NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moran Leads Effort to Secure Future of Red River Army Depot

    Source: Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01)

    Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) issued the following statement regarding the future operations of the Red River Army Depot (RRAD).

    Washington, D.C. ­— Today, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) issued the following statement regarding the future operations of the Red River Army Depot (RRAD). Earlier this week, Congressman Moran led a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth detailing the critical role that RRAD plays in military preparedness and the need to continue supporting RRAD operations and personnel. This letter, which was co-signed by 11 other members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, stated in part:

    “As Congress works to help fulfill President Trump’s vision of peace through strength, it is critical that we place renewed emphasis on our nation’s maintenance and repair depots that directly support America’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen. For that reason, I strongly urge the Department of Defense to continue operations at Red River Army Depot at full operational capacity—and to actively pursue new mission-critical opportunities that expand its role in our national defense strategy.

    RRAD is not only a cornerstone of America’s military logistics capability, it is also a model of cost-efficiency. Unlike many government facilities, RRAD is funded entirely by the workload it receives from military branches and commercial partners—making it self-sufficient, accountable, and agile. It doesn’t waste taxpayer dollars. It maximizes them.

    We are actively pursuing conversations with the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, and Army Chief of Staff General Randy A. George. While we await a formal response to our letter, I remain committed to safeguarding RRAD’s mission and ensuring it remains a key pillar of our national defense infrastructure.

    We thank the Department of Defense for its continued dedication to national security and stand ready to work together to strengthen our industrial base, protect the jobs of thousands of skilled Texans, and fulfill our shared mission of peace through strength.”

    This week’s letter from Congressman Moran to Secretary Hegseth comes just ahead of the recent visit to Washington, D.C. by representatives from the Texarkana area, who are advocating directly on behalf of RRAD’s mission and future growth. Congressman Moran and his staff have worked closely with these local leaders to support their visit and ensure their voices are heard at the highest levels of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army.

    “We are deeply grateful to Congressman Moran and our congressional delegation for their steadfast leadership and unwavering advocacy on behalf of Red River Army Depot,” said David Orr, Texarkana City Manager. “Their efforts highlight just how essential RRAD is—not only to the strength of our local economy, but to the readiness of our nation’s armed forces. I am proud to stand alongside them in urging continued investment in this world-class facility. Together, we are ensuring that Texarkana remains a vital partner in supporting the brave men and women who defend our freedom.”

    Robin Hickerson, President and CEO of the Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, added: “Red River Army Depot is a critical part of both our local economy and our national defense. It provides quality jobs for families across the region and plays a key role in supporting our military readiness. Our Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee is honored to visit Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Depot, and we are beyond grateful to Congressman Moran for his unwavering commitment to RRAD and its mission.”

    The full letter can be read here.

    Background:

    Congressman Moran and his colleagues from the Texas Congressional Delegation recently submitted a unified letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials, stressing RRAD’s strategic value and calling for continued and expanded operations at the site.

    Located on 15,375 acres in Northeast Texas and housing over 1,400 buildings with more than 8 million square feet of industrial space, Red River Army Depot is a pivotal asset within the Army’s organic industrial base. As the designated Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, RRAD provides indispensable repair and remanufacturing support for critical military systems including the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

    Beyond the Army, RRAD also delivers support to the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy—making it a vital hub of inter-service readiness. Its 3,500-member workforce is lean, experienced, and capable of rapidly scaling operations to meet the evolving needs of our warfighters—having done so during previous combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now again as it provides assistance to U.S. allies in Israel and Ukraine.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, Pocan, 18 Members of Congress Introduce Legislation to Condition Weapons to Israel, Save Lives

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    The legislation comes as the government of Netanyahu escalates ground operations in Gaza and the West Bank and the Trump Administration advocates for the displacement of Palestinians

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Members of Congress Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Mark Pocan (WI-02)  led 18 members of Congress to introduce the Block the Bombs Act. The legislation would withhold the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel and demand Israel’s compliance with U.S. and international law. Given Netanyahu and Trump’s plan to continue and expand ground operations in Gaza and the West Bank and displace Palestinians, the Block the Bombs Act is an important and time-sensitive step to assert Congress’s oversight authority to protect civilians from starvation, displacement, and death.

    Watch the Press Conference

     

    Amid the negotiation of a new ceasefire deal, it is reported that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 54,000 people, while the entire 2.1 million population of Gaza faces prolonged food shortages due to Israeli military blockades. Nearly half a million people are facing a possible famine, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness, and death. Since filing the bill, 36 people, including children, were killed while sleeping in a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, and more than two dozen have been killed close to aid distribution points in Gaza. The actions of Netanyahu’s government in Gaza have been described by Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as “war crimes” against Palestinians. 

    “Netanyahu and Trump are a lethal, unaccountable, extremist duo. Trump has bypassed Congressional oversight on weapons transfers. The Israeli government is currently escalating attacks on the civilian population of Gaza. They are both out of control. Congress needs to assert its oversight authority,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “Enough is enough. By introducing the Block the Bombs Act, a broad coalition is listening to the American people who don’t want their taxpayers’ money to continue supporting gross violations of US, international, and humanitarian law.”

    “Self-defense cannot be justification for killing tens of thousands of people, imposing a humanitarian blockade, or forcing the displacement of a population. And yet, this is exactly what the Netanyahu Government has done for more than a year in Gaza. The United States shouldn’t facilitate this any longer by transferring offensive weapons to Israel that will be used to prolong and compound this mass suffering and death,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “While I will always support the Iron Dome and other defensive systems, I believe we can’t in good conscience send offensive weapons systems that have caused significant civilian casualties and violated U.S. and international law.” 

    “This is a moment of great moral consequence. Over the past year and a half, the Government of Israel has repeatedly used U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of both international and U.S. laws,” said Jayapal. “We can no longer be complicit and allow our tax dollars to facilitate this violence and destruction. I am proud to co-lead this bill that would prevent the transfer of the most egregious offensive weapons to Israel without firm assurances that they will not be used indiscriminately against civilian populations.”

    “For the last year and a half, Benjamin Netanyahu has laid siege to Gaza, killing at least 54,000 people, repeatedly displacing the entire population, and cutting off access to desperately needed humanitarian aid,” said Congressman Pocan. “This commonsense bill will prevent more unchecked transfers of these offensive weapons systems that are used to violate international human rights laws and hopefully help bring this devastating conflict to an end.”

    The Block the Bombs Act requires Israel’s government to establish in writing the use of offensive weapons in accordance with US and International law, and it must be approved by Congress through a joint resolution. The legislation focuses on the worst-offending offensive weapons that are supplied by the US and have been involved in the grossest civilian casualties and documented violations of international law in Gaza. It does not impact Iron Dome or Israel’s ability to defend itself. 

    The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16) Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús Chuy García (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

    It also has the support of local and national organizations like Adalah Justice Project, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Amnesty International USA, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for International Policy Advocacy, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Christians for a Free Palestine, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Defense for Children International – Palestine, Demand Progress, Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Human Rights Watch, Illinois Muslim Action Network, IfNotNow Movement, IMEU Policy Project, Indivisible, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Justice Democrats, MADRE, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, New Internationalism Project, Institute for Policy Studies, Presbyterian Church (USA), Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rising Majority, Sunrise Movement, The American Council for Judaism, The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), Win Without War, Working Families Party

    “The Block the Bombs Act is a historic bill that prohibits the transfer and sale of specific U.S. weapons to Israel that the Israeli government has consistently used to commit atrocities against civilians in violation of both international and U.S. law,”” said Brad Parker, Associate Director of Policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights. “It’s a straightforward challenge to United States complicity in Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza as Israeli forces block humanitarian assistance and directly target schools, hospitals, and civilians. As the Israeli government escalates the murder, starvation, and forcible transfer of Palestinians with President Trump’s full support, we recognize and appreciate the bold leadership of Reps. Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, and Pocan.”

    “Despite opportunities to change course, the Biden administration failed to do so. And now the Trump administration is failing to do so. They have to stop providing weapons to Israel, and they won’t do it without Congressional oversight. Which is why this Block the Bombs Bill is so important. It is your right to demand it, and we are standing with Congresswoman Ramirez to build support for it,” said Paul O’Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International, during a press conference.

    “Our weapons have been used to inflict atrocity after atrocity against Palestinians in Gaza. This is why HR 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, is so necessary. By passing it, Congress will prevent the Trump administration from delivering more bombs, artillery shells, and tank rounds that would enable further atrocities against the Palestinian people,” expressed Josh Ruebner, Policy Director of IMEU, at a press conference. 

    “We’ve documented how the Israeli government has collectively punished the civilian population, deprived the population of objects indispensable to its survival, and used starvation as a weapon of war. This year, Human Rights Watch found that US officials are complicit in Israel’s war crimes and will remain so unless and until weapons are suspended. Legislation like the Block the Bombs Act is long overdue. We hope members will support this effort in recognition of the humanity and dignity of the population suffering in Gaza and to bring US actions in line with US and international law,” Ida Sawyer, Director for Crisis and Conflict of Human Rights Watch. 

    For photos and videos of the event, click here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    Israel’s war in Gaza began after a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 people, mostly women and children. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population, and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. According to the United Nations, Gaza is “the hungriest place on Earth. The agency warns that the entire Palestinian territory’s population is at risk of famine, given that the mission to deliver help is “one of the most obstructed aid operations in recent history.”

    At the moment, Hamas militants are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order promoting coal production, with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, and the secretaries of Interior and Energy behind him. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

    The first time Donald Trump was president, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a regulation known as the “science transparency” rule. The administration liked to call it the “secret science” rule.

    “Transparency” sounds positive, but this rule instead prevented the EPA from using some of the best available science to protect human health.

    For example, it required the EPA to ignore or downplay studies that established links between exposure to chemicals and health damage if those studies were based on confidential patient information that could not be released to the public. The problem: Many health studies, including those underpinning many U.S. pollution rules, rely on confidential patient information.

    A U.S. District Court struck down the rule on procedural grounds a few weeks after it was issued. But now, the idea is back.

    Trump’s so-called Restoring Gold Standard Science executive order of May 23, 2025, resurrects many features of the EPA’s vacated rule, but it applies them to all federal agencies.

    To many readers, the executive order might sound reasonable. It mentions “transparency,” “reproducibility” and “uncertainty.” However, the devil is in the details.

    What’s wrong with transparency and reproducibility?

    “Transparency” implies that scientists should adequately explain all elements of their work, including hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions in a way that helps others see how those conclusions were reached.

    “Data transparency” is an expectation that scientists should share all data used in the study so other scientists can recalculate the results. This is also known as “reproducibility.”

    Trump’s executive order focuses on reproducibility. However, if there are errors in the data or methods of the original study, being able to reproduce its results may only ensure consistency but not scientific rigor.

    More important to scientific rigor is “replicability.” Replicability means different scientists, working with different data and different methods, can arrive at consistent findings. For example, studies of human exposure to a set of pollutants at different locations, and with different populations, that consistently find relationships to health effects, such as illness and premature death, can increase confidence in the findings.

    Replicability doesn’t require releasing confidential health data, as reproducibility would. Instead, it looks for the same results broadly from other sources.

    During the first Trump administration, people in cities across the U.S. participated in marches for science, protesting the administration’s actions to cut the use of scientific evidence out of policymaking.
    Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The science transparency rule in the first Trump administration was intended to limit the EPA’s ability to consider epidemiologic studies like those that established the health harms from exposure to secondhand smoke and to PM2.5, fine particles often from pollution.

    Many large-scale studies that assess how exposure to pollution can harm human health are based on personal data collected according to strict protocols to ensure privacy. Preventing policymakers from considering those findings means they are left to make important decisions about pollution and chemicals without crucial evidence about the health risks.

    These attempts to create barriers to using valid science echoed tactics used by the tobacco industry from the 1960s well into the 1990s to deny that tobacco use harmed human health.

    Uncertainty: A matter of balance

    Trump’s new executive order also emphasizes “uncertainty.”

