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Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Going to extremes – understanding Antarctic sea-ice decline

    Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

    Most people will never see Antarctic sea ice up close, but its presence or absence affects our day-to-day lives.
    Now scientists are questioning whether a ‘regime shift’ to a new state of diminished Antarctic sea-ice coverage is underway, due to recent record lows.
    If so, it will have impacts across climate, ecological and societal systems, according to new research published in PNAS Nexus.

    These impacts include ocean warming, increased iceberg calving, habitat loss and sea-level rise, and effects on fisheries, Antarctic tourism, and even the mental health of the global human population.
    Led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership oceanographer Dr Edward Doddridge, the international team assessed the impacts of extreme summer sea-ice lows, and the challenges to predicting and mitigating change.
    “Antarctic sea ice provides climate and ecosystem services of regional and global significance,” Dr Doddridge said.
    “There are far reaching negative impacts caused by sea-ice loss.
    “However, we do not sufficiently understand the baseline system to be able to predict how it will respond to the dramatic changes we are already observing.
    “To predict future changes, and to potentially mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on Antarctica, we urgently need to improve our knowledge through new observations and modelling studies.”
    What’s at stake?
    While sea-ice loss affects many things, the research team identified three key impacts:

    Reduced summer sea-ice cover exposes more of the ocean to sunlight. This leads to surface water warming that promotes further sea-ice loss. Ocean warming increases melting under glacial ice shelves, which could lead to increased iceberg calving. Warmer water also affects the flow of deep-water currents that help move ocean heat around the globe, influencing the planet’s climate.
    Sea-ice loss exposes the ice shelves that fringe the Antarctic continent to damaging ocean swells and storms. These can weaken the ice shelves, leading to iceberg calving. As ice shelves slow the flow of ice from the interior of the Antarctic continent to the coast, iceberg calving allows this interior ice flow to speed up, contributing to sea-level rise.
    Sea ice provides breeding habitat for penguin and seal species, and a refuge for many marine species from predators. It is also an important nursery habitat and source of food (sea-ice algae) for Antarctic krill – an important prey species for many Southern Ocean inhabitants. Adverse sea-ice conditions that persist over several seasons could see population declines in these sea-ice dependent species.

    The research team also identified socio-economic and wellbeing impacts, affecting fisheries, tourism, scientific research, ice-navigation, coastal operations, and the mental health (climate anxiety) of the global population.
    For example, shorter sea-ice seasons will reduce the window for over-ice resupplies of Antarctic stations. There could also be increased shipping pressures on the continent, including from alien species incursions, fuel spills and an increase in the number and movement of tourist vessels to and from new locations.
    Research co-author and sea-ice system expert, Dr Petra Heil, from the Australian Antarctic Division, said the paper highlighted the need for ongoing, year-round, field-based and satellite measurements of circumpolar sea-ice variables (especially thickness), and sub-surface ocean variables.
    This would allow integrated analyses of the Southern Ocean processes contributing to the recent sea-ice deficits.
    “As shown in climate simulations, continued greenhouse gas emissions, even at reduced rate, will further accelerate persistent deficits of sea ice, and with it a lack of the critical climate and ecosystem functions it provides,” Dr Heil said.
    “To conserve and preserve the physical environment and ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean we must prioritise an immediate and sustained transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
    “Ultimately our decison for immediate and deep action will provide the maximum future proofing we can have in terms of lifestyle and economic values.”
    Learn more about Antarctic sea ice in our feature ‘Sea ice in crisis’.
    This content was last updated 8 minutes ago on 2 July 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By William Trollinger, Professor of History, University of Dayton

    The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.

    Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.

    But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.

    The Scopes trial occurred July 10-21, 1925. Between 150 and 200 reporters swooped into the small town. Broadcast on Chicago’s WGN, it was the first trial to be aired live over radio in the United States.

    One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.

    The trial

    In May 1919, over 6,000 conservative Protestants gathered in Philadelphia to create, under the leadership of Baptist firebrand William Bell Riley, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, or WCFA.

    Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.

    This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

    The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.

    A huge crowd attending the Scopes trial.
    Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images

    When the trial started, Dayton civic leaders were thrilled with the opportunity to boost their town. Outside the courtroom there was a carnivalesque atmosphere, with musicians, preachers, concession stands and even monkeys.

    Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.

    But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.

    The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.

    American lawyer and politician William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn.
    Hulton Archive/Getty Image

    The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.

    The fundamentalists and ‘The Genesis Flood’

    But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”

    The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.

    Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.

    But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.

    In their 1961 book, “The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications, fundamentalists John Whitcomb, a theologian, and Henry Morris, a hydraulic engineer, provided just such a scientific explanation. Making use, without attribution, of the writings of Seventh-day Adventist geologist George McCready Price, Whitcomb and Morris made the case that Noah’s global flood lasted one year and created the geological strata and mountain ranges that made the Earth seem ancient.

    “The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.

    Young Earth creationism

    Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.

    Replica of Noah’s Ark at the Ark Encounter, near Williamstown, Ky.
    Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    This popular embrace of young Earth creationism also explains the success of Answers in Genesis – AiG – which is the world’s largest creationist organization, with a website that attracts millions of visitors every year.

    AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

    Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.

    Ark Encounter has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from state and local governments.

    Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.

    The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.

    In 1921, William Bell Riley admonished his opponents that they should “cease from shoveling in dirt on living men,” for the fundamentalists “refuse to be buried.” A century later, the funeral for fundamentalism and creationism seems a long way off.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-americans-reject-evolution-a-century-after-the-scopes-monkey-trial-spotlighted-the-clash-between-science-and-religion-258163

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Lindsey Breitwieser, Assistant Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies, Hollins University

    Laws such as Georgia’s LIFE Act can complicate ethical and legal decision-making in postmortem pregnancy.
     Darya Komarova/Moment via Getty Images

    Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old woman from Georgia who had been declared brain-dead in February 2025, spent 16 weeks on life support while doctors worked to keep her body functioning well enough to support her developing fetus. On June 13, 2025, her premature baby, named Chance, was born via cesarean section at 25 weeks.

    Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she suffered multiple blood clots in her brain. Her story gained public attention when her mother criticized doctors’ decision to keep her on a ventilator without the family’s consent. Smith’s mother has said that doctors told the family the decision was made to align with Georgia’s LIFE Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and bolsters the legal standing of fetal personhood. A statement released by the hospital also cites Georgia’s abortion law.

    “I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy,” Smith’s mother told a local television station. “But I’m saying we should have had a choice.”

    The LIFE Act is one of several state laws that have passed across the U.S. since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision invalidated constitutional protections for abortion. Although Georgia’s attorney general denied that the LIFE Act applied to Smith, there’s little doubt that it invites ethical and legal uncertainty when a woman dies while pregnant.

    Smith’s case has swiftly become the focus of a reproductive rights political firestorm characterized by two opposing viewpoints. For some, it reflects demeaning governmental overreach that quashes women’s bodily autonomy. For others it illustrates the righteous sacrifice of motherhood.

    In my work as a gender and technology studies scholar, I have cataloged and studied postmortem pregnancies like Smith’s since 2016. In my view, Smith’s story doesn’t fit straightforwardly into abortion politics. Instead, it points to the need for a more nuanced ethical approach that does not frame a mother and child as adversaries in a medical, legal or political context.

    Birth after death

    For centuries, Catholic dogma and Western legal precedent have mandated immediate cesarean section when a pregnant woman died after quickening, the point when fetal movement becomes discernible. But technological advances now make it possible sometimes for a fetus to continue gestating in place when the mother is brain-dead, or “dead by neurological criteria”– a widely accepted definition of death that first emerged in the 1950s.

    The first brain death during pregnancy in which the fetus was delivered after time on life support, more accurately called organ support, occurred in 1981. The process is extraordinarily intensive and invasive, because the loss of brain function impedes many physiological processes. Health teams, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, must stabilize the bodies of “functionally decapitated” pregnant women to buy more time for fetal development. This requires vital organ support, ventilation, nutritional supplements, antibiotics and constant monitoring. Outcomes are highly uncertain.

    Adriana Smith’s baby was delivered by cesarian section on June 13, 2025.

    Smith’s 112-day stint on organ support ranks third in length for a postmortem pregnancy, with the longest being 123 days. Hers is also the earliest ever gestational age from which the procedure has been attempted. Because time on organ support can vary widely, and because there is no established minimum fetal age considered too early to intervene, a fetus could theoretically be deemed viable at any point in pregnancy.

    Postmortem pregnancy as gender-based violence

    Over the past 50 years, critics of postmortem pregnancy have argued that it constitutes gender-based violence and violates bodily integrity in ways that organ donation does not. Some have compared it with Nazi pronatalist policies. Others have attributed the practice to systemic sexism and racism in medicine. Postmortem pregnancy can also compound intimate partner violence by giving brain-dead women’s murderers decision-making authority when they are the fetus’s next of kin.

    Fetal personhood laws complicate end-of-life decision-making in ways that many consider violent too. As I have seen in my own research, when the fetus is considered a legal person, women’s wishes may be assumed, debated in court or committee, or set aside entirely, nearly always in favor of the fetus.

    From the perspective of reproductive rights advocates, postmortem pregnancy is the bottom of a slippery slope down which anti-abortion sentiment has led America. It obliterates women’s autonomy, pitting living and dead women against doctors, legislators and sometimes their own families, and weaponizing their own fetuses against them.

    A medical perspective on rights

    Viewed through a medical lens, however, postmortem pregnancy is not violent or violating, but an act of repair. Although care teams have responsibilities to both mother and fetus, a pregnant woman’s brain death means she cannot be physically harmed and her rights cannot be violated to the same degree as a fetus with the potential for life.

    Medical practitioners are conditioned to prioritize life over death, motivating a commitment to salvage something from a tragedy and try to partially restore a family. The high-stakes world of emergency medicine makes protecting life reflexive and medical interventions automatic. Once fetal life is detected, as one hospital spokesperson put it in a 1976 news article in The Boston Globe, “What else could you do?”

    This response does not necessarily stem from conscious sexism or anti-abortion sentiment, but from reverence for vulnerable patients. If physicians declare a pregnant woman brain-dead, patienthood often automatically transfers to the fetus needing rescue. No matter its age and despite its survival being dependent on machines, just like its mother, the fetus is entirely animate. Who or what counts as a legal person with privileges and protections might be a political or philosophical determination, but life is a matter of biological fact and within the doctors’ purview.

    The first baby born from a postmortem pregnancy was delivered in 1981.
    Emmanuel Faure/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    An ethics of anti-opposition

    Both of the above perspectives have validity, but neither accounts for postmortem pregnancy’s ethical and biological complexity.

    First, setting mother against fetus, with the rights of one endangering the rights of the other, does not match pregnancy’s lived reality of “two bodies, sutured,” as the cultural scholar Lauren Berlant put it.

    Even the Supreme Court recognized this entangled duality in their 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade, which established both constitutional protections for abortion and a governmental obligation to protect fetal life. Whether a fetus is considered a legal person or not, they wrote, pregnant women and fetuses “cannot be isolated in their privacy” – meaning that reproductive rights issues must strike a balance, however tenuous, between maternal and fetal interests. To declare postmortem pregnancy unequivocally violent or a loss of the “right to choose” fails to recognize the complexity of choice in a highly politicized medical landscape.

    Second, maternal-fetal competition muddles the right course of action. In the U.S., competent patients are not compelled to engage in medical care they would rather avoid, even if it kills them, or to stay on life support to preserve organs for donation. But when a fetus is treated as an independent patient, exceptions could be made to those medical standards if the fetus’s interests override the mother’s.

    For example, pregnancy disrupts standard determination of death. To protect the fetus, care teams increasingly skip a necessary diagnostic for brain death called apnea testing, which involves momentarily removing the ventilator to test the respiratory centers of the brain stem. In these cases, maternal brain death cannot be confirmed until after delivery. Multiple instances of vaginal deliveries after brain death also remain unexplained, given that the brain coordinates mechanisms of vaginal labor. All in all, it’s not always clear women in these cases are entirely dead.

