (NWCOHS) at the University of Washington is an ERC, housed in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, bringing together faculty from the UW Schools of Public Health, Nursing and Medicine. The program, funded continuously since 1977, has an annual budget of $1.8 million and serves four states (Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon), preparing students for careers in occupational medicine, nursing, health services research, industrial hygiene and more. Funding supports an average of 20 graduate students per year, and continuing education for an average of 1,000 occupational health and safety professionals per year.
As Lawrence Sloan, Chief Executive Officer of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), a membership organization for occupational and environmental health and safety professionals says, “NIOSH’s work is foundational in protecting American workers. Without adequate support for these programs, achieving the goal of a healthier American workforce will be challenging. Specifically, for AIHA, our members will be disadvantaged by the inability to leverage research on various worker populations to advance our understanding of the profession. Additionally, the absence of funding for Education & Research Centers (ERCs) will significantly impact our pipeline of future talent and hinder the funding of academic research studies that benefit the American worker.”
NIOSH engineers have worked with Gonzaga University’s Mechanical Engineering Department to guide student senior design projects for the past 15 years. Many of these projects were entered into national American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) competitions, with several teams winning awards and presenting at national ASME conventions. This collaboration has led to increased scientists seeking positions supporting mining safety and health, both in Spokane and around the country, creating a pipeline of the next generation of professionals ensuring workplace safety and health.
NIOSH Protects Firefighters in Washington State and Nationwide
As a nationally-based program, the NIOSH Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-Being supports all 50 states to protect firefighters and to identify and prevent new and emerging hazards in the fire service earlier and faster. NIOSH-funded research has:
After being shutdown in April 2025, the registration portal of the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is now operational, following the questioning of HHS Secretary Kennedy by members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on May 14, 2025.
Spokane Firefighters Union Local 29 is very worried about the cuts to NIOSH and has called for the continuation of NIOSH-funded research, specifically the study on how high heat affects firefighters’ cognitive abilities, using the highly technical and sophisticated labs in the SMRD. Much of this research is conducted in partnership with Washington State University, where researchers have expertise in the impacts of sleep, fatigue, circadian rhythm, and heat on the ability to be safe at work. These grants to WSU were some of the first to be terminated by HHS.
Conclusion: The Time is Now to Return NIOSH Spokane Scientists to their Jobs
NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory scientists were set to be fired on June 2, 2025, but on May 22, 2025, a U.S. District Court judge ordered a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Trump administration from carrying out its RIFs. However, if the RIFs legally continue, President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy will eliminate the NIOSH Spokane office. Without the Congressionally-mandated occupational health and safety research conducted by NIOSH scientists, Washington workers, as well as workers across the country, in commercial fishing, mining, firefighting, manufacturing, and other industries will experience preventable and potentially fatal injuries. Through NIOSH-funded research, Spokane Research Laboratory scientists promote evidence-based safety protocols that are implemented through strong industry collaborations that create productive workplaces that contribute to Washington’s and America’s economic prosperity. President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy need to bring back the Spokane Research Laboratory scientists now and fully fund NIOSH research to maintain the promise of healthier and safer workplaces, communities, and families.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Ukrainian and Russian delegations made modest but concrete progress in renewed peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, raising cautious hopes for a potential easing of hostilities through expanded humanitarian measures, including the largest prisoner exchange since the onset of the conflict.
The second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is held in Istanbul, Türkiye, June 2, 2025. Ukrainian and Russian delegations resumed peace negotiations on Monday in Istanbul, aiming to bring an end to the ongoing conflict, television footage showed. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye/Handout via Xinhua)
The roughly 90-minute session marked the second round of direct talks between the two sides in recent weeks. Turkish officials described the outcome as “cautiously optimistic.”
“The talks did not end negatively,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said, characterising the tone as constructive despite persistent divisions over the broader conflict.
AGREEMENTS ON HUMANITARIAN MEASURES
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the negotiations, said on the social media platform X that the delegations built on previously agreed points, including measures related to humanitarian exchanges.
“There is an agreement on new categories and an increased number of prisoner swaps,” Fidan said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, leading Kiev’s delegation, proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, the return of displaced children and young soldiers, and the release of prisoners. Umerov called for “real efforts to end the war,” and suggested holding a third round of talks between June 20 and 30, as part of a broader push toward a possible leaders’ summit.
Russia’s delegation, led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed agreement on what he described as the largest prisoner exchange since the conflict began. “All severely wounded and seriously ill soldiers will be exchanged, along with all captured servicemen under the age of 25,” he said.
Medinsky added that Moscow would return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers and proposed a two- to three-day ceasefire in specific front-line areas to enable body recovery. He also confirmed that discussions on the return of displaced Ukrainian children were underway, with Kiev submitting a list of 339 names. “We will work on this,” he said.
Medinsky noted that a preliminary meeting with Umerov had helped set the stage for Monday’s negotiations.
INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS
The United Nations (UN) welcomed the progress on humanitarian issues. “We obviously welcome any agreement that will bring the exchange of prisoners or remains,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the meeting as a “significant achievement,” saying the number of prisoners exchanged had surpassed 1,000, with some bodies returned outside formal channels. Erdogan also said Türkiye was prepared to host a high-level summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and potentially U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russian media, citing unnamed sources, reported that the next round of talks was likely to be held again in Istanbul.
TALKS SHADOWED BY ESCALATING AIRSTRIKES
The renewed negotiations come amid a backdrop of intensified military actions. Ukrainian officials said more than 40 Russian warplanes were damaged or destroyed in a drone strike on Sunday that targeted air bases deep inside Russian territory, including in the Arctic, Siberia, and Far East regions.
Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, described the operation, which hit sites in three time zones simultaneously, as “a major slap in the face to Russia’s military power.” Ukrainian officials claimed nearly a third of Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet was either destroyed or rendered inoperable.
The Russian Defense Ministry accused the “Kiev regime” of launching first-person-view drone attacks on multiple airfields. It said airstrips in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were targeted, but that the strikes were repelled. Fires at airfields in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions were extinguished, with no casualties reported.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump believes the conflict in Ukraine “needs to come to an end.”
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ISTANBUL, June 2 (Xinhua) — Delegations from Ukraine and Russia resumed peace talks in Istanbul on Monday to end the ongoing conflict, television footage showed.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan gave opening remarks at the meeting, which is taking place at the Ciragan Palace on the European side of the city.
H. Fidan stressed that the priority of the negotiations is to achieve lasting peace, assuring that Türkiye is ready to take any necessary steps to facilitate the peace process.
“There is an opportunity to lay the foundation for a path to peace,” he noted.
According to the Turkish diplomat, the meeting of the delegations also aims to discuss preparations for a possible meeting at the leaders’ level and to achieve progress on humanitarian issues.
Following H. Fidan’s speech, which was broadcast live, the delegations began their meeting behind closed doors.
The Ukrainian delegation is headed by the country’s Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, and the Russian delegation is headed by the Russian President’s aide Vladimir Medinsky.
The first round of direct talks between the parties took place in Istanbul on May 16, with the parties meeting in person for the first time since March 2022.
During the first round of talks, the parties agreed to exchange prisoners in a “1000 for 1000” format, which was the largest exchange since the beginning of the conflict. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 2 (Xinhua) — Over the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems have shot down 316 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the aircraft type, including 205 outside the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday.
In addition, two Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and four Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guided bombs were also shot down.
Operational-tactical aviation, attack drones, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces have damaged workshops for the production of attack drones, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian army and foreign mercenaries in 152 districts, the Russian Defense Ministry indicated. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KYIV, June 2 (Xinhua) — Delegations from Ukraine and Russia have completed the second round of peace talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, made a statement to the press later Monday, Ukrinform reported. He noted that the meeting had discussed issues such as a ceasefire, the release of prisoners, the return of Ukrainian children, and negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia.
According to R. Umerov, the parties reached agreements only on the exchange of prisoners.
The first round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 took place in Istanbul on May 16. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ISTANBUL, June 2 (Xinhua) — The latest round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, held in Istanbul on Monday with the mediation of Turkey, ended with certain positive changes, especially in the humanitarian sphere.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli confirmed that the talks, which took place behind closed doors, “did not end negatively.”
Following the meeting, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, stated at a press conference that during the negotiations the parties had achieved concrete humanitarian results.
R. Umerov said that Ukraine presented its agenda to Russia, proposing a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, as well as the release of prisoners and the return of young servicemen and children.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation, for his part announced that Russia would return 6,000 bodies of its fallen servicemen to Ukraine.
According to V. Medinsky, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange all seriously wounded and servicemen aged 18-25. In addition, Russia proposed declaring a ceasefire with Ukraine for two to three days in certain sections of the front, he added.