    In the first Trump administration, the EPA administrator and his hand-picked science advisers, none of whom were epidemiologists, focused on “uncertainty” in epidemiological studies used to inform decisions on air quality standards.

    The EPA’s scientific integrity policy requires that policymakers “shall not knowingly misrepresent, exaggerate, or downplay areas of scientific uncertainty associated with policy decisions.”

    That might sound reasonable. However, in the final 2020 rule for the nation’s PM2.5 air quality standard, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that “limitations in the science lead to considerable uncertainty” to justify not lowering the standard, the level considered unhealthy. PM2.5 comes largely from fossil fuel combustion in cars, power plants and factories.

    In contrast, an independent external group of scientific experts, which I was part of as an environmental engineer and former EPA adviser, reviewed the same evidence and came to a very different conclusion. We found clear scientific evidence supporting a more stringent standard for PM2.5.

    Skepticism versus denial

    The executive order also requires that science be conducted in a manner that is “skeptical of its findings and assumptions.”

    A true skeptic can be swayed to change an inference based on evidence, whereas a denialist holds a fixed view irrespective of evidence. Denialists tend to cherry-pick evidence, set impossible levels of evidence and engage in logical fallacies.

    The first Trump administration stacked the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, which advises EPA on setting health-protective air quality standards, with opponents of environmental regulation, including people connected to industries the EPA regulates. The committee then amplified uncertainties. It also shifted the burden of proof in ways inconsistent with the statutory requirement to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety.

    The current administration has been dismantling science advisory committees in various agencies again and purging key EPA committees of independent experts.

    Who decides when politics trumps science

    According to Trump, “violations” of his executive order will be determined by a “senior appointee designated by the agency head.” This means a political appointee accountable to the White House. Thus, science in each federal agency will be politicized.

    The political appointee is required to “correct scientific information.”

    Anyone can file a “request for correction” regarding a published agency report. During the first Trump administration, chemical companies or their representatives repeatedly filed requests for changes to final EPA toxicity assessments on ethylene oxide and chloroprene. The administration delayed health-protective actions, which were finally addressed during the Biden administration for both chemicals.

    The request for correction process is intended to correct errors, not to bias assessments to be more favorable to industry and to delay protective actions.

    The bottom line on Trump’s ‘gold standard’

    While the language of the executive order may seem innocuous based on a casual reading, it risks undermining unbiased science in all federal agencies, subject to political whims.

    Setting impossible bars for “transparency” can mean regulators ignore relevant and valid scientific studies. Overemphasizing uncertainties can be used to raise doubt and unduly undermine confidence in robust findings.

    A politicized process also has the potential to punish federal employees and to ignore external peer reviewers who have the temerity to advance evidence-based findings contrary to White House ideology.

    Thus, this executive order could be used to deprive the American public of accurate and unbiased information regarding chemicals in the environment. That would prevent the development of effective evidence-based policies necessary for the protection of human health, rather than advancing the best available science.

    H. Christopher Frey receives funding from the California Air Resources Board via a research grant to North Carolina State University. He was on leave from NCSU to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2021 to 2024. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of Science Policy. From 2022-20224, he served as the senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development and concurrently served as the EPA Science Advisor. He was a member of the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2012, and chaired CASAC from 2012 to 2015.

    – ref. How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-gold-standard-politicizes-federal-science-258277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ivey, Van Hollen, Klobuchar Lead Nearly 100 Members in Pressing Administration for Answers on Cancellation of Protected Status for Afghans Living in U.S.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

    Decision could endanger thousands of Afghans, including many who supported U.S. efforts during the war in Afghanistan

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)  in leading 98 of their colleagues in pressing for answers from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State around the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals living in the United States. The lawmakers’ letter, sent to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, notes the devastating impact of this decision, including on the many Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger upon their return. 

    “We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country. Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service. We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions,” the lawmakers began. 

    They go on to note, “The Secretary of Homeland Security ‘may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.’  This is why, following the withdrawal of American troops and the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, in May 2022 the U.S. designated Afghanistan for TPS.” 

    “The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain. Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls,” they stress. 

    The lawmakers close the letter urging the Administration to reverse course and seeking the following information: 

    Please provide any reports that credibly determine that conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023. 

    The TPS termination announcement stated that “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.” Please provide additional details on how the Administration made this determination and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.

    Describe the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS. 

    Please provide any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan. 

    What steps are you taking to ensure that Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan?

    In addition to Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Ivey, and Senator Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Alsobrooks, Baldwin, Blumenthal, Booker, Coons, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gillibrand, Heinrich, Hirono, Kaine, Kelly, Kim, King, Markey, Padilla, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schiff, Smith, Warner, Warnock, Welch, and Wyden and Representatives Amo, Ansari, Balint, Bell, Beyer, Budzinski, Carbajal, Carter, Casten, Castro, Chu, Clarke, Cleaver, Courtney, Dean, DeGette, DelBene, Elfreth, Evans (Pa.), Fields, Garcia (Calif.), García (Ill.), Garcia (Texas), Goldman, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gottheimer, Hayes, Jackson (Ill.), Jayapal, Johnson (Ga.), Johnson (Texas), Kaptur, Keating, Kelly (Ill.), Kennedy (N.Y.), Krishnamoorthi, Landsman, Larson, Latimer, Levin, Lieu, Lofgren, Lynch, McClain Delaney, McClellan, McCollum, McGovern, Meeks, Mfume, Moulton, Norton, Olszewski, Pallone, Panetta, Peters (Calif.), Raskin, Sánchez, Scanlon, Schakowsky, Sherman, Sorensen, Subramanyam, Swalwell, Titus, Tlaib, Tokuda, Tonko, Vargas, Veasey, and Watson Coleman.

    The full text of the letter is available here and below. 

    Dear Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio:

    We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country. Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service. We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions. 

    The Secretary of Homeland Security “may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.”  This is why, following the withdrawal of American troops and the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, in May 2022 the U.S. designated Afghanistan for TPS.  In September 2023, the U.S. extended and redesignated TPS for Afghanistan. The Administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan negatively impacts approximately 9,000 Afghan nationals. 

    In your announcement, you state that “there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.”  But you also concede that threats of violence and terrorism, as well as humanitarian concerns, remain.  The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP.  According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls. Women and girls are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk. 

    We are also deeply concerned about the State Department Human Rights Report finding that widespread arbitrary and unlawful killings against officials associated with the pre-August 2021 government have occurred.  Afghan nationals who assisted the U.S. military should not be put in harm’s way because they supported the U.S. in its fight against the Taliban. This would be a betrayal of those who bravely served alongside our servicemembers for nearly two decades. 

    Afghan civilians still face devastating humanitarian and economic conditions. Over half of the population in Afghanistan needs urgent humanitarian assistance. Human Rights Watch reports that in 2024, 12.4 million people were facing food insecurity and 2.9 million were at emergency levels of hunger.  The World Bank also found that in Afghanistan, as of May 2025, “per capita income has stagnated, while poverty and food insecurity remain pressing challenges, exacerbated by high unemployment and restrictions on women’s economic participation.”  

    The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain. Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls. 

    In August 2021, Americans welcomed Afghan nationals at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia with open arms, and we refuse to turn our backs on them now.  We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan and ask that you respond to the following requests no later than two weeks of receipt of this letter:

    Please provide any reports that credibly determine that conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023.  

    The TPS termination announcement stated that “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.” Please provide additional details on how the Administration made this determination and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.

    Describe the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS. 

    Please provide any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan. 

    What steps are you taking to ensure that Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan? Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and we hope to receive your responses soon.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on President Donald Trump’s Travel Ban

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)

    June 05, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) slammed Donald Trump and his Administration’s latest cruel move to issue a sweeping travel ban targeting 12 countries and restricting travel from seven more. 

    In a statement, Rep. Frost says:

    “Trump’s travel ban is cruel, inhumane, and rooted in bigotry. It does nothing to make our communities safer, but it does vilify immigrants. It will devastate our immigrant families across this country–especially the thousands of Cuban, Venezuelan, and Haitian families who call Florida home. 

    “Trump and MAGA Republicans have no actual plan for immigration, they simply want to use cruelty as a political weapon to instill fear and distract the American people from their reckless agenda to hand over tax cuts to billionaires and rip away healthcare and food assistance from working families. It’s no coincidence that this announcement is coming out as Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is proving to be wildly unpopular. 

    “We won’t give in to this political fear-mongering. Just like during Trump’s first term, this ban will be met with legal challenges and fierce public outrage. I’ll continue to stand with our immigrant families and demand fairness, humanity, and dignity for every immigrant, asylum seeker, or refugee. That is what every person deserves—no matter where they are from.” 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Burlison Reintroduces Reliable Grid Act to Reverse Democrat-Led EPA Assault on U.S. Energy

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

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) reintroduced the Reliable Grid Act to stop the damage caused by radical Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations pushed under Democratic administrations that have crippled America’s power grid and triggered a nationwide energy-reliability crisis.

    The bill bars the EPA Administrator from enforcing any regulation that restricts power plant operations or reduces dispatchable power capacity unless the agency can definitively prove it will not compromise the reliability or security of the grid.

    “The grid is on the brink because of years of reckless Democrat policies that shut down reliable energy in the name of climate extremism,” said Rep. Burlison. “From the Obama-era Clean Power Plan to Biden’s absurd 90% carbon-capture rule, these policies were designed to shut down affordable, reliable energy. My Reliable Grid Act puts an end to this madness and stops future radical EPA tyrants from destroying our energy infrastructure.”

    According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, most of the United States is now at elevated or high risk of blackouts and energy shortfalls. The Reliable Grid Act requires that before the EPA can impose any new regulation on power plants, all affected regions must be rated at “normal risk” by NERC—a standard the agency cannot currently meet due to the damage already inflicted by its past policies.

    Industry Support

    Alex Epstein, president of the Center for Industrial Progress and creator of Energy Talking Points, issued the following statement in support of the Reliable Grid Act:

    “America’s grid is in a state of rapidly worsening crisis, with the Federal government and many state governments pursuing a ruinous policy of reducing the supply of reliable power plants through shutdowns and increasing demand for reliable power through EV and other electrification mandates. The crisis is being compounded by new demand from data centers and AI.

    I have said for years that the most obvious and urgent step is to pause all new grid-threatening activity by the EPA—the leading force shutting down reliable power plants—until the grid crisis is resolved.

    Thankfully, Rep. Eric Burlison has offered a bill, the Reliable Grid Act, that does exactly that. If passed, the Act would stop the premature retirement of reliable generators by the EPA Administrator until the EPA demonstrates it can reliably meet electricity demand without frequent shortages in supply and in capacity safety margins.

    I hope the new Congress and Administration takes up the Reliable Grid Act as a top priority. It is a crucial step toward undoing the near-fatal damage the outgoing administration has done to our grid and moving toward a future of abundant, affordable, and ultra-reliable American electricity.”

    Cosponsor: Rep. Brandon Gill (TX-26)  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Rio Grande Valley conducts worksite enforcement operation resulting in 25 arrests

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HARLINGEN, Texas – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the support of Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Marshals Service, arrested 25 illegal aliens June 4 during a targeted worksite enforcement operation that took place at two construction sites, South Padre Island and Brownsville, Texas.

    “Today’s arrests reflect ICE’s unwavering commitment to upholding the integrity of our immigration system and protecting our nation’s workforce. Individuals who violate federal immigration and employment laws not only undermine fair labor standards but also pose potential security and safety risks. ICE will continue to work with our partners to identify and investigate those who disregard the law and exploit our country’s systems for personal or commercial gain,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

    The individuals arrested are citizens of Mexico and Honduras and are pending removal back to their home country.

    Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law, part of a comprehensive strategy to address and deter illegal employment. Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government uses to ensure that businesses are complying with U.S. employment laws.

    ICE’s worksite enforcement strategy includes leveraging the agency’s other investigative disciplines, since worksite investigations can often involve additional criminal activity, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, worker exploitation and/or substandard wage and working conditions.

    Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    For more information about ICE HSI San Antonio and its efforts to enhance public safety in south and central Texas, follow us on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.