    Ultimately, women like Adriana Smith and their fetuses are inseparable and persist in a technologically defined state of in-betweenness. I’d argue that postmortem pregnancies, therefore, need new bioethical standards that center women’s beliefs about their bodies and a dignified death. This might involve recognizing pregnancy’s unique ambiguities in advance directives, questioning default treatment pathways that may require harm be done to one in order to save another, or considering multiple definitions of clinical and legal death.

    In my view, it is possible to adapt our ethical standards in a way that honors all beings in these exceptional circumstances, without privileging either “choice” or “life,” mother or fetus.

    This research was supported by a grant from The Institute for Citizens and Scholars.

    – ref. Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics – https://theconversation.com/keeping-brain-dead-pregnant-women-on-life-support-raises-ethical-issues-that-go-beyond-abortion-politics-258457

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mike Shriberg, Professor of Practice & Engagement, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

    Invasive Asian carp are spreading up the Mississippi River system and already clog the Illinois River. AP Photo/John Flesher

    In his second term, President Donald Trump has not taken many actions that draw near-universal praise from across the political spectrum. But there is at least one of these political anomalies, and it illustrates the broad appeal of environmental protection and conservation projects – particularly when it concerns an ecosystem of vital importance to millions of Americans.

    In May 2025, Trump issued a presidential memorandum supporting the construction of a physical barrier that is key to keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. These fish have made their way up the Mississippi River system and could have dire ecological consequences if they enter the Great Lakes.

    It was not a given that Trump would back this project, which had long been supported by environmental and conservation organizations. But two very different strategies from two Democratic governors – both potential presidential candidates in 2028 – reflected the importance of the Great Lakes to America.

    As a water policy and politics scholar focused on the Great Lakes, I see this development not only as an environmental and conservation milestone, but also a potential pathway for more political unity in the U.S.

    A feared invasion

    Perhaps nothing alarms Great Lakes ecologists more than the potential for invasive carp from Asia to establish a breeding population in the Great Lakes. These fish were intentionally introduced in the U.S. Southeast by private fish farm and wastewater treatment operators as a means to control algae in aquaculture and sewage treatment ponds. Sometime in the 1990s, the fish escaped from those ponds and moved rapidly up the Mississippi River system, including into the Illinois River, which connects to the Great Lakes.

    Sometimes said to “breed like mosquitoes and eat like hogs,” these fish can consume up to 40% of their body weight each day, outcompeting many native species and literally sucking up other species and food sources.

    Studies of Lake Erie, for example, predict that if the carp enter and thrive, they could make up approximately one-third of the fish biomass of the entire lake within 20 years, replacing popular sportfishing species such as walleye and other ecologically and economically important species.

    Invasive carp are generally not eaten in the U.S. and are not desirable for sportfishing. In fact, silver carp have a propensity to jump up to 10 feet out of the water when startled by a boat motor. That can make parts of the Illinois River, which is packed with the invasive fish, almost impossible to fish or even maneuver a boat.

    Look out! Silver carp fly out of the water, obstructing boats and hitting people trying to enjoy a river in Indiana.

    The Brandon Road Lock and Dam solution

    Originally, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River were not connected to each other. But in 1900, the city of Chicago connected them to avoid sending its sewage into Lake Michigan, from which the city draws its drinking water.

    The most complete way to block the carp from invading the Great Lakes would be to undo that connection – but that would recreate sewage and flooding issues for Chicago, or require other expensive infrastructure upgrades. The more practical, short-term alternative is to modify the historic Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, by adding several obstacles that together would block the carp from swimming farther upriver toward the Great Lakes.

    The barrier, estimated to cost US$1.15 billion, was authorized by Congress in 2020 and 2022 after many years of intense planning and negotiations. For the first phase of construction, the project received $226 million in federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to complement $114 million in state funding – $64 million from Michigan and $50 million from Illinois.

    On the first day of Trump’s second term, however, he paused a wide swath of federal funding, including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And that’s when two different political strategies emerged.

    A brief documentary explains the construction of a connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin.

    Pritzker vs. Whitmer vs. Trump

    Illinois, a state that has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992, has the most financially at stake in the Brandon Road project because the project requires the state to acquire land and operate the barrier. When Trump issued his order, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, postponed the purchase of a key piece of land, blaming the “Trump Administration’s lack of clarity and commitment” to the project. Pritzker essentially dared Trump to be the reason for the collapse of the Great Lakes ecosystem and fisheries.

    Another Democrat, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a swing state with the most at stake economically and ecologically if these carp species enter the Great Lakes, took a very different approach. She went to the White House to talk with Trump about invasive carp and other issues. She defended her nonconfrontational approach to critics, though she also hid her face from cameras when Trump surprised her with an Oval Office press conference. When Trump visited Michigan, she stood beside him as they praised each other.

    When Trump released the federal funding in early May, Pritzker kept up his adversarial language, saying he was “glad that the Trump administration heard our calls … and decided to finally meet their obligation.” Whitmer stayed more conciliatory, calling the funding decision a “huge win that will protect our Great Lakes and secure our economy.” She said she was “grateful to the president for his commitment.”

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greets President Donald Trump as he arrives in her state in late April 2025.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Why unity on carp?

    Whether coordinated or not, the net result of Pritzker’s and Whitmer’s actions drew praise from both sides of the aisle but was little noticed nationally.

    Trump’s support for the project was a rare moment of political unity and an extremely unusual example of leading Democrats being on the same page as Trump. I attribute this surprising outcome to two key factors.

    First, the Great Lakes region holds disproportionate power in presidential elections. Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have backed the eventual winner in every presidential race for the past 20 years. This swing state power has been used by advocates and state political leaders to drive funding for Great Lakes protection for many years.

    Second, Great Lakes are the uniting force in the region. According to polling from the International Joint Commission, the binational body charged with overseeing waterways that cross the U.S.-Canada border, there is “nearly unanimous support (96%) for the importance of government investment in Great Lakes protections” from residents of the region.

    There aren’t any other issues with such high voter resonance, so politicians want to be sure Great Lakes voters are happy. For example, Vice President JD Vance has been particularly vocal about the Great Lakes. And Great Lakes restoration funding was one of the few things in the presidential budget that Democrats and Republicans agreed on.

    Both Pritzker and Whitmer likely had state-based and national motivations in mind and big aspirations at stake.

    Their combined effort has put the project back on track: As of May 12, 2025, Pritzker authorized Illinois to sign the land-purchase agreement he had paused back in February.

    And perhaps the governors have identified a new area for unity in a divided United States: Conservation and environmental issues have broad public support, particularly when they involve iconic natural resources, shared values and popular outdoor pursuits such as fishing and boating. Even when political strategies diverge, the results can bring bipartisan satisfaction.

    Mike Shriberg was previously the Great Lakes Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation, which entailed being a co-chair (and, for part of the time, Director) of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition.

    – ref. Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics – https://theconversation.com/invasive-carp-threaten-the-great-lakes-and-reveal-a-surprising-twist-in-national-politics-257707

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: From Roman drains to ancient filters, these artefacts show how solutions to water contamination have evolved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rosa Busquets, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University

    Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, an exhibition at Wellcome Collection. Benjamin Gilbert., CC BY-NC-ND

    A new exhibition in London (open until February 2026) called Thirst: In search of freshwater highlights how civilisations have treasured – and been intrinsically linked to – safe, clean water.

    As a chemist, I research how freshwater is polluted by modern civilisation. Common contaminants in rivers include pharmaceuticals,
    microplastics
    (which degrade further when exposed to sunlight and wave power), and forever chemicals or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (some of which are carcinogenic).

    Synthetic toxic chemicals are introduced into the environment from the products we make, use and dispose of. This wasn’t a problem centuries ago, where we had a totally different manufacturing industry and technologies.

    Some, such as PFAS from stain-resistant textiles or nonstick materials such as cookware, can be particularly difficult to remove from wastewater. PFAS don’t degrade easily, they resist conventional heat treatments and can easily pass through wastewater treatments, so they contaminate rivers or lakes that are sources of our drinking water.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Testing for pollutants is even more critical in developing nations that lack sanitation and face drought or flooding.
    Having to protect and conserve drinking water and its sources is as relevant today as it always has been.

    For this exhibition, curator at the Wellcome Collection in London, Janice Li, has selected 125 historical objects, photographs and feats of engineering that link to drought, rain, glaciers, rivers and lakes. These three artefacts from Thirst illustrate how our relationship with water contamination has evolved:

    1. Ancient water filters

    Made from natural materials such as clay, water jug filters have been used for hundreds of years in every continent by ancient civilisations. They show that purifying water for drinking was commonplace. The sand and soil particles that naturally get suspended in water and removed by these filters would have carried microbes.

    Water jug filters with Arabic inscription, found in Egypt, dating back to 900-1,200.
    Victoria and Albert Museum London/Wellcome Collection, CC BY-NC-ND

    But in ancient times, pharmaceuticals and other drugs, pesticides, forever chemicals and microplastics would not have been a problem. Those filters could work relatively well despite being made of simple materials with wide pores.

    Today, those ancient filters would no longer be effective. Modern water filters are made using more advanced materials which typically have small pores (called micropores and mesopores). For example, filters often include activated carbon (a highly porous type of carbon that can be manufactured to capture contaminants) or membranes that filter water. Only then is it safe for people to drink.



    Read more:
    Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them

    2. Roman water pipes

    Lead water pipes (known as fistulae) were useful parts of a relatively advanced plumbing system that distributed drinking water throughout Roman cities. They are still common in water systems in our cities today. In the US, there are about 9.2 million lead service lines in use. Exposure to lead causes severe human health problems. Lead exposure, not necessarily from drinking water only, was attributed to more than 1.5 million deaths in 2021.

    A Roman lead water pipe that dates back to 1-300CE.
    Courtesy of Wellcome Collection/Science Museum Group., CC BY-NC-ND

    It’s now understood that lead is neurotoxic and it can diffuse or spread from the pipes to drinking water. Lead from paints and batteries, including car batteries, can also contaminate drinking water.

    To protect us from lead leaching or flaking off from pipes, some government agencies are calling for the replacement of lead pipes with copper or plastic pipes. Water companies routinely add phosphates (mined powder that contains phosphorus) to drinking water to help capture potential lead contamination and make it safe to drink.

    3. The horror of unhealthy water

    One caricature titled The Monster Soup by artist William Heath (1828) is part of the Wellcome Trust’s permanent collection. The graphics read “microcosms dedicated to the London Water companies” and “Monster soup, commonly called Thames Water being a correct representation of the precious stuff doled out to us”. The cartoon shows a lady so terrified at the sight of microbes in river water from the Thames that she drops her cup of tea.

    Monster Soup by William Heath.
    Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection., CC BY-NC-ND

    Even today, many people remain shocked at the toxic contamination in rivers and sewage pollution prevents people from swimming.

    By 2030, 2 billion people will still not have safely managed drinking water and 1.2 billion will lack basic hygiene services. Drinking water will still be contaminated by bacteria such as E. coli and other dangerous pathogens that cause waterborne diseases. So advancing technologies to filter out contamination will be just as crucial in the future as it has been in the past.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rosa Busquets receives funding from UKRI/ EU Horizons MSCA Staff exchanges Clean Water project 101131182, DASA, project ACC6093561. She is affiliated with Kingston University, UCL, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, UNEP EEAP.

    – ref. From Roman drains to ancient filters, these artefacts show how solutions to water contamination have evolved – https://theconversation.com/from-roman-drains-to-ancient-filters-these-artefacts-show-how-solutions-to-water-contamination-have-evolved-253876

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sara Polak, University Lecturer in American Studies, Leiden University

    There is a strange and worrying parallel between the breakneck speed at which Donald Trump has operated in the first few months of his presidency and the ever-accelerating pace at which information moves on social media platforms. Where in his first term he used Twitter, now, the 47th US president is using his own platform, TruthSocial, to announce changes of direction that are sometimes so fundamental that they change decades of US policy.

    Social media has become a key tool of governing for Trump’s administration. He uses it both to make announcements and to drum up support for those announcements. His social media posts can move the markets and make or break careers. They can even, it seems, stop wars.