The previous round of direct talks between the two countries took place in Istanbul on May 16, the first time the two sides met in person since March 2022. During that round, an agreement was reached on a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, the largest exchange since the conflict began. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Kyiv, June 2 /Xinhua/ — During the peace talks held in Istanbul on Monday, Ukraine received a memorandum from the Russian Federation on the terms of a ceasefire. This was announced at a press conference in Istanbul by Ukrainian Defense Minister and head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
R. Umerov noted that official Kyiv will have a week to study the received document. After that, the parties will be able to coordinate further steps.
At the same time, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Serhiy Kyslytsya, who was also part of the Ukrainian delegation, stated that during the peace talks, the Russian Federation again rejected Kyiv’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. The parties only agreed to continue discussing this issue.
S. Kyslytsya added that Russia also once again spoke out against the presence of US representatives at the meeting with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul.
Earlier on Monday, the second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 took place in Istanbul. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) — Former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang died of illness at the age of 75 in Beijing at 12:12 p.m. Monday, an official statement said.
Xu Qiliang was also a member of the 18th and 19th Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and was an outstanding member of the CPC, a time-tested and loyal fighter for the ideals of communism, a proletarian military leader and an outstanding leader of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Xu Qiliang entered the military in July 1966 and joined the CPC in July 1967. He was promoted to the rank of Air Force colonel general in June 2007. -0-
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
More than £4 billion drive towards autonomous systems to shape UK military future and boost export potential, supporting the Plan for Change
UK troops and warships will be protected by drone and laser weapon technology through a major £5 billion investment, as the UK seeks to become the leading edge of innovation in NATO under the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and driven by lessons from Ukraine.
The major funding package includes more than £4 billion for autonomous systems and a further investment of nearly £1 billion for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) this Parliament – including the iconic DragonFire laser – boosting frontline capabilities while creating 300 skilled jobs across the country.
DragonFire is set to be the first high power laser capability entering service from a European nation, with the first Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer due to be fitted in 2027.
The SDR recommends that an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy. To help achieve this, it says Defence must incorporate uncrewed and autonomous systems in high numbers over the next five years and make targeted investment in the development of novel directed energy weapons.
Today’s autonomous systems investment – of which more than £2 billion is new funding following the Government‘s historic uplift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2027– will see autonomous systems, including drones improve accuracy and lethality for our Armed Forces, and boost UK export potential.
It comes after major announcements ahead of the SDR publication, including: the building of up to a dozen new attack submarines for the Royal Navy; up to 7,000 new UK-built long-range weapons to procured; at least six new munitions and energetics factories in the UK; more than £1.5 billion to improve the state of military housing; and more than £1 billion for pioneering technology to spearhead battlefield engagements.
The new DEW capabilities will give the UK an edge, creating low cost and sustainable alternatives to missiles to shoot down targets, such as drones, at the speed of light, reduce collateral damage and have a low-cost per shot, reducing reliance on expensive ammunition.
The systems will be tailored to the conditions in which they will operate – whether at sea, on land, or in the air – and will work alongside crewed assets, such as current and future fighter jets.
Both investments reflect the SDR’s vision for UK innovation to be driven by the lessons from Ukraine – harnessing drones, data and digital warfare to make our Armed Forces stronger and safer.
The SDR sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform defence and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad. It ends the hollowing out of our Armed Forces and will also drive innovation, jobs and growth across the country, allowing the UK to lead in a stronger NATO as part of this Government’s Plan for Change.
These investments will mean the most significant advance in UK defence technology in decades. We will ensure our Armed Forces have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
We are delivering the Strategic Defence Review’s vision to put the UK at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, by backing British industry and fast-tracking the kit of the future into the hands of frontline troops.
This Government’s Plan for Change will harness the benefits of technology, create hundreds of new jobs and make defence a powerful engine for economic growth.
A strong economy needs a strong national defence. That’s why we are delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War—putting innovation and industrial strength at the centre of our national security strategy.
Additional funding for autonomous systems maximises the defence industry’s potential to drive long term economic growth and productivity – helping us deliver our Plan for Change while keeping the UK safe.
A new DEW will be created for the British Army this decade, alongside DragonFire being integrated on four Royal Navy warships, with the first ship due to be fitted in 2027, forming part of a layered air defence system to better protect UK forces while reducing collateral damage and reducing reliance on expensive ammunition.
DEW technology already supports 200 high-skilled UK jobs, with a further 300 positions to be created across the Ministry of Defence and industry partners. It’s another example of defence as an engine for UK economic growth, delivering on the Plan for Change.
In addition, a new Drone Centre will be established to accelerate exploitation of small, uncrewed air systems across all three military services, helping to deliver them to the front line faster.
The Centre will provide a central knowledge base to tackle any emerging legislative changes, develop best practice and better manage the interaction with industry. Crucially, it will apply battlefield lessons from Ukraine where drones now kill more people than traditional artillery. Detailed organisational arrangements will be developed over the coming months.
During the SDR process, 1,700 individuals, political parties, and organisations submitted more than 8,000 responses. 200 companies provided written contributions, more than 120 senior experts took part in the review and challenge panels, and nearly 50 meetings took place between the Reviewers and our senior military figures.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
May 29, 2025
“On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment.”
Op-Ed in Fox News Digital
Washington, D.C. — In a Fox News op-ed, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) underscored how right to repair restrictions imposed by defense contractors hurt the military’s ability to respond to threats and bloat the national defense budget by blocking servicemembers from repairing weapons and equipment. The lawmakers called for every service of the military to follow Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s lead and ensure the military has the right to repair the equipment it owns. The senators also announced a new bipartisan bill to make the right to repair policies permanent.
As the lawmakers outline, repair restrictions buried in the fine print of contracts threaten military readiness, raise costs unpredictably, and limit competition for military contracting. Contractors’ monopolization of repairs means that, for some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale. By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save taxpayers billions.
“Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online…Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment break down, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right to repair restrictions so that our military is always ready,” wrote the senators.
“On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment,” the lawmakers concluded.
Ready the full op-ed here and below:
SENS WARREN, SHEEHY: Pentagon wastes billions with devastating repair rules. We’re working together to stop it.
May 28, 2025
Our defense industrial base is stumbling. For years, the U.S. Department of Defense – under both Republicans and Democrats – failed to address one of the most fundamental issues within our military industrial complex, perverse incentives for contractors. But with the recently announced Army Transformation Initiative, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and General Randy George are taking a major step to stand up for soldiers and strengthen our military readiness. Driscoll’s plan will help end one source of waste, fraud, and abuse. Every other military branch should follow their lead – and, if they do, they will have our bipartisan support.
The Department of Defense is the largest federal agency, consuming half the discretionary budget the federal government spends every year. In 2023, for example, DoD spent almost $450 billion on contracts. But buried down deep in the fine print, many of those contracts included restrictions that prevent our troops from fixing their own weapons and equipment.
That fine print means that every time something breaks, DoD must call the contractor, schedule a repair visit, and pay a hefty fee. For some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale – a dynamic that represents how years of broken bureaucracy has slowed our acquisition process and driven costs higher and higher.
Our military buys a lot of gear – from tanks to helicopters to night vision goggles, and the process to buy that gear is longer and more complicated than ever. Even worse, because our service members often can’t make any repairs, they can be stuck waiting weeks or months, even for simple problems they could fix themselves with a little know-how and a 3D printer.
Driscoll has identified these problems in the Army, but right to repair restrictions have spread across the military. The Navy was forced to rely on flying contractors out to sea for maintenance. The Air Force is struggling to keep its planes ready for combat because of restrictions and companies that won’t even negotiate.
Every hour these servicemembers can’t fix their own weapons undermines their readiness to meet their assignments. Instead of working to help the military be ready for battle, these contractors are focused on squeezing out more revenue.
These restrictions lead to three critical problems: readiness, cost and lack of competition.
First, when contractors stop soldiers from fixing their own equipment, it threatens military readiness. All around the country, maintainers were struggling to keep the F-35 flying because Lockheed Martin won’t give them the data they need to fix damage to basic parts. When our military could fix a helicopter in Korea themselves, they saved 207 days and roughly $1.8 million.
Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online. And, in the most extreme cases, our military can’t afford to have soldiers unable to repair equipment in the heat of battle, either because the contract has tied their hands or because they haven’t had the chance to learn how.
Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment breakdown, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right-to-repair restrictions so that our military is always ready.
Second, repair restrictions waste billions of dollars. If Boeing got the Pentagon to agree that only Boeing can repair equipment, what stops them from charging whatever they want for that fix? Suddenly a $0.16 clip costs $20, and the defense budget rises even higher. That is a terrible deal for the taxpayer.
By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save us billions. But more importantly, it would reinvigorate the operational resilience of our forward-deployed elements and allow them to self-sustain.
And third, letting a contractor monopolize repairs doesn’t just hurt taxpayers, it hurts small businesses that otherwise could compete for the repair work, depressing competition and thinning out our industrial base. Why would a small business start manufacturing a safety clip when the military is forced to go to its larger competitor to buy it?