    Learn more about worksite enforcement by visiting ICE’s Worksite Enforcement Investigations

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.C. 911 Board Celebrates Inaugural Graduates of 911 Communications & Operations Associate Degree Program

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: N.C. 911 Board Celebrates Inaugural Graduates of 911 Communications & Operations Associate Degree Program

    N.C. 911 Board Celebrates Inaugural Graduates of 911 Communications & Operations Associate Degree Program
    aljohnson

    In recognition of a milestone nearly five years in the making, N.C. 911 Board members and staff recently celebrated the inaugural graduates of Richmond Community College’s 911 Communications & Operations Associate Degree Program. The first of its kind, the online program is designed to provide not only a pathway for individuals who are interested in starting a career in the field, but also skills enhancement for those already working as 911 telecommunicators.

    “Our state’s telecommunicators perform vital life-saving work, and it is imperative that we have a strong pipeline of talent in this field,” said L.V. Pokey Harris, executive director of the N.C. 911 Board. “I am incredibly proud of our team’s hard work in partnership with Richmond Community College to quickly make this program a reality.”

    In late 2020, the N.C. 911 Board’s Education Committee initiated the idea of collaborating with the state’s community college system to establish standardized telecommunicator training. The board then connected with Richmond Community College to develop the online degree program.

    “We designed the curriculum with direct input from educators and 911 education leaders to ensure it reflects the unique needs of North Carolina’s 911 community,” said Angie Turbeville, education and training coordinator for the N.C. 911 Board, who helped spearhead the program’s development.

    In addition to the 12 graduates, the program currently has 70 students enrolled. Since its launch in fall 2023, the program has expanded to 11 other community colleges across the state.

    “I want to thank Richmond Community College and the 911 Board for creating the opportunity to obtain an associate’s degree in 911 Communications and Operations,” said Tricia McKnight, assistant director for Hoke County Emergency Communications and one of the program’s graduates. “They made it possible for me to complete a degree in the career I love. It was a challenge to return to school after 30 years, but it was a wonderful experience that I will cherish the rest of my life. It just proves you are never too old to return to school.”

    Along with developing this degree program, the N.C. 911 Board continues to focus on promoting 911 telecommunicator careers. Recent disasters like Hurricane Helene have underscored the necessity of this role and the essential service it provides to North Carolina. 

    The board has an ongoing statewide public service announcement campaign that has attracted more than 200,000 visitors to its telecommunicator career page, which highlights the benefits of working for 911 and links to job opportunities available in communities across the state. The board also offers ongoing education to telecommunicators, including an online training platform.

    A unit of the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), the N.C. 911 Board administers funding to 124 public safety answering points (PSAPs) across the state to create an enhanced statewide 911 system. PSAPs are operated by and under the jurisdiction of counties and other local government entities.

    A single, statewide service charge per connection for any type of voice communication service provider goes to the 911 Fund, which the N.C. 911 Board manages and distributes to support the state’s PSAPs. NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione serves as the N.C. 911 Board’s chair. 

    Jun 5, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson joins 28-state brief supporting 2nd Amendment rightsRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined 27 other states in an effort to protect 2nd Amendment rights. He joined a friend-of-the-court brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in a case against a Maine law that would impose a 72-hour waiting period for buying a gun.

    “This same court has already ruled that the right to keep and bear arms is not a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees, so Maine’s restrictive law should be thrown out,” Attorney General Wilson said. “I will always fight to protect the Second Amendment, the Constitution, and the rule of law.”

    In April 2024, Maine passed a law that would add a 72-hour waiting period before anyone could buy a gun. Several Maine residents sued, arguing that the new law violates their Second Amendment rights and asking a district court for a preliminary injunction to block the law. The district court granted the injunction, ruling that the “acquisition of firearms is covered by the Second Amendment’s plain text.”

    In the brief, Attorney General Wilson and the other states argue, “Maine failed to carry its burden to show that its waiting-period law is ‘part of the historic tradition that delimits the outer bounds of the right to keep and bear arms,’” and that Maine’s law “employs no standard at all to justify disarming individuals.”

    Joining Attorney General Wilson in the brief, led by Montana, are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the Arizona legislature.

    You can read the brief here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Copper Wire Theft Leaves Californians in the Dark, We Must Ensure the Lights Stay On

    Source: US State of California

    LOS ANGELES – As part of a statewide effort to address the surge in copper wire theft and infrastructure vandalism, California Attorney General Rob Bonta today was joined by local law enforcement, business leaders, schools, utilities, and elected officials for a roundtable discussion. California has seen an increase in copper wire thefts throughout the state, which have left neighborhoods in the dark, resulted in telecommunication and utility outages, impacted business and agricultural operations, and threatened public safety. Alongside today’s roundtable, Attorney General Bonta issued a new law enforcement bulletin that summarizes the California statutes related to copper wire theft and laws governing junk dealers’ and recyclers’ obligations to collect and report information on copper transactions.

    “My office won’t tolerate anyone vandalizing critical infrastructure and endangering our communities to make a buck off of stolen copper,” said Attorney General Bonta. “While the value of copper remains high, we can expect it will continue to be a target of theft and vandalism, unless we step in now and do something about it. From law enforcement to state and local government, the telecommunications industry to the business community, and advocacy organizations and nonprofits; we all have a role to play in preventing copper theft, securing our infrastructure, and protecting Californians. DOJ stands ready to support local law enforcement and work together to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”

    Between June and December 2024, the telecom industry alone reported nearly 6,000 incidents of copper theft and infrastructure vandalism nationwide. Roughly one-third – or 1,805 – of those incidents happened in California. Bad actors steal encased copper cables and cut them into short lengths before burning them to remove the sheathing to reveal the raw copper inside. That copper is then typically sold to scrap metal dealers, some of whom, in periods of high demand, are willing to accept the valuable commodity purportedly without knowing its origin. The ripple effect of each act of vandalism, each cable cut, is massive. From public safety to health care, energy, transportation, financial systems, IT, education, and more, life today can hardly function without the infrastructure behind communications systems. 

    Copper theft and vandalism causes: 

      • Disruptions to the 911 emergency system and to law enforcement operations; 
      • Power outages; 
      • Backups and safety hazards on public transit, freeways, bridges, and airports; 
      • Service interruptions to streetlights and traffic lights;
      • Contamination of water and sewer systems; 
      • And disruptions to healthcare systems and schools. 

    If you notice any suspicious activity, please inform your local law enforcement immediately. It is crucial to report these thefts right away to prevent widespread communication disruptions and potentially save millions of dollars in damages.

    A copy of the bulletin can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director General in Syria to Strengthen Cooperation in Safeguards, Cancer Care and Food Security

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi meets with the President of Syria, Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Damascus on 4 June 2025. (Photo: D. Candano/IAEA)

    The IAEA Director General has been in Syria this week to clarify remaining safeguards issues and support the country’s use of nuclear science and technology in the areas of human health, particularly cancer care and food and agriculture.

    Mr Grossi met President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Damascus on 4 June and recognised “his courage in cooperating with full transparency to close a chapter of Syria’s past that diverted resources necessary for development.”

    Mr Grossi added: “With a new government committed to engaging with the international community, we have an opportunity to resolve outstanding issues.”

    “Immediate and unrestricted access” to sites relevant for inspections was granted by President Al-Sharaa, and the Director General confirmed that IAEA teams conducted verification activities during his visit.

    In his meeting with the Syrian President, Mr Grossi also announced a comprehensive programme to support the country with medical equipment and training for hospitals, as well as help in agriculture and water management. They also explored the possibility of nuclear power in Syria.

    During his visit, Mr Grossi also met Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani with whom he signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the areas of food security and cancer control. The IAEA will support Syria with medical equipment and hospital training, as well as with assistance in food and agriculture to enhance food safety and security.

    Advancing Cancer Care

    Each year, more than 1400 women in Syria are diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. For many, access to a specialized form of internal radiotherapy called brachytherapy could significantly improve chances of survival.

    To help these women receive the treatment they need, the IAEA, through its Rays of Hope Initiative, is working with local medical teams to build Syria’s first fully equipped brachytherapy suite at Al-Biruni Hospital in Damascus. This life-saving facility is being made possible with the financial support of the government of Italy.

    “We are supporting the reconstruction of Syria’s radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and radiology services,” said Mr Grossi. “We’re providing equipment like CT scanners, brachytherapy machines for women’s cancers, and other tools not currently available in the country, and we will train personnel on the ground to use them.”

    Atoms4Food

    Through cooperation on Atoms4Food, the IAEA and Syria will work together to strengthen food security for the country’s population using nuclear and isotopic applications to improve agricultural practices.

    “Food security is, of course, of great importance to Syria, and the IAEA is well positioned to assist,” said Mr Grossi. “Nuclear techniques can make a big difference in areas like crop development, water management, insect sterilization, or pest control. We do this around the world, and now we’re opening a new chapter for Syria and its people.”

    Technical Cooperation and Capacity Building

    Earlier this year, an IAEA expert mission travelled to Syria and carried out assessments on the status of Syria’s Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) to provide recommendations to the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria (AECS) to enhance radiation safety in the country. 

    National radiotherapy services were also evaluated, and technical input delivered to strengthen clinical practices. Experts from the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme also held a series of technical training sessions and practical workshops on advanced radiotherapy techniques in Damascus.  

    The IAEA will continue to support capacity building through the clinical training of local radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiotherapy technologists while the brachytherapy machine is on its way to Al-Biruni Hospital.

    The IAEA has been delivering support to Syria including  medical equipment  such as portable and mobile X ray machines, non-destructive testing devices and portable ultrasound units following the devastating earthquake in February 2023. 

    The mission of Mr Grossi to Syria this week was made possible with logistical support from the Government of Italy.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Effects of the Surge in Immigration on State and Local Budgets in 2023

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    In this report, the Congressional Budget Office estimates how the surge in immigration that began in 2021 affected state and local budgets in 2023. In addition to estimating the direct effects of the surge, CBO calculated an alternative measure that includes the potential broader or longer-term effects and costs that were borne without adding to spending—such as crowding in public schools and public transportation systems. By either measure, the surge imposed a net cost.

    • Direct Effects. The surge led to a direct increase in revenues of $10.1 billion, primarily from sales taxes, and a direct increase in spending of $19.3 billion, chiefly for public elementary and secondary education, shelter and related services, and border security. The result was a direct net cost of $9.2 billion in 2023, amounting to 0.3 percent of state and local spending (net of federal grants-in-aid).
    • Potential Effects. In addition to those direct effects, CBO’s alternative measure accounts for expected increases in property tax revenues, additional tax revenues from greater economic activity, and nonbudgetary costs associated with greater demand for government services. By that measure, the surge in immigration had the potential to increase revenues by $18.8 billion and spending by $28.6 billion, resulting in a potential net cost to state and local governments of $9.8 billion in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Warns Idahoans of Fake DMV Text Scam

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador Warns Idahoans of Fake DMV Text Scam

    BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador issued a warning today about text scams targeting Idaho residents with fake DMV notices claiming unpaid traffic tickets will result in license suspension or legal penalties.
    “Scammers stole over $63 million from Idahoans last year, predominantly targeting our seniors,” said Attorney General Labrador. “These scammers are now using fake DMV texts to steal even more. Idaho families need to know that legitimate government agencies never demand payments through text messages.”
    The fraudulent texts claim to be from the Idaho DMV and threaten immediate license suspension unless payment is made through suspicious links. Law enforcement agencies across Idaho confirm they never send text messages demanding payments or threatening penalties for unpaid violations, tolls, or missed jury duty.
    Idahoans should watch for red flags including urgent payment demands, threats of arrest or license suspension, suspicious website links designed to look official, and requests for payment through gift cards. According to the 2024 FBI Internet Crime Report, seniors were disproportionately targeted by these schemes nationwide. The report also found that Idaho residents filed 3,081 complaints, resulting in $63,035,342 in total losses from cyber-enabled crimes and fraud.
    Idahoans who receive suspicious texts should report them to the Federal Trade Commission and delete the message without clicking any links or providing personal information.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: 401(K) Plan Sponsors Expected to Favor Blend Target Date Funds, according to PIMCO Consultant Survey

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly two-thirds of institutional consultants and 80 percent of aggregators say they expect plan sponsors to increase their implementation of blend target date funds, retirement asset allocation vehicles that blend active and passive management approaches, according to the 19th Annual Defined Contribution (DC) Consulting Study conducted by PIMCO, a global leader in active fixed income with expertise across public and private markets.