    So when he used TruthSocial to announce a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 23, giving the two countries a deadline to stop firing missiles, it appears that neither of the antagonists were fully aware of the situation, given they carried on attacking each other. So an all-caps message followed: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS,” he posted. “BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” – adding, just in case anyone had any doubt he was serious: “DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”

    Trump’s use of his TruthSocial platform began as he sought to re-establish himself from the political wilderness after the insurrection of January 6 2021. It has now become a tool of his extreme power and his willingness to use (and abuse) it – globally as well as domestically.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    He’s the latest in a string of US presidents known for their adroit use of whichever is the medium most guaranteed to connect with the greatest number of people. From Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s adept cultivation of print journalists in the early 20th century through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s comforting use of radio as it gained popularity and John F. Kennedy’s mastery of the rising medium of television, presidents have expanded their reach and influence through adept use of media.

    FDR’s “fireside chats”, broadcast on the radio throughout the US in the 1930s, reached an estimated 80% of the population, showing he understood the key media principle of reach. Roosevelt would address his listeners as “my friends” and Americans came to understand them as seemingly intimate conversations with their president.

    FDR dominated the airwaves at a time when many Americans hardly understood the important role that the federal government played in their own lives – and millions of households were only just getting mains electricity (thanks to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936). But radios were becoming a common mass medium and FDR perfectly understood how to use it. If you listen to the fireside chats, FDR may sound patrician – and at times formal – but his tone is also friendly, thoughtful and reassuring.

    In Germany at around the same time, Adolf Hitler’s massive stadium speeches were very effective for people who were in the stadium and being lifted by the intensity of the crowd and all the carefully thought out visual cues. But when broadcast on radio, Hitler had nothing like Roosevelt’s ability to connect with people on a personal level.

    Roosevelt was hardly the first leader – or even the first US president – to speak on the radio. But he was the first to master the medium. He figured out how to use its potential to deliver a key implicit message: that his government should and did take on a central role in people’s lives.

    Equally, John F. Kennedy can be said to have “discovered” political television. Not just as a medium for political campaigns, debates and speeches – but also for putting across to a mass audience his role as the embodiment of American decency, beauty and masculinity: JFK’s White House as Camelot.

    JFK was considered a master of the fast-growing medium of television.

    Both Roosevelt and Kennedy were in several ways physically disabled and lived with chronic illness, yet through the “new medium” of their time were able to project an image of quintessentially American strength and trustworthiness. In part this was their own doing – but it’s also a testament to the power of the media they used for their time.

    Mastering the medium

    These possibilities of a medium used to its best advantage – for example, to be heard around the US, but still to project a sense of intimacy – have become known as the “affordances” of a medium. The medium afforded Roosevelt space to be authentic without showing his disability. Kennedy appeared young, fit and handsome – even when dependent on painkillers.

    When a new medium is introduced, people start to play around with its affordances – and this applies to politicians too. Political leaders who develop a special aptitude for using the new medium to emphasise their unique style can become particularly successful, as has Donald Trump with his use of social media.

    The US president rose to power helped by his adept use of many of Twitter’s attributes – the imposed brevity of his messages, the ease of retweeting, the tendency for other users to “pile on” (and the user anonymity, which tends to encourage pile-ons) to polarise American public debate.

    Trump was forced off Twitter after the Capitol Hill insurrection of January 6 2021. So he came back with his own platform, TruthSocial, where he can also make the rules. And now he uses the platform to make foreign policy, trumpeting his positions (which can change with bewildering speed) on TruthSocial well before they can be announced by the White House press team, which often has to scramble to catch up.

    When Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan penned his famous phrase: “The medium is the message” in his groundbreaking 1964 study, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, he meant to say that media form and content are not as distinct from one another as one might think and that the form of a medium of communication can shape society as much as its content. In Donald Trump’s use of social media, we are seeing this idea at work.

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

    – ref. How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-plays-with-new-media-says-a-lot-about-him-as-it-did-with-fdr-kennedy-and-obama-248923

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samantha Abbott, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Sport Science, Nottingham Trent University

    England’s Beth Mead cheering on podium after win v Germany in the Women European Championship Final 2022 photographyjp/Shutterstock

    Think back to the last time you had a cold or the flu. Now imagine stepping onto the pitch for a European Cup final, while battling through those symptoms. For elite athletes, illness can strike at the worst possible time – and it could hit women harder.

    Research suggests that female athletes are more susceptible to cold and flu-like illnesses than their male counterparts. For England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, this risk only increases before a major tournament like the Euros.

    Close contact, shared kit, disrupted sleep and travel all add up to a perfect storm for infection. But targeted nutritional strategies, alongside good sleep and hand hygiene, can offer a crucial line of defence.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    1. Fuel first: energy matters for immunity

    Before anything else, players need to eat enough. Energy supports both performance and immune function. In fact, female athletes who didn’t meet their energy needs in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics were four times more likely to report cold or flu symptoms.

    This is especially relevant in women’s football, where low energy and carbohydrate intake has been documented among professional players and recreational players too. Regular meals and snacks that include carbohydrate-rich foods like oats, bread and pasta, especially around training, are essential to meet energy demands and support immune health.

    2. Eat the rainbow

    Athletes are often encouraged to go beyond the public’s five-a-day fruit and veg target, aiming instead for eight to ten portions daily. Why? Because colourful plant foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds: all vital for immunity.



    Read more:
    We’re told to ‘eat a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables. Here’s what each colour does in our body

    Each colour offers unique benefits. For instance, red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Orange produce like carrots get their colour from beta-carotene, which is converted by the body into vitamin A – a key vitamin for immune health.

    Eating a rainbow of colours means getting a wide range of nutrients.

    3. Vitamin C: powerful but timing matters

    Vitamin C has long been linked with reducing the risk and severity of cold and flu symptoms. One Cochrane review found that regular vitamin C intake halved the risk of illness in physically active people.

    However, more isn’t always better. Long-term use of high-dose vitamin C supplements could blunt training adaptations – the structural and functional changes the body undergoes in response to repeated exercise – because of its anti-inflammatory effects. That’s why vitamin C is most effective when used strategically, such as during high-risk periods like travel or intense competition. Good food sources include oranges, kiwis, blackcurrants, red and yellow peppers, broccoli and even potatoes.

    4. Gut health supports immune health

    Around 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, making gut health a key player in illness prevention. This is where probiotics (live bacteria) and prebiotics (which feed those bacteria) come in.

    Probiotics, found in fermented foods like kefir and kimchi or in supplement form, have been shown to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory illnesses in athletes. Prebiotics have similarly shown promise. In one study, a 24-week prebiotic intervention in elite rugby players reduced the duration of cold and flu symptoms by over two days.



    Read more:
    Gut microbiome: meet Lactobacillus acidophilus – the gut health superhero

    In the build-up to the Euros, including probiotic-rich foods in their diet or taking a daily prebiotic and probiotic supplement may help players stay healthy and return to training faster if they do get ill.

    5. Zinc lozenges: first aid for a sore throat

    If cold-like symptoms do appear, zinc lozenges can offer fast-acting relief. Zinc has antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When zinc is delivered as a lozenge, it acts directly in the throat, where many infections begin. Taken within 24 hours of symptoms starting, zinc lozenges could shorten illness duration by a third.

    But caution is key. Long-term use of high-dose zinc supplements can actually suppress immune function. Zinc lozenges should only be used short-term at symptom onset, not as a daily supplement.

    Staying match-ready during major tournaments means more than just tactical drills and fitness. Nutrition is a powerful ally in illness prevention, especially for women’s teams like the Lionesses. From fuelling adequately to supporting gut health and knowing when to supplement, these nutritional strategies can make the difference between sitting on the bench and bringing a trophy home.

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

    – ref. Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-avoid-illness-like-the-lionesses-259302

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act Passes through House Natural Resources Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) successfully passed H.R. 131, the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit” Act, through the House Natural Resources Committee this morning. The bill eliminates interest payments on construction costs endured by non-federal entities and extends the repayment period to 75 years, allowing local communities more flexibility to finish their investments in this critical project. Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) is a cosponsor of the bill, while Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

    Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit would provide access to clean water to 50,000 residents in Southeast Colorado, including Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca Counties. The project was originally started back in 1962 and has been delayed by bureaucracy and, most recently, rising construction and labor costs. The “Finish the AVC” Act addresses these issues in an effort to make this long-standing vision a finished product.

    “I’m very pleased to see my Finish the AVC Act get through Committee and continue to advance through Congress as a responsible solution for Southeast Coloradans,” said Congresswoman Boebert. “I’ve emphasized the need for every resident in the 4th District to have reliable access to clean water, whether it’s in Morgan County or down in our Southeast region. The Arkansas Valley Conduit has been pushed to the side for too long and it’s time we got this project done. I look forward to getting the Finish the AVC Act through the House and eventually to President Trump’s desk for signing.”

    “Rural water providers in our area often struggle to secure the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which has been stalled for decades as labor and construction costs continue to rise, would help reduce the financial burden on these providers and enhance their ability to deliver a higher quality and a more reliable water supply,” said Prowers County Commissioners Ty Harmon, Roger Cook, and Roger Stagner. “In addition to supporting households and businesses, a stable water supply is essential for agriculture — the backbone of our community’s economy. Reliable water access ensures that farmers and ranchers can maintain production, adapt to drought conditions, and sustain the long-term viability of their operations. We’re grateful for Congresswoman Boebert’s work on this project and her efforts to support Southeast Colorado.”

    “In the west, it is critical that we have sound water infrastructure to meet communities’ needs,”said HNR Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).“Rep. Boebert’s legislation will help get the Arkansas Valley Conduit project across the finish line more than 50 years after it was authorized. I thank her for her work to move this important project forward and her leadership on western water issues.”

    The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s H.R. 131 can be read HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Brown wins court order blocking Trump administration’s dismantling of Health and Human Services

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Nick Brown today, along with attorneys general from 19 states, secured a preliminary injunction halting Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ensuring continued access to critical public health and social service programs. On May 5, Washington co-led the coalition states in suing to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping and unlawful directive, which left HHS unable to carry out many of its most vital functions. Today, Judge Melissa R. Dubose of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island blocked the administration’s mass layoffs at several key HHS agencies while the case proceeds.

    “This ruling affirms that Secretary Kennedy can’t abruptly and unlawfully cut off crucial, congressionally mandated health services,” said Brown. “That is the very definition of arbitrary and capricious, not to mention cruel to the federal employees performing those essential services in our states, and the millions of residents relying on them.”

    On March 27, Kennedy announced a sweeping restructuring of HHS. The plan collapsed 28 agencies into 15, terminated 10,000 employees without warning, and left key HHS offices shuttered or in disarray. Many workers learned they were fired only after being locked out of their offices and deactivated from government systems. In its lawsuit, the multistate coalition argued that this unlawful overhaul immediately endangered lives and left crucial programs and systems in chaos. The overhaul cut off federal support for Head Start centers, suspended maternal health data collection, effectively shuttered disease monitoring at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and left miners in the dark on crucial safety and health issues. The administration also terminated the entire team responsible for updating federal poverty guidelines – a tool used to determine eligibility for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and housing assistance.

    Today, DuBose granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, blocking further implementation of the restructuring and stopping the termination of employees across four critical offices:

    • The CDC, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health;
    • The Center for Tobacco Products;
    • The Office of Head Start; and
    • The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

    As DuBose recognized, “the record is completely devoid of any evidence that the Defendants have performed any research on the repercussions of issuing and executing the plans announced in the Communiqué. Without a modicum of evidence to the contrary, the record shows that the Defendants did not consider the ‘substantial harms and reliance interests’ of the States and the devastating consequences that would be felt by the populations served by those critical health programs.” DuBose correctly noted that “Congress never meant to confer HHS the power to self-destruct.”

    Joining Brown in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Press Conference by Security Council President on Programme of Work for July

    Source: United Nations 4

    The Security Council will convene its signature event on 22 July — a high-level open debate on promoting international peace and security through multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes — the Council’s President for the month said at a United Nations Headquarters press conference today.