And equally alarmingly, if that big contractor decided one day to stop producing the part, the military would be out of luck because the contractor had the only game in town. To be sure, the military created this monopolistic environment, incentivizing consolidation through decades of bureaucratic process. Now they are reaping the whirlwind. We need a more diverse array of contractors who can bring free market competition to our defense space, driving costs down and efficiencies up.
Until now, the military has enabled a broken status quo, handing over billions of dollars and hoping that there is no emergency when the equipment they need is sidelined. Meanwhile, over 70% of voters support giving the military the right to repair their own equipment. But Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll showed real leadership. He stood up to a broken bureaucracy and announced that every new Army contract would explicitly guarantee the right of the Army to fix its own equipment. That’s a big deal.
The new Army policy is a breakthrough in our fight to empower soldiers, but unless every single military service follows his lead, taxpayers will keep getting ripped off. And, because this is a directive from the secretary, a subsequent secretary could go back to the way things were before.
But we have a plan to solve that problem. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a bipartisan bill that would make changes to right to repair permanent. With a single change in the law, we can boost military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.
On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)
Yesterday, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Digital Oversight of Credentials for Service Members (DOCS) Act alongside Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51). This bipartisan bill streamlines how the Department of Defense verifies licenses for military healthcare providers, ensuring they can deliver care without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Right now, military doctors, nurses, and specialists often face lengthy re-credentialing processes when they transfer—sometimes even within the same facility. These delays contribute to staffing gaps and put added strain on an already overburdened healthcare system.
“As a Navy veteran and healthcare provider, I know how frustrating and harmful these delays can be,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “The DOCS Act delivers a simple, commonsense solution: verify licenses quickly, centrally, and consistently—so our providers can do what they were trained to do: take care of our service members and their families.”
“Bureaucratic red tape shouldn’t delay military doctors and nurses from seeing and treating their patients for months,” said Congresswomen Jacobs. “But unfortunately, bottlenecks in military treatment facilities (MTFs) recredentialing – even when moving from one military facility to another – can take up to six months. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Kiggans to introduce bipartisan legislation to streamline the MTFs recredentialing process so we can protect patient safety and make patient care more efficient.”
“This commonsense legislation helps protect the value, with high quality and access, of the service-earned health care benefit — a key to the success and stability of the all-volunteer force,” Lt Gen (ret) Brian Kelly, President & CEO, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) said. “MOAA thanks Congresswoman Kiggans for championing this cause, and we look forward to working with Congress on more ways to modernize, strengthen, and support the military health care system.”
You can find the full text of this bill here.
You can find a one-pager on this bill here.
Background:
Specifically, this legislation would:
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Source: Office of United States Attorneys
EL PASO, Texas – A federal grand jury in El Paso returned indictments last week for defendants alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States through the Texas National Defense Area (NDA). The NDA was established April 30, 2025, along the U.S.-Mexico border from area bordering New Mexico, through El Paso County, to an area near Fort Hancock.
Among those indicted is Mexican national Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, who was arrested after allegedly entering the NDA illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan was first charged in a criminal complaint on May 8. He is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.
Another Mexican felon, Rafael Cabrera-Barron, is a thrice-deported felon and was convicted in 2007 for sexual assault of a child in Weld County, Colorado. His most recent removal from the U.S. to Mexico was April 25 through El Paso.
Ramon Benigno Mancinas-Rodriguez, also a Mexican national, has been removed from the U.S. eight times—the last one being Nov. 5, 2024—and has been granted three voluntary returns. His criminal history includes three illegal entry misdemeanors, a conviction for assault on a federal officer, and one illegal re-entry felony conviction in November 2023.
Some of the indicted defendants, like Cuban national Aldanay Caridad Carricarte-Grillo, Guatemalan national Carlos Tomas-Cristostimo, and Salvadoran national Juan Carlos Lopz-Uriasan, have one prior removal in their immigration history.
The 16 defendants are each indicted for one Title 8 United States Code (USC) 1326 felony charge and one 50 USC 797 misdemeanor charge. If convicted, these individuals can face terms of imprisonment for up to 20 years if previously convicted of an aggravated felony, up to ten years if previously convicted of a felony and otherwise and up to two years in federal prison.
Additionally, 138 new NDA-related immigration cases were added to the federal district’s docket and over 220 defendants pleaded guilty throughout the week, raising May’s total of NDA-related convictions in the Western District of Texas to more than 340.
Title 50 USC 797 is among the federal statutes that establish criminal penalties for unlawful intrusions into areas designated as National Defense Areas. It refers to the willful violation of defense property security regulation, which, pursuant to lawful authority, was approved by the Secretary of Defense—or a military commander designated by the Secretary of Defense—for the protection or security of Department of Defense property.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Source:
Christopher Praino signed a waiver relinquishing his disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs after he was ordered to active duty in fall 2019.
In a letter, the VA confirmed it would terminate his roughly $965 monthly payments because, by law, he could not receive both VA benefits and active-duty pay at the same time.
But the agency did not fully halt the payments. Instead, it sent various monthly amounts over the next three years, ranging from $0 to over $2,000, Praino’s records show.
“The VA never stopped,” he said, “after response after response, call after call, walk-in after walk-in.”
In 2023, despite Praino’s repeated efforts to rectify the inconsistent installments that should have ended years ago, the VA informed him in a letter that he owed nearly $68,000. That year, the government began automatically clawing some of the money out of his military paychecks, which he uses to support five children and his wife, leaving him in dire financial straits.
“No words can tell you the emotional, mental and physical heartache I have every day dealing with this,” he said. “It’s eating away at me.”
In a recent congressional oversight hearing focused on why the VA regularly overpays veterans and then asks for the money back, agency officials partially blamed veterans for the exorbitant errors, telling lawmakers that some veterans have been failing to report eligibility changes that would have lowered their monthly disability compensation or pension payments.
But Praino and two other veterans told NBC News they did notify the VA in a timely manner. Yet, records show the agency continued overpaying them for months, sometimes years, before asking for the money back.
The long-delayed adjustments, which can cause veterans to incur life-changing debts, may indicate another operational shortfall at the VA weeks after officials testified that the agency doles out about $1 billion in overpayments each year due to administrative errors and other factors. The VA overpaid about $5.1 billion in disability compensation and pension payments from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2024, according to Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
The issue is recurring and getting worse, Luttrell told NBC News, even as the Trump administration has cut billions of dollars in grants and slashed thousands of federal jobs in an attempt to trim what it sees as waste and inefficiency in federal spending.
“It’s not the veterans’ fault,” Luttrell said. “It’s the system that is failing.”
In a statement, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said the agency, under new leadership, is “working hard to fix longstanding problems, such as billions of dollars per year in overpayments.”
Luttrell said the overpayment issue is complex, largely stemming from tiers of human error and an outdated computer system that he said does not adequately allow information to be shared between local and national VA offices.
“You have to get the software to talk to each other. You have to get the veterans to communicate. You have to get the actors inside the VA to move accordingly, and then you have to make sure the system is lined out as it needs to be,” he said. “That is such a complex problem set to solve.”
In 2015, after his divorce was finalized, veteran Brent Aber said he went to his local VA’s office in Akron, Ohio, to remove his ex-wife as a dependent.
“I thought, OK, all is done,” he said.
Aber said it felt like he was officially closing a difficult chapter in his life. But eight years later, another nightmare emerged when the national VA’s Debt Management Center sent him a letter, notifying him that he had to pay back more than $17,700.
Aber, who served in both the Navy and Army for a dozen years, said he called the VA to find out how he accrued this debt. He said he was told that different VA computer systems do not communicate with one another, meaning the dependent removal may have never been registered nationally, and his monthly payments had not decreased as they should have. Kasperowicz, the VA spokesperson, disputed claims made by Aber and Luttrell about the computer systems, saying the VA has had a centralized claims system since 2013 that “ensures updated information is reflected” for each veteran. Upon follow-up, Luttrell could not be reached for comment on the VA’s dispute.
Kasperowicz did not offer an explanation as to what happened in Aber’s case and said the VA has no record of his dependent change request from 2015.
Aber said he spent more than a year fighting the recoupment and claimed financial hardship. But in May, the VA began withholding nearly $500 from his monthly compensation payments until the debt is cleared.
To make up for the loss, Aber, who lost both of his legs in a training accident and is now mostly bedridden, said he stopped using a house cleaning service and is mostly eating cheaper, microwavable food.
“I provided all the paperwork at the time of the divorce, but that didn’t seem to matter,” he said.
The 50-year-old said the VA’s recoupment hurts more as he fights for medical care.
He said he has been struggling with severe pain and swelling since he underwent revision surgery on his limbs about two years ago with the hopes of getting fitted again for prosthetics.
While Aber said his primary care doctor referred him to an orthopedic surgeon with expertise in double amputations, he said the VA denied the referral.
Kasperowicz said the “entirety of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System orthopedic section” and other health care providers have evaluated Aber and “all have agreed that there are no additional surgical options that would provide him pain relief or improved function.”