    Institutional consultants and aggregators also said they plan to focus more research and ratings on blend TDFs; while aggregators, in particular, intend to significantly increase their focus on personalized TDFs, advisor managed accounts (AMAs) and dual qualified default investment alternatives, vehicles that start out as traditional TDFs and then transition to a more personalized solution as workers approach retirement.

    Additionally, in the next year, roughly half of the consultants surveyed and one-third of the aggregators said they expect sponsors to adopt private market investments within their asset allocation offerings, with private credit as the most likely option.

    PIMCO surveyed 35 consultants and advisory firms, who serve over 27,000 clients, as part of the firm’s effort to capture the breadth of views in the industry as well as services available amid rapidly changing demographics of plan participants. Published results were based on responses from firms with more than $8.8 trillion in DC assets under management.

    “We have seen the emergence of new themes in our survey as the industry continues to evolve,” said Rene Martel, Managing Director and PIMCO’s Head of Retirement. “This year, blend TDFs and private investments have joined other priorities as plan sponsors broaden their offering to address the diverse needs of their participants.”

    Other survey findings:

    • Incorporating Collective Investment Trusts (CITs) is the most common priority of sponsors, followed by evaluating both guaranteed and non-guaranteed retirement income strategies.
    • The overall number of fund options remains steady, with two-thirds, on average, focused on active management; consultant recommendations have a stronger bias towards active management in fixed income, capital preservation, and inflation mitigation.
    • DC plan offerings continue to evolve, with a shift from passive to active fixed income and from active to passive equity; there is also growing adoption of active multi-asset inflation strategies and removal of balanced funds.
    • Interest in multi-sector fixed income is increasing due to its potential to help savers accumulate wealth through a broader opportunity set, sector rotation, and potential for higher yield generation, along with aiming to produce consistent income generation to support retirees.
    • When evaluating tradeoffs of guaranteed income products, consultants have a strong preference for opt-in solutions that offer fee transparency, liquidity, and immediate income upon annuitization.

    A summary of the survey’s key findings can be found here: https://www.pimco.com/us/en/investment-strategies/dc-survey

    About the Survey
    In its 19th year, the PIMCO US Defined Contribution Consulting Study seeks to help consultants, advisors and plan sponsors understand the breadth of views and consulting services available within the defined contribution (DC) marketplace. Our 2025 study captures data, trends and opinions from 35 consulting and advisory firms who serve over 27,000 clients with aggregate DC assets in excess of $8.85 trillion as of the date survey responses were collected. All responses were collected from January 14 through March 10, 2025.

    About PIMCO 
    PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients’ capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.

    The survey results contain the opinions of the respondents at the time of the survey and may not reflect current opinions or investment strategies. These results may or may not match the views of PIMCO and are not intended to be reflective of PIMCO’s opinions on the market or any particular investment style or strategy. This material is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.

    Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of PIMCO’s sponsored investment products and separately managed accounts, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    Contact:
    Agnes Crane
    PIMCO – Media Relations
    Ph. 212-597-1054
    Email: agnes.crane@pimco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 06.05.2025 WBCA Names Sen. Cruz Honoree of Mr. South Texas Award

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been named the recipient of the prestigious Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association’s (WBCA) Mr. South Texas Award, in honor of the 128th Washington’s Birthday Celebration.
    Last year, Sen. Cruz was the first elected Republican member to be awarded the Key to the City of Laredo for his leadership in streamlining the presidential permitting process and securing permits to build and expand four major international bridges in South Texas, including two in Laredo.
    Sen. Cruz said, “I’m honored to be named Mr. South Texas for 2026. Laredo and Webb County hold a special place in my heart — the people embody the spirit, grit, and generosity that make Texas exceptional. Working alongside families, local leaders, and small businesses in Laredo has been one of the great privileges of my public service. I’m deeply grateful to the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association for this meaningful recognition — it strengthens my resolve to keep leading the fight for Laredo and all of South Texas.”
    Jaime Fuentes, President of WBCA said, “We are honored to have Senator Ted Cruz as our Mr. South Texas recipient. We welcome him as our newest Ambassador for the Washington’s Birthday Celebration. A special thank you to our Mr. South Texas selection committee and Texas Community Bank for its unwavering support of the Mr. South Texas Luncheon.”
    Douglas G. Macdonald, President & CEO of Texas Community Bank said, “Texas Community Bank is pleased to sponsor the Mr. South Texas Luncheon, and we congratulate United States Senator Ted Cruz, for being selected as the 2026 Mr. South Texas Honoree as part of the 128th Celebration. It is a well-deserved recognition.  We’re excited to welcome such a fine and hardworking individual to our community and invite all Laredoans to join us in congratulating him.”
    BACKGROUND
    The Mr. South Texas designation is presented to a deserving individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the growth and development of Laredo and/or the South Texas region.
    The Mr. South Texas Selection Committee, comprised of past presidents of the WBCA and former Mr. South Texas recipients who reside in Laredo, meet and discuss possible candidates. Committee members take great effort in creating an all-inclusive nominating pool of candidates from all walks of life who have made a significant impact on the area.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Welcomes Michael Sullivan as Chief of U.S. Capitol Police

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the selection of Chief Michael Sullivan as the new Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Department: 

    “I’m grateful for the U.S. Capitol Police Board’s extensive efforts to select the next chief of the USCP. Their confidence in Chief Michael Sullivan is well-placed. Nearly twenty-five years of his three decades of law enforcement service were spent protecting my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, including a distinguished tour as Deputy Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department. 

    “At the helm of the USCP, Chief Sullivan will take on another heavy responsibility: ensuring the security of our nation’s core governing institutions. I know he will quickly earn the trust and admiration of the brave men and women who keep us safe, and I join the entire Senate in welcoming him to the Capitol.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Wins AI Research Center Selection

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The Higher School of Economics has become one of the winners of the third wave of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence. The HSE Center for Optimization and Adaptation of Large Fundamental Models (AI Center) will work on creating new methods and tools to make training, use, and adaptation of complex artificial intelligence models cheaper and more efficient.

    At the Russian Government Coordination Center, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the results of the selection of the third wave of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The winning universities and research organizations will receive grants to conduct research and create breakthrough world-class industry solutions.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko reported that the winners were HSE, Innopolis, ISP RAS, ITMO, MIPT, Skoltech, and for the first time, Lomonosov Moscow State University will be involved in the research.

    “Investments in AI research centers have already proven their effectiveness. The first wave of centers dealt with issues of strong, trusted, ethical artificial intelligence. The second wave is dedicated to industry research for medicine, transport, industry and smart cities. These centers create almost half of all Russian scientific groundwork in AI. President Vladimir Putin has set the task of publishing at least 450 papers at top-level conferences in the field of AI in the world by 2030 — A*. We see that investments are achieving results, so the government continues to develop such support programs,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

    A total of 19 applications from centers from 10 regions of Russia were submitted to the competition. The centers’ programs stated key areas of foresight in fundamental and exploratory research in the field of AI, conducted in 2024: agent/multi-agent systems, elements of strong AI, fundamental and generative AI models.

    Expert support for the competitive selection and subsequent support for the implementation of research center activity programs is provided by the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments (SAPFIR), a project office created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation.

    “In 2025, the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments (SAPFIR), created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation, acted as the coordinator of the third wave of the competitive selection of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence. Each of the 7 winners will receive 676 million rubles for 2 years to conduct research in the field of strong, trusted, multi-agent artificial intelligence. Over the next 2 years, SAPFIR will focus on supporting research centers to achieve all their goals in both the scientific and commercial parts. Their activities will contribute to the creation of a technological reserve in Russia in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as attracting the best personnel of the country to the development of science in the field of artificial intelligence,” said SAPFIR Director Tatyana Soyuznova.

    The Higher School of Economics has confirmed its readiness to successfully cope with the tasks set thanks to the rich experience accumulated during the previous stages. For the period 2021–2024 HSE AI Center of the first wave has implemented more than 20 socially significant projects and about 30 initiatives for industrial partners. Initially, its activities were focused on companies with a high degree of maturity of AI technologies (IT, fintech, telecommunications), but subsequently the center managed to extend its competencies to less prepared industries, such as tourism, transport, household chemicals and genetics. This made it possible to develop solutions with prospects for scaling in industries, taking into account the priorities of the National Strategy for the Development of AI.

    The HSE AI Center’s third wave program will be aimed at creating new architectures and approaches to reduce training costs, as well as to improve the efficiency and adaptation of large fundamental models. Scientific research will cover four key areas AI foresight: architecture and algorithms of machine learning, development of fundamental and generative models, ensuring security and trust, system management and decision-making. Innovative software products will be used in the financial sector, science and education, information security and the labor market. The center’s partners include the country’s leading technology companies (Sber, VTB, Alfa-Bank, MTS Web Services, Gazprombank, T-Bank, ALMI Partner) and government agencies (the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Federal Service for Labor and Employment (Rostrud)).

    The head of the HSE AI Center will be Alexey Naumov, Doctor of Computer Science, Director Institute of AI and Digital SciencesHe has authored over 40 A* level AI conference publications on high dimensional probability, statistics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and is a member of the AI Alliance scientific advisory board.

    “Our center will focus on creating fundamentally new architectures and effective methods that will significantly reduce the costs of training and operating large fundamental models of artificial intelligence, increase their performance, and expand the range of possible applications,” said Alexey Naumov. “This will allow us to get closer to creating strong artificial intelligence capable of solving the most complex problems and bringing real benefits to society and business. We actively collaborate with leading technology companies and scientific organizations, combining the efforts of the best scientists and practitioners to achieve our goals and make a significant contribution to the future of AI technologies.”

    The core of the HSE AI Center will be Institute of AI and Digital Sciences Faculty of Computer Science at HSE. Leading researchers and experts will also work on projects within the third wave Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), Center of Language and Brain, MIEM im. A.N. Tikhonova, Labor Market Research Laboratories, International Laboratory of Intangible Assets Economy, HSE – Perm, and also Schools of Computer Science, Physics and Technology of the National Research University Higher School of Economics – Saint Petersburg.

    The HSE AI Center project office team, led by Deputy Vice-Rector Elena Kozhina, will coordinate work on projects and initiatives aimed at developing AI technologies and implementing innovative solutions in various sectors of the economy and social sphere. The project office will become a key link in the successful implementation of projects, ensure effective interaction between all participants in the processes and allow for the effective implementation of orders from industrial partners.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 4 June 2025 Departmental update Announcing the 2025 release of the DORIS tool to strengthen cause of death coding and reporting using ICD-11

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) Classification and Terminologies Unit announces the release of the DORIS tool version 1.1, an advanced digital tool designed to support countries in automatically selecting the underlying cause of death (UCOD).

    DORIS is a multilingual software developed to facilitate the identification of the underlying cause of death. This tool examines the information provided on the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) and assists in automatically selecting the underlying cause of death using the fully digitalized mortality coding rules of the International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision (ICD-11).

    The DORIS tool (Digital Open Rule Integrated cause of death Selection) version 1.1 features significant improvements based on user feedback. 

    The updated version integrates enhancements to its algorithm improving the accuracy and consistency of cause of death coding particularly:

    • Refined specificity for infectious diseases, neoplasms, and injury-related conditions. 
    • Improved logic for HIV, tuberculosis, and substance intoxications. 
    • Better handling of external causes and injury-related deaths.