    Asim Iftikhar Ahmad (Pakistan), who holds the 15-member organ’s rotating presidency for this month, said the open debate — held under the overarching theme of maintaining international peace and security — will be chaired by his country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The Secretary-General is expected to brief the Council.  “The debate stems from the fact that today’s crises often emerge from unresolved disputes, erosion of international obligations and underutilization of peaceful means enshrined in the Charter,” he said.  The discussion will examine the effectiveness of existing dispute settlement mechanisms, identify barriers to implementing Council resolutions and explore ways to strengthen preventive diplomacy, mediation and technical support.  It will also reaffirm the commitments made in the Pact for the Future towards preventive diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

    The Council will further hold a signature event on “Cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations”, chaired also by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.  It will spotlight UN’s engagement with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which represents 57 member States across four continents and has played an increasingly important role in conflict prevention and mediation, humanitarian response and post-conflict recovery.  This meeting will explore ways to institutionalize and deepen this cooperation, particularly in relation to peace processes in various contexts.

    On 23 July, the Council will hold its quarterly open debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, which will be elevated to the ministerial level.  The meeting will reaffirm the Council’s responsibility to protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law and push for an immediate ceasefire, along with just and lasting solutions based on UN resolutions concerning the Palestinian question.

    Throughout July, the Council will consider several country-specific and thematic issues, primarily through mandated briefings and situational updates.  These will include discussions on Colombia, Haiti, Cyprus, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the International Criminal Court, as well as consultations on Lebanon within the framework of resolution 1701 (2006).  The President of the Security Council reaffirmed his readiness to convene additional meetings should developments on the ground — particularly in Africa, the Middle East or Asia — warrant timely engagement.  On 29 July, the Council will also hold a briefing on UN Peace Operations, in the context of the Secretary-General’s ongoing review.

    “We are committed to an open and consultative Presidency,” he stated, outlining the Council’s working methods, which are grounded in transparency, inclusivity and close coordination among all 15 members.  He noted that the Council remains alert and responsive to global developments, with a particular focus on conflict zones such as in the Middle East, Africa, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    He also responded to several questions posed by media correspondents, many of which concerned the situation in Gaza.  In his national capacity, he said the objective of the draft resolution — jointly proposed by China, the Russian Federation and his own country — is to achieve a ceasefire to the conflict. 

    In response to a question about the future role of Hamas in Gaza, he emphasized that this is an intra-Palestinian matter that “should be left to the Palestinians [themselves]”.

    Addressing a query about the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict’s recent report on children in Gaza, which the reporter described as “unfair”, he stressed that mandates such as children and armed conflict must be upheld universally and without selectivity. “[By] failing to do that, […] we are undermining these important mandates,” he warned.

    On the conflict between Israel and Iran, he spoke in his national capacity to reaffirm Pakistan’s principled position, grounded in international law and the Charter of the United Nations.  He noted that some discussions have deviated from Iran’s legitimate rights, highlighting that Tehran remains a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.  “The best way to address the Iranian nuclear issue in all its complexity is through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.  However, he added, this path was seriously disrupted by the recent attacks, while expressing hope that “a window of opportunity” still exists to resume dialogue and reach a conclusive resolution in accordance with international law.

    Regarding the UN’s cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, he pointed to OIC’s growing role in areas such as counter-terrorism, counter-extremism and humanitarian affairs.  He emphasized the importance of deepening engagement between OIC and the Security Council.

    When asked about how the issue of Kashmir could be addressed in the Council, he responded in his national capacity that the dispute remains unresolved and continues to be a source of tension between India and Pakistan, hindering broader regional relations.  He emphasized that it is the Council’s responsibility — especially that of its permanent members — to take meaningful steps towards implementing their own resolutions.

    For the full programme of work, please see:  https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/programme-work.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • INS Tamal joins Indian fleet, reinforces Indo-Russian naval cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a boost to India’s maritime defence capabilities, the Indian Navy on Tuesday commissioned its latest stealth frigate, INS Tamal (F 71), at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. The commissioning ceremony was held in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, along with senior Indian and Russian naval and government officials.

    INS Tamal is the eighth multi-role stealth frigate under Project 1135.6 and the second vessel in the follow-on Tushil class of ships. The first of the class, INS Tushil, was inducted into the Navy in December 2024. All seven earlier ships are part of the Western Fleet, the primary combat arm of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command. INS Tamal will be commanded by Captain Sridhar Tata, a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare.

    The ceremony began with a joint Guard of Honour by the ship’s crew and Russia’s Baltic Naval Fleet. Mr Andrey Sergeyvich Puchkov, Director General of United Shipbuilding Corporation, declared the ceremony open, while Mr Mikhael Babich, Deputy Director General of Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation, highlighted the growing maritime collaboration between India and Russia.

    Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller Warship Production and Acquisition, described the commissioning of Tamal as a testament to the enduring Indo-Russian strategic partnership, noting that it is the 51st ship produced through this collaboration over the past 65 years. He commended the shipyard workers and Indian and Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for their contribution to the vessel’s construction, which supports India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.

    The transfer of the ship was formalised with the signing of the Delivery Act by Captain Sridhar Tata and Mr Sergey Kupriynav, Director General of the Russian Naval Department. The Russian Navy flag was then lowered, and the Indian Naval ensign was hoisted with full honours, marking the frigate’s induction into active service.

    Addressing the gathering, Vice Admiral Singh described the commissioning as a milestone for India’s maritime security and an example of the country’s deep defence cooperation with Russia. He noted that Tamal joins the distinguished ranks of Talwar, Teg, and Tushil class frigates, renowned for their reliability and firepower. “The commissioning of versatile platforms like INS Tamal enhances the Indian Navy’s reach, responsiveness, and resilience,” he said.

    Although built in Russia, the frigate includes 26% indigenous systems, such as the BrahMos long-range supersonic cruise missile and the Humsa-NG sonar system. The construction of the next two ships of the class in India is expected to further expand joint technological capabilities.

    Launched in February 2022, INS Tamal completed extensive sea trials between November 2024 and June 2025, successfully testing her advanced weaponry, including the Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile system, artillery guns, and torpedoes. The frigate is armed with BrahMos missiles, advanced air defence systems, a 100 mm main gun, Close-In Weapon Systems, anti-submarine rockets, and heavyweight torpedoes. She can also embark Kamov 28 and Kamov 31 helicopters for anti-submarine and airborne early warning roles.

    Equipped for multi-dimensional warfare—air, surface, underwater, and electronic—Tamal features sophisticated electronic warfare systems, network-centric operational capabilities, and robust defences against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.

    With a crew of about 250 sailors and 26 officers, the ship upholds the motto Sarvatra Sarvada Vijaya (Victory Always Everywhere), reflecting its commitment to operational excellence in line with the Navy’s vision of remaining a combat-ready, credible, and cohesive force.

    INS Tamal will soon sail to her homeport at Karwar in Karnataka, showcasing India’s maritime strength during her passage. Once operational, the frigate is expected to play a crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests and strengthening India’s presence across vital sea lanes.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Storm Surges Are More Extreme Than Previously Thought, New Study Finds

    Source: US Geological Survey

    The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions of storm-induced coastal flooding, erosion, and cliff failures over large geographic scales. CoSMoS was developed for hindcast studies, operational applications and future climate scenarios to provide emergency responders and coastal planners with critical storm-hazards information that can be used to increase public safety…

    Learn More

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: Senate Passes One Big Beautiful Bill, Providing Permanent Tax Relief for American Families and Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    07.01.25

    Legislation Will Grow Economy, Bolster Border Security, Rebuild Military, Empower Energy Dominance and Support Farmers and Ranchers

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today helped secure passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation to provide permanent tax relief for American families and small businesses, while delivering on key promises, including:

    • Securing the border. 
    • Rebuilding our military.
    • Supporting farmers and ranchers.
    • Unleashing American energy dominance.

    At the same time, the legislation finds savings of $1.6 trillion through common sense reforms and reducing waste, fraud and abuse, ultimately reducing the deficit by $507 billion.

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill will provide permanent tax relief, ensuring that Americans can keep more of their hard-earned dollars,” said Hoeven. “This legislation delivers on promises made by President Trump, including securing the border, investing in our military, empowering American energy dominance and supporting our farmers and ranchers. These are the priorities that will make our nation more prosperous and more secure.”

    Tax Relief for Families and Small Businesses

    The legislation permanently extends current individual tax rates and bracket changes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, preserving $2.6 trillion in tax breaks for those earning under $400,000 per year, and preventing a $1,700 tax hike on the average family of four.

    The bill provides new and expanded tax deductions and credits for individuals, families and seniors, including:

    • No taxes on tips or overtime for millions of American workers.
    • Increasing and making permanent the enhanced child tax credit at $2,200, with $1,700 of that amount being refundable, adjusted for inflation.
    • Permanent relief from the death tax by setting the exemption to $15 million or $30 million for those married filing jointly, adjusted for inflation.
    • Savings accounts for newborns to help build financial security.
    • A new $6,000 tax deduction for millions of low- and middle-income seniors. Combined with other deductions, this will result in the average beneficiary paying zero taxes on Social Security. 

    The legislation helps small businesses, including agricultural producers and manufacturers invest in their operations by:

    • Permanently extending the Section 199A pass-through deduction for small businesses, farmers and ranchers.
      • Permanently extending the Section 199A(g) deduction used by agricultural cooperatives.
    • Increasing the Section 179 expensing amount to $2.5 million and increasing the phaseout for qualified property at $4 million.
    • Establishing a 100 percent accelerated depreciation for new industrial and manufacturing facilities that begin construction between 2025-2028.
    • Making permanent the 30 percent interest expense allowance.
    • Permanently extending the 100 percent domestic research and development deduction.
    • Making permanent 100 percent bonus depreciation.

    Support for Farmers and Ranchers

    The legislation provides strong support for the nation’s farmers and ranchers, and improves the farm-safety net to meet today’s markets and input costs by:

    • Increasing reference prices for ARC and PLC by 10% to 20% (specific increase varies by commodity).
    • Providing built-in future reference price increases with an inflation adjuster and improved price escalator formula to prevent reference prices from becoming outdated when market and input costs change.
    • New safety net begins right away – producers can receive the higher of the ARC or PLC payment for this crop year, 2025, with the new updated reference prices. North Dakota farmers will see tens of millions of dollars in relief in 2025 alone thanks to these updates.
    • Includes key provisions of Hoeven’s FARMER Act to strengthen and expand access to affordable crop insurance
      • Increases premium support for individual-based coverage across nearly all levels – starting at 55% — by an additional 3-5%.
      • Enhances the Supplemental Coverage Option by raising the coverage level from 86% to 90%, and boosts premium support from 65% to 80%.
    • Extends the sugar program through 2031, while increasing the sugar loan rate to meet current market conditions.
    • Improves livestock disaster programs
      • Sets Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payments at 100% of market value for losses from federally protected predators and 75% for weather and disease losses.
      • Improves the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) to provide one monthly payment to eligible producers with grazing land in counties rated D2 (severe drought) for at least four consecutive weeks and two payments if D2 persists during any seven of eight consecutive weeks within the normal grazing period.

    Unleashing U.S. Energy Dominance

    The One Big Beautiful Bill will help restore American energy dominance by rolling back burdensome Green New Deal policies and empowering domestic energy production, including:

    • Increasing the value of the 45Q tax credit for captured carbon used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and utilization to match that of sequestration.
    • Requiring the Interior Department to hold regular oil and gas lease sales across federal lands and waters.
    • Requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to act timely on coal lease applications.
    • Reducing the royalty rate for oil, gas and coal produced on federal land to their levels prior to the Biden administration’s tax-and-spend legislation.
    • Stopping the Biden-era natural gas tax.
    • Investing in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
    • Providing regulatory relief for energy producers and repeals Biden-era Green New Deal policies and programs.

    Bolstering the Military

    • $25 billion to support the Golden Dome initiative, with investments in hypersonic testing, ground-based radars, and space-based sensors that support North Dakota-based missions and capabilities.
    • $15 billion to enhance nuclear deterrence, including the nuclear missions based at Minot Air Force Base:
      •  $2.5 billion for the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
      • $500 million to sustain the existing Minuteman III ICBM.
      • $200 million for additional MH-1139 Grey Wolf helicopters.
    • Improves servicemembers’ quality of life through increased allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, health care, childcare, and education.