“The medical consensus is to continue amputee clinic, physical therapy, pain management and behavioral health treatments to address the complexity of his condition,” Kasperowicz said.
Aber said the double battle he has been waging against the VA has left him feeling frustrated and betrayed.
“I feel like I’ve been completely done wrong,” he said.
In Bonaire, Georgia, veteran John Mullens reported a dependent change in February after his 18-year-old son became eligible for a separate VA educational benefit that provides monthly payments to cover the cost of school. By law, veterans cannot receive both benefits at the same time, which Mullens knew from his own research. NBC News reviewed records from his VA portal, showing he filed a request to remove a dependent on Feb. 18. The claim was assigned to a reviewer on Feb. 19, the portal shows. And there were no other updates until May when Mullens received a letter from the VA, alerting him to the duplicate payments, which the VA said resulted in about $340 in overpayments each month.
“They did nothing with the information and continued to overpay me,” Mullens, 55, said. “The processes are broken.”
Kasperowicz said it currently takes an average of about 21 days for the VA to remove a dependent and an average of about 91 days to add one.
Of the nearly $1.4 billion overpaid in fiscal year 2021, Kasperowicz said about $913 million was related to dependent changes.
The VA does not track data showing how many veterans in overpayment cases actually did report changes on time, Kasperowicz said.
The overpayments sometimes span many years. In 2023, the VA temporarily suspended the collection of pension debts for thousands of low-income wartime veterans and their survivors after the agency identified an issue with its income verification that led to overpayments between 2011 and 2022.
On May 14, Luttrell and other members of the House subcommittee pressed VA officials to explain how the agency planned to fix the problem.
Nina Tann, executive director of the VA’s compensation service, testified that the agency, which serves about 9.1 million people, has a “heightened risk” of making improper payments due to the large number of beneficiaries and the high-dollar amounts it doles out.
Tann said the agency has taken steps to prevent, detect and correct the issue, including being better about notifying veterans that they need to report changes.
Tann also said the VA fixed an administrative error in January that had been causing duplicate payments for about 15,000 veterans with dependents in fiscal year 2024. The agency did not force those veterans to repay the money, she said.
Kasperowicz said the VA does not seek to recoup overpayments when administrative errors, including issues related to the VA’s online filing platform, are to blame.
But Praino, who owes almost $68,000 after re-enlisting, said it has been challenging to prove the VA made an administrative error.
“They will not admit any mistake,” said Praino, 42, an Army sergeant first class, who has been serving in the National Guard full time since 2019.
The VA did not immediately comment on Praino’s case.
The VA transferred Praino’s debt to the Treasury Department, which notified Praino in a December 2023 letter that it is required to withhold up to 15% of his federal wages. The Treasury Department began automatically garnishing about $800 from his monthly paychecks in 2023, according to documents provided by Praino.
Praino, who is based in Georgia, now takes home about $3,800 a month, which he said barely covers the rent. With car payments, student loans and other expenses and bills, Praino said he has been racking up his credit card with essential purchases like food for his family.
Praino said he has post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and traumatic brain injury after first serving in the Navy from 2001 to 2003 and then in the Army.
“When you add a financial crisis to the mix, and you’re continuing to serve, which is always a high-stress environment 24/7, my emotional state, my mental state, it is a wreck,” he said.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s (FL-27)
span>Miami, FL – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) proudly announced the appointment of four outstanding students from Florida’s 27th Congressional District to the United States Service Academies. These exceptional young men and women were nominated by the Congresswoman and accepted by their respective academies for the Class of 2029.
“It is an incredible honor to nominate such talented and patriotic young leaders to our nation’s prestigious service academies,” said Rep. Salazar. “I was deeply impressed by their passion to serve our country and defend America’s values around the world. I have no doubt they will represent South Florida with pride, strength, and excellence—and make our community proud.”
The appointed students are:
Palmetto Bay | Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
Palmetto Bay | Cutler Bay Senior High
Miami | Palmetto Senior High School
Cutler Bay | Westminster Christian School
These appointments reflect the students’ academic achievements, leadership skills, and commitment to serving our country. Each service academy offers a rigorous education and military training, preparing cadets and midshipmen to become the next generation of officers in the United States Armed Forces.
Background
Our nation’s service academies represent the gold standard of excellence, leadership, and integrity for America’s armed forces, making acceptance into these institutions an extraordinary honor and achievement. The honor of attending a U.S. service academy comes with a solemn obligation: graduates must serve at least five years in the U.S. military. Each year, the nomination process is highly competitive. Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar interviews many exceptional applicants from across the district, evaluating academic performance, leadership, character, and dedication to service.
Each congressional office may nominate up to fifteen individuals per academy vacancy.
To request a nomination from Congresswoman Salazar, you can start by visiting Rep. Salazar’s website or by emailing FL27.ACADEMY@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV.
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002087/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE)
On 12 May 2025, a Strategic Dialogue between the Commission – represented by President von der Leyen and Commissioner for Defence and Space Kubilius – and the defence industry took place. This was followed on 19 May by an Implementation Dialogue with Commissioner Kubilius. Both events are part of the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030[1] process and aim to capture the industry’s perspective ahead of the Defence Omnibus.
The Strategic Dialogue was organised with limited transparency: invitations were sent at short notice, the list of participating companies was limited and no information has been made public on the inputs from industry or the Commission’s response. President von der Leyen named six key challenges: fragmentation of demand and supply, regulatory barriers, access to raw materials, rapid innovation cycles, access to finance and skilled labour shortages. Small groups were formed to continue the exchange.
I would therefore like to ask the Commission:
Submitted: 23.5.2025
Source: European Parliament
The European Union was founded as a peace project — and it remains one. But peace is not self-sustaining. In an era of rising threats, the Union and its Member States must be prepared to defend themselves and to deter any actor that seeks to challenge EU security or weaken EU democracies.
The Union and its Member States need to be ready, even for the most extreme military contingencies such as armed aggression. This is the goal of the ReArm Europe Plan and the White Paper on European Defence — Readiness 2030[1].
The Commission proposal for the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument is fully in line with the Treaty. Once adopted, it will provide loans to Member States to help them boost their defence capabilities through common procurement. This will reinforce the competitiveness and readiness of the European defence industry.
While defence remains firmly within national competence, and Member States retain full sovereignty over their armed forces — from doctrine to deployment — the EU plays a complementary role. The evolving security landscape requires enhanced cooperation among Member States, including in the field of defence.
The Treaty on European Union, particularly Article 42, provides a legal basis for developing a Common Security and Defence Policy, which respects the specific character of national defence policies.
Recent defence related initiatives aim to support and enhance national efforts, particularly by reinforcing the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base, which is a critical pillar of the EU’s overall defence readiness.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) is leading a bipartisan effort to support critical medical research funding for Americans living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease.
Crow’s letter, signed by 61 bipartisan Members of Congress, highlights the importance of expanding ALS research and the National ALS Registry and Biorepository in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations budget bills.
His effort calls for an expansion of funding for the U.S. Department of Defense’s ALS Research Program to improve drug development and also calls for robust support for the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) efforts to develop a new new research initiative focused on ALS and veteran care. The letter requests an increase in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide treatment with investigational drugs to foster new approaches to ALS research, and calls for authorizing full funding for the FDA Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program created through the ACT for ALS Act passed in the 117th Congress.
“You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases,” the Members write.
The Members continue: “To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies.”
The letter calls for backing research to support people living with ALS and their families, improve patient’s quality of life and prevent future Americans from getting ALS.
ALS can affect anyone – and with no current cure and few treatments, an ALS diagnosis leaves individuals with a 2-5 year life expectancy. It is estimated that up to 20,000 Americans suffer from ALS at any given time. Veterans are twice as likely as civilians to be diagnosed with ALS.
This letter builds on Congressman Crow’s previous work to support ALS research and advocate for patients and families. Congressman Crow previously led a bipartisan effort to champion ALS research for active-duty servicemembers and veterans, and backed the elimination of a five-month waiting period on insurance benefits for ALS patients. He also introduced a resolution designating May as ALS Awareness Month, and co-launched the bipartisan ALS Caucus with his colleagues in the House.
A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:
May 2, 2025
Dear Chairs Aderholt, Calvert, and Harris and Ranking Members DeLauro, McCollum, and Bishop:
Thank you for your continued strong support of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research. Your support for ALS research is instrumental in speeding the development of new treatments and a cure for ALS at the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ALS Research Program (ALSRP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National ALS Registry and Biorepository, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program.
As you know, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can affect anyone, at any time, and progressively destroys a person’s ability to control muscle movement. As the disease advances, people become trapped inside a body they can no longer control. Their minds, however, often remain sharp so that they are aware of their surroundings, the people in their lives, and what is happening to them. The average life expectancy for a person living with ALS is just 2-5 years after diagnosis. There is no cure and few treatments that delay but do not stop disease progression. Our veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as civilians.