    To improve transparency and user engagement, DORIS 1.1 now offers four complementary visualization modes to assist coders, reviewers, and trainers:

    • Textual Report: Describes applied rules and warnings in a step-by-step summary and full textual report.
    • Tabular Report: Provides an interactive view of each rule application aligned with the MCCD.
    • Rule Flow Report: Illustrates the logical path that led to the final selection of the underlying cause of death.
    • Rule Sequence Report: Displays a horizontal sequence of the rules applied during processing.

    The new version runs on the latest release of ICD-11 and supports all the released languages. It is accessible via:

    DORIS plays a vital role in improving the quality of mortality statistics and supports country efforts to implement ICD-11 in line with international standards. The release of version 1.1 underscores WHO’s commitment to leveraging digital innovation to strengthen health information systems worldwide.

    For more information and access to the tool, please visit icd.who.int/doris or contact the WHO Classification and Terminologies team at: icd@who.int or alsokhnc@who.int. 

    To get the latest from WHO Classifications & Terminologies Unit 👉  Subscribe here

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Canada needs a law that gives workers the right to govern their workplace

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tom Malleson, Associate Professor of Social Justice & Peace Studies, Western University

    Democratic worker co-operatives are workplaces where workers collectively own the firm and elect the governing board. (Shutterstock)

    A major fault line in contemporary society is that while our political lives are governed by democratic principles, our economic lives largely are not.

    At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Maple Leaf Foods experienced an outbreak in its Brandon, Man. factory. Not only were workers ordered to keep working in unsafe conditions, they were forced to work overtime.

    Walmart has long been accused of forbidding its cashiers from sitting down, even during long shifts.

    At one of its warehouses in Pennsylvania, Amazon allowed the temperature to reach an unbearable 102 F in 2011. When employees pleaded to open the loading doors to let in fresh air, management refused, claiming this would lead to employee theft. Instead, Amazon parked ambulances outside and waited for employees to collapse from heat stroke. Employees who were sent home because of the heat were given demerits for missing work, and fired if they accumulated too many.

    These examples reflect the fact that, in most workplaces, employees have no say in who manages them or how major decisions are made. Entering the workplace typically means leaving the freedoms of democratic society behind and entering a private domain unilaterally controlled by an employer. For most workers who are not in senior management, the main job of every job is to follow orders. Functionally speaking, workers are servants.

    In its governance structure, the modern workplace operates as a kind of mini dictatorship. Although workplace discipline isn’t enforced with physical violence, supervisors still have the power to discipline or punish those who dissent.

    But what if there were an actual legal right to workplace democracy?

    My research scrutinized the pros and cons of such novel legislation by drawing on decades of research comparing conventional, top-down firms with democratic worker co-operatives (where workers collectively own the firm and elect the governing board).

    Why workplace democracy matters

    In large American firms, the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio is now a jaw-dropping 351 to one. As CEO, Jeff Bezos made roughly 360,000 times more than Amazon’s minimum wage workers. This inequality ripples across society with significant consequences.

    By contrast, most worker co-ops maintain a pay ratio of three to one and only very rarely exceed 10 to one.

    There’s also a stark difference in how workers are treated. While conventional firms lay off workers whenever it’s profitable to do so, co-ops do everything in their power to save jobs.

    Top-down decision-making also breeds degradation and disrespect. A 2016 Oxfam report, for instance, documented how some Tyson Foods employees were prevented from using the bathroom to the point where some urinated themselves and other felt compelled to wear diapers to work.

    A Gallup survey from 2021 found that across the American economy as a whole, only 20 per cent of workers strongly agreed with the statement that “my opinions seem to count.”

    In co-ops, workers are generally treated with more respect and dignity. They typically participate more in decision-making, have higher job satisfaction and have less antagonism with management.

    In conventional workplaces, many employees hate or fear their boss. Roughly 17 per cent of the workforce opt for self-employment in order to get away from the tyranny of the boss, even though self-employed workers typically earn about 15 per cent less than their salaried counterparts and receive less than half the benefits.

    Worker co-operatives are typically less dominating than conventional firms because workers elect their managers and can create self-managing teams where workers have more autonomy over matters like scheduling and how tasks are carried out. Though co-ops are far from perfect, with workers often feeling that they aren’t able to participate in decision-making as much as they would like.

    Most workers are trapped in undemocratic jobs

    Most workers have no viable alternative to undemocratic work, and so no choice but to suffer its harms. While in theory, workers can quit and rely on welfare or social assistance, in practice, this isn’t viable because welfare rates are often too low to live on.

    Starting a business or becoming self-employed is another theoretical option, but it’s too financially risky to be a serious alternative for most.

    Joining a worker co-operative is the most promising alternative, but there were less than 400 worker co-ops in Canada in 2022, representing less than one per cent of employment.

    Converting an existing workplace into a co-op faces serious barriers too. Even if the workers desperately want a conversion, if the employer doesn’t, they’re out of luck; their employer owns the organization and can simply say no.

    So what’s the solution?

    Canada needs a new law to expand democracy by granting workers the legal right to collectively buy into the firms they work for. The process would resemble how unionization works today.

    It would start after a majority of employees sign a declaration stating their intent to form a worker co-operative. After this threshold is reached, a formal process would be triggered: employers would be required to disclose all relevant financial documents with the workers, and workers would receive education on the managerial, technical and legal requirements of co-ops. Co-op development bankers would provide loans and financing options.

    Once this is done, workers would hold a final vote. If a simple majority (50 per cent plus one) votes in favour, the employer would be paid the fair market value for the firm and the business would be restructured as a worker co-operative.

    Importantly, the law would allow this transition even if the employer is opposed, just as collective bargaining legislation allows workers to unionize without employer approval. It would also ensure owners are fairly compensated; owners shouldn’t lose their property, but they should lose the right to unilaterally govern other human beings in perpetuity, especially when those others are willing and ready to govern themselves.

    Of course, this law might bring some economic disruption. It’s possible that certain owners might oppose democratic ownership so strongly that they would rather shut down the business altogether than work as equals, but such cases would likely be rare.

    On the other hand, research shows that worker co-ops are just as productive as conventional firms (if not more so) and they have similar survival rates. This is highly reassuring for the overall well-being of the economy.

    Moreover, workers would need to invest significant amounts of their own money in order to buy out the firm, so conversions will occur only after serious consideration.

    The bottom line is that while the costs of this legislation would likely be modest, the benefits to workers and society at large would be substantial: reduced inequality and domination, increased job security and respect. Canada should establish a right to buy-in as soon as possible.

    Tom Malleson has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. Why Canada needs a law that gives workers the right to govern their workplace – https://theconversation.com/why-canada-needs-a-law-that-gives-workers-the-right-to-govern-their-workplace-257776

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    You can generally tell when Vladimir Putin appears rattled by an adverse event in his war on Ukraine. He (or one of his proxies) ramps up the bloodcurdling rhetoric. And so it is with Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone attack on four airbases inside Russia, which reportedly destroyed or damaged as many as 40 warplanes, a good chunk of Russia’s fleet of strategic nuclear-capable bombers.

    These aircraft have been used during the war to deliver cruise missiles at targets within Ukraine and have been kept on airbases far enough from Ukraine to be well out of range of anything Kyiv could fire at them. So Ukraine’s secret intelligence service, the SBU, hatched a plot to send truckloads of home-grown drones in vans to locations close to airbases as far away as Irkutsk in Siberia and Murmansk close to the top of Finland.

    Technological savvy aside, perhaps the most remarkable thing about the plan was that it was 18 months in the making and yet the SBU managed to keep it a secret shared by only a few, including Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Significantly, the plan was reportedly kept from the US government.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    An angry Putin is reported to have accused Ukraine of “organising terrorist attacks”, saying to aides: “How can we have meetings like this under these conditions? What is there to talk about? Who has negotiations with  … terrorists?”

    Nothing much has been revealed as to what was actually said about the drone attack when delegates for the two sides met on Monday, apparently for barely an hour, to continue their peace talks. But as Stefan Wolff and Tetyana Malyarenko suggest, the fact that both sides have continued to land blows against each other is hardly a sign of a sincere commitment to serious negotiations.

    As it is, both sides restated their maximalist positions. For Kyiv this means that any concessions over territory or sovereignty are out of the question. For Moscow this means Ukrainian and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea as well as four provinces it has partially occupied since 2014, no Ukrainian membership of Nato and limits to Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Wolff and Malyarenko, experts in international security and politics at the University of Birmingham and National University Odesa Law Academy, respectively, believe that little will change on the battlefield in the foreseeable future. A lot will now depend on Washington. And it should be noted that the US president had a lengthy chat with Putin on June 4, after which Trump delivered the Kremlin’s message that: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”

    We’ve already seen a blitz on the southern city of Kherson, where Russia launched glide bombs and attacked with drones and artillery this morning. But Trump’s envoy to Russia, Keith Kellog, among other senior officials have talked about the drone strike being an attack on part of Russia’s [nuclear] triad, impying the threat level is actually far greater.



    Read more:
    Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in 1994 in return for an undertaking, signed by Russia, the US, UK and France, to guarantee the inviolability of Ukraine’s borders. So as Matthew Sussex of the Australian National University in Canberra writes, the drone attack was very much a case of a David striking a clever blow against a Goliath.

    Sussex says this and other missions, such as the targeting of the Kerch bridge – Putin’s pride and joy – and the relentless attacks on Russia’s power infrastructure, are an effective counter to Russia’s attritional style of warfare. This involves throwing as many men as possible at its objectives, something Ukraine cannot hope to compete directly with. The truth is, writes Sussex, that Kyiv “has focused on winning the war they are in, rather than those of the past”.



    Read more:
    The secret to Ukraine’s battlefield successes against Russia – it knows wars are never won in the past

    “This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability,” concludes Michael A Lewis, an expert in autonomous vehicles at the University of Bath. Lewis notes that both sides have been using drones almost continuously on the frontlines of the war and each has developed their own strategy for countering the threat.

    But this operation combined the use of drones with smart intelligence planning. The key was getting the drones to where they could exploit vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defence systems. “In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge,” he writes. “Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.”

    The attack will have defence planners around the world scratching their heads as to how to cope with this emerging threat. Lewis believes the operation exposed the problems with centralised airspace management which will require new and better detection systems and faster responses to counter. “Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory,” he writes. “It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely.”



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Not that Russia has exactly been standing still when it comes to drone warfare. As Marcel Plichta of the University of St Andrews writes, having initially relied on Iran for the supply of its Shahed drones, Russia has been quick to establish its own sizeable drone manufacturing industry. Plichta, a drone specialist and former US government intelligence analyst, walks us through some of the innovations that Russian-made drones are now employing, including Sim cards which can transmit data back to Russia via mobile networks, carbon coating to avoid radar detection, and enhanced incendiary and fragmentation warheads that can start fires or spread large volumes of shrapnel to make them more deadly.

    But also notable is the sheer volume of drones that Russia is deploying – 472 against Ukrainian cities on June 1, as well as large numbers of decoys – with the aim of simply exhausting Ukrainian air defences. Even if Ukraine manages to shoot down 80% as it claims, that still leaves enough to wreak utter havoc for the defenders.



    Read more:
    Russia has been working on creating drones that ‘call home’, go undercover and start fires. Here’s how they work

    From the Oval Office

    The latest controversial measure announced by the White House is the planned travel ban on people from 12 countries thought by the Trump administration to pose a threat. The ban is scheduled to come into effect on June 9.

    Less than a week later, the US will host – jointly with Mexico and Canada – the Fifa Club World Cup, which will feature players from some of these countries. Next year the US hosts the Men’s World Cup and in 2028 the Olympics are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

    The announcement of the ban said that “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives travelling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting events as defined by the Secretary of State” will be exempted.

    But, as Eric Storm from Leiden University points out, this does not include fans who might have been planning to travel to these major sporting carnivals. Storm, a historian who has researched the intersection of politics and tourism, says that the way geopolitical tensions manifested themselves at big sporting events was a feature of the cold war, but that these sorts of tensions largely dissipated after 1991. Now we may see politics being played out on the pitch, once again.