    Securing the Border

    • Completes construction of the border wall, and upgrades barrier systems including access roads, cameras, lights, and sensors.
    • Improves border screening technology to help prevent drug trafficking and human smuggling.
    • Strong funding to hire and train more border security personnel.
    • Funds the Operation Stonegarden grant program to equip state and local law enforcements to cooperate with Border Patrol.
    • Invests in state and local capabilities to detect threats from unmanned aerial systems.

    Supporting Water Infrastructure

    • Provides $1 billion in funding for Bureau of Reclamation Water Conveyance Projects, including for eligible projects like the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project (ENDAWS).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch Statement on the Senate Passage of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today released the following statement on advancing President Trump’s America First agenda through the passage of the Senate budget reconciliation bill.

    “The American people gave us a mandate—secure the border, make the Trump tax cuts permanent, dismantle the Green New Deal, and address wasteful spending. While no bill is perfect, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill delivers on these priorities and provides working Americans with the largest tax cut in history,” said Risch.“Congress is not done tackling out-of-control spending. I remain committed to reining in the national debt and ending the waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

    Key achievements of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill include:

    • Cutting $1.6 trillion in federal spending;

    • Providing the largest tax relief in U.S. history for working Idahoans and making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent;

    • Directing historic funding to secure the southern border, finish border wall construction, and strengthen immigration enforcement;

    • Protecting Idaho’s public lands from being sold to the highest bidder;

    • Repealing Green New Deal subsidies for unreliable, intermittent renewable wind and solar and preventing Idaho tax dollars from bankrolling unwanted projects like Lava Ridge;

    • Modernizing and extending Farm Bill safety net programs to support Idaho farmers and ranchers;

    • Preserving Medicaid for vulnerable Americans by enacting common-sense reforms that prioritize resources for those who need care;

    • Eliminating taxes on most firearms under the National Firearms Act, including suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns; and

    • Enhancing national security through investments in servicemember quality of life, Golden Dome for America, and military procurement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crack Cocaine Dealer with an Arsenal Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison

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

                WASHINGTON – Freddie Lee Hall, Jr., 57, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison in connection with distributing crack cocaine while in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Hall pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Hall to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Hall was recorded on surveillance cameras 13 times in 2024 as he sold distribution quantities of cocaine base – in amounts ranging from 13.5 grams to 106 grams, for a total over three-quarters of a kilogram – to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.

                ATF agents arrested Hall on Aug. 22, 2024, in Northwest Washington. The same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence in District Heights, Maryland.  ATF special agents recovered seven firearms in total: a Ruger LC pistol concealed on a basement air duct; a Panzer BP12 shotgun, stashed behind a bedroom door; and five additional firearms in a gun safe that included a privately made firearm, aka a “ghost gun,” a loaded Ruger P89 pistol, a loaded Taurus GX4 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger P95 pistol, and a loaded American Tactical AR pistol with obliterated serial number. They also seized 1,400 rounds of ammunition from 17 firearms magazines.

                During the search ATF agents observed what appeared to be freshly manufactured crack cocaine drying on paper towels in a basement bedroom. They additionally recovered a large quantity of marijuana, 547 grams of powder cocaine, 72.86 grams of cocaine base, two pounds of suspected magic mushrooms, assorted drug paraphernalia and manufacturing devices, and more than $61,763 in cash.

                This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

    24cr378

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crack Cocaine Dealer with an Arsenal Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison

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

                WASHINGTON – Freddie Lee Hall, Jr., 57, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison in connection with distributing crack cocaine while in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

                Hall pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Hall to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Hall was recorded on surveillance cameras 13 times in 2024 as he sold distribution quantities of cocaine base – in amounts ranging from 13.5 grams to 106 grams, for a total over three-quarters of a kilogram – to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.

                ATF agents arrested Hall on Aug. 22, 2024, in Northwest Washington. The same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence in District Heights, Maryland.  ATF special agents recovered seven firearms in total: a Ruger LC pistol concealed on a basement air duct; a Panzer BP12 shotgun, stashed behind a bedroom door; and five additional firearms in a gun safe that included a privately made firearm, aka a “ghost gun,” a loaded Ruger P89 pistol, a loaded Taurus GX4 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger P95 pistol, and a loaded American Tactical AR pistol with obliterated serial number. They also seized 1,400 rounds of ammunition from 17 firearms magazines.

                During the search ATF agents observed what appeared to be freshly manufactured crack cocaine drying on paper towels in a basement bedroom. They additionally recovered a large quantity of marijuana, 547 grams of powder cocaine, 72.86 grams of cocaine base, two pounds of suspected magic mushrooms, assorted drug paraphernalia and manufacturing devices, and more than $61,763 in cash.

                This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

    24cr378

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University

    minoandriani/Getty Images

    The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome.

    We cannot, of course, go back and sniff to find out. But the literary texts, physical remains of structures, objects, and environmental evidence (such as plants and animals) can offer clues.

    So what might ancient Rome have smelled like?

    Honestly, often pretty rank

    In describing the smells of plants, author and naturalist Pliny the Elder uses words such as iucundus (agreeable), acutus (pungent), vis (strong), or dilutus (weak).

    None of that language is particularly evocative in its power to transport us back in time, unfortunately.

    But we can probably safely assume that, in many areas, Rome was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. Property owners did not commonly connect their toilets to the sewers in large Roman towns and cities – perhaps fearing rodent incursions or odours.

    Roman sewers were more like storm drains, and served to take standing water away from public areas.

    Professionals collected faeces for fertiliser and urine for cloth processing from domestic and public latrines and cesspits. Chamber pots were also used, which could later be dumped in cesspits.

    This waste disposal process was just for those who could afford to live in houses; many lived in small, non-domestic spaces, barely furnished apartments, or on the streets.

    A common whiff in the Roman city would have come from the animals and the waste they created. Roman bakeries frequently used large lava stone mills (or “querns”) turned by mules or donkeys. Then there was the smell of pack animals and livestock being brought into town for slaughter or sale.

    Animals were part of life in the Roman empire.
    Marco_Piunti/Getty Images

    The large “stepping-stones” still seen in the streets of Pompeii were likely so people could cross streets and avoid the assorted feculence that covered the paving stones.

    Disposal of corpses (animals and human) was not formulaic. Depending on the class of the person who had died, people might well have been left out in the open without cremation or burial.

    Bodies, potentially decaying, were a more common sight in ancient Rome than now.

    Suetonius, writing in the first century CE, famously wrote of a dog carrying a severed human hand to the dining table of the Emperor Vespasian.

    Deodorants and toothpastes

    In a world devoid of today’s modern scented products – and daily bathing by most of the population – ancient Roman settlements would have smelt of body odour.

    Classical literature has some recipes for toothpaste and even deodorants.

    However, many of the deodorants were to be used orally (chewed or swallowed) to stop one’s armpits smelling.

    One was made by boiling golden thistle root in fine wine to induce urination (which was thought to flush out odour).

    The Roman baths would likely not have been as hygienic as they may appear to tourists visiting today. A small tub in a public bath could hold between eight and 12 bathers.

    The Romans had soap, but it wasn’t commonly used for personal hygiene. Olive oil (including scented oil) was preferred. It was scraped off the skin with a strigil (a bronze curved tool).

    This oil and skin combination was then discarded (maybe even slung at a wall). Baths had drains – but as oil and water don’t mix, it was likely pretty grimy.

    Scented perfumes

    The Romans did have perfumes and incense.

    The invention of glassblowing in the late first century BCE (likely in Roman-controlled Jerusalem) made glass readily available, and glass perfume bottles are a common archaeological find.

    Animal and plant fats were infused with scents – such as rose, cinnamon, iris, frankincense and saffron – and were mixed with medicinal ingredients and pigments.

    The roses of Paestum in Campania (southern Italy) were particularly prized, and a perfume shop has even been excavated in the city’s Roman forum.

    The trading power of the vast Roman empire meant spices could be sourced from India and the surrounding regions.

    There were warehouses for storing spices such as pepper, cinnamon and myrrh in the centre of Rome.

    In a recent Oxford Journal of Archaeology article, researcher Cecilie Brøns writes that even ancient statues could be perfumed with scented oils.

    Sources frequently do not describe the smell of perfumes used to anoint the statues, but a predominantly rose-based perfume is specifically mentioned for this purpose in inscriptions from the Greek city of Delos (at which archaeologists have also identified perfume workshops). Beeswax was likely added to perfumes as a stabiliser.

    Enhancing the scent of statues (particularly those of gods and goddesses) with perfumes and garlands was important in their veneration and worship.

    An olfactory onslaught

    The ancient city would have smelt like human waste, wood smoke, rotting and decay, cremating flesh, cooking food, perfumes and incense, and many other things.

    It sounds awful to a modern person, but it seems the Romans did not complain about the smell of the ancient city that much.

    Perhaps, as historian Neville Morley has suggested, to them these were the smells of home or even of the height of civilisation.

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

    – ref. What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank – https://theconversation.com/what-did-ancient-rome-smell-like-honestly-often-pretty-rank-257111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Staff Concluding Statement for the 2025 Article IV Consultation Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    July 1, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Sarajevo:

    Growth has proven resilient supported by expansionary fiscal policies, but inflation has picked up, and risks are elevated due to external shocks and domestic political tensions. Progress towards EU accession could boost confidence, but political hurdles persist. Fiscal policy should focus on restoring buffers and improving spending quality. The authorities should refrain from further discretionary measures that widen the deficit and strengthen contingency planning. Both entities face large financing needs that are expected to be met through external borrowing, with a Eurobond issuance in FBiH and bilateral loans in the RS, along with some domestic issuances. The authorities should prepare contingency plans in case of financing shortfalls. Reforms, including a review of public employment, wages, and social benefits are needed to achieve a debt-stabilizing primary balance.

    To safeguard monetary stability, it is essential to maintain the currency board and uphold the independence of the central bank. The authorities should continue to closely monitor financial sector risks and enhance crisis preparedness. The establishment of a country-wide financial stability fund, which would facilitate bank restructuring and provide liquidity on an exceptional basis, would substantially strengthen the financial safety net. To accelerate growth, the authorities need to speed up reforms to improve fiscal governance, protect financial integrity, fight corruption, and step up digitalization. Transitioning from coal to green energy along with preparing for the introduction of EU carbon taxes are major challenges ahead. Placing BiH on a higher growth path and providing its people with more opportunities will speed up income convergence with the EU and reduce emigration.

    Recent developments and outlook

    Despite a challenging environment, the economy has been resilient. Growth accelerated to 2.5 percent in 2024 from 2 percent in 2023, with strong domestic demand outweighing a decline in net exports. Household consumption was supported by strong growth in credit and remittances; private investment accelerated. The unemployment rate declined to 11.7 percent in Q4:2024, with real wages growing at an annual rate of 8 percent. The current account deficit widened to 4.0 percent of GDP in 2024 from 2¼ percent in 2023, reflecting a drought-induced decline in electricity exports, weaker demand for exports, and higher imports associated with strong domestic demand. Inflation fell to 1.7 percent in 2024 from 6¼ percent in 2023, owing to a slowdown in fuel and utilities prices. However, since end-2024, inflation has been rising again to 3.7 percent (yoy) in May, driven mainly by higher food prices.

    The economic outlook remains uncertain amid elevated downside risks. Real GDP is projected to grow by 2.4 percent in 2025 supported by an improvement in net exports, a stronger fiscal impulse, and private consumption. However, the outlook is vulnerable to both domestic and external shocks. A worsening in geopolitical tensions and a resulting slowdown in Europe, or increased commodity price volatility could raise food and energy prices, lower BiH exports and remittances, and dampen domestic demand. An escalation of political tensions could further increase economic fragmentation and weigh on investor confidence and growth. In the absence of faster reform progress, medium-term growth is expected to remain around 3 percent—insufficient for rapid income convergence with the EU. Inflation is expected to remain elevated during 2025, and as food inflation eases, gradually decline from 2026, approaching the ECB target of 2 percent.  

    Fiscal policy and reforms

    Fiscal performance in 2024 was stronger than expected. The general government deficit turned out to be 1¾ percent of GDP, the same as in 2023, but better than anticipated at the time of the 2024 AIV Consultation. The authorities leveraged a large increase in tax revenues to boost spending on wages, goods and services, social benefits, and public investments.

    With fiscal policy expected to ease in 2025, the authorities should avoid further discretionary measures and strengthen contingency planning. Entity budgets and subsequently-adopted measures envisage increases in public wages and pensions, reflecting both legally-mandated indexation and discretionary changes. The widening deficit, which could reach 2.6 percent of GDP, is expected to be mainly financed mostly through foreign borrowing, as well as domestic banks. The authorities should avoid policies that further expand the deficit as this would likely put upward pressure on rising prices and widen external imbalances. Moreover, given mounting downside risks, the authorities should aim to build cash buffers and develop contingency plans. Depending on the severity of a potential shock the authorities should use the available buffers and activate contingency plans.

    Over the medium term, the authorities are advised to place fiscal deficits on a firmly declining path starting from 2026, build fiscal buffers, and enhance the economy’s growth potential. Persistently high deficits risk placing public debt on an upward trajectory and may worsen financing terms. Fiscal consolidation should begin in 2026, with the goal of reducing the primary deficit to its debt-stabilizing level, while improving the quality of spending and rebuilding treasury balances. Priority should be given to spending measures that enhance efficiency—particularly by rationalizing the public wage bill through functional reviews and improving the targeting of social assistance programs. These measures should be complemented by revenue mobilization efforts, including broadening the tax base through the reduction of exemptions and development of new revenue sources, such as taxing dividends. Any fiscally costly policies should be strictly avoided or offset. Given significant infrastructure gaps, increasing both the level and quality of public investment should be a key objective.

    Fiscal consolidation efforts should be accompanied by institutional and structural fiscal reforms. Strengthening fiscal discipline will require a review of existing fiscal rules to assess whether they are appropriately designed to meet macroeconomic management and developmental needs and whether there are sufficient institutional arrangements in place to ensure that they are met. The recent materialization of contingent liabilities related to international arbitration cases underscores the urgency of enhancing fiscal risk management. This includes timely identification of all sources of fiscal risks, assessment of risk magnitude and likelihood, development of mitigation strategies, and reinforcement of the institutional framework. In this context, improving the oversight and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is crucial. Reducing inefficiencies in public investment management remains a priority. This involves better project selection, rigorous appraisal processes, efficient and transparency procurement, and stronger portfolio management and oversight. Finally, implementing robust beneficiary registries would improve the targeting of social assistance programs by reducing inclusion and exclusion errors, improving efficiency, and enhancing transparency and accountability.

    Currency board arrangement and financial sector policies and reforms

    For three decades, the currency board arrangement (CBA) has been a cornerstone of macroeconomic stability and must be preserved. The CBA has ensured the stability of the domestic currency, while reinforcing policy credibility and fiscal discipline. Benefiting from strong institutional independence, the Central Bank (CBBH), has consistently maintained net foreign exchange reserves well above the level of its monetary liabilities. Safeguarding the CBBH’s independence is critical to preserving the credibility and effectiveness of the CBA.

    The CBBH should further strengthen the reserve requirement framework. In line with IMF advice, the CBBH applies differentiated remuneration rates on reserve requirements for foreign and domestic currency liabilities. Falling euro area interest rates offer an opportunity to reduce the gap with CBBH remuneration rates on required reserves and the opportunity costs for holding reserves. A further comprehensive review of the reserve requirement framework, with technical assistance from the IMF, and implementation of previous recommendations would further strengthen the CBBH’s capacity to achieve its policy objectives.  

    Sustained strong credit growth calls for close monitoring of systemic risks and continued efforts to safeguard banking sector resilience. Credit expansion has been driven by rising wages, declining lending rates, and a booming real estate market. Despite this rapid growth, banks remain well capitalized, liquid, and profitable, while the share of non-performing loans continues to decline. Nonetheless, vigilance is warranted. The authorities should closely monitor financial sector developments and be prepared to deploy macroprudential tools to address risks from credit growth and rising real estate prices. Following introduction of additional capital buffers for systemic risk (SyRB) and domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), the macroprudential toolkit should be expanded to include a countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) and borrower-based measures such as limits on loan-to-value (LTV) ratios and debt-service to income (DSTI) ratios. To preserve resilience, reducing the regulatory capital requirement from 12 to 10 percent as planned from end-2026 should be avoided. The authorities are also advised to avoid further extensions of temporary regulatory measures that aim to contain lending rate increases and to remove limits on bank exposures to foreign governments and central banks.

    Progress made on coordination on financial sector issues, under the leadership of the CBBH, should be maintained. Regular financial sector coordination meetings strengthen inter-agency cooperation and help ensure smooth information exchange. Additionally, the authorities are encouraged to establish a country-wide Financial Stability Fund to support orderly bank resolution and to cooperate across state-level institutions and both entities to request a new IMF Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP)—already requested by the CBBH—to comprehensively assess resilience and outline a roadmap for further reform, including in the context of EU accession.

    We commend the CBBH and the other relevant authorities for their strong efforts to integrate BiH with the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). SEPA integration will enable faster and more convenient euro payments across borders within the SEPA area, lower transaction costs, and foster deeper trade and economic integration within Europe. It is crucial that the relevant legislative amendments are adopted in a timely manner to pave the way for the submission of the application for SEPA membership. In addition, the development of the TIPS Clone—the project implemented by the CBBH in cooperation with the Bank of Italy—will provide infrastructure for instant payments.

    Structural reforms

    Advancing toward EU membership will require a stronger, more coordinated, and results-driven approach. Persistent political fragmentation, lack of consensus among governing bodies, and limited administrative capacity continue to obstruct the adoption and execution of key reforms. In this context, timely adoption and implementation of the EU Growth Plan offers a valuable opportunity. Reforms under the growth plan will align BiH more closely with the EU single market, advance EU accession, and unlock €1 billion in additional financing over 2025–27 period.

    The authorities should accelerate energy sector reforms to reduce fiscal risks and prepare for implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Key reforms include phasing out electricity subsidies over the medium term—while protecting vulnerable households—and advancing efficiency improvements in energy SOEs. CBAM charges are set to take effect from 2026, with the largest anticipated impact on the BiH electricity sector. To mitigate this, it is essential to establish a domestic power exchange system and an agreed roadmap and legislative framework for introduction of carbon pricing at the state level. These steps would enable BiH to unlock new investment in renewable electricity generation, reducing the overall burden of CBAM. Implementation of carbon pricing will allow BiH to retain carbon-related revenues domestically and potentially secure a CBAM exemption for electricity exports to the EU.

    Reforms that tackle the labor market, governance, and digitalization are also crucial. The authorities should take a structured approach to minimum wage increases that avoids high, frequent, and ad hoc adjustments. Complementary reforms are needed to address low labor market participation (particularly among women) and high youth unemployment. The authorities should urgently implement MONEYVAL priority actions to avoid being grey listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in early 2026. Grey listing could impose significant economic costs through reduced investment, delays in international payments, and increased transaction costs. Finally, developing digital identity and trust services, and providing government e-services, would strengthen the business environment.

    *   *   *   *   *

    The mission thanks the authorities and all other counterparts for their hospitality and for the constructive and insightful discussions in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Camila Perez

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/07/01/cs-070125-bosnia-and-herzegovina-staff-concluding-statement-for-2025-aiv-consultation-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Bank Robber Arrested for Allegedly Robbing Weymouth Bank at Gunpoint

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant previously convicted of robbing five banks across four separate cities and towns

    BOSTON – A Quincy man has been arrested and charged in connection with the December 2024 armed robbery of a Santander Bank in Weymouth.

    Glenn Legere, 46, of Quincy, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery. The defendant was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for July 8, 2025.

    According to the charging document, at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, local law enforcement was dispatched to a Santander bank branch in Weymouth for a reported bank robbery. There, it is alleged that a bank teller told law enforcement that as employees were preparing to close the bank, a man wearing a sweatshirt, baseball hat, face covering and gloves entered the bank through the main entrance. It is alleged that the suspect approached the victim teller’s window, removed a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt, opened a black cloth bag and demanded all the money. As the bank teller handed the suspect money from the cash box, the suspect allegedly yelled words to the effect of “I need money,” “I want the money” and “I don’t play.” At various times, the suspect allegedly pointed the firearm directly at the victim teller. It is further alleged that the suspect ran towards other teller windows, gesturing d towards the cash box areas and demanding more money, but the victim teller explained that there was no more money and displayed an empty cash drawer. The suspect allegedly then left the bank with approximately $947 in stolen cash.

    According to court documents, a subsequent review of surveillance video footage from nearby locations determined that the suspect drove to and from the robbery location in a silver or grey Jeep Grand Cherokee. A vehicle matching the description was captured on cameras in Quincy immediately before and after the robbery. It is alleged that the vehicle was registered to Legere. 
        
    Legere has multiple prior convictions for committing armed and unarmed robberies, including a 2011 conviction of armed robbery in Norfolk Superior Court for which he was sentenced to three to five years in state prison, as well as a 2010 conviction for armed and unarmed robbery of banks in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he was sentenced to three years in state prison.

    As stated in open court at the defendant’s initial appearance today, when Legere was arrested, a firearm and some of the clothing believed to be used by Legere during the robbery were recovered.

    The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard M. Fuller made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Wellesley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sudan: United Nations (UN) warns of soaring displacement and looming floods


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    At Tuesday’s regular briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric relayed warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), citing urgent concerns across the country.

    “Across Sudan, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting, which is escalating displacement and driving needs even higher,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    Conflict driving displacement

    Clashes between rival militaries – Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – continue to uproot civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan states. Fighting in El Fasher alone has displaced more than 400,000 people since April, according to OCHA.

    In June, nearly 8,000 displaced people from North Darfur arrived in Ad-Dabba, putting pressure on overstretched resources and limited access to healthcare, shelter, clean water and food.

    In North Kordofan, over 16,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Bara between 26 and 29 June alone, while another 16,000 to flee Babanusa in West Kordofan on 27 June, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Flood warnings

    Separately, OCHA warned of increased flood risks as Sudan enters its rainy season, which runs through October. Forecasts point to above-average rainfall, heightening the threat of both riverine and flash floods – especially in areas already facing limited infrastructure and access.

    “Any flooding could disrupt road access, hamper aid delivery, and heighten the threat of disease outbreaks during the ongoing lean season,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting that an ongoing cholera outbreak could worsen with the floods.

    Nearly 500,000 people were affected by floods last year. With the likelihood of a repeat or worse this season, Mr. Dujarric said humanitarian agencies are ready to respond “where access and resources allow,” but warned that critical funding gaps are hampering preparedness.

    UN relief visits Sudan

    Mr. Dujarric also highlighted the importance of recent discussions between Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and senior SAF and RSF officials.

    Mr. Fletcher appealed for a humanitarian pause to allow lifesaving aid to reach people in El Fasher, which has been besieged by the RSF and cut off from assistance since last April.

    “Our humanitarian colleagues underscore that we will continue our engagements with the aim of facilitating the swift and safe delivery of aid to all those who need it,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: HerBodhi Launches Primal Queen Alternative Backed by Science for Natural Hormonal Balance and Women’s Wellness

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a marketplace flooded with synthetic hormone therapies, under-researched wellness supplements, and quick-fix diet fads, a new player has emerged that promises to disrupt the status quo — HerBodhi. Designed specifically for women navigating hormonal imbalances, stubborn weight gain, low energy, and gut health issues, HerBodhi is redefining what it means to achieve balance the natural way.

    With a commitment to transparency, science-backed ingredients, and long-term women’s wellness, HerBodhi stands out not just as another product on the shelf — but as a movement. And with growing curiosity about how it compares to similar offerings like Primal Queen, consumers are paying close attention.

    This press release explores HerBodhi’s origins, formulation, benefits, customer response, and how it is setting a new benchmark in the women’s wellness space.

    Get HerBodhi for Hormonal Balance & Wellness

    The HerBodhi Mission: A New Standard for Hormonal and Metabolic Health

    HerBodhi was created out of necessity. In recent years, more women have been speaking up about the struggles of bloating, PMS, weight retention, brain fog, low libido, and irregular cycles — only to be told it’s “normal” or offered synthetic hormone solutions with side effects. HerBodhi founders believed there had to be a better way.

    Built on a philosophy of holistic, herbal balance, HerBodhi’s mission is simple but powerful:

    To empower women to take control of their hormones, metabolism, and emotional well-being through nature and science combined.

    The team behind HerBodhi includes medical herbalists, nutritionists, and biochemists who sought to design a formula that truly addresses the root causes of hormone dysfunction — not just the symptoms.

    Their belief? A woman in balance is unstoppable.

    Why Hormonal Balance Is the Missing Link in Weight Loss & Wellness

    Many women spend years hopping from diet to diet or trying intense workout routines—without lasting success. What’s often overlooked is the role of hormones like estrogen, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones in determining fat storage, cravings, mood, and energy levels.

    When hormones are even slightly out of balance, it becomes nearly impossible to lose weight or feel emotionally stable. That’s where HerBodhi shines—it addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms.

    Visit Official Website To Start Your Journey With Herbodhi

    The Key Ingredients of HerBodhi?

    HerBodhi’s proprietary formula contains a synergistic blend of adaptogens, hormone-regulating herbs, digestive aids, and metabolic boosters. Each ingredient is carefully sourced, tested, and dosed to ensure efficacy and safety.

    Key ingredients include:

    • Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex Agnus-Castus): Known for balancing progesterone levels and relieving PMS and menopausal symptoms.
    • Ashwagandha Root: An adaptogen that regulates cortisol levels, reduces anxiety, and supports thyroid health.
    • DIM (Diindolylmethane): Naturally found in cruciferous vegetables, DIM supports estrogen metabolism and hormone detoxification.
    • Black Cohosh: Supports mood stability and reduces hot flashes.
    • Berberine: Helps balance blood sugar and improve metabolic efficiency.
    • Probiotic Blend: Supports gut flora, digestion, and estrogen elimination.
    • Zinc & Magnesium: Essential minerals for hormone production and mood regulation.

    These ingredients work together to address key imbalances that commonly affect women — from estrogen dominance to adrenal fatigue, poor digestion, and stubborn fat storage.

    HerBodhi is 100% vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and contains no artificial fillers or preservatives. It’s manufactured in FDA-registered, GMP-certified facilities in the United States.

    How Does HerBodhi Work?

    HerBodhi works through a three-phase mechanism to bring the body back into balance naturally:

    1. Hormonal Harmony Phase

    Regulates key female hormones (estrogen, progesterone and cortisol) to eliminate imbalances caused by stress, aging, or lifestyle.

    2. Fat Metabolism Activation

    Helps the body naturally convert stored fat into energy, reduces insulin resistance, and minimizes abdominal weight gain.

    3. Mood & Energy Restoration

    Improves mental clarity, reduces brain fog, enhances mood, and restores energy through adaptogenic herbs and essential nutrients.

    What Makes HerBodhi a Long-Term Solution?

    Where other supplements often offer temporary fixes, HerBodhi is built for sustainable wellness.

    The team encourages users to commit to at least 90 days of use to begin rebalancing hormonal pathways and cellular health. According to internal customer surveys, over 70% of users reported:

    • Improved mood and emotional regulation
    • Decreased PMS symptoms
    • More regular menstrual cycles
    • Noticeable fat loss around the midsection
    • Clearer skin and fewer hormonal breakouts
    • Better sleep quality and reduced fatigue

    This is not a pill designed to change your body overnight. Rather, HerBodhi aims to restore balance from within — gradually, safely, and in alignment with your body’s natural rhythms.

    Take Control of Your Hormones with HerBodhi

    HerBodhi’s Impact on the Gut-Hormone Axis

    Emerging research continues to support the idea that gut health and hormonal balance are deeply intertwined. The gut microbiome plays a vital role in metabolizing hormones, regulating appetite, and preventing inflammation.

    HerBodhi includes a proprietary probiotic + prebiotic complex that:

    • Enhances estrogen detoxification through the liver and bowels
    • Reduces bloating and improves digestion
    • Encourages proper elimination, essential for hormonal regulation
    • Supports serotonin production, which is primarily generated in the gut

    This gut-hormone synergy is one of the key differentiators of HerBodhi, making it more than just a hormone-balancing supplement — it’s a total body reset.

    Safety First: The HerBodhi Transparency Promise

    In an industry known for misleading claims and proprietary blends that obscure ingredient amounts, HerBodhi operates with full transparency.

    Each bottle lists exact dosages of every ingredient, along with links to clinical studies supporting its inclusion. All raw materials are independently tested for:

    • Purity
    • Potency
    • Heavy metals
    • Pesticides
    • Microbial contamination

    The company is also fully compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee for customers.

    What Makes HerBodhi Different from Others Like (Primal Queen)?

    • Woman-Specific Formulation: Unlike generic blends, HerBodhi is tailored for the female body and its unique hormonal rhythms.
    • Science-Backed Ingredients: Every herb is supported by clinical data and included in its most effective form (e.g., KSM-66 Ashwagandha).
    • Root-Cause Approach: Rather than masking symptoms, HerBodhi targets hormonal imbalance at its core.
    • Clean Manufacturing: Produced in GMP-certified, FDA-inspected facilities with no GMOs, soy, dairy, or synthetic fillers.
    • Adaptogenic Synergy: Combines adaptogens and botanicals for long-term wellness, not just quick fixes.
    • Backed by Real Women: Trusted by thousands of women globally who have reported lasting physical and emotional improvements.

    Visit Official Website to Get More Info..

    Who Should Use HerBodhi?

    HerBodhi is ideal for women experiencing:

    • PMS and irregular periods
    • Hormonal acne or mood swings
    • Perimenopause or menopause symptoms
    • Unexplained weight gain (especially belly fat)
    • Chronic fatigue, low libido, or stress

    It supports women in their 20s through 60s looking to reclaim hormonal balance and emotional well-being naturally.

    Is HerBodhi Backed by Science?

    Yes. Each ingredient has been chosen based on clinical studies demonstrating effectiveness for women’s hormonal and emotional health.

    • Black Cohosh has shown significant reductions in menopause symptoms.
    • KSM-66 Ashwagandha is clinically proven to reduce cortisol and anxiety.
    • Red Clover helps improve bone density and reduce hot flashes.

    HerBodhi unites these ingredients in a synergistic formula designed for everyday use and long-term balance.

    Customer Feedbacks

    Thousands of women have turned to HerBodhi in the last year, and the testimonials speak for themselves.

    “I was skeptical at first, but by month two my bloating was gone, I’d lost 8 pounds, and my PMS rage just disappeared. This supplement changed my life.” – Samantha R., 36

    “After struggling with PCOS symptoms for years, HerBodhi was the first thing that actually made a difference. I feel like myself again.” – Karla M., 29

    “I’m in my late 40s, and perimenopause hit me hard. HerBodhi gave me back my sleep, my energy, and my sex drive. Worth every penny.” – Jenna L., 48

    The company encourages transparency in its reviews — with a full spectrum of feedback, not just cherry-picked testimonials — so women can make informed choices.

    Availability, Pricing, and Guarantee

    HerBodhi is currently available exclusively through its official website (https://getherbodhi.com), allowing the company to maintain quality control and avoid third-party knockoffs. Buying directly from the source gives you access to special bundle discounts, free shipping on select packages. It also ensures your order is protected with secure checkout and fast delivery. Avoid third-party sites to reduce the risk of counterfeit products—always choose the official site for safe, effective, and verified HerBodhi supplements.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q1: Can I take HerBodhi while on birth control?
    Yes, but consult your doctor for specific medical guidance.

    Q2: Are there any side effects?
    HerBodhi is generally well-tolerated, but mild symptoms like nausea may occur in sensitive individuals.

    Q3: Is it safe for long-term use?
    Yes. HerBodhi is made with non-habit-forming herbs and is safe for consistent daily use.

    Q4: When will I see results?
    Many users notice changes in mood and energy within 7–14 days, with full hormonal support visible by weeks 4–6.

    Conclusion: A New Era for Women’s Wellness

    With its strategic launch, HerBodhi is more than a supplement — it’s a signal that women deserve better.

    Better ingredients.
    Better transparency.
    Better results.
    And most importantly, better respect for their unique physiological needs.

    While comparisons with products like Primal Queen are inevitable, HerBodhi isn’t just another brand vying for attention. It’s a carefully crafted solution that listens to women — and delivers.

    As the company prepares to expand into retail and expand educational outreach on hormonal health, one thing is clear: HerBodhi is not a trend — it’s the future of women’s wellness.

    Media Contact:

    Brand website: https://getherbodhi.com/

    Email: hello@herbodhi.com

    Manufactured under the Technical Guidance of:

    Bodhi Wellness, UAB

    Company code: 307001428

    Address

    Aludarių g. 3, LT-01113 Vilnius, Lithuania

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Stands with President Trump, Passes One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released the following statement after voting to pass President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill.
    “President Trump and I want to preserve the American Dream for working and middle America,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We keep taxes low, cut taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, extend the Child Tax Credit, fix our broken education system, support our military, secure our border, and build a business environment that creates better paying jobs – especially in Louisiana.” 
    As chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy led the Committee’s portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which fixes America’s broken higher education system and addresses the root causes of the student debt crisis.
    Cassidy pushed to secure provisions in this historic legislation that:
    Make higher education more affordable by eliminating inflationary loan programs that have resulted in higher tuition costs.   
    Prevent taxpayer-subsidized loans for degrees that leave students worse off than if they never went to college.  
    Reform the current federal student loan program that transfers debt onto the 87 percent of Americans who chose to not go to college or already paid off their loans.
    Ensure low-income Americans can access higher education by strengthening Pell Grants and addressing the program’s budget shortfall. As it currently stands, the Pell Grant program faces a mounting budget shortfall that threatens its future.  
    Expand education freedom and opportunity for students by providing a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. 
    Increase access to career or technical-based education for low-income students by establishing Workforce Pell Grants. This is crucial to achieving President Trump’s goal of bringing skilled jobs back to America from China and Mexico. 
    Boost U.S. manufacturing and crack down on China and other countries abusing our trade loopholes (de minimis). In 2023, Cassidy introduced similar legislation. 
    Provide beauty industry small businesses with access to the tip credit, which would create jobs.
    Eliminate the $200 tax stamp for short-barreled firearms. 
    Raise the annual cap on offshore energy revenue sharing with Gulf states from $500 million to $650 million through 2034. 
    Require the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to hold no fewer than two lease sales every year for fifteen years in the Central and Western areas of the Gulf of America—something the Biden administration refused to do. 
    Invest $389 million in America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to bolster U.S. energy security. 
    Unleash American energy by allowing energy companies to deduct costs, including labor and safety, associated with oil and gas exploration. 
    Expand access to direct primary care arrangements, by allowing the use of Health Savings Account (HSA) dollars to pay for such services. 
    Click here for the HELP section-by-section.
    Click here for the HELP one-pager.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Missile fired from Yemen intercepted over Israel – Israeli army

    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

    JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces fired a rocket toward Israel on Tuesday evening, triggering air raid sirens in central and southern parts of the country before the projectile was intercepted, the Israeli army said in a statement.

    “The missile, launched from Yemeni territory, was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force,” the military said, adding that alarm sirens were activated.

    There are no reports of casualties.

    The Houthis regularly attack Israel with missiles and drones, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The rebel group says it will stop its attacks if Israel ends its offensive in the Palestinian enclave and lifts its blockade. In response, the Jewish state has launched massive airstrikes in Yemen, hitting key ports, an airport and other infrastructure. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Development Banks committed $19.6 billion to water projects in 2024

    Source: European Investment Bank

    ©mrjn Photography/ Unsplash

    Ten multilateral development banks (MDBs) active in the water sector have approved global investments totalling $19.6 billion (€17 billion) in 2024. According to the inaugural Joint Annual MDB Water Security Financing Report, launched on the sidelines of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, nearly three-quarters of these funds were earmarked for low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries.

    The report follows a joint commitment made in December 2024 at the One Water Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the African Development Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank Group, Islamic Development Bank, New Development Bank, and World Bank Group. The MDBs pledged to significantly increase support for the water sector between 2025 and 2030 and to report jointly on their progress.

    This first edition of the annual Water Security Financing Report provides an overview of MDB investments in the global water sector, establishing a baseline for tracking future financing. It highlights the collective efforts of the ten members of the MDB Water Sector Coordination Group (the aforementioned banks plus the Council of Europe Development Bank) to foster collaboration, share expertise, and drive innovative solutions. It also shows that the EIB accounted for more than a quarter of total MDB financing to the sector in 2024. This strong engagement is in line with the EIB’s forthcoming Water Resilience Programme, which aims to increase the Group’s lending in the sector by 50% to €15 billion between 2025 and 2027, potentially catalysing up to €40 billion in global water investments over three years.

    “Creating sustainable water systems worldwide requires financing, but it also demands partnerships that bring together investment, technical assistance, and knowledge,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “That is why the MDBs have made water a shared priority. The first Water Security Financing Report reflects our collective responsibility – and our ambition to achieve more, together.”

    Examples of EIB cooperation with other MDBs include a partnership with the African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Bank Group, and West African Development Bank to help protect Cotonou, Benin, from flooding by improving drainage infrastructure across 34 basins. In Mongolia, the EIB and the Asian Development Bank are working together to build wastewater treatment plants and improve rainwater drainage systems in several cities. The EIB has also enjoyed a 20-year collaboration with the Council of Europe Development Bank, co-financing the construction, expansion, and refurbishment of water and sewerage networks in all major municipalities across Cyprus.

    Background

    Half of the world’s population is estimated to live in areas facing water scarcity. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, threatening both the quantity and quality of water resources and damaging vital infrastructure. At the same time, cooperation to optimise water resource management and development is lacking, and fragmentation hampers water security. According to a World Bank study, the annual funding gap to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation is estimated at $138 billion (a mid-range estimate) between 2017 and 2030. On average, countries would need to nearly triple their annual spending to close this gap. The challenge is even greater in Sub-Saharan Africa, where spending would need to increase by up to 17 times, and in low-income or conflict-affected countries, where investment may need to rise by as much as 42 times.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Explosive Colors: Unveiling the Mineral Magic Behind Fourth of July Fireworks

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Each hue is created by unique chemicals sourced from various minerals. These natural resources, which can be discovered on a journey across the country, enrich both your celebrations and daily life in often overlooked ways. Dive deeper to discover the fascinating elements responsible for these stunning displays and uncover the surprising roles these minerals play beyond lighting up our celebrations. 

    Discover Where the Minerals Lighting Up the Sky this 4th of July are Produced in the U.S.

    Infographic created by Eliza Malakoff, presidential management fellow

    Barium: The Green Enigma

    Barium, the mineral behind the green glow, is produced from barite in Nevada. Barium’s emerald hues in fireworks continue to enchant audiences while also playing a crucial role in the oil and gas industry. In drilling fluids, barium is used as barite to control well pressure, stabilize the wellbore, and carry cuttings to the surface. 

    Additionally, barite is used in ceramics, glass manufacturing, and as a filler in various industrial processes. Its properties make it valuable in corrosion-resistant coatings for vehicles and equipment. 

    Zinc: The Smoky Trailblazer

    Zinc creates mesmerizing smoke effects and is mined extensively in Alaska. As one of the world’s largest producers, the U.S. contributes to the supply of this versatile mineral, which not only adds drama to fireworks but also plays a pivotal role in galvanization, the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron. This process protects steel structures across the country from corrosion, extending the lifespan of bridges, buildings, and other critical infrastructure. Zinc is also mixed into brass and other metal alloys to make components used in cars, electronics and household fixtures. 

    Copper: The Blue Powerhouse

    Copper’s stunning blue hues are mined in abundance in Arizona. As one of the world’s largest producers, the U.S. leverages copper in electrical wiring and renewable energy technologies. Copper is integral to the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, and its excellent conductivity makes it a cornerstone of our modern energy infrastructure. Copper is also used in construction, in roofing, gutters and siding. It is a key component of brass and bronze, which are used to make everything from industrial machinery to musical instruments.

    Titanium: The Spark of Innovation

    Titanium, responsible for bright white sparks, is mined primarily in Georgia and Florida. Titanium metal has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is crucial to the aerospace and medical devices industries, where its durability and resistance to corrosion ensure long-lasting performance of critical components. In fireworks, it’s the titanium that provides those breathtaking, brilliant white bursts. 

    Magnesium: The Brilliant White Light

    Magnesium’s intense white light is a staple in fireworks. It is sourced from brines in the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Magnesium is a key ingredient in strong, lightweight aluminum metal alloys that are used widely by the aerospace, automotive and electronics industries. Magnesium is also used in the production process of steel, iron, glass and cement. Its flammability also makes it a popular choice in fireworks and flares.

    Sodium: The Golden Glow

    Sodium, responsible for the golden yellows in fireworks, is predominantly sourced from trona ore in Wyoming in the U.S., with the Green River Basin holding one of the largest deposits in the world. The U.S. excels as a significant producer of soda ash derived from trona ore and is integral to both pyrotechnic displays and numerous industrial applications. Sodium compounds, derived from soda ash, are used in manufacturing glass, paper, detergents, and even in water treatment processes, showcasing the mineral’s versatility and importance.

    Independence Day fireworks are more than just an impressive array of colors and sounds; they highlight the minerals that fuel these dazzling displays. The radiant yellows and vibrant greens that illuminate the night sky, along with the practical uses that support our modern lifestyle, all stem from these important minerals. 

    By delving into the captivating origins of these minerals found throughout the U.S. and recognizing their significant impact, you can uncover the hidden forces behind each vibrant explosion of color.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 197 Months in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    FORT WAYNE –Derek L. Taylor, 47 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Taylor was sentenced to 197 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, in August and September 2023, Taylor distributed cocaine.  Search warrants resulted in the recovery of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and M30 pills containing fentanyl, along with three handguns, a stolen semi-automatic rifle, multiple digital scales, baggies, and a substantial amount of powder used in the distribution of narcotics.  Taylor was previously convicted twice of distributing drugs and was also previously convicted of felony battery, making him a career offender for purposes of federal sentencing.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department.  Also assisting this investigation was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

    This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Secures Major Wins for Oklahoma Families, Energy Producers, and Small Businesses in One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
    WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committees, released the following statement after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which delivers the largest tax cut in history for hardworking Americans, secures the border, strengthens Medicaid program integrity, and rebuilds the military, all while cutting out-of-control spending.
    “This is a big, beautiful win for Oklahoma families, workers, seniors, and small businesses,” said Lankford. “This bill halts the largest tax increase in history, secures the border, and contains the most significant entitlement reform in years. I fought to make sure Oklahoma values were reflected in this package – protecting charitable giving, supporting energy jobs, and making it easier for businesses to grow and hire American workers.”
    Lankford secured key wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill to support Oklahoma families, job creators, and charitable giving.
    He secured the charitable deduction for non-itemizers, allowing couples to deduct up to $2,000 in donations. This will help more Americans support local churches, charities, and non-profits.
    Lankford also led the repeal of the Biden administration’s tax penalty on oil and gas producers by restoring key investment deductions. This will allow energy producers to reinvest, create jobs, and keep energy prices stable.
    He also worked to make full, immediate expensing permanent so businesses can deduct the full cost of equipment and technology up front. This will drive expansion, innovation, and job creation across Oklahoma. 
    Background
    Lankford has been outspoken on what it would have meant for Oklahomans if the One Big Beautiful Bill hadn’t passed the Senate and if President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts expire:
    A staggering 63,000 jobs were projected to be lost.
    The average Oklahoma family faced a $2,013 tax increase.
    Nearly 449,000 households would have seen their child tax credit reduced by 50%.
    Over 233,000 small business owners would have been hit with significant tax hikes.
    More than 1.5 million families would have had their standard deduction cut in half.
    To read more about how this bill helps families, seniors, the vulnerable and disabled, farmers and ranchers, small businesses, as well as strengthens our national defenses, unleashes American energy, and secures the border, see below: 
    How this bill helps families
    This bill delivers the largest tax cut in history, which will result in higher wages and higher take home pay. This is also the most substantial entitlement reform in years, which will help our safety net programs stay viable for those in need.
    The average family will save about $5,000 in additional taxes next year.
    There will be no tax on tips, an increased standard deduction for seniors, no tax on overtime, and a tax break for those who buy new cars made in America.
    This bill will also give families $2,200 per child up to 16 years old every year. It will also create a savings account for every child born between 2025 and the end of 2028 – each account would start with a $1,000 deposit that parents can invest for their kids, giving kids a financial boost from birth.
    In Oklahoma, the long-run wage increase is projected to go from $4,800 to $9,100 according to the Council of Economic Advisers.
    In Oklahoma, the take-home pay increase for a family of four is projected to go from $6,500 to $10,800 according to the Council of Economic Advisers.
    This bill also expands the adoption tax credit and indexes it for inflation. It also allows for tribal governments to decide when a child qualifies as having special needs to extra help under the credit. When adoption can cause as much as $60,000, this tax credit will make it easier for families to welcome a child in need into their lives and homes.
    Police officers, firefighters, truckers, linemen, and others who work overtime will take home an average of more than $1,300 a year because of the no tax on overtime in this bill.
    Those who buy a new American-made car will be able to write off some of the interest from their car loan, which will help families and American manufacturing.
    How this bill helps seniors
    Seniors who make less than $75,000 as an individual or a couple who makes less than $150,000 will see a $6,000 increase in their standard deduction regardless of whether they are receiving Social Security yet or not.
    How this bill helps vulnerable and disabled patients
    This bill is good news for vulnerable and disabled patients because it protects the aged, blind, and disabled from changes to Medicaid. It also blocks Biden’s nursing home staffing mandate that threatened rural care facilities, it boosts physician payments to offset cuts that the Biden administration had implemented, and it ensures continued access to care and incentivizes innovation, especially for those with rare diseases or who need access to telehealth options. It also prohibits tax dollars from going to Planned Parenthood through Medicaid.
    How this bill helps farmers and ranchers
    This bill delivers wins for rural America by expanding the farm safety net, strengthening crop insurance, and supporting agricultural trade. The bill also restores accountability in nutrition programs and ensures food assistance serves Americans in need, not illegal immigrants. 
    This bill would keep two million family farms safe from the death tax by making permanent death tax exemptions from the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
    How this bill incentivizes giving to charity
    Sen. Lankford was proud to lead on restoring a tax deduction for non-itemizers – up to $2,000 per couple – which will help more Americans support charities, houses of worship, and non-profits, especially those that serve the most vulnerable. 
    How this bill helps energy production
    Sen. Lankford also led a repeal of the Biden administration’s unfair tax penalty on oil and gas producers by restoring key investment deductions, which will allow domestic energy producers to reinvest, create jobs, and keep energy costs stable. 
    How this bill helps businesses
    Sen. Lankford worked to make full, immediate expensing permanent, so businesses can deduct investments like equipment and technology up front, which will help fuel job creation and business expansion.
    How this bill cracks down on illegal immigration
    This bill devotes $160 billion to hire more Border Patrol Agents, more ICE officers, and to finish the border wall and invest in technology to secure the border.
    How this bill helps our air traffic control system
    The bill invests $12.5 billion to modernize America’s air traffic control system, by replacing outdated equipment, upgrading safety infrastructure, and expanding controller training so we continue to have the safest skies in the world. 
    How this bill strengthens our national defense
    This bill provides $150 billion to strengthen our military, rebuild our defense industrial base, and support border security missions. It also funds the Golden Dome initiative, boosts efforts to counter China, improves the quality of life for our servicemembers, invests in the tools needed to improve Pentagon accountability and delivers a clean audit.

    MIL OSI USA News –