You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases. To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies.
DEFENSE SUBCOMMITTEE
Department of Defense ALS Research Program
We request $80 million for the ALS Research Program (ALSRP). It is especially vital to active military members and veterans who are twice as likely to develop and die from ALS, regardless of the era they served. DOD’s ALSRP is unique. The program is well positioned to expand its portfolio into early-phase clinical trials to bridge the so-called “valley of death” in ALS drug development between promising preclinical research and human studies. These additional funds are vital to increase preclinical research and early phase ALS clinical trials that can accelerate the development of new treatments and a cure. We believe it continues to be important for the DOD to identify and research all diseases that may be related to service in the U.S. military, including ALS.
Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding to $80 million to maintain the pre-clinical research in the ALS Research Program (ALSRP) and expand the program to grant funds in support of clinical trials. We recognize military veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, regardless of the era they served. The ALSRP has a unique ability to fund clinical trials for new ALS treatments and cures with additional funding while making an impact in pre-clinical research. Since FY07, the ALSRP has funded 222 projects that has led to 5 new treatments currently being tested in clinical trials or in preclinical development.
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE
National Institutes of Health (NIH)-ALS Research
Currently NIH spends $143 million on ALS clinical research each year. We request an increase in funding to $180 million at NIH to increase ALS research that leads to measurable differences in the health of people living with ALS. We also request maintaining $75 million for Expanded Access Grants to provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79). Lastly, we request full funding for Section 3 and 5 of that law at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to foster new approaches to research for ALS.
Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding for extramural research to $180 million to reduce the burdens of people by ALS as quickly as possible. It is crucial for people living with ALS and people diagnosed with ALS in the future, that NIH dramatically grows its ALS research portfolio and the research workforce. This additional funding should focus not only on new drugs for ALS but also on ALS diagnosis protocols, enhancing the quality of care, and studying new ALS biomarkers. NIH ALS research can lead the country to measurable changes in the lives of people living with ALS.
The Committee recommends funding at $75 million as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS, (P.L. 117-79) Expanded Access Grants for the development of ALS research and treatments. Expanded Access Grants provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data. We recommend NINDS continue to prepare ALS clinics across the country to qualify as expanded access sites to ensure a broad geographic distribution of grants. Furthermore, after the review and awards of eligible applications under Section 2, the Committee recommends NIH apply any unused funds to programs authorized under ACT for ALS including Section 3 public-private research partnership and Section 5 Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program at FDA.
CDC National ALS Registry and Biorepository
The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding will ensure that critical research into risk factors and the prevention of ALS is supported, that biological samples are collected and made available to private and governmental researchers, and that people living with ALS are informed about new clinical trial opportunities. Most importantly, we urge the CDC to fund research and activities that will lead to the prevention of ALS, including funding translational research on ALS risk factors and risk reduction strategies. In addition, we recognize that active military personnel and veterans are at increased risk to develop ALS. We are directing the CDC to initiate new a research initiative with an additional $5 million over FY24 levels, to research causes and prevention strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans.
Report Language: The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at CDC to maintain the National ALS Registry and Biorepository. We urge the CDC to continue its investment in research to reduce the incidence of ALS through ALS prevention and risk mitigation strategies among civilians, active military personnel and veterans in the United States. Additionally, we urge the CDC to collaborate with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide a publicly available report on the incidence and prevalence of ALS among military veterans. This report, due 1-year after enactment, must include a strategy to develop and test risk reduction strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans.
AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE
Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program-
The ACT for ALS Act established the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program for clinical grants ALS and other diseases. The FDA has already demonstrated admirable focus and speed in the projects it supported through partial funding of the ACT for ALS. Congress should provide the full authorized funding for this law and allocate $25 million for research that can further accelerate the approval of new therapies and cures for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Report Language: The Committee recommends $25 million as authorized in Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79) to fund research grants in Section 5 of the law, the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program. We recognize the importance of FDA’s Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program research into regulatory science tools to expedite the development and approval of new drugs and devices. The Committee also directs the FDA to fund Section 3 of ACT for ALS, the HHS PublicPrivate Partnership for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases to foster a network of research with funds also from HHS and NIH.
CONCLUSION
We appreciate your consideration of our FY2026 appropriations requests for ALS research. People living with ALS urgently need these investments in research to eradicate the disease. We need new treatments and cures, and more preclinical research projects for successful clinical trials. These endeavors will help people living with ALS to live longer, improve quality of life for people living with ALS and their families, prevent loved ones from getting ALS in the future, and allow Americans to live longer in a world without ALS.
###
Source: US Marines (video statements)
Nashville Marines
We’ve officially kicked off #MarineWeekNashville! Sgt. Maj. Carlos Ruiz, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps, the Silent Drill Platoon, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing band, and #Marines with Marine Forces Reserve participated in multiple events in and around the Nashville Superspeedway.
The 250th Marine Corps birthday campaign continues with the next stop in Nashville, TN. We just wrapped up Day 1, engaging with the community and honoring our legacy. The Marine Corps stands proud and mission-ready to share the Corps’ story across the nation. Stay tuned for more birthday celebrations the rest of this week!
Nashville, Tennessee (June 1, 2025)
#USMC250 #Marines250
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
Statement from Defence Secretary John Healey on the Strategic Defence Review.
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Strategic Defence Review.
And I have laid the full 130-page review report first before this house. I am grateful to be able to make this statement on the first day back from recess.
Mr Speaker, the world has changed, and we must respond.
The SDR is our Plan for Change for Defence.
A plan to meet the threats we face.
A plan to step up on European Security and lead in NATO.
A plan that learns the lessons from Ukraine.
A plan to seize the defence dividend from our record increase in defence investment, to boost jobs and growth throughout the United Kingdom.
And a plan to put the men and women of our Armed Forces at the heart of our defence plans: better pay, better kit, better housing.
Through the SDR will make our Armed Forces stronger, and the British people safer.
I’d like to thank those who led the SDR… Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, General Barrons and Dr Fiona Hill.
“The politician, the soldier, and a foreign policy expert”, as they say themselves in their forward. Thye have put in a huge effort, alongside others.
This is a first-of-its-kind, externally led review.
A process, in which we received 8 000 submissions from experts, individuals, organisations, and MPs from across the House, including the Shadow Defence Secretary.
I thank them all – and I thank those in the MOD who have contributed to this SDR.
This is not just the government’s review it is Britain’s defence review.
And so, the government endorses the SDR’s vision, accepts its 62 recommendations, which will be implemented.
Mr Speaker, the threats we face is now more serious and less predictable than at any time since the of Cold War.
We face war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyber-attacks at home.
Our adversaries are working more in alliance with one another, while technology is changing the way war is fought.
We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence.
Mr Speaker, since the General Election we have demonstrated that we are a government dedicated to delivering for defence.
Committing the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War… £5 billion extra this year, 2.5% in 2027, the ambition to 3% in the next parliament.
Mr Speaker, there can be no investment without reform.
And so we are already driving also the deepest reforms to defence in 50 years.
And these will ensure clearer responsibilities, better delivery, stronger budget control and new efficiencies, worth £6 billion in this parliament, money all of which will be reinvested directly into defence.
Mr Speaker, our Armed Forces will always do what’s needed to keep the nation safe –24/7, in more than 50 countries around the world.
But in a more dangerous world, the SDR confirms that we must move to warfighting readiness.
Warfighting readiness means stronger deterrence.
We need stronger deterrence to avoid the huge costs, human and economic that wars create.
And we prevent wars by being strong enough to fight and win them. And that is what has made NATO the most successful defence alliance in history, over the last 75 years.
So Mr Speaker, we will establish a “New Hybrid Navy” by:
… building Dreadnought, AUKUS submarines, cutting-edge warships and new autonomous vessels.
Our carriers will carry the first hybrid airwings in Europe.
We will develop the next generation RAF with:
F35s, upgraded Typhoons, 6th Gen GCAP and autonomous fighters, to defend Britain’s skies and be able to strike anywhere in the world.
And we will make the British Army 10 times more lethal by:
Combining the future technology of drones, autonomy and AI with the heavy metal tanks and artillery.
Mr Speaker for too long, our Army has been asked to do more with less.
We inherited a long run recruitment crisis – [political content removed].
Reversing this decline will take time but we are acting to stem the loss now and aiming to increase the British Army to at least 76,000 full time soldiers in the next parliament.
Mr Speaker, for the first time in a generation, we are a government who want the number of regular soldiers to rise.
In our homeland, Mr Speaker, this a government that will protect our island home, we’ll do so by:
Committing £1bn in new funding to homeland air and missile defences, by creating a new CyberEM Command to defend Britain in the grey zone and by preparing legislation to improve defence readiness.
Mr. Speaker, as Ukraine shows a country’s armed forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them.