    Read more:
    Trump’s travel ban casts shadow over the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup and other US-hosted sporting events

    South Korea’s new president

    Voters in South Korea backed the liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung for the Democratic Party, by nearly 50% in the June 3 election. This gave the man who led the campaign to topple former president Yoon Suk Yeol a clear mandate in what is reported to have been the election with the highest turnout since 1997.

    But while women had been very prominent in the campaign to oust Yoon, there were no female presidential candidates and very little discussion of some of the massive gender issues besetting Korea, including structural inequality, harassment and domestic violence, write Ming Gao of Lund University and Joanna Elfving-Hwang of Curtin University, both experts in South Korean politics and society. In fact, some candidates actively campaigned in a manner they clearly hoped would engage with disenchanted young men who feel their position may be under threat from women.



    Read more:
    South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics

    The new South Korean president will bring with him what he calls a “pragmatic” approach to foreign affairs. He has restated his commitment to the longstanding alliance with the US, but has also stressed the need for his country to improve relations with China and North Korea, believing that South Korea should not be wholly dependent on Washington.

    This, writes Christoph Bluth, could become a point of tension between Seoul and Washington. “The Trump administration has taken a hawkish approach towards China and wants its allies to do the same,” he says.

    Lee has made it quite clear that while Seoul’s relationship with Washington is the “basic axis of [South Korea’s] diplomacy,” the country “should not put all [its] eggs in one basket”. He has already signalled that he would resist any attempts by the US to draw South Korea into a conflict with China over Taiwan.



    Read more:
    Why South Korea’s new leader may be on a collision course with Trump

    Gaza: when aid is politicised

    There was yet more tragedy in Gaza this week as the new aid distribution scheme backed by Israel and the US got underway and quickly descended into chaos, with Israeli troops shooting at people it claimed were Hamas militants, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people.

    The new plan handed control of aid distribution to a private company called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which established four depots, three in the very south of the Strip and one in the centre, close to Israeli checkpoints. As a result many people had to travel considerable distances to get desperately needed supplies.

    As Irit Katz of the University of Cambridge writes here, the GHF plan is similar in character to a scheme put forward last December by an Israeli veterans group that prioritises control over humanitarianism. She says the resulting chaos and violence should come as no surprise.



    Read more:
    Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack – https://theconversation.com/inside-ukraines-remarkable-drone-attack-258326

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Japanese walking: the benefits of this fitness trend

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sean Pymer, Academic Clinical Exercise Physiologist, University of Hull

    A fitness trend known as Japanese walking is capturing attention online, promising major health benefits with minimal equipment and time.

    Based on interval-style bursts of fast and slow walking, Japanese walking was developed by Professor Hiroshi Nose and Associate Professor Shizue Masuki at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan. It involves alternating between three minutes of walking at a higher intensity and three minutes at a lower intensity, repeated for at least 30 minutes, four times per week.

    The higher-intensity walking should be done at a level that is “somewhat hard”. At this level, it is still possible to talk, but holding a full conversation would be more difficult.

    The lower-intensity walking should be done at a level that is “light”. At this level, talking should be comfortable, though a little more laboured than an effortless conversation.

    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.

    Japanese walking has been likened to high-intensity interval training or Hiit, and has been referred to as “high-intensity walking”, although it is less taxing than true Hiit and is performed at lower intensities.

    It is also easy to perform and requires only a stopwatch and space for walking. It requires little planning and is less time-consuming than other walking targets, such as achieving 10,000 steps a day. This makes it suitable for most people.

    What does the evidence show?

    Japanese walking offers significant health benefits. A 2007 study from Japan compared this method to lower-intensity continuous walking, with a goal of achieving 8,000 steps per day. Participants who followed the Japanese walking approach experienced notable reductions in body weight. Blood pressure also dropped – more so than in those following the lower-intensity continuous walking routine.

    Leg strength and physical fitness were also measured in this study. Both improved to a greater extent in those following the Japanese walking programme, compared to those completing moderate-intensity continuous walking.

    A longer-term study also found that Japanese walking protects against the reductions in strength and fitness that happen with ageing.

    These improvements in health would also suggest that Japanese walking can help people live longer, though this has not yet been directly studied.

    There are a few things to consider with this new walking trend. In the 2007 study, around 22% of people did not complete the Japanese walking programme. For the lower intensity programme, with a target of 8,000 steps per day, around 17% did not complete it. This means that Japanese walking may not be suitable for everyone, and it might not be any easier or more attractive than simple step-based targets.

    Achieving a certain number of steps per day has also been shown to help people live longer. For those aged 60 and older, the target should be around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day and 8,000 to 10,000 for those aged under 60. Similar evidence does not appear to exist for Japanese walking… yet.

    So is this walking trend really the be-all and end-all? Or does it matter less about what exercise you do and more about how often and how hard you do it? The answer is likely to be the latter.

    Research tells us that people who regularly perform more bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity live longer, regardless of how long each bout is.

    This means that we should focus on ensuring we perform regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and make it habitual. If that activity happens to be Japanese walking, then it’s a worthwhile choice.

    Sean Pymer receives funding from The National Institute for Health and Care Research.

    – ref. Japanese walking: the benefits of this fitness trend – https://theconversation.com/japanese-walking-the-benefits-of-this-fitness-trend-257302

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Dippy the dinosaur remains beloved, 120 years after arriving at the Natural History Museum

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol

    Shutterstock/I Wei Huang

    Dippy – a complete cast of a diplodocus skeleton – is Britain’s most famous dinosaur. It has resided at the Natural History Museum in London since 1905 and is now on show in Coventry where it is “dinosaur-in-residence” at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

    Dippy, the star attraction in the huge entrance hall of the Natural History Museum from 1979 to 2018, is now on tour around the UK, with Coventry as its latest stop. It had previously been shown in Dorchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Rochdale, Norwich and London.

    So what is it that makes Dippy so popular? I got a sense of the dino’s appeal in August 2021 when I gave a lecture under the Dippy skeleton in Norwich Cathedral.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The lecture was about dinosaur feathers and colours. It highlighted new research that identified traces of pigment in the fossilised feathers of birds and dinosaurs. I wanted to highlight the enormous advances in the ways we can study dinosaurs that had taken place in just a century.

    Before arriving, I thought that Dippy would fill the cathedral – after all the skeleton is 26 metres long and it had filled the length of the gallery at the Natural History Museum. However, Dippy was dwarfed by the gothic cathedral’s scale. In fact, the building is so large that five Dippys could line up, nose to tail, from the great west door to the high altar at the east end.

    This sense of awe is one of the key reasons to study palaeontology – to understand how such extraordinary animals ever existed.

    I asked the Norwich cathedral canon why they had agreed to host the dinosaur, and he gave three answers. First, the dinosaur would attract lots of visitors. Second, Dippy is from the Jurassic period, as are the rocks used to construct the cathedral. Finally, for visitors it shared with the cathedral a sense of awe because of its huge size. Far from being diminished by its temporary home, visitors still walked around and under Dippy sensing its grandeur.

    Dippy at the unveiling ceremony at the Reptile Gallery of the Natural History Museum in 1905.
    WikiMedia

    Dippy arrived in London in 1905 as part of a campaign for public education by the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919). At the time, there was a debate in academic circles about the function of museums and how far professionals should go in seeking to educate the public.

    There was considerable reticence about going too far. Many professors felt that showing dinosaurs to the public would be unprofessional in instances where they moved from description of facts into the realm of speculation. They also did not want to risk ridicule by conveying unsupported information about the appearance and lifestyle of the great beasts. Finally, many professors simply did not see such populism as any part of their jobs.

    Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1916.
    Wiki Commons

    But, at that time, the American Museum of Natural History was well established in New York and its new president, Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857-1935) was distinctly a populist. He sponsored the palaeo artist Charles Knight (1874-1953), whose vivid colour paintings of dinosaurs were the glory of the museum and influential worldwide. Osborn was as hated by palaeontology professors as he was feted by the public.

    Carnegie pumped his steel dollars into many philanthropic works in his native Scotland and all over America, including the Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. When he heard that a new and complete skeleton of a diplodocus had been dug up in Wyoming, he bought it and brought it to his new museum. It was named as a new species, Diplodocus carnegiei.

    On a visit to Carnegie’s Scottish residence, Skibo Castle, King Edward VII saw a sketch of the bones and Carnegie agreed to donate a complete cast of the skeleton to Britain’s Natural History Museum.

    The skeleton was copied by first making rubber moulds of each bone in several parts, then filling the moulds with plaster to make casts and colouring the bones to make them look real. The 292 pieces were shipped to London in 36 crates and opened to the public in May 1905. Carnegie’s original Dippy skeleton only went on show in Pittsburgh in 1907, after the new museum building had been constructed.

    Illustration of the Brontosaurus by Charles Knight (1897).
    Wiki Commons

    Carnegie had got the royal bug and donated further complete Dippy casts to the great natural history museums in Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Bologna, St Petersburg, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City and La Plata in Argentina. Each of these nations, except France, had a king or tsar at the time. The skeletons went on show in all these locations, except Munich, and Dippy has been seen by many millions of people in the past 120 years.

    Dippy’s appeal

    Dippy’s appeal is manifold. It’s huge – we like our dinosaurs big. It has been seen up close by more people around the world than any other dinosaur. It also opens the world of science to many people. Evolution, deep time, climate change, origins, extinction and biodiversity are all big themes that link biology, geology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.

    Also, since 1905, palaeontology has moved from being a largely speculative subject to the realms of testable science. Calculations of jaw functions and limb movements of dinosaurs can be tested and challenged. Hypotheses about physiology, reproduction, growth and colour can be based on evidence from microscopic study of bones and exceptionally preserved tissues, and these analyses can be repeated and refuted.

    Dippy has witnessed over a century of rapid change and its appeal is sure to continue for the next.

    Dippy is on display at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry until February 21 2026.

    Michael J. Benton 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. Why Dippy the dinosaur remains beloved, 120 years after arriving at the Natural History Museum – https://theconversation.com/why-dippy-the-dinosaur-remains-beloved-120-years-after-arriving-at-the-natural-history-museum-209945

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mel Stride promises the Tories won’t repeat the mistakes of Liz Truss – except they already have

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London

    It’s a mistake to think that, when it comes to the UK economy, the Conservatives have always been seen by British voters as a safer pair of hands than Labour. But, notwithstanding the damaging austerity imposed on the country by David Cameron’s chancellor, George Osborne, it was, by and large, the case between 2008 and 2022. This was a period bookended by the global financial crisis that occurred under Gordon Brown’s watch as Labour chancellor and then prime minister, and by Liz Truss’s disastrous 49-day stint in the top job.

    In reality, people were already beginning to lose faith in the Tories’ economic competence when Truss beat Rishi Sunak in the race to succeed Boris Johnson in Number 10. But she right royally trashed whatever reputation the party still had on that score and, as a result, set it on the road that led to its cataclysmic defeat at the polls last July.

    Another leadership race duly followed that election. But instead of using it as an opportunity both to conduct a thorough postmortem and issue a full-throated apology for the mess they’d made of things across a whole range of domestic policy, the candidates stayed largely in the party’s comfort zone.

    The country’s crumbling public services got hardly a mention, any acknowledgement of their dire state drowned out by discussion of immigration and taxation. The eventual winner, Kemi Badenoch, was apparently convinced that the Conservatives had lost because they “talked right but governed left”.

    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.

    Clearly that message doesn’t seem to have persuaded the public. The Tories are now even more unpopular than they were at the general election. They rarely break 20% in the opinion polls and consistently finish behind not just a very poorly-regarded Labour government but a surging Reform UK.

    Cue the decision by Mel Stride, a cabinet minister in Rishi Sunak’s doomed government and now Badenoch’s shadow chancellor, to issue an apology of sorts. This was, however, not an apology for the mess the Conservatives made of the country during 14 (arguably wasted) years in office – but for the month and half in which they were led by Truss.

    Sir Mel (as he is now) was never much of a fan, but he’s now taking public potshots at the former prime minister in a very well trailed speech. Apparently it was only during this short period, when Truss delivered her now legendary “mini-budget” that derailed the economy, that it all went wrong.