So this SDR begins a new partnership with industry, with innovators and with investors, we will make engine. We will make defence an engine for growth, an engine for growth to create jobs and increase prosperity in every nation and every region of the UK.
Take our nuclear enterprise.
We will commit 15 billion pounds in investment into the sovereign warhead programme in this Parliament, supporting over 9000 jobs. We will establish continuous submarine production through investments in Barrow and in Derby, that will allow us to produce a submarine every 18 months, allowing us to grow our nuclear attack submarine fleet to up to 12 submarines, supporting more than 20,000 jobs.
And on munitions, we will invest 6 billion pounds in this Parliament, including for six new munitions factories and up to 7000 new long-range weapons, supporting nearly 2000 jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the lives of workers in Barrow or Derby or Govan, where I was with the Prime Minister this morning, are being transformed, not just by this defence investment, but by the pride and purpose that comes with work that comes with defence work. And in the coming years, more communities and more working people will benefit from the defence dividend that this brings.
Mr. Speaker Ukraine also tells us that whoever gets new technology into the hands of their armed forces fastest will have the advantage. So we will place Britain at the leading edge of innovation in NATO.
We will double investment into autonomous systems this parliament. We will invest more than a billion pounds to integrate our armed forces through a new digital targeting web, and we will finance a £400 million UK Defence Innovation organization.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Britain gains the maximum benefit from what we invent and what we produce in this country, we will create a new defence exports office in the MOD, driving exports to our allies and driving growth at home.
Mr. Speaker, the SDR sets a new vision, a new framework for defence investment.
The work to confirm a new defence investment plan, superseding the last government’s defence equipment plan, will be completed in the autumn.
It will ensure our frontline forces get what they need when they need it.
The plan will be deliverable. It will be affordable. It will consider infrastructure alongside capabilities. It will seize the opportunities of advanced tech, and it will seize the opportunities to grow the British economy.
And Mr. Speaker, as we lose the national service generation, fewer families across this country have a direct connection to the armed forces. And so we must do more to reconnect the nation with those who defend us.
And so as the SDR recommends, we will increase the number of cadets by 30%, we will introduce a voluntary Gap Year scheme for school and college leavers, and we will develop a new strategic reserve by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, we must also renew the nation’s contract with those who serve. We’ve already awarded the biggest pay increase in over 20 years, an inflation busting increase this year. And now I’ve announced we will invest 7 billion pounds of funding this parliament for military accommodation, including 1.5 billion of new money for rapid work to deal with the scandal of military family homes.
Mr. Speaker, this SDR is the first defence review in a generation for growth and for transformation in UK defence. It will end 14 years of hollowing out in our armed forces, and instead, we will see investment increased, the Navy expanded, the army grown, the Air Force upgraded, war fighting readiness, restored, NATO strengthened, the nuclear deterrent, guaranteed advanced technology developed and jobs, jobs created. Jobs created in every nation, and region of this country. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Strategic Defence Review will make Britain, safer, more secure, at home, and stronger abroad.
Source: NATO
Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, participated in the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting NATO’s commitment to building stronger dialogue and cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific. His presence at the conference reflected the Alliance’s growing attention to global dynamics that influence Euro-Atlantic security.
On the sidelines of the event, LTG Rohling and Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Boris Ruge- also present at the conference- held several bilateral meetings with political and military stakeholders from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges focused on areas of shared interest such as maritime security, cyber defence, and strategic resilience, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to supporting international stability and a rules-based order through enhanced cooperation with like-minded nations. LTG Rohling also engaged with defence industry representatives, discussing approaches to enhancing private and public sector cooperation.
Key themes at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue included regional stability, maritime cooperation, and the importance of maintaining open channels of communication. Participants exchanged views on evolving global security environment and the role of multilateral engagement in reducing tensions. Broader discussions also touched on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, the need to strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and the value of practical cooperation in addressing shared challenges.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), convenes defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world to address pressing regional and global security challenges. NATO’s engagement in this forum underscores its recognition that today’s security environment is increasingly interconnected—and that strategic dialogue beyond the Euro-Atlantic area is essential to fostering global peace and stability.
Source: US State of New York
EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold a block on the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. In an amicus brief filed in Shilling v. Trump, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the president’s February 10 executive order, which purported to prohibit transgender individuals from military service, is unconstitutional, jeopardizes national security, and threatens the strength of the nation’s military. The attorneys general emphasize that the ban would reverse nearly a decade of progress and urge the court to uphold a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court.
“Transgender service members proudly uphold the values of our nation with honor, courage, and sacrifice,” said Attorney General James. “In New York and nationwide, the National Guard depends on every qualified individual willing to serve, especially as our communities face escalating climate disasters and other threats. My office will not allow the federal government to attack our residents and weaken our military.”
On January 27, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” directing the Secretary of Defense to implement sweeping restrictions on transgender people in the Armed Forces. On February 27, Attorney General James and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, supporting a group of current and prospective service members’ challenge to the order and urging the court to grant their request for a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the order. On March 27, the preliminary injunction was granted, a decision that the administration is appealing to the Ninth Circuit.
In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition explain that transgender individuals have long served in the active-duty military and National Guard with no negative impact on readiness or effectiveness. The attorneys general emphasize that their states rely heavily on the National Guard for emergency response, public safety, and cybersecurity, and argue these missions would be jeopardized if qualified personnel were excluded based on their gender identity.
The attorneys general argue that the president’s executive order conflicts with states’ experience and state-level civil rights laws, including New York’s, which protect transgender residents from discrimination in employment, education, and other public programs. They assert the order also threatens students enrolled in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs and maritime academies who face the loss of scholarships, commissions, and career paths solely because of their gender identity.
Attorney General James and the coalition highlight the devastating impact this discriminatory policy would have on transgender veterans, current service members, and those preparing to serve. They assert that many transgender service members previously disclosed their identities in reliance on past policies that allowed open service. The federal government’s recent about-face is a betrayal of those service members and could threaten morale, trust, and cohesion in military units. The attorneys general assert that forcing individuals to hide their identity under threat of discharge has well-documented negative effects on mental health and military performance. They argue the harms will likely extend beyond the military, sending a message of exclusion that will be felt across the nation.
The amicus brief is the third that Attorney General James has filed opposing the transgender military ban. In addition to the previous Shilling v. Trump brief, on February 14, Attorney General James and 16 other attorneys general filed a brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia supporting the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction in Talbot v. Trump.
Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington’s ruling and block the executive order from taking effect.
Joining Attorney General James in filing this brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Source: City of Plymouth
Plymouth City Council, working as part of Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), has commissioned a major economic study to help the city prepare for the opportunities and challenges arising from an investment programme worth in excess of £4.4 billion at HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard.
The research will provide critical insight into shaping Plymouth’s economic future and maximising the impact of MOD investment over the next decade and beyond. Babcock’s pivotal role in delivering the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine programme and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) with support extending through to at least 2070 represents one of the most sustained and significant long-term financial commitments ever made to the city and wider region.
To help ensure Plymouth best manages this opportunity, the Council has appointed one of the UK’s leading economic and labour market research consultancies, Stantec, to deliver a detailed economic forecast and skills gap analysis from 2025 – 2035. Working with major city employers including Babcock and Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), this research will address two key questions: What will Plymouth’s economy look like as a result of this investment? And what skills and workforce capacity will be needed to support it?
This work builds on earlier research commissioned in partnership with Homes England, elevated by Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) to support the development of the Plymouth City Centre Housing Vision. It forms a key part of the Council’s evidence base for strategic planning, inward investment, and future funding bids. It also directly supports the delivery of the Plymouth Plan, the city’s long-term strategy that sets out how Plymouth will grow in a sustainable way, covering areas such as housing, jobs, transport and the environment.
Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said:
‘This investment is unlike anything Plymouth has seen before—not just in scale, but in its long-term significance. It will shape the future of our economy and our communities, and we need to be ready. This research will give us the hard evidence we need to make good decisions now, so that the benefits are felt across the whole city for decades to come’.
The commissioning of the study reflects the coordinated approach being taken through Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP), a strategic partnership between Plymouth City Council, Devonport Naval Base, and Babcock International Group, established to align local and national priorities in support of long-term, sustainable growth. The commissioning of this study was fully endorsed at a city-wide skills roundtable in April, which was attended by a large cross-section of industry, academic and other leaders from the city and wider region.
The research will also play a critical role in helping to attract further investment into Plymouth, supporting bids for additional Government funding and giving confidence to both public and private sector partners looking to invest in the city’s future.
Brigadier, Mike Tanner OBE, Commander HMNB Devonport, said:
‘This study marks another significant step forward for the growth and prosperity of the city. When I arrived in post three years ago, I was able to reassure the city leaders that the Royal Navy and the Naval Base were here to stay. Over the last couple of years, we’ve shown that not only are we staying, we’re modernising and upgrading our capabilities, focused around our submarine maintenance role. This opens up massive opportunities for highly paid, high skills work inside the Base and together with the City and Babcock our work in the GAP alliance is centred around ensuring Plymouth and the region create those skilled people locally’.
John Gane, Managing Director for Babcock’s Devonport site, said:
“Babcock is proud to be deeply rooted in Plymouth, where we’re not just creating jobs – we’re building careers for life. Our investment in people and skills is central to supporting a critical national endeavour, and we remain committed to developing a highly skilled workforce that will sustain both our community and the UK’s defence capability for generations to come.”
Gareth Brown, Development Economics Director at Stantec, said:
“Sustainable economic growth requires a comprehensive understanding of the local labour market, and how this needs to evolve strategically over time. Our teams will be supporting Plymouth City Council with a range of insight to identify immediate and long-term focus areas, create job opportunities across different sectors, and unleash the full potential of this investment.”
The study is expected to conclude by Autumn and will inform both immediate planning priorities and longer-term strategy across skills, housing, infrastructure, and regeneration.
Notes to Editors
Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP)
In September 2024 the Ministry of Defence announced an additional £4.4bn investment over 10 years into HMNB and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard to support the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine works and the continuous at sea deterrent (CASD). The requirement to maintain the Royal Navy’s fleet in Plymouth extends beyond 2070 and therefore creates an extremely rare, long-term financial commitment to Plymouth and its wider region.
Devonport and the broader defence industry’s local impact is vast. The sector currently contributes 14 per cent of the city’s economic output, with HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard employing 11,600 workers and this number is set to rise significantly as a result of the MoD announcement. Investment in Plymouth is nationally significant and links to similar investments in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby. Nationally, The UK’s Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills has forecasted an additional nuclear skills requirement of 40,000 new roles by 2030.
Babcock, Plymouth City Council and the Royal Navy have established Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) as a partnership to ensure the vital defence outputs are delivered into the future whilst supporting the region’s growth. Through working together in partnership, GAP aims to maximise the opportunities that the MOD investment can drive into local communities.
Find out more about Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) here: Growth Alliance Plymouth | Invest Plymouth
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Lieutenant General William H. Graham, Jr. of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regarding reports that the USACE plans to buy out residential homes in the St. Louis region due to radioactive contamination. The Senator stated that city officials were recently made aware of proposed buyouts of six properties in the Cades Cove subdivision near Coldwater Creek. These properties were previously publicly identified by USACE as the subject of detailed sampling.
“[T]he community deserves full transparency about your plans for further testing, remediation, buyouts, and any health risks to residents,” the Senator said.
The Senator called out USACE for previously downplaying concerns about contamination and assuring residents that there was no immediate risk.
“It should come as no surprise that the community is extremely concerned about proposals for residential buyouts after USACE previously downplayed the potential risks,” Senator Hawley continued.
The Senator asked USACE whether the contamination extended to other properties along Coldwater Creek outside the historic floodplain and requested that the Army answer a series of questions in writing on the issue.
Read the full letter here or below
May 30, 2025
Lieutenant General William H. Graham, Jr., USAChief of Engineers and Commanding GeneralU.S. Army Corps of Engineers441 G Street NWWashington, DC 20314-1000
Dear Lieutenant General Graham, I write with great alarm about new reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) plans to buy out residential homes in the St. Louis region due to radioactive contamination. Earlier this week, Florissant Mayor Timothy Lowery stated that city officials were recently made aware of proposed buyouts of six properties in the Cades Cove subdivision, which is near Coldwater Creek. These properties were previously publicly identified by USACE as the subject of detailed sampling. But the community deserves full transparency about your plans for further testing, remediation, buyouts, and any health risks to residents. On March 5, 2024, I wrote to your predecessor about a nightmare scenario: disclosure by USACE that the nuclear contamination in Coldwater Creek may extend beneath residents’ homes. At the time, your office said that the contamination in Cades Cove, which was identified as part of an “old creek meander,” was buried deep enough it may not be a problem. In a response to my letter dated March 15, 2024, your predecessor said that the contamination at Cades Cove “does not present an immediate health risk” and “there is no immediate health hazard to homeowners and other residents.” He also indicated that you first disclosed some findings to residents of the subdivision in May 2019, nearly six years ago. It should come as no surprise that the community is extremely concerned about proposals for residential buyouts after USACE previously downplayed the potential risks. These residential buyouts also raise questions about other properties along Coldwater Creek. I have long requested that robust testing and sampling activities take place outside the 10-year floodplain of Coldwater Creek, and parts of the properties of the Cades Cove subdivision are outside this zone. In its response to my letter last year, USACE stated that it “remains committed to sampling any area requiring further investigation” while also maintaining that “to our knowledge, there are no other areas along Coldwater Creek with this specific situation of contamination within such close proximity to homes.” The community deserves to know why you believe the risk is limited only to this subdivision. To ensure full transparency about your continued sampling and remediation activities, please respond to the following questions in writing by no later than June 27, 2025.
What changes, if any, to the risk assessment of these six properties led USACE to suddenly pursue buyout options, years after first identifying the risk?
Are you making every effort to work closely with the affected residents in Cades Cove to fully accommodate their requests and preferences?
My office understands that you have instructed some residents not to repair damage to their homes following recent tornado and storm damage. Is that because you are concerned about contamination risks? Did USACE find something new?
Please provide my office, in writing, with details about your process for determining which areas to conduct sampling outside the historic 10-year floodplain in Coldwater Creek.
Are there other residential areas like the Cades Cove subdivision that you have identified as in need of further sampling?
Does USACE stand by the assurance it provided me last year that no other residential homes are similarly situated?
Will you commit to fully informing local government officials of all additional sampling activities and buyouts that directly affect residents to maintain the public trust?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,Josh HawleyUnited States Senator
Source: Microsoft
Headline: Xbox celebrates Pride: Games foster connection, support and chosen family
So, we’re celebrating our heroes, players, and stories with heartfelt touches, creative moments, and a space to be exactly who you are. You belong here, and we’re proud to compete by your side.
Overwatch 2 – An always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl featuring new heroes and maps, different ways to play, and unique cosmetics! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your
allies as one of Overwatch’s 40 distinct heroes. Team up with friends, take them into battle across 25+ futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.
Play Overwatch 2 Today
Thirsty Suitors – From Outerloop Games, Thirsty Suitors is a stylish, story-driven adventure that unfolds through turn-based battles, skateboarding, and cooking. Help Jala confront her mistakes, make up with her exes, reconcile cultural differences, and become the person she was meant to be. Easy, right?
Play Thirsty Suitors Today
Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world. Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
Play Dragon Age: The Veilguard Today
Spirit Swap: LoFi Beats to Match-3 To – Samar is a young witch working the spirit-swapping night shift in the eastern outskirts of Demashq. A recent spike in spirits crossing over from another dimension breaks the chill atmosphere of their night shift, so with her trusty FamiliarZ by her side, she sets off into the city to find out what’s happened. With a popular band scheduled to kick off their big comeback tour in Demashq, Samar needs to work quickly before the city is overrun with stans and spirits alike!
Play Spirit Swap: LoFi Beats to Match-3 To Today
Psychroma – A psychological horror side-scroller set in a haunted cyberpunk house. Collect cards and explore the memories stored on them to piece together your past. But the deeper you go, the more you expose yourself to the brightest heat, the warmest color… Discover the hidden corridors and uncover the sordid past of a house out of time and place within a futuristic cyberpunk city. Collect the memory cards of three main characters, An underground cultist, an ambitious philanthropist, and a drifter.
Play Psychroma Today
The Xbox Gear Shop is celebrating Pride 2025 by bringing back our most popular designs for a limited time! These classic designs were made by and with the LGBTQIA+ community, and will be available through Pride month only, and only in the Xbox Gear Shop!
Celebrate Pride month with the new Blizzard 2025 Pride Collection exclusively on the Blizzard Gear Store!
Led by the Blizzard LGBT+ Employee Network, this year’s Pride Collection features all-new logo designs for each of our games, available on t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies—all benefitting* GLAAD from June 2 through June 30, 2025.
*From June 2, 2025, to June 30, 2025, Blizzard Entertainment will donate 100% of the amount Blizzard receives from Blizzard’s e-commerce store operator from the sale of each of the products from the 2025 Blizzard Pride Collection to GLAAD. This represents approximately 25% of the purchase price (less any chargebacks, refunds, and Value Added Taxes (VAT), or similar taxes paid.)
Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ communities with Xbox. The organizations below will be available on the Rewards hub:
Xbox players 18 and older can earn Rewards points in various ways, such as playing games, completing Game Pass Quests (terms apply), and purchasing games and other eligible items at the Microsoft Store (exclusions apply). Start earning for impact today and redeem your points for great rewards. Donate your points on the Rewards hub or on the Rewards redeem page.