    “For a few weeks,” he declared, “we put at risk the very stability which Conservatives had always said must be carefully protected. The credibility of the UK’s economic framework was undermined by spending billions on subsidising energy bills and tax cuts, with no proper plan for how this would be paid for.”

    “Never again,” he continued, “will the Conservative party undermine fiscal credibility by making promises that we cannot afford.” Stride here seemed to be conveniently forgetting that, at least in the judgment of the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies, that was exactly what he and his colleagues did when they presented their manifesto to the country at last year’s general election – long after Truss had departed Downing Street.

    As such, Stride’s speech is unlikely to impress anyone. Rather than a confession of collective guilt and an acknowledgement of a pattern of behaviour stretching over years, it seeks to deflect the blame onto a one-off event and onto one already-derided individual (or maybe two if one includes the man who actually delivered the bungled mini-budget, Kwasi Kwarteng).

    Moreover, such is the presidentialised nature of British politics these days, that, unless a message is delivered by the party leader, it won’t be seen as representing its official position. Nor will it cut through to voters.

    More profoundly, Stride’s “contrition” (the closest he got to actually saying sorry) is meaningless because rather than challenge any of his party’s underlying assumptions, it actually doubles down on them.

    To stand a chance of signalling to a sceptical public that they’ve truly changed, the Tories need to break out of their essentially Thatcherite-cum-culture-warrior comfort zone. But obsessed (and in some ways understandably so) as they are with the potentially existential threat posed to them by Reform UK, that currently seems like a very distant prospect. And so, therefore, does another Tory government.

    Tim Bale 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. Mel Stride promises the Tories won’t repeat the mistakes of Liz Truss – except they already have – https://theconversation.com/mel-stride-promises-the-tories-wont-repeat-the-mistakes-of-liz-truss-except-they-already-have-258324

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • India launches ‘Ayush Nivesh Saarthi’ portal to boost investment in traditional medicine

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a landmark initiative to position India as a global hub for traditional medicine and wellness, the Government of India unveiled the ‘Ayush Nivesh Saarthi’ portal on May 29, 2025, during the Ayush Stakeholder/Industry Interaction Meet at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. The portal was jointly launched by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav, in the presence of senior officials, industry leaders, and global stakeholders, including Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, and Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, DPIIT.

    The investor-centric digital platform, developed by the Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with Invest India, aims to transform India’s traditional wellness systems into a robust economic driver. Ayush Nivesh Saarthi integrates policy frameworks, incentive structures, investment-ready projects, and real-time facilitation into a single interface, designed to attract both domestic and global investors. The platform underscores India’s ambition to become a leading destination for investments in traditional systems of medicine, leveraging the sector’s 17% annual growth rate between 2014 and 2020 and growing global demand for natural and preventive healthcare.

    Speaking at the launch, Shri Piyush Goyal emphasized the sector’s openness to investment, stating, “With 100% FDI permitted in the Ayush sector through the automatic route, Ayush Nivesh Saarthi signals India’s readiness for investment, collaboration, and innovation in holistic healthcare. This portal connects investors with opportunities rooted in India’s ancient legacy of wellness, powered by a modern vision.”

    Jadhav highlighted the platform’s transformative potential, saying, “Ayush Nivesh Saarthi is more than a digital platform—it’s an enabler of transformation. It combines proactive government policies, India’s wealth of over 8,000 medicinal plant species, and a globally trusted wellness tradition. This portal empowers investors with real-time data, transparent policy guidance, and access to a vibrant, expanding market.”

    The Ayush sector plays a pivotal role in India’s USD 13 billion medical value travel (MVT) industry, ranking among the top five health services in the country. With its rich heritage and growing global appeal, the sector is a key driver of the global wellness economy. The launch of Ayush Nivesh Saarthi reinforces the government’s vision of positioning Ayush as a cornerstone of public health and economic growth, fostering foreign direct investment, empowering entrepreneurs, and showcasing India’s leadership in traditional medicine and wellness on the global stage.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Pillen Signs the Stand With Women Act

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . The Stand With Women Act, introduced on his behalf by Sen. Kathleen Kauth, requires that students in K-12 and postsecondary school participate on sports teams that correspond to their biological sex, as defined in law. Gov. Pillen and Sen. Kauth were joined in today’s bill signing event by Husker athletes Jordy Bahl and Rebekah Allick, who attended the bill’s introduction back in January, as well as nationally known advocate-athletes Riley Gaines and Payton McNabb.

    “We cannot ignore that girls and women have the right to a level playing field when it comes to sports,” said Gov. Pillen. “Otherwise, we are denying them opportunities to compete and win, earn scholarships and develop their own athletic abilities. LB89 ensures they are protected. It codifies my executive order of August 2023 – establishing a Women’s Bill of Rights — and it also aligns with President Trump’s executive order issued in February.”

    Sen. Kauth expressed gratitude for the support the bill received from Nebraskans, fellow senators, and advocates from across the political spectrum. 

    “I am pleased we were able to get the athletic portion of the bill passed and thank all the senators, individuals and groups who helped get us here. The work is not done. I will continue to work hard with my fellow senators to protect women in their locker rooms and bathrooms in the upcoming session.”

    Standout University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who is now host of Outkick’s Gaines for Girls podcast, talked about meeting Gov. Pillen two years ago and discussing the need for legislation then.

    “At the time only three states had codified such language. Days later, Governor Pillen signed sex-based definitions into law through executive action,” said Gaines. “Two years later, and after countless hours spent advocating for the importance of defining ‘woman’ and protecting women’s sports and spaces, Sen. Kauth and her colleagues have achieved a remarkable victory for Nebraskans. Today, the Women’s Bill of Rights has evolved into an even more powerful legislative package and the Stand with Women Act of 2025 is being signed into law. I am so proud to have been a part of this multi-year fight for women’s rights and be here in Lincoln to watch Nebraska become the 28th state to protect women’s sports.”

    Payton McNabb, who has also been outspoken on the issue of protecting women’s sports, shared her story of being injured during a volleyball match in high school. She is now a sports ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum, which testified in support of LB89.

    “Thank you, Governor Pillen and Sen. Kauth for prioritizing women and girls. By signing the Stand with Women Act into law today, Nebraska is codifying Governor Pillen’s early action to reclaim language and protect women’s sports,” said McNabb. “I am so proud to be here today and witness this historic moment. Thank you, Nebraska, for standing with women.”

    Calling the signing of LB89 as an “incredible accomplishment,” Husker softball pitcher Jordy Bahl indicated that advocating for this issue was, for her, bigger than playing softball, and echoed Sen. Kauth’s message that more was needed to provide appropriate protections to girls and women in sports.

    “In standing up for this, it was never out of my own personal interests. I have one year left of playing. I was always thinking about the younger athletes — the athletes who haven’t even started their careers yet. So, that’s where this is at in my heart.”

    Husker volleyball player Rebekah Allick added, “I’m just really grateful to be surrounded by independent and individual thinkers. Again, this is not a political matter. This is common sense. We are trying to defend reality.”

    In addition to signing LB89 into law, Gov. Pillen signed ceremonial copies of the legislation presented to each of the speakers at today’s news conference.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Brief in Support of Private Enforcement of the Voting Rights Act

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe, in support of a challenge to North Dakota’s 2021 redistricting plan. In the lawsuit, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Spirit Lake Tribe, and three individual Native American voters argue that North Dakota’s redistricting plan unlawfully diluted Native American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, among other characteristics, and § 1983 allows individuals to file suit against state actors who violate federal constitutional or statutory rights. A panel of judges on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that private parties cannot sue under Section 2 and § 1983. In their brief, the attorneys general support the tribes’ argument that Section 2 is enforceable through private suits and urge the Eighth Circuit to grant the tribes’ petition for the whole court to reconsider the question.

    “The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In a time when we can no longer rely on the federal government to enforce the Voting Rights Act, private action is essential to preserve the spirit and intent of one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. For 60 years, private parties have challenged discriminatory voting practices under the Voting Rights Act. I urge the court to rehear this case.” 

    In the brief, the attorneys general argue that private enforcement of the Voting Rights Act is essential, having served as the primary method of enforcing the Act since its enactment. The attorneys general note that approximately 400 private Voting Rights Act cases have been filed nationwide, compared to only about 40 brought by the U.S. Attorney General. Without a private right of action, voters will lack recourse if the U.S. Attorney General does not address their concerns. Additionally, the attorneys general emphasize that the public’s ability to enforce voting laws has a deterrent effect. Eliminating the private right of action could lessen the likelihood that the Voting Rights Act will be enforced, thereby reducing the incentives for certain state and local officials to comply with the Act’s mandates. 

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia in filing the amicus brief. 

    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Council sets position on clearer and improved rules for air passengers

    Source: Council of the European Union

    EU transport ministers reached a political agreement on the revision of the regulation on air passenger rights and the regulation on airline liability. The common position answers to a need for simpler and clearer rules, while aiming at striking a better balance between a high level of protection for passengers and preserving connectivity and level playing field for the aviation sector within the EU’s internal market.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Introduces Energy Choice Act to End Blue-State Wars on American Energy

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Acttoprohibit states or local governments from banning an energy service’s connection, reconnection, modification, installation, or expansion based on the type or source of energy to be delivered. Congressman Langworthy, who serves as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and as a member of the Energy and Environment subcommittees, has made protecting Americans’ energy choices a top priority.

    “Governor Hochul and Democrats in Albany have waged an extremist crusade against natural gas that’s sent home energy costs through the roof, crippled our energy supply, and left New York teetering on the edge of an energy crisis—all to satisfy the radical fantasies of the far-left climate cult. New York has been ground zero for the Green New Deal, where common sense goes to die and working families get stuck with the bill,”said Congressman Langworthy.“That’s why I’ve introduced the Energy Choice Act—to slam the brakes on these reckless, ideological mandates and restore sanity to America’s energy policy. People deserve the freedom to choose energy that is affordable, reliable, and proven—not be forced into rolling blackouts to please eco-activists who don’t live in the real world. I thank Senator Justice for introducing this bill in the Senate and urge its swift action.”

     

    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,” said Senator Jim Justice.

     

    The full text of the bill can be found here. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Mike Bost (R-IL), Robert Bresnahan Jr. (R-MI), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Dan Meuser (R-PA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Tim Moore (R-NC), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), August Pfluger (R-TX), John Rose (R-TX), Michael Rulli (R-OH), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), GT Thompson (R-PA), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Tony Wied (R-WI), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ryan Zinke (R-MT).

     

    Original cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).  

     

    “Democratic-controlled states like New York are waging an all-out attack on domestic energy production, undermining Americans’ right to choose their preferred energy source. The Energy Choice Act combats these authoritarian regulations by preventing state and local governments from banning specific energy sources. To achieve true energy independence, we must ensure Americans have access to a full range of options, including natural gas,”said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    “Montanans know the value of reliable, affordable energy, especially during winters when access to natural gas, coal, and other traditional fuels isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity,” said Congressman Zinke. “Heavy handed policies from places like Albany and Sacramento don’t reflect the realities of rural America, where energy diversity is vital. The Energy Choice Act is common sense legislation that defends our right to choose the energy sources that work best for our homes and businesses, and I am happy to co-sponsor it again.”

     

    “In order to achieve American energy dominance, we must utilize an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes affordability and reliability. By prohibiting states and local governments from banning a service based on the source of the energy, we can ensure that families and small businesses are not being forced to utilize more costly energy sources. I thank Rep. Langworthy for his leadership as we work to make energy more affordable and reliable for our constituents,” said Congressman Newhouse.

     

    “Energy freedom is essential to both our economy and national security,” said Congressman Mike Rulli. “Efforts by state governments to ban natural gas and other traditional energy sources not only hurt working families through higher costs but also jeopardize grid reliability – especially in regions with harsh winters like ours. I’m proud to support the Energy Choice Act and thank Congressman Langworthy for putting consumers first and ensuring that no American is forced into an energy system that doesn’t work for them or their community.”