The Xbox Pride Month design is available today as an Xbox wallpaper and dynamic background on console – follow these steps to apply the dynamic background:
You can choose between Games, Xbox, or Abstract dynamic backgrounds. Choose the background art that you want with the A button.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Headline: Carter lands critical funding recommendation for Ports of Brunswick, Savannah
SAVANNAH – As part of President Trump’s FY26 budget, Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today successfully included a $63 million recommendation for operations and maintenance projects at the Ports of Brunswick and Savannah.
In this Army Corps of Engineers’ budget recommendation, the Port of Brunswick will receive $10.6 million for channel operations and maintenance. The Port of Savannah will receive $39.8 to maintain its harbor, $12.1 million for the Savannah Harbor Disposal Area, and $500,000 to begin a feasibility study into the Savannah Harbor Deepening project.
“I am proud to have secured this critical funding recommendation for the economic engines of the southeast, the Savannah and Brunswick Ports. We are blessed to have these two world-class institutions right here in the First Congressional District of Georgia. Our district is growing every single day, and with it so does the demand for these transportation hubs. For two of the fastest growing ports in the nation, these funds are vital to maintaining operations and maintenance so that their excellence can continue for decades to come,” said Rep. Carter.
“The Georgia Ports Authority is again grateful to the Administration and the Georgia Congressional delegation for their leadership in seeing that Georgia’s ports are properly maintained and that critical future expansions are prioritized and funded. This budget recommendation demonstrates such leadership, and we look forward to partnering with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to see that this is work successfully and expeditiously completed,” said Griff Lynch, President and CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)
Oceanside, CA – Today, Representative Mike Levin (CA-49) and the City of Oceanside announced $2.27 million in federal funding to complete the long-delayed Oceanside Special Shoreline Study, which addresses Oceanside’s eroding beaches. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use the funding to complete a plan for a federal project mitigating beach erosion in Oceanside and to prepare the environmental documents required for the execution of the project.
“I’ve been fighting to get more sand on Oceanside’s beaches since coming to Congress,” said Rep. Levin. “Frustratingly, Administrations of both parties have not got it done. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about the federal government taking responsibility and delivering a solution for the people of Oceanside. Now we’ve delivered the resources needed for the Army Corps to finish its plan and get more sand on the beaches. I’ll hold their feet to the fire to ensure this moves forward.”
“Oceanside’s RE:BEACH project and the expected outcome of the Army Corps Shoreline Study are expected to complement each other,” said Jayme Timberlake, Oceanside’s Coastal Zone Administrator. “The Oceanside Mitigation Project would be expected to yield consistent sand to Oceanside’s coastline for the next 50 years, and the RE:BEACH Project is designed to specifically prolong these kinds of sand nourishment efforts. The RE:BEACH Project will help slow down or “speed bump” the transport of sand off the shore, possibly allowing for less frequent nourishment cycles. Additionally, a consistent sand nourishment project like is being proposed by the Army Corps would help reduce costs for other regional projects, making it more alluring to state funding agencies and participating coastal cities that will have to cost share.”
Oceanside has been experiencing beach erosion since the construction of the Camp Pendleton Harbor in 1942. The federal government first acknowledged responsibility for these erosion challenges in 1953. The Water Resources Development Act of 2000 authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a plan to mitigate the coastal erosion due to the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor and to restore beach conditions. Congress required that plan be completed within 32 months. It remains uncompleted.
When Rep. Levin entered office in 2019, the plan to mitigate erosion in Oceanside was stalled, and the Army Corps of Engineers had abandoned it. Rep. Levin passed legislative language into law in 2020 and 2024 requiring expedited completion of the plan. In 2022, Rep. Levin secured $1.8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which the Army Corp of Engineers said would be enough funding to complete the plan. The Corps’ estimate was wrong, and the study was again not completed.
With today’s funding announcement, the Army Corps says it can deliver a final plan next year.
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Source: Green Party of England and Wales
Reacting to the Strategic Defence Review and Keir Starmer’s speech earlier today outlining the government’s defense spending plans, Ellie Chowns MP, who holds the defence brief for the Parliamentary Green Party, said:
“Keir Starmer is sounding like he is on a war path with his “battle-ready, armour-clad nation” rhetoric. Security is not just based on arms expenditure and threats, but on real leadership that uses diplomacy and development too. There must be a real commitment to an international order based on human rights, equality and genuine cooperation.
“To avoid the horrors of war and armed conflict, we need to look at the deeper causes of insecurity, including poverty and climate breakdown. This is why the Green Party strongly supports the restoration of the international aid budget to at least 0.7% of GNI. And we will continue to argue that real patriotism means ending UK-made weapons or components being sold to dictators, human rights abusers or for use against civilians anywhere in the world.
“The prime minister has talked up the boost to jobs and the economy through increased defence expenditure, but there are many more jobs of the future to be created right now in the clean, green – and peaceful – economy, a sector growing four times faster than the rest of the economy. This is where the government’s focus for investment should be if they are serious about a secure and resilient future.”
Source: Government of Canada News
June 2, 2025 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have identified a previously unknown First World War grave in Adanac Military Cemetery in Miraumont, France, as that of Captain William Webster Wilson, a Canadian soldier. The identification was confirmed through historical and archival research.
The CAF’s Casualty Identification Program plays a vital role in ensuring that those who made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten. Through meticulous research and collaboration, it reconnects fallen soldiers with their families, their units and the nation. The identification of Captain Wilson’s grave more than 100 years after his death is a testament to this commitment. His story – one of service, courage, and sacrifice – now has the recognition it deserves. As we honour his memory, Canadians have the opportunity to reflect on the immense contributions of those who fought for our country.
William Wilson was born on November 29, 1890, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Hugh Cunningham and Mary Ann Lyell (née Webster) Wilson. William had a younger brother, Hugh. William joined the Royal Bank of Scotland at the age of 15, working at several branches in Edinburgh. He resigned in 1911, shortly after his mother’s death, immigrated to Canada and joined the Bank of Montreal. He initially worked in Toronto, before joining the branch in Lindsay, Ont. Despite his immigration to Canada and the relocation of his father and brother to a farm in Gilgandra, New South Wales, Australia, the family remained in close contact.
Before the First World War, William volunteered with local militia units in both Scotland and Canada. While in Lindsay, he was a Captain with the 45th Victoria Regiment and joined the thousands of men who travelled to Valcartier, Que., to enlist following the outbreak of war. He enlisted on September 23, 1914, as an Honorary Captain and Paymaster with the 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company. After training in Quebec and England, he was taken on strength by his unit in France in April 1915. Originally attached to the 1st Divisional Headquarters, by 1916 he was attached to the Canadian Section of General Headquarters, 3rd Echelon of the British Expeditionary Force.
By the fall of 1916, gruelling fighting and heavy losses sustained during the Somme Offensive meant that trained men were desperately needed on the front lines. Probably due to his extensive militia experience and recent completion of a machine gun course, Captain Wilson was attached to the 16th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Canadian Scottish), Canadian Expeditionary Force. On October 8, 1916, the Canadian Corps participated in the Battle of the Ancre Heights, as part of the broader Somme Offensive. The 16th Canadian Battalion was involved in an unsuccessful attempt to capture Regina Trench, and Captain Wilson was reported missing the next day, on October 9. It was not until June 24, 1919, that his brother Hugh received a second-hand account indicating that Captain Wilson had been killed by a shell. At the time of his death, Captain Wilson was 25 years old.
In 2016, external researchers submitted a report to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) regarding the grave of an unidentified captain of the 16th Battalion buried at Adanac Military Cemetery. Following extensive research, DND’s Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) determined that the grave could only belong to Captain Wilson, whom the external researchers had not considered as a candidate. DHH researchers determined that, while Captain Wilson was officially commemorated as a member of the Canadian Signal Corps, he had died while serving with the 16th Battalion. The identification was confirmed by the Casualty Identification Review Board in December 2024.
Captain Wilson’s family was notified of his identification, and the CAF is providing them with ongoing support. A headstone rededication ceremony will take place at the earliest opportunity at Adanac Military Cemetery, which is maintained by the CWGC.
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Elected as mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality in 2012, Lt.-Gov. Savage served three terms, prioritizing social inclusion, sustainable development and economic growth. Prior to that, he represented Dartmouth-Cole Harbour as a member of Parliament and was an active member of parliamentary committees, groups and associations.
Over the next five years in the vice-regal office, Lt.-Gov. Savage will celebrate the contributions of Nova Scotians to their communities, the province and the country. He succeeds Arthur J. LeBlanc.
Following the installation ceremony, Lt.-Gov. Savage inspected the Quarter Guard, Sailors, Soldiers and Aviators of Canadian Forces Base Halifax. The Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy played the Royal Salute and award-winning musician and singer Charlie A’Court performed in the Lieutenant-Governor’s honour.
“It is a profound honour to be entrusted with the duties and responsibilities of this office. I am deeply committed to serving both the Crown and the people of this remarkable province, while celebrating its rich heritage, diverse communities and boundless potential for the future.”
— Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage
Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia: https://lt.gov.ns.ca/