     

    “Strengthening America’s energy independence requires an all-of-the-above energy strategy that ensures consumer demand and industry experts, not bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists, lead the expansion and delivery of energy services. Banning certain types of energy, like California and New York have tried to do, only raises prices for Americans,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11). “The Energy Choice Act will safeguard the diversification of energy sources in our nation and make sure that Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy.”

     

    The Energy Choice Act has received wide support from federal organizations, including American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), Energy Marketers of America (EMA) , GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals (OESP), National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), LIBRE Initiative, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).

    This legislation has also received support from state organizations, including Alabama Propane Gas Association, Arizona Propane Gas Association, Arkansas Propane Gas Association, Colorado Propane Gas Association, Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, Florida Propane Gas Association, Illinois Propane Gas Association, Indiana Food and Fuel Association, Iowa Propane Gas Association, Propane Gas Marketers of Kansas, Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association, Kentucky Propane Gas Association, Louisiana Propane Gas Association, Maine Energy Marketers Association, Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association, Michigan Petroleum Association, Michigan Propane Gas Association, Mid-Atlantic Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association, MidStates Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Midwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mississippi Propane Gas Association, Missouri Propane Gas Association, Nebraska Propane Gas Association, Energy and Convenience Marketers of Nevada, Nevada Propane Gas Association, New Mexico Propane Gas Association, North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northeast Heart, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Energy Marketers Association of New Hampshire, Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Propane Gas Association, Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York Inc., New York Propane Gas Association, Empire State Energy Association (ESEA), Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGANY), New York State Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors, New York State Energy Coalition (NYSEC), New York State Oil Producers Association (NYSOPA), North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers, North Dakota Propane Gas Association, Ohio Energy and Convenience Association, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio Propane Gas Association, Oklahoma Propane Gas Association, Oregon Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Pacific Propane Gas Association, Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association Pacific, Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Association, North Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Association, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, Pennsylvania Petroleum Association, Southeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, South Central Pennsylvania Energy Association, South Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Propane Gas Association of New England, Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Business Leaders Alliance, Rocky Mountain Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Rocky Mountain Propane Association, South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association, South Dakota Petroleum and Propane Marketers Association, Southeast Propane Alliance, Tennessee Propane Gas Association, Texas Propane Gas Association, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, Virginia Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association, Virginia Propane Gas Association, West Virginia Propane Gas Association, Western Propane Gas Association, Washington Independent Energy Distributors, Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC).

    “NEFI proudly supports the Energy Choice Act, which represents a critical step toward protecting American consumers and small businesses from government overreach in the home energy market,”said Jim Collura, President & CEO of the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), which represents wholesale and retail distributors of liquid heating fuels, primarily in the Northeast.“This bipartisan legislation ensures that decisions about home heating and cooling remain where they belong – in the hands of American families, not government bureaucrats. At a time when families are recovering from record high inflation, the last thing we need are misguided state and local policies that eliminate affordable heating options. The Energy Choice Act protects market competition, preserves consumer choice, and promotes energy affordability and reliability. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense legislation without delay.”

     

    “NAHB commends Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) for championing the Energy Choice Act, legislation that prohibits state and local governments from banning or limiting access to natural gas, electricity, and other energy sources. A gas ban would exacerbate the housing affordability crisis by increasing costs on new homes and placing added stress on the nation’s electrical grid. With more than 40 million U.S. households relying on natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water, preserving access to this affordable and reliable energy source is vital for American families,”said Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders.

     

    “On behalf of millions of AFP’s grassroots activists across the country, we applaud Rep. Nick Langworthy for introducing the Energy Choice Act to ensure energy freedom throughout the United States. Regardless of where Americans live, they shouldn’t be forced to endure energy poverty. The Energy Choice Act will provide certainty, security, and assurance for much-needed permitting reform and energy infrastructure development. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure American dominance in energy and lower costs for consumers while embracing an “all-of-the-above” approach on the federal level,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.

     

    “The Energy Choice Act represents a critical step in protecting consumer access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources like propane,”said Stephen Kaminski, President and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association. “NPGA commends Rep. Langworthy and Sen. Justice for their leadership in introducing this legislation to defend energy diversity and empowering Americans to choose the energy solutions that best meet their needs. This bill safeguards consumers from rising energy costs driven by overreaching government mandates.”

    “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) strongly supports Representative Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act. This important legislation will safeguard American consumers’ right to choose the energy that best meets their household and budget needs. Access to affordable, reliable, and efficient natural gas is essential to the success of American families, businesses, and communities. APGA applauds the bill’s sponsors for their leadership in protecting consumer choice and promoting energy affordability,” said Dave Schryver, President & CEO, APGA.

     

    “The refusal of certain state and local governments to consider policies that provide a more sustainable transition to a less carbon-intensive future, coupled with the economic burdens placed on the American people through restrictions or bans on fossil fuel heating sources, necessitates federal preemption to ensure homeowners can continue to afford living in their homes while having robust options for maintaining home comfort. The Energy Choice Act provides that recourse and PHCC supports its immediate passage,” said Dan Callies, President, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, National Association.

     

    “Passage of this important legislation is a no brainer. We encourage House lawmakers to pass the bill immediately to restore consumer choice and support small business energy marketers across the country,”said Rob Underwood, Energy Marketers of America President.

     

    “At a time when no New Yorker is immune to statewide affordability challenges, having the freedom to choose energy solutions that work best for their homes, businesses, and communities is critical to keeping costs manageable for everyday people. The Energy Choice Act ensures we are taking an all-of-the-above approach to meeting energy needs — opening opportunities to tap into existing solutions like biofuels that advance clean energy goals, while also fostering continued innovation to build a more secure, affordable energy future. We support this commonsense legislation, thank Congressman Langworthy for his leadership, and urge House lawmakers to pass the Energy Choice Act to deliver real energy solutions for all Americans and support the small business energy marketers who help power our communities,”said Kris DeLair, Executive Director of the Empire State Energy Association.

     

    “GPA Midstream appreciates Representative Langworthy taking action to introduce legislation to protect consumer choice. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the right to choose the energy source, such as natural gas or propane, that is reliable and best fits their budget needs,”said Stuart Saulters, VP of Federal Affairs, GPA Midstream Association.

     

    “Americans deserve reliable, affordable energy without bureaucratic roadblocks or special interests getting in the way. This bill protects consumer choice and energy innovation by ensuring that no state or local government can block access to energy sources based on political agendas or bad politics. This bipartisan bill is a common-sense step toward securing our energy future, protecting American energy jobs, and most importantly protecting the pockets of working class Americans who should not have to pay more for energy. The LIBRE Initiative is grateful for Rep. Langworthy’s leadership on this important issue,” said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative

     

    “Concerned Veterans for America wholeheartedly endorses Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act on behalf of the members of our country’s largest veteran-led grassroots advocacy organization.  This bill will ensure energy freedom in every state and protect hardworking citizens from high energy costs created by special interests at the state level. Veterans served so that Americans are free to benefit from our nation’s ingenuity and natural abundance, and are free to live their unique American Dreams.
    The Energy Choice Act limits states’ permitting requirements and promotes a more resilient energy infrastructure. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure continued American domestic energy availability and lower costs for consumers while embracing a free market approach to energy development across the country,” said John Vick, Executive Director, Concerned Veterans for America.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Reduce The Cost Of Prescription Drugs For Seniors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Millions Of Older Adults Struggle To Afford Their Prescription Medication

    Legislation Would Expand On Law That Lowers Costs For Prescription Drugs That Treat Diabetes, Kidney Disease, And Other Common Conditions

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, held a virtual press conference to discuss the Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act, legislation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. 

    The bill would lower the cost of some of the most expensive and commonly used prescription medications by enhancing the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) ability to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on the price of certain prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D. This will lower costs for people with Medicare while simultaneously reducing drug spending by the federal government. 

    “Even with Medicare, the cost of prescription drugs can be astronomical; as a result, many seniors are forced to skip doses, cut pills in half, or otherwise alter their treatment in an attempt to save money. That is unacceptable,” said Senator Gillibrand. “In 2022, we made major progress in reducing the cost of life-saving medications by passing legislation that allowed Medicare to negotiate the price of certain prescription drugs, including those that treat diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease, and blood cancer, among other common conditions. This bill expands on that victory and makes dozens more drugs subject to price negotiations. I look forward to getting it passed.” 

    Throughout her time in Congress, Gillibrand has fought to lower the cost of prescription drugs. In 2022, she helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped Medicare patients’ out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year; empowered Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices; and regulated price increases by drug companies. She is an original cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act, which would provide every American with prescription drug coverage at an affordable cost. In 2023, she joined a bipartisan push to lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs by limiting the use of harmful “copay accumulators,” which prevent copay assistance from counting toward a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum and make it harder for patients to afford their medications.

    Specifically, the SMART Prices Act would: 

    1. Increase the number of drugs and biologics – medications like insulin that come from living sources – that HHS must negotiate to a minimum of 50 drugs in 2028 and for each subsequent year. 
    2. Increase the amount of savings that Medicare can negotiate off the list price for each drug by adjusting the maximum fair price (MFP) thresholds to match the MFP thresholds that the VA, DOD, and U.S. Public Health Service use in their price negotiations for prescription drugs. 
    3. Shorten the length of time that drugs and biologics need to be on the market following FDA approval before becoming eligible for negotiation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stoke 20mph zone to be introduced next week

    Source: City of Plymouth

    A reduced speed limit of 20mph will be introduced in parts of Stoke on Thursday 12 June.

    The 20mph speed limit is part of a scheme to make it safer for children travelling to school, which will also include a new parallel (pedestrian and cycle) crossing on Mill Bridge, linking Stonehouse Creek to Victoria Park.

    The scheme, which was developed following feedback from local ward councillors about residents’ safety concerns and approved in January following public consultation, is being implemented in two phases.

    The first will cover residential streets around Stoke, Millbridge and Eldad Hill, including Stuart Road Primary Academy in Palmerston Street. The second, which will be implemented within two years, will extend the existing 20mph zone around High Street Primary Academy further to cover streets in the Stonehouse area.

    Enforcement cameras for the first zone have been installed and we are in the process of putting up new 20mph signage and painting road markings, ready for the change. Advanced warning signs will be in place before the new speed limit becomes enforceable to let drivers know.

    Construction of the new crossing is nearing completion and it is expected to open within the next couple of weeks.

    Larger ‘terminal’ signs at the entry points to the new 20mph zone will include artwork featuring safety messages, designed by pupils at Stuart Road Primary. The school recently introduced the city’s first permanent Safer School Streets scheme following a successful 18-month pilot.

    Two designs were chosen from nearly 60 created by the young artists to alert drivers to the importance of road safety, speed limits and people walking, cycling or wheeling in the area. The winning pupils will receive a gift card, a goodie bag and a certificate.

    Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “The zebra crossing and 20mph zone are being introduced in response to feedback from ward members and residents concerned about speeding, accidents and near misses in their neighbourhood.

    “Many of these concerns are for pupils and families travelling to and from school and vulnerable road users will always be our number one priority. There are several primary and secondary schools within the two phases of the scheme and this will significantly improve safety on their daily journeys.

    “Our road safety team works closely with Stuart Road Primary, including supporting the introduction of its Safer School Streets scheme, which has been a huge success. We are really pleased to be using signs designed by pupils as part of this first phase.

    “We hope the reduced speed limit – and the new crossing, when it opens – will help people feel safer when they travel through this busy area.”

    Britta Nicholls, headteacher at Stuart Road Primary, said: “We are delighted with the new speed restrictions that will make sure that parents and children can safely travel to and from school. We have had too many near misses in the past and welcome the reduced speed enforcement in roads around Stuart Road. This supports our mission to increase the number of families who walk, cycle or scooter to school for a healthier lifestyle, cleaner air and is environmentally friendly.”

    Full details of the 20mph zone and maps showing the streets it covers can be viewed on our Stoke 20mph zone page. The new speed limit will be enforced by Devon and Cornwall Police.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –