NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: World’s highest court delivers historic protections for climate-impacted communities

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    The Hague, Netherlands – The world’s highest court has just delivered a landmark Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States in the face of the climate emergency.[1] The International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision delivers historic protections that strengthen the responsibilities of States under international law beyond the Paris Agreement, with several key additional obligations including the duty of all countries to prevent significant harm to the environment and the duty to cooperate.

    The Court’s decision obligates States to regulate businesses on the harm caused by their emissions regardless of where the harm takes place. Significantly, the Court found that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is fundamental for all other human rights, and that intergenerational equity should guide the interpretation of all climate obligations.

    Danilo Garrido, Legal Counsel at Greenpeace International, said:

    “This is the start of a new era of climate accountability at a global level. The ICJ advisory opinion marks a turning point for climate justice, as it has clarified, once and for all, the international climate obligations of States, and most importantly, the consequences for breaches of these obligations. This will open the door for new cases, and hopefully bring justice to those, who despite having contributed the least to climate change, are already suffering its most severe consequences. The message of the Court is clear: the production, consumption and granting of licenses and subsidies for fossil fuels could be breaches of International Law. Polluters must stop emitting and must pay for the harms they have caused.”

    The decision also clarifies that breaches of climate obligations give rise to full reparations: including stopping harmful actions, and giving financial compensation for any related losses and damages. These can include compensation for climate harm and even the need for an immediate cessation of GHG emissions above a science-based safety threshold. Most significantly, the Court made important findings that will ensure climate justice for future generations in the most climate-impacted communities, offering a historic level of protection.

    Flora Vano, Vanuatu Women-Led Community Leader, said:

    “Tonight I’ll sleep easier. For the first time, it feels like Justice is not just a dream but a direction. The ICJ has recognised what we have lived through – our suffering, our resilience and our right to our future. This is a victory not just for us but for every frontline community fighting to be heard. Now, the world must act.”

    Earlier this month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights delivered another historic decision on the obligations of States in the face of the climate emergency.[2] The Court established that governments must take “urgent and effective actions” to safeguard the right to a healthy climate, and that companies have obligations with regard to climate change and its impacts on human rights. This decision unequivocally puts the rights of people and nature above the interests of polluters.

    In 2023, Greenpeace International’s iconic ship, the Rainbow Warrior, sailed through the Pacific and gathered testimonies from communities affected by climate change. These were submitted to the ICJ, along with testimonies from other communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.[3] Subsequently, the Court held a two-week-long public hearing on the obligations of States with respect to climate change, featuring testimonies of impacts and resistance of frontline communities across the world, and with unprecedented participation from States and international organisations, following written comments submitted to the Court last year.[4][5]

    Today’s decision adds to the global momentum towards climate accountability and to the Polluters Pay Pact, a global alliance of over 200,000 people on the frontlines of climate disasters, concerned citizens, first responders like firefighters, humanitarian groups, political leaders, and more than 60 NGOs, including Greenpeace International. It demands that governments worldwide make oil, coal and gas corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause.

    ENDS

    High resolution images for media use can be found in the Greenpeace Media Library

    Notes:

    [1] Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change Request for Advisory Opinion

    [2] The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, one of three regional human rights courts in the world, has the role to interpret and clarify the obligations of States. Its decisions inform national governments and courts. Read the full decision, Opinión Consultiva (in Spanish)

    [3] Greenpeace submits brief to the International Court of Justice on the Obligations of States Regarding Climate Change

    [4] Major milestone reached in historic climate judgement as States submit arguments to world’s highest court

    [5] In 2019, 27 law students from The University of the South Pacific united in forming Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, with a campaign for the International Court of Justice to issue an Advisory Opinion on the responsibilities of States in respect to climate change. The resolution, put forward by Vanuatu alongside a global alliance of States, passed the United Nations General Assembly unanimously in March 2023, co-sponsored by over 130 countries. 

    Contacts:

    Marie Bout, Strategic Comms Manager, Greenpeace International Climate & Energy Programme, +33 (0) 6 05 98 70 42, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Subsidising e-bikes instead of cars could really kick the electric vehicle transition into high gear

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Noel Flay Cass, Research Fellow in Energy Demand Behaviour, University of Leeds

    If you’re thinking of buying a new electric car worth up to £37,000, the UK government has offered to knock up to £3,750 off the price. The measure adds up to £650 million in grants for people to buy EVs (electric vehicles), but as a researcher who studies transport policy and climate change, I think this money would be better spent subsidising e-bikes.

    Numerous questions surround the new government policy. Might people who can afford a new car buy one anyway, without the 10% discount? Might car dealers simply reduce the discounts they offer by a similar amount? Given the 20% VAT on an EV, doesn’t a sale actually result in a 200% immediate return for the government? And isn’t this mainly a bung to car manufacturers and company fleets?

    The grants come on top of financial assistance for replacing cars, vans, taxis and motorbikes with electric options, announced in February – £120 million in total, including £500 grants for e-motorbikes. But almost no subsidies are available for two-wheeled, pedal-assisted EVs: e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

    The main financial help for buying e-bikes is the cycle to work salary-sacrifice scheme. The employer buys the bike and then instalments are deducted from a participant’s pay before tax, but the scheme’s eligibility is limited to employees on standard payroll tax (PAYE workers) whose sacrifices don’t drop their pay below minimum wage.

    This also excludes those who are out of work, the low-paid, the self-employed and retired, arguably people who might benefit most from an e-bike.

    Benefits beyond carbon savings

    We know that e-bike owners replace lots of trips and miles driven by cars. We also know the upfront cost of around £2,000-£3,000 is a barrier to more people owning one, despite e-bikes being much cheaper than cars.

    Estimates of annual carbon savings from e-bikers avoiding car trips vary, from as little as 87kg CO₂ in a 2016 study to 394kg in research published the following year. Estimates published in 2020 and 2023 put the annual climate dividend at 225kg and 168kg of CO₂ respectively – roughly in line with emissions for one person making a return short-haul flight.

    E-bikes provide extra propulsion to make long or arduous journeys easier for more riders.
    Umomos/Shutterstock

    These might seem small savings compared to the tonnes of CO₂ that an EV can save. However, e-bike incentives would have two big advantages.

    First, policies that encourage active travel, including cycling, have been assessed by the government multiple times to determine the payoff from investment. It turns out that they have huge benefit to cost ratios – 9:1 on average (internationally it’s 6:1).

    Conservatively, policies to encourage cycling pay back £5.50 in social benefits for every £1 invested. These benefits are largely savings for the healthcare system. In a project I worked on, in which we lent e-cargo bikes for free to 49 households in Leeds, Brighton and Oxford for several months, e-cargo bike users cycled up to three times more than non-users in our surveys.

    E-cargo bike borrowers also reported mental-health benefits on top of satisfaction at being able to combine fitness with functional everyday trips, which were longer than they would attempt on a conventional bike. The cargo bikes especially helped with combining trips – commutes with shopping and school runs, for instance – meaning that more than 50% of trips and miles replaced car usage.

    Precious cargo.
    R.Classen/Shutterstock

    Second, e-bike incentives can be designed to appeal especially to the lower-paid, who have been found to use their e-bikes more than wealthier buyers, which would also replace more car trips. The highest of a sliding scale of means-tested incentives in a Canadian study attracted poorer first-time e-bike buyers with existing high car-use.

    This reaped average annual carbon savings of 1,456kg for those in receipt of the maximum CAN$1,600 (£868). As the authors suggest, these incentives may have helped low-income households realise their preferences for less dependence on cars.

    E-bike grants could get more people out of cars

    But how many drivers want to drive less? According to research that groups people into camps based on travel preferences, up to 50% of travellers in the UK are “malcontented motorists” and “active aspirers” (to travel differently).

    Research has shown great potential for wider e-bike ridership.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    Our research also found that guilt, or trying to minimise car use, was a major motivator for nearly all of our participants. While the government has funded free e-(cargo) bike trials like ours, the main cycling organisations we talked to pointed out that use would “fall off a cliff” when the trial ends because of the cost barrier. Those who would struggle to buy one were back in the same position as before.

    A government evaluation of free e-bike loans concluded they were poor value for money, but it tracked purchases made soon after with a tiny response rate. Our project followed up after a year and found 20% of our borrowers had bought an e-cargo bike. Trial loans and grants together might achieve even more.

    The new EV grant money could provide nearly 750,000 e-bike or e-cargo bike purchase-incentives the size of the Canadian ones, which could lead to annual carbon savings of 1.125 million tonnes of CO₂, according to the weekly average savings they found in that group.

    Given the conservative benefit to cost ratio of 5.5:1 from such a UK scheme, this investment could also reap more than £3.6 billion in social benefits – especially from a fitter car-dependent population. There would potentially be a massive boost to the struggling UK e-bike and e-cargo bike market as well.

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

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

    Noel Flay Cass receives funding from UK Research & Innovation grant EP/S030700/1 through the Elevate project: (Innovative Light ELEctric Vehicles for Active and Digital TravEl).

    – ref. Subsidising e-bikes instead of cars could really kick the electric vehicle transition into high gear – https://theconversation.com/subsidising-e-bikes-instead-of-cars-could-really-kick-the-electric-vehicle-transition-into-high-gear-261429

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Five ways professional athletes are redefining the limits of age in sport

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Hough, Lecturer Sport & Exercise Physiology , University of Westminster

    Maciej Rogowski Photo/Shutterstock

    In elite sport, the phrase “past your prime” is rapidly being redefined.

    At 38, Jess Fishlock just became the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Women’s Euro history. At Euro 2024, Portuguese defender Pepe made headlines not for a red card or faking injury — but for simply stepping onto the pitch at age 41, becoming the oldest player to feature in a European Championship. Fellow veterans Cristiano Ronaldo (39), Luka Modrić (38), and Keylor Navas (38) also made appearances.

    And it’s not just football. Serena Williams won the Australian Open at 35 (while pregnant). Roger Federer won a Grand Slam at 36. Rafael Nadal became the oldest French Open champion at 36. Novak Djokovic, now 38, won Olympic gold in 2024 and reached the semi-finals of all three Grand Slams this 2025.

    In American sports, Tom Brady retired at 45 after 23 physically punishing NFL seasons. LeBron James, at 39, is still dominating in the NBA, having won the inaugural NBA Cup with the LA Lakers in 2023.

    These aren’t just feel-good stories; they reflect a growing trend. Athletes are staying competitive for longer and pushing the boundaries of peak performance. But how?

    Research backs the shift. A study on Olympic athletes found that between 1992 and 2021, the average age of male Olympians rose from 25 to 27, and female athletes from 24 to 26. In football, a study of UEFA Champions League players found the average player age rose by nearly two years between 1992 and 2018.

    So how are older athletes continuing to thrive in elite sport? Here are some of the key factors.

    1. Smarter training

    Modern athletes benefit from personalised training programmes informed by cutting-edge sports science. Tools like GPS tracking, heart rate variability (HRV), and biomarker analysis help coaches monitor performance, recovery and injury risk.

    Metrics such as HRV, for example, can indicate when an athlete might need more rest, which is crucial for older athletes who take longer to recover after intense competition.

    Athletes are no longer reliant on a single coach. Today, they work with integrated teams – sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, and performance analysts – all dedicated to improving their fitness and performance.

    2. Better injury prevention and medical support

    Athletes now undergo regular fitness testing and musculoskeletal screening to identify potential weaknesses before they lead to injury. And when injuries do occur, recovery methods have vastly improved.

    Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries were once considered career-ending for older athletes. But thanks to advanced surgical techniques and biological therapies, recovery is now faster, and athletes return to play much sooner.

    Zlatan Ibrahimović, at age 35, returned to top-level football just seven months after an ACL tear – a feat nearly unthinkable a decade earlier.

    3. Optimised recovery and nutrition

    Ageing athletes have different recovery needs — and sports science has stepped up. Cryotherapy, compression therapy, and advanced sleep protocols all help reduce muscle soreness and accelerate repair.

    Nutrition plays a key role too. Ageing bodies experience more inflammation and slower repair, so diets rich in polyphenols (found in berries, leafy greens, and dark chocolate) are used to support vascular health and recovery. Athletes may also take approved supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and slow degeneration.

    The result? Older athletes can train more consistently and recover faster between games.

    4. Experience and tactical intelligence

    Speed and strength decline with age, but tactical intelligence often improves. Older athletes can compensate for age-related declines in physical capacity with their advanced game-reading skills and spatial awareness. For instance, footballers like Paul Scholes and Andrés Iniesta adapted their playing styles with age, relying more on positioning and passing intelligence than physical capacity.

    5. Financial and legacy incentives

    Today’s stars aren’t just competing for medals – they’re building brands. With massive financial rewards on offer, there’s a clear incentive to prolong careers.

    Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, recently signed a two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr that will see him play until age 42 — reportedly earning an estimated £492 million. For many athletes, the chance to leave a lasting legacy and secure generational wealth keeps them in the game.

    While we can’t stop the biological effects of ageing, today’s athletes are proving we can delay their impact – and even thrive later in life.

    With smarter training, better recovery strategies and cutting-edge medicine, the upper age limit for peak performance continues to stretch. These advances may allow more veteran athletes to defy expectations and continue competing at the highest level.

    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.

    Paul Hough 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. Five ways professional athletes are redefining the limits of age in sport – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-professional-athletes-are-redefining-the-limits-of-age-in-sport-261028

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trump’s budget cuts could shut down local news outlets and reduce reporting on emergencies

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Chair of the Editorial Board, and Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    Donald Trump’s campaign against the “fake news” media continues largely unchecked, with a decision that is expected to reduce reporting and close down some local news stations around the US.

    This follows a House of Representatives decision on July 18 to agree with the Senate and slash US$1.1 billion (£813 million) funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which manages the money for National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and their member stations. These cuts will affect the next two years of their operations.

    There are fears that some local and rural stations will be forced to lay off staff and may even have to close, if they haven’t amassed significant cash reserves or receive other funding. Don Dunlap, the president of KEDT-TV/FM in Texas, said in an interview: “There are ten public TV stations in Texas, and we’re thinking probably six of them will close down within a year.”

    Experts are warning that in national emergencies such as wild fires and floods, local news media are “absolutely essential services” – and that they may not be able to help keep citizens well informed in future. “Nearly three-in-four Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety,” NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher said .

    Trump has had these media outlets in his sights for a while, claiming they are a waste of taxpayers’ money and are ideologically biased against Republicans – a claim denied by NPR and PBS.



    Read more:
    PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy

    Public broadcasting regularly sends out alerts related to extreme weather and emergency news. This appears particularly pertinent after the recent Texas floods which killed 135 people. Kate Riley, CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, said local news outlets provide “essential lifesaving public safety services, proven educational services and community connections to their communities every day for free”.

    Republican senator from Alaska Lisa Murkowski said she recently received a tsunami warning from her local radio station after an earthquake. Murkowski has tried to introduce an amendment to reduce the cuts to local stations.

    The more-than-1,000 NPR stations around the US are vulnerable precisely because significant funding comes from federal sources. According to figures from news organisation Politico: “Approximately 19% of NPR member stations count on CPB funding for at least 30% of their revenue.”

    Ed Ulman, president and CEO of Alaska Public Media, told Politico that over a third of public media stations in his state will shut down “within three-to-six months”. He has begun a renewed public funding campaign on social media.

    Small rural US radio stations are facing tough budget cuts.

    Even at well-funded TV stations such as Arizona PBS, owned by Arizona State University and run by its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, some curtailing of plans is afoot. The station provides daily programming to the region, and has trained generations of journalism students to enter careers in TV and radio. Following the announcement of these federal cuts, I spoke to Scott Woelfel, the station’s general manager, who said:

    Arizona PBS will lose about US$2.3 million per year over the next two years. That represents around 13% of our total budget. While that is a significant percentage, its loss will not prevent us from operating. In fact, we prepared a reduced budget in the likely event that the rescission would occur, and have been operating under it since July 1 … It contains cuts across the board in an equal amount to the lost revenue.

    Following these federal cuts, 60% of the station’s funding will derive from charitable giving, 16% from corporate support and a further 24% from state grants for education services. Woelfel doesn’t plan on making any staff cuts, but said some unstaffed positions will remain open indefinitely – and that the station will be “delaying major new initiatives until new funding is found”.

    What happens next?

    Overall, these cuts are likely to create additional “news deserts” – regions of the US which don’t have access to important local news and information.

    After President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 into law to give funds to public broadcasting, he said: “While we work every day to produce new goods and to create new wealth, we want most of all to enrich man’s spirit. That is the purpose of this act.” But such touching sentiments now seem old-school in this era of Trump’s loud media wars.

    In the past week, the US president has also announced he would sue “the ass off” Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corp, and the Wall Street Journal, which News Corp owns. This follows the WSJ’s publication of a story concerning a 2003 birthday letter framed around the outline of a naked woman that Trump allegedly sent to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the letter was fake. His US$10 billion lawsuit also takes in the WSJ’s owner, Dow Jones, and two of its reporters.

    As Trump pushes forward with significant changes to the media landscape, he is no doubt hoping that friendly television stations such as Fox News – also a part of Murdoch’s empire – as well as his influencer following will stay loyal to his brand.

    His Maga followers will undoubtedly be supportive of budget cuts and his anti-PBS and NPR statements. But when it comes to reporting from a flood or fire, influencers tend not to be on the ground supplying local residents with up-to-date information. Voters may find those important, and sometimes life-saving, services hard to replace.

    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.

    Colleen Murrell received funding from Irish regulator Coimisiún na Meán (2021-4) for research for the annual Reuters Digital News Report Ireland.

    – ref. Trump’s budget cuts could shut down local news outlets and reduce reporting on emergencies – https://theconversation.com/trumps-budget-cuts-could-shut-down-local-news-outlets-and-reduce-reporting-on-emergencies-261493

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the UK’s immigration system splits families apart – by design

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nando Sigona, Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity, University of Birmingham

    arda savasciogullari/Shutterstock

    The letter that arrived for eleven-year-old Guilherme in June 2025 was addressed personally to him. The UK Home Office was informing him that he and his eight-year-old brother Luca must return to Brazil. Their parents, an academic and a senior NHS nurse, both long-term UK residents with valid visas were not included in the order.

    “Whilst this may involve a degree of disruption in family life,” the letter stated, “this is considered to be proportionate to the legitimate aim of maintaining effective immigration control.”

    The family’s difficulties with the Home Office began after the parents divorced a few years after arriving in the UK. Mother and children arrived in the UK as dependants on the father’s visa. After the divorce, the mother secured her own skilled worker visa, while the father was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2024.

    Under current rules, skilled workers must wait five years before applying for settlement. For the children to qualify for settlement, both parents must be settled or one must have sole responsibility – neither condition applies here. Only after media attention did the Home Office reconsider the decision.

    This case is just the latest example of how barriers to migrants’ family life are embedded in the UK’s immigration system – something I have been studying for years. The Labour government’s recently announced immigration plans extend and bolster these barriers.

    Current rules require migrants to earn at least £29,000 to sponsor a spouse or child – a figure set to rise to £38,700 in early 2026 after changes introduced by the last government. The newest immigration plans propose doubling the path to settlement from five to ten years. And they restrict the rights to family reunion to only “nuclear” families: divorced parents, adult children and extended kin are left out.

    These changes are aimed at reducing migration and restoring “public trust”. But in practice, they make family unity a luxury — harder to achieve for low-paid migrant workers and even for working-class British citizens with foreign partners.



    Read more:
    ‘Just the rich can do it’: our research shows how immigration income requirements devastate families

    The price of family life

    Recent research my colleagues and I conducted — based on over 50 interviews with migrant domestic and food delivery workers and other experts — shows how the immigration system fractures families and puts children at risk.

    Faith, a Zimbabwean domestic worker, explained how she was unable to bring her eldest daughter to the UK due to age restrictions on dependant visas. Her daughter was later trafficked into the UK and, though she eventually rejoined her mother, hasn’t recovered from the trauma of separation: “She’s struggling to sleep, can’t eat … always emotional, saying she feels dizzy, scared to be around people.”

    Faith had been trapped in an abusive relationship for a long time because her visa was tied to her partner. When she eventually left her partner, her visa was withdrawn – leaving her in breach of immigration rules. Her younger child was placed in care while Faith was detained for breaching the terms of her visa.

    Jamal, a food delivery rider from Eritrea, had a similar experience of legal dependency. He came to the UK on a dependant visa linked to his British wife. After their relationship deteriorated, his ability to remain in the country was threatened: “If we have problems, she can cancel my visa. This was her weapon.”

    Susan, a Zimbabwean woman working in the care and cleaning sector, moved to the UK to look after her adult daughter who had cancer. When her six month visitor visa expired, she applied for asylum, but her application was refused and eventually she was detained for almost a month.

    She faced deportation but was released after a legal aid lawyer helped her submit strong evidence of her daughter’s condition. Reflecting on her experience, she explained: “When it benefits them, they say I’ve had no contact [with my family in the UK]. When they want to deport me, they say I have family to return to [in Zimbabwe].”

    Immigration status doesn’t just define one’s own legal position, it can determine who gets the right to have a family in the UK and who does not. While some of our interviewees secured status through a partner’s EU citizenship and reunited with family members already in the UK, others who rely on temporary visas are excluded.

    Changes to the immigration in recent years have placed a higher value on how migrants can contribute or provide “value” – seeing them as workers (or students) first, not members of families. Many are allowed in the UK for a limited time and without the right to bring with them even the closest family members. The effect is particularly harsh on women in domestic work, whose visas are short-term and not renewable.

    Many interviewees reported that immigration barriers delayed or obstructed their children’s education or healthcare. Samantha’s daughter waited over two months for a school placement because their legal status was still pending. Adriana was charged £8,000 for NHS maternity services because of her undocumented status, which restricts access to free healthcare to GP and emergency care.

    Even in less extreme cases, legal insecurity takes a toll. Children grow up hearing their parents talk about “papers”, “Home Office letters” or the risk of being “sent back”.

    That the Home Office sent a removal letter to an eleven-year-old is not a clerical error. It is the system working as designed. And even when public outrage forces a reversal — as in Guilherme’s case — the wider machinery of enforcement continues.

    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.

    Nando Sigona is Scientific Coordinator of “Improving the Living and Working Conditions of Irregularised Migrant Households in Europe” (www.i-claim.eu), a three-year six-country research project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe and UKRI.

    – ref. How the UK’s immigration system splits families apart – by design – https://theconversation.com/how-the-uks-immigration-system-splits-families-apart-by-design-261134

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trump takes lead role in Cold War Steve’s reimagining of Hogarth’s 18th-century satire, The Rake’s Progess

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rebecca Anne Barr, Associate Professor in English Literature, University of Cambridge

    A reimagining of the sixth cartoon in William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress depicting Trump pleading for divine assistance at a gambling den. Cold War Steve

    British satirist Cold War Steve has published a series of images based on the British painter William Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress (1733-35). Hogarth’s 18th-century original charts the catastrophic decline of an affluent young man, Tom Rakewell. Cold War Steve’s 2025 reimagining substitutes the foolish rake with the US president, Donald Trump.

    Hogarth’s eight densely packed images are a forerunner of the modern comic script, a kind of condensed graphic novel. The works swarm with life and hidden meanings for viewers to decode.

    Tom starts out in high life, flashing his cash and enjoying himself. But he is rapidly drawn into a vortex of late-night drinking, gambling and prostitution. Desperate to save himself from extreme poverty, he sells himself in marriage to an older woman (no cougar, alas, but a rather decrepit heiress).

    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.

    But he still cannot control his behaviour. Tom is eventually imprisoned for debt, loses his mind – either to syphilis or sorrow – and dies in Bedlam, the notorious 18th-century madhouse.

    Hugely popular and culturally influential, A Rake’s Progress is a modern morality tale. It’s a warning against the perils of self-indulgence, and a devastating critique of those too wealthy and foolish to care about the damage they do.

    The Gaming House, the sixth engraving in The Rake’s Progress, depicts the protagonist back to his profligate ways after marrying an older wealthy woman.
    Wikimedia

    Political satire as tragicomedy

    Keeping close to the original narrative, Cold War Steve uses the 18th-century paintings as backdrops, while altering the object of the satire by making Trump the main target. Renamed Trump’s Progress, this is a pointed political satire, directed at those in power.

    Steve’s is a 21st-century reimagining, not a pious homage. Instead, Trump’s Progress has an irreverent punk aesthetic: a horde of Trump-supporting celebrities (such as Don King, Hulk Hogan and Liberace) are photoshopped into his digital canvases, cavorting crazily alongside Trump as he moves from his immense wealth to political pre-eminence.

    Cold War Steve’s reimagining of A Rake’s Progress with Trump as its protagonist.
    Cold War Steve

    Both funny and dark, this is political satire as tragicomedy. The contemporary satirist takes Hogarth as precedent, suggesting a bad end lies in store for the president.

    Just as the 18th-century rake ends up in the madhouse, Cold War Steve ends his sequence with an aged Trump lying in a prison cell. Trump is tended to by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his daughter Ivanka, while his other erstwhile friends look less than pleased to be incarcerated along with him.

    Hogarth was a key figure in 18th-century culture. His images of late-night drunkenness , sleazy politicians, and the cheek-by-jowl of luxury living and extreme poverty encapsulated the irrepressible messiness of modern life.

    Hogarth reflected Britain’s aspirations to liberty and progress, but also its ongoing struggles with consumerism, luxury, corruption, and greed. These are issues that dominate our present day too, and give Hogarth’s satires an urgent and unsettling relevance.

    This is not the first time Cold War Steve has used historical images from the 18th century to indict the present. In a recent article, I explored how Hogarth became a powerful visual source for the satirist during the COVID-19 crisis.

    Hogarth’s Beer Street and Gin Lane.
    Wikimedia

    In May 2020, Steve published an update of Hogarth’s famous print, Gin Lane. The original shows London as a drunken dystopia, as the poor turned to cheap imported gin to ease their daily grind.

    But Cold War Steve’s version dramatically altered the image’s moral message. By populating the city street with members of the Tory party and Britain’s business elite, he accused the government of gross moral negligence in treating the pandemic as an opportunity to make money.

    The choice of Hogarth is not accidental. Not merely familiar to students of art history, Hogarth has a cultural legibility that makes his work an influential satirical template for artists who want to comment on the social malaise of their times.

    Being in conversation with Hogarth gives contemporary works added gravitas. The veteran cartoonist Steve Bell created numerous parodies of Hogarth throughout his time at the Guardian and other publications.

    The penultimate scene in A Rake’s Progress, The Prison Scene, shows the vices of the protagonist having caught up with him.
    Wikimedia

    In 2016, English artist Thomas Moore created a version in which the 18th-century gin craze has been replaced by the obesity epidemic. Hogarth’s impoverished city street is now full of fast food shops, pubs and pawnbrokers. The manic energy and cultural anxiety of Hogarth’s satires resonates with our own accelerated culture and widespread sense of moral and social decline.

    In his study of the cultural afterlives of the 18th century, scholar James Ward has shown that postmodern popular culture often invokes Hogarth to question the assumption that our distance from the past is the same as progress.

    By splicing together images of the past with the present, Cold War Steve’s visual satires make the serious political point that society has failed to progress since the enlightenment. In his eyes, the vices that Hogarth showed ravaging his society are still part of a culture of political shamelessness, personified by Trump.

    Steve’s energetically subversive reworking of 18th-century material shows how Hogarth’s satires continue to be understood and appreciated by diverse audiences.

    Former prime minister Boris Johnson portrayed Hogarth as a patriotic British product. But by successfully translating Hogarth’s satires for a transatlantic audience, Cold War Steve shows that his appeal transcends both national and political divides. Current politics might be almost beyond parody on both sides of the pond, but Steve’s bleak humour shows us that satire is thriving.

    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.

    Rebecca Anne Barr 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. Trump takes lead role in Cold War Steve’s reimagining of Hogarth’s 18th-century satire, The Rake’s Progess – https://theconversation.com/trump-takes-lead-role-in-cold-war-steves-reimagining-of-hogarths-18th-century-satire-the-rakes-progess-261701

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Mysterious fossil may rewrite story of skin and feather evolution in reptiles

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Valentina Rossi, Postdoctoral researcher, Palaeontology, University College Cork

    A delicate, innocuous little fossil reptile known as Mirasaura grauvogeli – “Grauvogel’s wonder reptile” – is forcing a rethink about the evolution of skin and its appendages such as feathers and hair.

    These newly discovered fossils, from the Middle Triassic (247 million years old)
    Grès à Voltzia site in northeast France, preserve evidence of some of the most astonishing soft-tissue features described to date in ancient reptiles. We are two of the authors of a new paper on these finds, published in Nature.

    These fossils show that the tree dwelling Mirasaura had a large and startling crest along its back. The crest is formed by elongated appendages that are neither scales, feathers nor hair.

    Until now, complex skin outgrowths such as feathers were thought to have evolved only much later – in birds, dinosaurs and pterosaurs. This probably occurred through a single origin in the common ancestor of these animals. In all other types of reptile, the only skin outgrowths present are scales.

    Mirasaura has overthrown this paradigm in sensational fashion. Compared with the size of its body, the long blades of its tall dorsal crest are enormous. Closer inspection reveals this crest comprised individual, overlapping appendages, each with a narrow central ridge and a lobed outline, similar to the shaft and form of feathers.

    However, the fossil structures seem to lack the fine branching architecture that characterises most feathers in modern birds. What’s more, Mirasaura is not related to birds, dinosaurs or pterosaurs, but instead belongs to a very ancient group of reptiles, the drepanosauromorphs, that are known only from the Triassic.

    The holotype of Mirasaura (State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany) showing its bird-like skull and crest along its back.
    Copyright: Stephan Spiekman, CC BY-NC-ND

    The soft tissues of Mirasaura are preserved as a thin brown film, rich in fossil melanosomes – cell structures that contain the pigment melanin during life. Research by our team at University College Cork and others has revealed widespread preservation of fossilised melanosomes in ancient vertebrates. These pigment granules can actually be used to reconstruct melanin-based colour patterns in extinct animals.

    Our team’s research has shown that fossil melanosomes can also help reconstruct the soft tissue anatomy of fossil animals, because melanosomes from different body tissues have different shapes and sizes. Our comprehensive examination of the fossilised soft tissues in Mirasaura, coupled with rigorous statistical analysis of the preserved melanosomes, reveals that their geometry is consistent with melanosomes in feathers, but not with melanosomes found in hair and in reptilian skin. This strongly suggests the Mirasaura skin appendages share common developmental features with feathers.

    Were the Mirasaura structures feathers, then? The solid, continuous blade of soft tissues either side of the central shaft shows no evidence for branching, which is a defining characteristic of most feathers in birds, dinosaurs and pterosaurs. The water is muddied, however, by the simple unbranched structure of some peculiar feathers in birds – such as the bristles of the turkey’s “beard”. Similar unbranched filaments are known in many dinosaurs and pterosaurs, and are widely considered to represent simple feathers.

    Certain dinosaur fossils even have flattened, strip-like feathers that lack branching but possess a central shaft, considered by some experts to be an unusual – extinct – feather type. Whether the resemblance between these fossil structures and the Mirasaura skin outgrowths is superficial or belies closer evolutionary ties remains to be seen.

    Fossil specimen of a large crest of Mirasaura, hosted by the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart.
    Copyright: Stephan Spiekman, CC BY-NC-ND

    Intriguingly, research on the developing chick embryo shows that feathers can lose their branched structure when certain genes are manipulated. We are currently examining in greater detail the morphology and composition of the Mirasaura structures to help us interpret their anatomy more definitively.

    Irrespective of what type of skin outgrowth they represent, our analyses of the anatomy of Mirasaura consistently position it, as well as other drepanosauromorph reptiles, at the base of the reptile tree. This supports data from developmental biology indicating that the genetic basis for the growth of complex skin appendages probably originated in the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago.

    Mirasaura therefore provides the first direct evidence that complex skin appendages did appear early during reptile evolution, and are not unique to pterosaurs, birds and other dinosaurs.

    We owe these new insights to painstaking conservation efforts, which serve as a reminder of the critical importance of natural history collections in conserving our natural heritage.

    The earliest discoveries of Mirasaura remains were unearthed in the 1930s by fossil collector Louis Grauvogel. After decades in the Grauvogel family, these specimens were donated to the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart in 2019, where careful preparation revealed their true significance.

    Now, the Mirasaura specimens force us to accept that even before the age of dinosaurs, reptiles were evolving striking anatomical traits normally associated with much younger fossils. This adds an intriguing dimension to future research into the origins of feathers, prompting palaeontologists to consider fossils from more diverse reptile groups – and from time periods before the appearance of dinosaurs and their direct ancestors.

    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.

    Valentina Rossi research is funded by the European Research Council. She is affiliated with University College Cork (UCC)

    Maria McNamara receives funding from the European Research Council and Research Ireland.

    – ref. Mysterious fossil may rewrite story of skin and feather evolution in reptiles – https://theconversation.com/mysterious-fossil-may-rewrite-story-of-skin-and-feather-evolution-in-reptiles-261695

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Orlando Bloom tried to ‘clean’ his blood to get rid of microplastics – here’s what the science says

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

    Tinseltown/Shutterstock

    When actor Orlando Bloom revealed recently that he’d undergone a procedure to have his blood “cleaned”, many people raised eyebrows. The Pirates of the Caribbean star had turned to a treatment known as apheresis – a medical process in which blood is removed from the body, centrifuged or filtered to extract certain components, then returned in an attempt to flush out microplastics and other toxins.

    Apheresis is typically used to treat conditions such as autoimmune diseases or abnormally high levels of blood cells or proteins. Its use as a detox for microplastics, however, is scientifically unproven.

    Still, Bloom said he suspected his body had absorbed plastic through daily exposure, and wanted it out of his system.

    He’s probably right about the exposure. Scientists have found microplastics – tiny plastic fragments less than 5mm in size – in our air, water, soil, food and even inside human tissue. But when it comes to removing them from the bloodstream, that’s where the science gets murky.

    As researchers studying microplastic contamination, we’ve examined this issue in the context of dialysis – a life-saving treatment for patients with kidney failure. Dialysis filters waste products like urea and creatinine from the blood, regulates electrolytes, removes excess fluid and helps maintain blood pressure.

    But our study found that while dialysis is a medical marvel, it can also have an ironic downside: it could be introducing microplastics into the bloodstream. In some cases, we found that patients undergoing dialysis were being exposed to microplastics during treatment due to the breakdown of plastic components in the equipment – a troubling contradiction for a procedure designed to cleanse the blood.

    Apheresis is closely related to dialysis: both involve drawing blood from the body, circulating it through plastic tubing and filters, then returning it – so both procedures carry a similar risk of introducing microplastics from the equipment into the bloodstream.

    What are microplastics?

    Microplastics are plastic particles that range in size from about 5mm (roughly the length of a grain of rice) down to 0.1 microns – smaller than a red blood cell.

    Some microplastics are manufactured deliberately, like the plastic microbeads once common in facial scrubs. Others form when larger plastic objects degrade over time due to sunlight, friction, or physical stress.

    They’re everywhere: in the food we eat, air we breathe and water we drink. Plastic packaging, synthetic clothing such as polyester, and even artificial lawns contribute to the spread. Car tyres shed plastic particles as they wear down, and food heated or stored in plastic containers may leach microplastics.

    One estimate suggests the average adult may ingest around 883 microplastic particles – over half a microgramme – per day.

    So far, large-scale epidemiological studies have not established an association between microplastic exposure and specific diseases. Such studies are needed, but yet to be completed.

    However, early research suggests that microplastics may be associated with inflammation, cardiovascular conditions, and DNA damage – a potential pathway to cancer.

    What remains unclear is how microplastics behave inside the body: whether they accumulate, how they interact with tissues, and how (or if) the body clears them.

    The irony of filtration

    It’s tempting to believe, as Bloom seems to, that we can simply “clean” the blood, like draining pasta or purifying drinking water. Just as a sieve filters water from pasta, dialysis machines do filter blood – but using far more complex and delicate systems.

    These machines rely on plastic components, including tubes, membranes and filters, which are exposed to sustained pressure and repeated use. Unlike stainless steel, these materials can degrade over time, potentially shedding microplastics directly into the bloodstream.

    Currently, there is no published scientific evidence that microplastics can be effectively filtered from human blood. So, claims that dialysis or other treatments can remove them should be viewed with scepticism, especially when the filtration systems themselves are made of plastic.

    While it’s tempting to chase quick fixes or celebrity-endorsed cleanses, we are still in the early stages of understanding what microplastics are doing to our bodies – and how to get rid of them. Rather than focusing solely on ways to flush plastics from the bloodstream, the more effective long-term strategy may be reducing our exposure in the first place.

    Bloom’s story taps into a growing public unease: we all know we’re carrying the burden of plastic. But addressing it requires more than wellness trends: it calls for rigorous science, tougher regulation, and a shift away from our reliance on plastic in daily life.

    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.

    Rosa Busquets receives funding from UKRI, in a UKRI/ Horizons Staff exchanges Clean Water project (101131182). She is honorary Associate Professor at UCL and Honorary Professor at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. She is panel member of the UNEP EEAP, where is work group lead in a field that includes microplastics. She is also funded by DASA.

    Luiza C Campos is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at University College London.

    – ref. Orlando Bloom tried to ‘clean’ his blood to get rid of microplastics – here’s what the science says – https://theconversation.com/orlando-bloom-tried-to-clean-his-blood-to-get-rid-of-microplastics-heres-what-the-science-says-261203

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Vice Chairman Warner on DNI Gabbard’s Release of Partisan HPSCI Russia Report

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on DNI Gabbard’s release of a partisan report prepared by Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence regarding Russia’s intervention in the 2016 presidential election:

    “It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files. The desperate and irresponsible release of the partisan House intelligence report puts at risk some of the most sensitive sources and methods our Intelligence Community uses to spy on Russia and keep Americans safe. And in doing so, Director Gabbard is sending a chilling message to our allies and assets around the world: the United States can no longer be trusted to protect the intelligence you share with us.

    “Let’s be clear: the bipartisan, unanimous finding of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after years of painstaking investigation, more than 200 witness interviews, and millions of documents, was that Russia launched a large-scale influence campaign in the 2016 election in order to help then-candidate Donald Trump. Nothing in this partisan, previously scuttled document changes that. Releasing this so-called report is just another reckless act by a Director of National Intelligence so desperate to please Donald Trump that she is willing to risk classified sources, betray our allies, and politicize the very intelligence she has been entrusted to protect.

    “The American people are right to continue asking: What are they trying to hide?”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Centre steps up measures to improve health and well-being of women

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Centre has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at improving women’s health, hygiene, and overall well-being, with a particular focus on reducing hardship, ensuring access to essential services, and promoting safety and dignity for women across the country.

    In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur outlined several schemes that have played a crucial role in this regard, including Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. These programmes, she said, have significantly reduced the drudgery and time poverty faced by women, while also improving health outcomes.

    As part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, over 11.8 crore individual household latrines have been constructed nationwide. The Jal Jeevan Mission, meanwhile, has facilitated the provision of tap water connections to approximately 15.6 crore rural households.

    To enhance access to affordable healthcare products for women, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). Over 16,000 Janaushadhi Kendras have been established under this initiative, offering essential medicines and oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins branded as Suvidha, priced at ₹1 per pad.

    The government has also introduced the ‘Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene’ for adolescent girls aged 10-19, under the National Health Mission. The scheme provides subsidised sanitary napkin packs through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and includes training for field workers as well as awareness drives. National guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), developed under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, further aim to address behavioural change related to sanitation and hygiene, particularly in rural areas.

    Addressing the needs of working women and girl students, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been implementing the Sakhi Niwas scheme-also known as the Working Women Hostel scheme-under the broader Mission Shakti initiative. The scheme is designed to provide safe and accessible accommodation for working women, as well as those pursuing higher education or training, across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. It also includes provision for day-care facilities for the children of residents.

    In a push to expand infrastructure for women’s accommodation, the Ministry of Finance has allocated ₹5,000 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme for construction of new working women hostels. So far, approval has been granted for the construction of 254 hostels across 28 States, with a total capacity of 52,991 beds at an estimated cost of ₹4,826.31 crore. Of this, ₹3,147.66 crore has already been disbursed to the States for the financial year 2024-25.

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Board Appointments Made to Saskatchewan’s Commercial Crown Corporations

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 23, 2025

    Today, new board of director appointments were announced in the Crown sector. 

    “Our government sincerely appreciates the leadership and service that each Crown board provides to their respective corporation,” Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “Many of the outgoing board members have served for multiple terms in their current role and have helped to lead initiatives that have truly benefited Saskatchewan people.”

    Out of a current total of 66 board members, there are:

    • five individuals who are changing responsibilities by being appointed to a new Crown; 
    • 15 individuals who are new to the Crown sector; and 
    • 24 individuals who are reappointed in their current Crown Board. 

    These changes are a result of both board renewal and current expiration of terms. 

    Board renewal is rooted in sound governance practice, and any outgoing board members’ skills, expertise and knowledge are evaluated for potential reappointments or redeployments to other government boards.

    “The oversight role of Saskatchewan’s commercial Crowns directly contributes to the province’s strong economy and a bright future for the people of Saskatchewan,” Harrison siad. “The individuals appointed today have the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform these duties as effectively as past board members have.” 

    All board members are being asked to serve to carry out the Crown Sector Strategic Priorities, which provide high-level shareholder direction that aligns the Crown sector with the government’s goals and priorities and are as follows:

    • affordability;  
    • reliability;
    • economic growth; and 
    • strong financial management. 

    As part of its oversight role, Crown Investments Corporation is committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance in the activities of its subsidiaries. All board members are subject to Criminal Record Checks and are supported with board training and orientation.

    All the new appointments are Saskatchewan residents. A full list of Crown board membership is attached. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact: 

    Media Relations
    Crown Investments Corporation
    Regina
    Phone: 306-787-7732
    Email: Communications@cicorp.sk.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Fifth Italy-Algeria Intergovernmental Summit

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    23 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met with the President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, at Villa Doria Pamphilj, in Rome, today, for the fifth Italy-Algeria Intergovernmental Summit. Following a signing ceremony for the agreements, the two leaders issued statements to the press. Later in the afternoon, they delivered speeches at the Italy-Algeria Business Forum.

    [Speeches at the Italy-Algeria Business Forum – Original audio]

    [Press statements – Original audio]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sanctuary City NYC Sees a More Than 400% Spike in ICE Detainers as DHS Prioritizes American People Over Criminal Illegal Aliens

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Sanctuary politicians forbid local law enforcement from any assistance on immigration matters, even to the point of refusing to assist with criminal arrest warrants 

    WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued 6,025 arrest requests to transfer custody, or detainers, in sanctuary New York City (NYC), since January 20, 2025. To put this into perspective, during the entire Biden Administration, ICE only issued 9,472 detainers in NYC. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, there has been a more than 400 percent increase in the number of detainers lodged in NYC. 

    Despite the 6,025 arrest detainers lodged, NYC has honored just a handful. In non-sanctuary cities, law enforcement would honor these requests and transfer these criminal illegal aliens to ICE law enforcement to detain and deport them. 

    “In just six months ICE has issued over 6,000 detainers in NYC alone—that’s a more than 400 percent increase in the number of detainers lodged under Biden,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “When sanctuary politicians like Mayor Eric Adams ignore ICE detainers, they are protecting criminal illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens. These are barbaric criminals with prior convictions for rape, murder, drug trafficking, and instead of holding them for ICE, sanctuary politicians release them back into your communities. These reckless policies have deadly consequences. Just this week, two illegal aliens who entered our country and were released under President Biden shot and nearly killed a brave off-duty CBP officer. Both criminal illegal aliens had been arrested previously for violent crimes and released by the NYPD.”  

    ICE detainers are legal requests to state or local law enforcement to hold illegal aliens in custody and turn them over to immigration authorities. These individuals often have prior deportation orders, criminal convictions, or pose as national security threats.  

    As ICE officers are arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, they are facing a record number of assaults against them. Assaults on ICE law enforcement have increased by 830 percent since Trump took office. This increase in violence is largely driven by anti-ICE rhetoric and further fueled by these sanctuary politicians and their reckless policies.  

    DHS reaffirms our commitment to the American people—it will not be deterred by partisan attacks or activist pressure. ICE will continue placing detainers, enforcing immigration law, and defending public safety—because every American deserves to feel safe in their own neighborhood.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) Enters Retainer Agreement with PCAOB-Registered Audit Firm for Review of Semi-Annual 2025 Financial Statements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NAPLES, FL, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States, today announced that it has officially executed a retainer agreement with a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)-registered audit firm. The agreement covers the review of the Company’s semi-annual financial statements for the period ending June 30, 2025.

    This engagement represents a critical milestone in the Company’s broader plan to adopt and maintain PCAOB-compliant financial reporting standards. It reflects a long-term commitment to enhancing transparency, supporting regulatory compliance, and upholding best practices in financial governance.

    The formal retention of a PCAOB-registered firm follows the Company’s July 2, 2025 announcement regarding its intention to pursue annual audits and periodic reviews of financial statements. With the agreement now in place, the Company expects to proceed with the independent review process and release its semi-annual 2025 financials accordingly.

    The initiative is designed to strengthen the integrity of the Company’s financial disclosures, build investor confidence, and support current and future capital markets activities.

    Music Licensing, Inc. licenses music to leading platforms and businesses globally, including TikTok, iHeartMedia, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, and Vevo. The Company holds an estimated 7.4% share of the U.S. public performance rights market and administers a catalog of over 2.5 million musical works. This includes works by high-profile recording artists as well as content generated through artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

    The Company also maintains royalty interests in Listerine “Mouthwash” Antiseptic and in a large portfolio of musical works performed by internationally recognized artists such as The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Elton John, Rihanna, Lil Nas X, and others.

    This step positions the Company for continued operational growth, improved transparency, and future scalability in line with public company reporting standards.

    About Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) (ProMusicRights.com)

    About Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC:SONG)  (ProMusicRights.com)

    Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, is a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States. It is recognized under the federal registry of the United States government. The company licenses music to some of the most prominent platforms and businesses, including TikTok, iHeartMedia, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, Vevo, and many others.

    Pro Music Rights holds an estimated 7.4% market share in the United States, representing a catalog of more than 2.5 million works by notable artists such as A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, Young Jeezy, Juelz Santana, Lil Yachty, MoneyBagg Yo, Larry June, Trae Pound, Sauce Walka, Trae Tha Truth, Sosamann, Soulja Boy, Lex Luger, Trauma Tone, Lud Foe, SlowBucks, Gunplay, OG Maco, Rich The Kid, Fat Trel, Young Scooter, Nipsey Hussle, Famous Dex, Boosie Badazz, Shy Glizzy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Gucci Mane, Young Dolph, Trinidad James, Chingy, Lil Gnar, 3OhBlack, Curren$y, Fall Out Boy, Money Man, Dej Loaf, Lil Uzi Vert, and many others, including works generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

    Additionally, Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) holds royalty interests in Listerine “Mouthwash” Antiseptic and a vast portfolio of musical works by globally renowned artists, including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Elton John, Mike Posner, blackbear, Lil Nas X, Lil Yachty, DaBaby, Stunna 4 Vegas, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, XXXTentacion, BlueFace, The Game, Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign, Eric Bellinger, Ne-Yo, MoneyBagg Yo, Halsey, Desiigner, DaniLeigh, Rihanna, and many others.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Pro Music Rights, Inc., Music Licensing, Inc., or any other person.

    Non-Legal Advice Disclosure:

    This press release does not constitute legal advice, and readers are advised to seek legal counsel for any legal matters or questions related to the content herein.

    Non-Investment Advice Disclosure:

    This communication is intended solely for informational purposes and does not in any way imply or constitute a recommendation or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, commodities, bonds, options, derivatives, or any other investment products. Any decisions related to investments should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor or professional. We assume no liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this communication

    Contact: investors@ProMusicRights.com

    SOURCE: Music Licensing, Inc

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Attend the July 24 live online event celebrating 10 years of Power BI

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Attend the July 24 live online event celebrating 10 years of Power BI

    In 2015, Microsoft Power BI embarked on a mission to empower individuals, teams, and organizations to turn data into insights and action. Since then, we’ve grown into one of the world’s most adopted and beloved business intelligence platforms thanks to an incredible community of customers, partners, MVPs, power users, and data enthusiasts.  

    We want to celebrate this incredible journey by bringing together the global community to celebrate 10 years of Power BI with a live event on YouTube on Thursday, July 24th at 8AM Pacific Time/11AM EST/17:00 CET/21:30 IST. 

    This is a celebration you don’t want to miss! We’ll have Power BI’s own Guy in a Cube reflect on Power BI’s evolution, share behind-the-scenes stories, announce contest winners for our PBI10 data visualization contest, and even share some fun stories from the community. Watch the livestream at aka.ms/pbi10birthday.  

    Livestream attendees will get a special first look at some limited-edition Power BI swag. And if you’re attending the Fabric Community Conference (FabCon) in Vienna this September, you’ll get a chance to grab some swag in person. Our swag party is also going digital, so you can celebrate with us and your colleagues virtually! The download link will be available on our Power BI community site and displayed during the live event.

    We’re also taking this moment to reflect on Power BI’s history and recognize our incredible community. Read more about our journey below. 

    Power BI’s Journey Over the Last Decade 

    Over the last ten years, Power BI has evolved tremendously. It began with a public preview that drew about 500,000 early adopters across 45,000 organizations. Since then, we’ve introduced over 1,500 features, continually adapting Power BI to meet the changing needs of our users. Today, Power BI is trusted by over 375,000 organizations, including 95% of the Fortune 500, and millions of users worldwide. 

    From its early days of empowering business intelligence through Excel integrations to the latest advancements in Copilot in Power BI, each chapter in Power BI’s journey reflects the passion of its community and drive for innovation. The timeline below highlights some of the defining moments along the way. 

    Power BI Customers Leading the Way with Data

    Over the years, Power BI has grown because of the organizations and people who use it every day to drive change. From small businesses to global enterprises across various industries, our customers are the reason Power BI continues to evolve and improve. 

    We’ve seen enterprises such as Walmart’s finance organization standardizing Power BI, democratizing data, and making it available to end users from executive leadership to individual analysts. In the public sector, governments have used Power BI to improve operational efficiency, support vulnerable community members and even transform law enforcement. Non-profits, such as The Salvation Army UK, have leveraged Power BI to better track their outcomes and secure funding through data. And across the ecosystem, partner-built solutions are helping customers optimize everything from supply chains to financial reporting. 

    These stories reflect more than product usage. They highlight creativity, determination, and a shared belief in the power of data to make a difference. To all our customers and partners, thank you for pushing boundaries, sharing your feedback, and building what’s next alongside us. Power BI would not be what it is today without you. 

    Shout out to our MVPs and Community: The Heart of Power BI

    We also want to celebrate our Power BI MVPs—experts and advocates who go above and beyond in the community. In honor of the 10th anniversary, Power BI MVPs from around the globe sent in videos sharing their personal Power BI journeys. These MVP stories are a powerful reminder of what makes the Power BI community special: a shared passion for data, a commitment to helping others, and a culture built on knowledge-sharing.

    In recent weeks, social media has lit up with the #PBI10 hashtag as users around the world share their Power BI pride. From LinkedIn posts highlighting favorite dashboards to nostalgic tweets on X (formerly Twitter) reflecting on the platform’s early days, it’s been incredible to witness the outpouring of memories and creativity.

    Leonardo Almeida recalled building a Power BI report back in 2015 that caught the attention of the President of Brazil and the Minister of Education. Christos Demertzis looked back on a decade-long journey with Power BI, saying, “I still have reports sitting in My Workspace from those early days, and looking back at them now… just WOW. The evolution of the platform has been nothing short of incredible.” And Mike Honey congratulated the Power BI team, sharing, “I clearly remember how electrifying it was when it all came together as Power BI. The product has been my primary focus ever since and has certainly kept me busy. May that continue for the next 10 years!”

    In our community’s Career Hub forums, you can find stories of accountants, teachers, and marketing specialists who taught themselves Power BI and transitioned into roles such as BI analysts and data engineers. Companies of all sizes are investing in Power BI training to up-skill their workforce, recognizing that a data-literate workforce gives them a competitive edge.

    The Power BI Community Forums started with a few thousand early adopters and have grown into millions of members today, sharing knowledge daily. Over 200 Power BI & Fabric User Groups have connected over members with meetups and events. A big thank you to our 500 Power BI user group leaders who connect passionate data enthusiasts across the world every day.

    Thank You and See You at the Celebration!

    Thank you for 10 amazing years!  We can’t wait to celebrate with you and look ahead to the next decade of innovation, and we’re thrilled to continue this journey with all of you. As we like to say: empower yourself, empower others, and let’s keep turning data into insights and action—together. Happy 10th birthday Power BI!

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Dialogue of Civilizations between SCO Countries – 2025” Held in Tianjin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    TIANJIN, July 23 (Xinhua) — The “2025 SCO Dialogue of Civilizations” was held in north China’s Tianjin on Wednesday, jointly organized by the State Council Information Office, the Foreign Language Publication and Dissemination Office of China and the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The event is aimed at deepening mutual understanding and strategic trust, and promoting the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future.

    More than 300 guests from government departments, think tanks, culture, art, education and other fields from SCO member countries attended the event and held an in-depth exchange of views on the theme “Promoting the Global Initiative of Civilizations – Building a Beautiful Common Home of the SCO”.

    SCO Deputy Secretary General Sohail Khan noted that humanitarian exchanges and people’s diplomacy are embedded in the SCO’s founding documents. The event reflects the organization’s mission to create platforms for mutual understanding, mutual learning and mutual respect for the peoples of Eurasian countries.

    Vice-Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zainidin Kurmanov noted that in the context of a complex and turbulent international situation, the global initiative of civilizations, consonant with the “Shanghai spirit”, calls for respect for the diversity of world civilizations, promotion of universal values, and strengthening of international cultural exchanges and cooperation. The initiative is the key to understanding and building a community of shared destiny for humanity.

    First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Dmitry Novikov said that China, through practical actions, is helping the SCO confidently move forward in the direction of unity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as equality and justice. He expressed hope for the further implementation of a new type of inter-civilizational dialogue to stimulate mutual learning, mutual enrichment and mutual respect.

    “As the large SCO family expands, we must continuously develop platforms for dialogue among the media, think tanks, cultural and youth circles, fully involve representatives of all spheres in the friendly interaction of the SCO, stimulating their initiative and enthusiasm, and pass on from generation to generation the spirit of SCO friendship based on eternal good-neighborliness and mutual assistance,” said Du Zhanyuan, Director of the PRC Foreign Language Literature Publication and Distribution Office.

    The event included three thematic sub-forums on sustainable development, preservation of cultural heritage and multi-format exchange in the field of visual arts. Following the event, a report was presented on “Common Digital Civilization Community: Chinese Initiatives and the Future of the SCO” and the Tianjin Initiative “Joint Defense of Civilization: SCO Youth in Action”.

    On the sidelines of today’s meeting, the 8th SCO Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition, the SCO Sculpture Exhibition “Light of Unity in Harmony” and the Tianjin Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition were also held, which fully demonstrated the diversity of cultures of the SCO countries and their mutual enrichment. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Investing in China for a Win-Win Future Has Become a Broad Consensus Among Global Investors: China Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) — Investing in China for the future with mutual benefits has become a broad consensus among global investors, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Wednesday.

    Guo Jiakun pointed out that the Chinese side invites companies from all countries to participate in Chinese-style modernization, achieving more significant results and greater progress in the process of integration into high-quality development.

    A recent report released by the US-China Business Council shows that 82 percent of US companies in China will post a profit in 2024. While many companies said their biggest concerns were uncertainty in Sino-US relations and tariffs, the Chinese market remains vital to them.

    Commenting on this information, Guo Jiakun said that as of March 2025, 1.24 million foreign-invested companies had been established in China, with a total investment of nearly US$3 trillion.

    “By promoting China’s reform and opening up, these companies will enjoy broad growth opportunities and significant returns on investment,” the diplomat said, adding that statistics show that the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in China has seen a double-digit increase in the first half of 2025.

    Guo Jiakun noted that the just-concluded 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo saw the number of participating countries and regions increase to 75, while the first such event saw only 55 countries and regions.

    The number of American participants increased by 15 percent compared to the previous exhibition, which allowed the United States to maintain its leadership among foreign exhibitors. Among the foreign companies represented, more than 65 percent are included in the Fortune Global 500 list or are industry leaders.

    “Foreign-invested enterprises are expressing their confidence in China’s economic prospects through their concrete actions,” Guo Jiakun emphasized.

    The diplomat added that the Chinese government recently introduced new measures to encourage foreign investment, demonstrating sincerity and determination in promoting high-level opening-up. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Subsea7 awarded substantial contract

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Luxembourg – 23 July 2025 – Subsea7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a substantial(1) contract.

    The project involves the engineering and offshore installation of flexible pipe, umbilicals, subsea equipment and a mooring system.

    Project management and engineering activities will begin immediately at Subsea7’s office in Houston, Texas, with offshore operations expected to start in 2027.

    No additional details will be provided at this time.

    (1)   Subsea7 defines a substantial contract as being between $150 million and $300 million.

    *******************************************************************************
    Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industry’s partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

    Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Børs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

    *******************************************************************************

    Contact for investment community enquiries:
    Katherine Tonks
    Investor Relations Director
    Tel +44 20 8210 5568
    ir@subsea7.com

    Contact for media enquiries:
    Ashley Shearer
    Communications Manager
    Tel +1-713-300-6792
    ashley.shearer@subsea7.com

    Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘future’, ‘goal’, ‘intend’, ‘likely’ ‘may’, ‘plan’, ‘project’, ‘seek’, ‘should’, ‘strategy’ ‘will’, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the ‘Risk Management’ section of the Group’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. 
    This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 23 July 2025 at 18:20 CET.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigeria to Showcase Executive Order Reforms, Investment Opportunities at African Energy Week (AEW) 2025

    Source: APO

    Nigeria is undertaking sweeping reforms across its oil and gas industry, driven by a landmark Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at catalyzing investment and eliminating regulatory inefficiencies. At the “Invest in Nigeria” Roundtable during African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies – sponsored by NCDMB and taking place in Cape Town on September 29-October 3 – senior policymakers and industry leaders will unpack the scope of these reforms, explore how they are reshaping the investment landscape, and present new opportunities across upstream, midstream and downstream value chains. 

    Set to speak are Olu Verheijen, Special Advisor to the President of Nigeria on Energy; Arthur Ename, Vice President of Business Development, Africa, at NOV; Nosa Omorodion, Country Director at SLB Nigeria; Alex Irune, Executive Director of Oando and Managing Director of Oando Energy Resources; a senior representative from ExxonMobil; and Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria LNG (NLNG). The roundtable will offer high-level insight into the regulatory reset now underway and what it means for investors looking to expand or enter the Nigerian market. 

    The Executive Order, signed in April 2025, targets cost efficiency and fiscal competitiveness in upstream operations and introduces performance-based tax credits for oil and gas companies that deliver verifiable reductions in project costs. Under the framework, operators that meet annual cost-reduction benchmarks set by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission are eligible to retain 50% of the incremental government revenue generated by their efficiency gains, with total credits capped at 20% of their annual tax liability. 

    This move directly addresses long-standing concerns over high operating costs in Nigeria’s upstream sector, which have historically deterred investment and delayed project execution. By linking tax relief to measurable cost savings, the Order is expected to unlock stalled developments, attract new capital and create a more transparent, performance-driven investment climate. 

    At the AEW 2025 roundtable, speakers will examine how this reform is already reshaping Nigeria’s energy landscape – enabling more competitive bidding for contracts, accelerating international oil company divestments and positioning indigenous players to scale up their operations within a more commercially attractive and operationally efficient environment. 

    Nigeria is also doubling down on natural gas as the cornerstone of its long-term energy strategy. With over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves, the country is accelerating infrastructure development to support both domestic utilization and regional exports. A flagship project, the NLNG Train 7 expansion, is nearing completion and set to boost production capacity by 35%, underscoring the critical role of LNG in Nigeria’s economic growth and energy transition plans. At the same time, upstream and midstream gas investments are being enabled through policy instruments that promote modular processing, flexible pricing frameworks and improved market access for domestic suppliers. 

    The private sector is poised to play a central role in this next phase. Companies like SLB and NOV are aligning their strategies with the government’s push for localization, efficiency and innovation, while firms such as Oando are expanding their portfolios to reflect new realities in the post-Petroleum Industry Act landscape. With enhanced policy stability and a deliberate focus on sector transformation, Nigeria is reasserting its status as one of Africa’s most strategic hydrocarbon hubs. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    About AEW:
    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Meets Mauritius Minister of Gender Equality & Family Welfare to Launch “Educating Linda” Program, Supporting Education of 20 Deserving yet Underprivileged Mauritian Schoolgirls Girls Until Graduation

    Source: APO

    • During the visit to the country, Merck Foundation CEO also met the Mauritius President to share the impact of their 100 Scholarships for Mauritian Doctors in partnership with Ministry of Health.
    • Dr. Rasha Kelej during her meeting with the Mauritius President, strengthened partnership to improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare and Empower Women in STEM.
    • Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej also met the Mauritius Minister of Gender Equality & Family Welfare to share the impact of their programs to address critical social issues like supporting girl education and Ending Gender Based Violence in the country.

    Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany met Hon’ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare during a high-level meeting, to share the impact of their programs and underscore their long-term commitment to address critical social issues in Mauritius.

    During her visit, she also met H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Republic of Mauritius, to share the impact of their 100 Scholarships for Mauritian Doctors in partnership with Ministry of Health and underscore their long-term commitment to transform public healthcare in Mauritius.

    Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother” Campaign emphasized, “It was a great honor to meet Hon’ble Ms. Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare and share with her the impact of our partnership and programs since 2017 that aim to transform patient care, build healthcare and media capacity, to empower women in STEM, support girl education and raise awareness about social and health issues in Mauritius and the rest of Africa.

    I am very happy to share that together with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, we are launching our Educating Linda Program in the country, as a part of which we will be supporting the education of 20 high performing yet underprivileged Mauritian schoolgirls, till they graduate. Through this, we will be empowering them to complete their studies and reach their full potential.”

    Merck Foundation has provided 100 scholarships for Mauritian doctors in 44 critical and under-served specialties.

    “During my meeting with H.E. MR. DHARAMBEER GOKHOOL, The President of Republic of Mauritius, we also discussed the possibility of providing specialized training for Mauritian doctors in innovative and emerging fields such as Stem Cell Therapy in pathology, CAR T-cell treatment, AI in Radiology, Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology, Robotic Surgical Oncology, Neurology, Nephrology, Urology, and Neurosurgery. We are strongly committed to work closely with Ministry of Health to improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions”, added Dr. Kelej. 

    The 100 scholarships for local Mauritian Doctors have been provided for One-Year PG Diploma and Two-year Master Degrees in many critical specialties including Fertility, Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Oncology, Preventative Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Acute Medicine, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Neuroimaging for Research, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, Laparoscopic Surgical Skills, Critical Care, Neonatal Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Advanced Cytopathology and many more.

    Merck Foundation has so far provided more than 2280 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, with many of them becoming the first specialists in their countries.

    During her visit, Merck Foundation CEO also met the Senior Officials from the Office of Hon’ble Minister of Health, Mauritius.

    Merck Foundation also conducted the 4th Edition of their Health Media Training for the Mauritian Media Representatives in partnership with Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius. The training session was conducted to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, Stopping GBV, Diabetes and Hypertension awareness. It was co-chaired by Merck Foundation CEO and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mauritius.

    During the training session, the Call for Application for 8 important Merck Foundation Awards were announced for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.

    The award announced are:

    1. Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives and media students are invited to showcase their work to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

    Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.

    1.  Merck Foundation Fashion Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025, in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to raise awareness about one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

    Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

    Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Song Awards “More Than a Mother” 2025: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to address one or more of the following social issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, and/ or Stopping GBV at all levels.

    Submission deadline: 30th September 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”, in partnership with Media Trust Board, Mauritius: Media representatives are invited to showcase their work through strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”, in partnership with Academy of Design and Innovation, Mauritius: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Film Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension: All African Filmmakers, Students of Film Making Training Institutions, or Young Talents of Africa are invited to create and share a long or short FILMS, either drama, documentary, or docudrama to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    1. Merck Foundation Song Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”: All African Singers and Musical Artists are invited to create and share a SONG with the aim to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    Entries for the above awards can be submitted to us at:

    submit@merck-foundation.com

    For information on the above awards, please visit our website:

    www.Merck-Foundation.com

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

    Contact:
    Mehak Handa
    Community Awareness Program Manager 
    Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
    Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

    Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard!
    Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/3GZAB8c
    X: https://apo-opa.co/46Yc51M
    YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/450kdfL
    Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/41aw4Xg
    Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4m1Sj9O
    Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/4o4qNdO
    Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com
    Download Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/4nYOCDX

    About Merck Foundation:
    The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/3GZAB8c), X (https://apo-opa.co/46Yc51M), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/41aw4Xg), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/450kdfL), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4m1Sj9O) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4o4qNdO).

    The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference with Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar ahead of the August District Work Period where they highlighted the commitment of House Democrats to delivering for the American people, while Donald Trump and Rubber Stamp Republicans celebrate their devastating cuts to healthcare and food assistance.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning, everyone. Honored to be joined today by Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar as we prepare to depart for the August District Work Period. The Trump administration and House Republicans have been a complete and total failure. These MAGA extremists promised they were going to lower costs in the United States of America. In fact, they promised the American people that costs would go down on day one. But costs haven’t gone down. They are on the way up. Inflation is up. It’s the quality of life of everyday Americans that is deteriorating. And Donald Trump and House Republicans are making things worse.

    The One Big Ugly Bill will rip away healthcare from millions of Americans. Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Community-based health clinics will be unable to operate. And as a result of the inability of everyday Americans to get the medical care that they need, people will die. This is a direct result of action taken by Donald Trump and House Republicans connected to the One Big Ugly Bill. It’s extraordinary that as we prepare to leave for the August District Work Period, what House Republicans can point to is a toxic and extreme Republican budget that will cause millions of Americans to be broke, sick and hungry. That’s the legislative accomplishment of House Republicans. And all of this was done to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks.

    The One Big Ugly Bill is deeply unpopular. Donald Trump is deeply unpopular. And House Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to make life more affordable for the American people. During the August District Work Period, House Democrats will hold events all across the country talking about our efforts to build an affordable economy that lowers the high cost of living in the United States of America, to protect the healthcare of the American people and to combat the cultural corruption that exists in this town that undermines the ability to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people. We’re looking forward to holding town hall meetings across the country, at the same time that Republicans will continue to run away from town hall meetings. But we will fill the void that they are leaving and engage aggressively with the American people, all in service of building a country where everyone can experience the American dream.

    Full press conference can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: William Briggs Sworn in as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON — Today, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on July 9, 2025, William (Bill) Briggs was sworn in as the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration at the SBA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    “I’m pleased to welcome Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs to the SBA as part of an incredible leadership team that is hard at work delivering results for America’s job creators,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With a strong record of service at the agency and in the private sector, Bill will be a tremendous asset as we work to restore the SBA as an engine for opportunity and economic growth – and advance President Trump’s agenda that will Make Main Street Great Again.”

    “It’s an honor to be back at the SBA and to continue my work serving America’s small businesses,” said SBA Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Administrator Loeffler, our job creators are poised for a historic era of growth, innovation and prosperity. I’m excited to deliver that comeback to Main Streets across America – by empowering them with the capital, counseling, and contracting opportunities to thrive.”

    Briggs previously served as Acting Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Capital Access during the first Trump Administration, where he played a leading role in the development and implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Texas native and small business owner, Briggs brings over two decades of private sector experience to the role.

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor secures additional federal flooding assistance – Federal resources and funding available for Lincoln County response   

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – The state of New Mexico today announced that the federal government has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for New Mexico communities damaged by flooding, unlocking federal funds to support response and recovery efforts in Lincoln County. 

    “This federal declaration delivers the action we sought for a community that has shown incredible resilience through repeated disasters.” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “The people of Lincoln County deserve every resource we can provide, and we will continue working until every family and business in New Mexico has fully recovered.”  

    The declaration will make financial assistance available to individuals, households and businesses in Lincoln County with losses or damage caused by the flooding on July 8. Residents can apply for assistance online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. MST.  

    The declaration also approves funding for emergency work and debris removal for Lincoln County. This will come in the form of reimbursement for 75 percent of costs for response operations, emergency work, and debris removal from public property.  

    The state continues to push for additional federal resources for permanent repairs to public infrastructure and to add more counties including Chaves, Otero and Valencia counties.   

    A state Disaster Recovery Center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the ENMU-Ruidoso Annex, 709 Mecham Dr., Ruidoso, N.M. 88345. State disaster case managers are on site, along with representatives from state agencies who can help with FEMA assistance applications, document replacement, insurance questions and other resources. Residents may also call the State Disaster Helpline at 1-833- 663-4736 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or visit the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s website for additional information.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Safeguarding Lake Champlain with Wastewater Upgrades

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Hochul today announced the completion of a critical $3.1 million wastewater infrastructure improvement project in the Town of Westport, Essex County. The improvements not only protect public health and the environment but also help preserve Lake Champlain’s role as a vital driver of the local tourism economy. State, federal, and local investments are minimizing the financial impact of this critical project on local ratepayers.

    “Every New Yorker deserves access to affordable clean water and reliable infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment in Westport is a win for families, local businesses, and the millions who visit Lake Champlain each year. By making critical upgrades affordable for small communities, we’re protecting public health, supporting a vital tourism economy and building a more sustainable future for the Adirondacks, North Country and beyond.”

    Project Overview

    The project focused on rehabilitating Sewer District No. 1 to address critical infrastructure needs. Deteriorated pipes and manholes had allowed excessive stormwater and groundwater to infiltrate the wastewater collection system. This excess flow strained the wastewater treatment plant and threatened the local watershed.

    By lining and replacing deteriorated gravity sewers and manholes, the town achieved a substantial reduction in key areas of the district; the town has substantially reduced inflow and infiltration. This crucial improvement significantly enhances the reliability and resiliency of its wastewater treatment operations, ensuring long-term compliance with state environmental regulations, and directly contributing to improved water quality in Lake Champlain, a vital regional resource.

    Funding Breakdown

    To help Westport affordably undertake this project, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided a grant, and the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation provided a grant and interest-free financing package:

    • $1.9 million Water Quality Improvement Project grant
    • $100,000 Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant to jumpstart the project. Planning grants set the framework to advance fiscally sound and well-designed projects to construction by supporting completion of an approvable engineering report for the project
    • $309,000 Water Infrastructure Improvement grant
    • $928,000 interest-free hardship financing from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund

    The financial assistance provided to Westport through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund is projected to save local ratepayers over $1.3 million in debt service compared to traditional financing. In the short-term, loans subsidized through the State Revolving Funds can save communities as much as 75 percent in interest payments compared to borrowing in the municipal bond market.

    In the long-term, State Revolving Fund loan repayments to EFC create a self-sustaining source of recurring revenue to meet the never-ending need to rehabilitate, replace and modernize aging infrastructure in the State. The State Revolving Funds are New York’s primary financial mechanism for advancing its clean water goals, delivering over $1 billion annually to communities statewide. Combined with targeted State grants, the State Revolving Funds are part of New York’s broader strategy to maximize the impact of infrastructure dollars, ensuring every region benefits from cleaner water, safer systems, and long-term sustainability.

    Fully funded State Revolving Funds are necessary for New York to be prepared to meet the never-ending need for communities to repair, rehabilitate and modernize aging infrastructure in the future. Access to affordable financing increases investment in water infrastructure, which can prevent costly catastrophic system failures and alleviate pressure on utilities to raise rates, providing relief to many families already struggling to pay their water bills.

    Investing in the Adirondacks

    This project is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s comprehensive affordability and clean water agenda to help ensure communities statewide have access to safe and sustainable water systems. The State allocated 22 percent of its financial assistance through the State Revolving Funds to Adirondack communities this year, totaling $263 million. In the past decade, EFC has awarded $623 million in financing and State and federal grants to projects in the Blue Line. This amount includes $316 million in State Water Infrastructure Improvement grants, reinforcing the State’s commitment to helping small, rural communities affordably invest in water infrastructure. These strategic investments are helping to modernize aging systems, safeguard natural resources, and reduce the financial burden on rural ratepayers.

    In the last 10 years, DEC funded 76 projects in the Adirondacks through WQIP alone, totaling more than $71 million to upgrade critical water and sewer infrastructure and protect water quality and the environment. At least $75 million is currently available through DEC’s WQIP program and up to $3 million is available through DEC’s Non-Agriculture Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Mapping Grant (NPG) program.

    Applications for these grants are available through the New York State’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) through July 31, 2025, at 4 p.m.

    Supporting Small and Rural Communities

    Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, EFC is currently accepting applications for $325 million in grants, including enhanced awards for sewer projects in small and rural communities. Even with substantial state support for water infrastructure, many small municipalities still face financial barriers. To address this, Governor Hochul once again directed EFC to double grants from 25 percent to 50 percent of the net eligible project costs for small struggling communities. This enhanced funding will significantly reduce the financial impact on local ratepayers.

    EFC’s Community Assistance Teams are available to help local governments complete funding applications and encourage communities to reach out to receive help in addressing their local water infrastructure needs. This targeted outreach helps ensure that small, rural communities can successfully compete for funding and implement urgently needed projects.

    EFC President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “Modern, reliable wastewater systems are essential to community health and environmental protection. EFC is pleased to support the Town of Westport’s strategic investments in its water infrastructure, making this project affordable for ratepayers and ensuring that Lake Champlain continues to thrive as both an ecological asset and a cornerstone of the local tourism economy.”

    DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is making record investments to enhance water quality in Lake Champlain and in communities throughout the state. Overhauling Westport’s aging infrastructure and updating wastewater treatment operations reduce pollution and phosphorus that impairs Lake Champlain, threatens drinking water, and contributes to harmful algal blooms. DEC looks forward to continuing to make these essential investments to reduce the financial burden on New Yorkers, safeguard drinking water, and ensure our natural resources are well protected.”

    Senator Charlies Schumer said, “Lake Champlain is a crown jewel of the North Country and boosts our local tourism economy. I’m proud to have delivered nearly $1 million in federal funding to modernize the Town of Westport’s wastewater system. This upgrade will help keep Lake Champlain clean by cleaning up the gravity sewers and manholes, preserving the lake’s crucial role for tourism in the North Country – all while creating good-paying jobs, jobs, jobs. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s partnership in the fight to turn the tide on our state’s aging water sewer infrastructure to keep our communities economically safe, healthy and vibrant.”

    Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “The health and safety of our communities is dependent on access to safe and reliable water infrastructure. Far too many across the country lack access to the functional and efficient water systems they need, and I am proud that this project will help protect the welfare of Westport families and the millions who visit Lake Champlain every year. I will continue fighting in the Senate to bring home more funding to modernize our aging infrastructure so that all New Yorkers have access to the clean and efficient water systems they deserve.

    Town of Westport Supervisor Michael “Ike” Tyler said, “This project was essential for our community. With State support, we were able to take on a critical infrastructure challenge in a way that was financially responsible for our residents. These upgrades will protect our residents, our environment, and the lake we all depend on.”

    Essex County Chairman Shaun Gillilland said, “This project is a showcase example of teamwork at all levels of New York and local government to combat and alleviate the most challenging stresses on rural infrastructure; namely modernizing and improving older public wastewater systems to ensure they improve and not deteriorate our natural water resources and drinking water.”

    New York’s Commitment to Water Quality
    New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure. The next round of EFC’s Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants is now open at www.efc.ny.gov. This round reflects New York’s continued leadership in investing in affordable, community-driven clean water solutions.

    With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the FY26 Enacted Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. Any community needing assistance with water infrastructure projects is encouraged to contact EFC. New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hearing Wrap Up: Congress Must Act to Advance Nuclear Energy

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

    WASHINGTON—The Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs today held a hearing titled “The New Atomic Age: Advancing America’s Energy Future.” During the hearing, members heard from witnesses about the advent of small and micro modular nuclear reactors and how their development and deployment will advance the use of safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy in the United States. Members emphasized the importance of expanding nuclear energy because of its efficiency and low cost compared to other energy sources.  

    Click here to watch the hearing. 

    Key Takeaways:

    Small and micro modular reactors (SMRs and MMRs) promise to redefine the future of U.S. electricity generation through increases in safe, affordable and accessible nuclear energy. Government overregulation, however, has been holding back the development and deployment of these reactors.  

    • Alex Epstein, President and Founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, stated in his opening testimony that “Whenever we talk about abundant nuclear energy, including SMRs, we need to recognize that the first step is for government to stop doing the immense harm it’s actively doing. And this harm is harm that probably gutted nuclear’s potential for decades. It’s important to recognize that in the 70s, clean, safe nuclear power – and it was very safe, it was the safest form of energy in history, even back then, -became affordable and it quickly grew to 20 percent of American electrical power with the potential to get far more affordable and plentiful. But crushing irrational regulation, including the way the N[uclear] R[egulatory] C[omission] was set up, made nuclear expensive or impossible to build.”

    Supply-chain issues and cultural misconceptions of nuclear energy adversely affect its propagation in the U.S.

    • Joshua Smith, Energy Policy Lead at the Abundance Institute, stated in his opening testimony that “For decades, American engineers built nuclear swiftly, cheaply, and safely…Nuclear’s struggles today aren’t inherent to the technology. They’re the product of outdated, unfit, and counterproductive regulations. Major barriers include [As Low and Reasonably Achievable] and [Linear No-Threshold] standards which impose costs above any kind of offsetting safety benefits, inflexible [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] frameworks that prevent innovation and nuclear’s risk being widely understood. For example, there is no radiation caused deaths associated with Three Mile Island’s release. The Chernobyl disaster is impossible with modern reactor designs and measured in deaths per terawatt hours of electricity production, nuclear is about 800 times safer than coal and 100 times safer than gas generation.” 

    The United States must modernize its approach to electrical grid licensing, permitting and the nuclear industry generally if we want to maintain leadership in the global race for energy efficiency.

    • Joshua Smith said in his opening testimony that “Nuclear entrepreneurs can’t succeed in a system that blocks entry before shovels hit the dirt. Licensing, permitting, and interconnection are all clogged arteries in need of reform alongside nuclear regulations. The core lesson is that we need to not just improve nuclear regulations, but streamline permitting and grid interconnection to enable nuclear power and ensure an affordable and reliable energy supply.”
    • Alex Epstein testified that “[The] NRC should open nuclear innovation zones on federal land. So, the recent [executive orders] rightly encouraged the testing of nuclear reactors on federal lands, which would allow private developers to quickly iterate designs and run safety tests without waiting years. What [the Department of Energy] and [the Department of Defense] can do is formally designate nuclear innovation zones on federal land, and specifically the NRC can issue guidance confirming the data collected on these sites will satisfy what’s called performance-based safety testing requirements of the regulatory code Part 53, and this can dramatically expedite things.”

    Member Highlights:

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison (R-Mo.) inquired about companies being held back from developing nuclear energy in the United States, and how states are better suited for regulating nuclear energy than the federal government.

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “I was recently told by one company based here in the United States that they will have a fully functioning MMR abroad in the next year. They specifically stated that they couldn’t accomplish that in the United States, that they’d have to go on foreign soil to demonstrate to the American public and the government that their technology is ready. What’s holding back companies like that from doing this in the United States?” 

    Mr. Smith: “Thank you. Fundamentally, the problem is we have too many barriers between people who want to build and their ability to put shovels on the ground and put up structures. So, take one example, it’s important that we do continued modeling. It’s important that we continue doing extensive testing, but we also need to do real life testing rather than just rely on the data that we currently use.”

    …

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “I’m [going to] jump to one of my questions then, regarding the states. How would they be better suited than the federal government for regulating this?” 

    Mr. Smith: “One of the key differences between the designs of the 60s and 70s is today, they’re very, very different, so there’s little need for containment structures in some of these new designs. And part of the problem with having a lot of expertise at the NRC is simply that they have a hammer, they see everything as a nail, and so we have a problem where new companies come in, they don’t need a containment chamber or containment facility for their design, and yet the NRC prescriptive regulations say ‘thou shalt have one.’ And so state level interest can develop new rules that avoid this kind of old problem, and we could do some of this at the federal level of course. There’s room for Congress to get involved and spin off new agencies within the NRC or separately entirely to pursue these new designs. States have already taken the right kinds of steps. Texas has been developing an advanced nuclear working group. Utah similarly has an office of an energy development official who’s purely devoted to nuclear now, in addition to extensive legislative efforts within the state congress.”

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison also inquired about overbearing regulations and the cultural discussion of nuclear stifling U.S. energy innovation.
     

    Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “[Can you] speak to how the regulatory process for [technological innovators] who are doing very creative, very innovative stuff might be stifling to that mindset?”

    Mr. Epstein: “I admire these guys for trying because it’s just, so difficult to do things. I mean, for all the reasons I mentioned, the licensing process, it could be difficult to test things, the whole Linear No-Threshold and As Low As Reasonably Achievable. So this, all these dogmas, as I said, can be changed and it’ll just radically open the frontier for innovation where companies like these can go very quickly from idea to action. Right now, there’s just an enormous gap between idea and action. One other thing that needs to change, I think, is the cultural discussion of nuclear we heard from Ranking Member Frost, and I think some others, that Three Mile Island was the problem. But as Scott Perry pointed out, like Three Mile Island, is not fundamentally a problem. [The] fact that the worst nuclear accident we’ve had is something that killed nobody, that should be celebrating nuclear. So we need to stop demonizing nuclear like the Simpsons did. We need to recognize it’s fundamentally safe. It’s not safe primarily because of regulation, it’s safe because the material cannot explode like combustion can.”

    Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) inquired about how the nuclear energy industry is more profitable and cost-efficient for taxpayers than other non-traditional energy industries.

    Rep. Perry: “[Mr. Epstein], if you could just briefly explain how not doing the same thing over and over again for the same kind of design is going to be helpful to the industry, save the industry money, and, in turn, save my bosses, citizens of America—my constituents—money?” 

    Mr. Epstein: “For sure. So, I think it’s really important that you raise the issue of profit, because we absolutely want nuclear energy companies to be able to make a profit by competing to provide the lowest cost, most reliable energy, just like we want phone manufacturers to be able to make a profit providing the most effective phones. AI providing people the most cost-effective AI. There are two kinds of problems that arise. One is when you restrict the ability of profit-making entities to compete by not allowing them to do their jobs, which things like having a new environmental impact statement for every nuclear power plant, even if it’s the exact same thing, that just dramatically increases costs. The other thing that you raised is that when you subsidize inferior forms of energy, that also raises costs…So they take money away from the reliable power plants, reliable power plants get defunded, can’t make a profit. This is why we have a shortage of gas turbines. One of the reasons why nuclear is in bad shape, but we cannot build dispatchable capacity profitably, because we’ve screwed up the markets with subsidies. So, the Big Beautiful Bill, by far the best thing about it, in my opinion, was dramatic cuts to these grid destroying, price increasing solar and wind subsidies.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Memorial Weekend Severe Storms

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 23, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration for five southwest Missouri counties in response to the severe storms, straight-line winds, hail, heavy rains, and flooding that occurred throughout Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26. This is Missouri’s fifth major disaster declaration since March.

    “For the past four months, communities across Missouri have been heavily damaged by continuing severe storms, with some of the most devastated areas affected once again by this four-day severe weather event,” Governor Kehoe said. “I spoke personally with President Trump last night, and we appreciate his approval of this federal assistance, which will provide millions of dollars to assist in rebuilding infrastructure that is vital to the recovery of the impacted communities.”
     

    The President’s action makes the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs in Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties.

    Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on June 21, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments that were conducted in early June. Damage and response costs were estimated at more than $13.5 million.

    The other four federal Major Disaster Declarations during Governor Kehoe’s term in office are:

    For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.

    For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Memorial Weekend Severe Storms

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 23, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration for five southwest Missouri counties in response to the severe storms, straight-line winds, hail, heavy rains, and flooding that occurred throughout Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26. This is Missouri’s fifth major disaster declaration since March.

    “For the past four months, communities across Missouri have been heavily damaged by continuing severe storms, with some of the most devastated areas affected once again by this four-day severe weather event,” Governor Kehoe said. “I spoke personally with President Trump last night, and we appreciate his approval of this federal assistance, which will provide millions of dollars to assist in rebuilding infrastructure that is vital to the recovery of the impacted communities.”
     

    The President’s action makes the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs in Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties.

    Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on June 21, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments that were conducted in early June. Damage and response costs were estimated at more than $13.5 million.

    The other four federal Major Disaster Declarations during Governor Kehoe’s term in office are:

    For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.

    For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy who began trafficking kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and various quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl within three months of completing a term of incarceration in state prison for drug trafficking was sentenced today to fourteen years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    William Mendez, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to a term of incarceration of 168 months to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2024, Mendez pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. His conduct included distributing cocaine base, powder cocaine and approximately 769.5 grams of fentanyl to a government agent.

    In September 2021, Mendez and more than a dozen other individuals were charged in federal court with having had a role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that he led. Like Mendez, many of the defendants had previously been convicted of violent crime offenses such as firearm, robbery, assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and domestic violence charges.

    Court records reflect that prior to his arrest in this matter in September 2021, William Mendez had served a total of twenty-two plus years in prison related to three separate serious felony drug convictions and two separate violent felony assault convictions; when arrested he was serving a term of state probation, having been released from Rhode Island state prison less than three months prior after completing a term of incarceration of nearly seven years.

    The FBI Safe Street Task Force, DEA, and Providence Police Narcotics Bureau joint investigation targeted all levels of drug dealing in several communities.

    Federal court records reflect the following:

    • Ramon Barriera, 53, Providence, pled guilty on October 23, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on June 18, 2025, to 70 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release.
    • Rafael Cruz, 75, of Providence, pled guilty on January 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Nelson Hazin, 57, of Providence, pled guilty on October 30, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Ricardo Martinez, Jr., 37, of Providence, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on June 6, 2025, to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Jonathan Masa-Gonzalez, 24, of Providence, pled guilty on June 5, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Betancourt Sosa, 29, of New Bedford, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Victor Yandel Aponte-Cirano, 25, of Taunton, pled guilty on September 6, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on January 22, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Keven Restrepo, 33, of Providence pled guilty on December 12, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 77 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Gonzalez, 47, of Providence, pled guilty on January 25, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Charles Sims, 60, of Providence, pled guilty on November 20, 2023, to a charge of  conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on September 25, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Anthony Lacoste, 33, Woonsocket, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2025.
    • Karla Rivera-Rosa, 34, of Taunton, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and is awaiting sentencing on a date yet to be set by the court.
    • Felix Robles, 63, of Providence, is awaiting trial on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Law enforcement agents seized approximately $78,000 in drug proceeds from Mendez at the time of his arrest.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson and Taylor A. Dean, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.

    Acting United Sates Attorney Blooms thanks the FBI, DEA, and Providence Police Department for leading this investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service for their invaluable assistance throughout the investigation; and the United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, Cranston, Central Falls, Fall River, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments for their assistance with the arrests of the defendants and the execution of search warrants.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    PROVIDENCE – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy who began trafficking kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and various quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl within three months of completing a term of incarceration in state prison for drug trafficking was sentenced today to fourteen years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    William Mendez, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to a term of incarceration of 168 months to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2024, Mendez pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. His conduct included distributing cocaine base, powder cocaine and approximately 769.5 grams of fentanyl to a government agent.

    In September 2021, Mendez and more than a dozen other individuals were charged in federal court with having had a role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that he led. Like Mendez, many of the defendants had previously been convicted of violent crime offenses such as firearm, robbery, assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and domestic violence charges.

    Court records reflect that prior to his arrest in this matter in September 2021, William Mendez had served a total of twenty-two plus years in prison related to three separate serious felony drug convictions and two separate violent felony assault convictions; when arrested he was serving a term of state probation, having been released from Rhode Island state prison less than three months prior after completing a term of incarceration of nearly seven years.

    The FBI Safe Street Task Force, DEA, and Providence Police Narcotics Bureau joint investigation targeted all levels of drug dealing in several communities.

    Federal court records reflect the following:

    • Ramon Barriera, 53, Providence, pled guilty on October 23, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on June 18, 2025, to 70 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release.
    • Rafael Cruz, 75, of Providence, pled guilty on January 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Nelson Hazin, 57, of Providence, pled guilty on October 30, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Ricardo Martinez, Jr., 37, of Providence, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on June 6, 2025, to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release.
    • Jonathan Masa-Gonzalez, 24, of Providence, pled guilty on June 5, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on March 18, 2025, to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Betancourt Sosa, 29, of New Bedford, pled guilty on October 16, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced on April 14, 2025, to70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Victor Yandel Aponte-Cirano, 25, of Taunton, pled guilty on September 6, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on January 22, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Keven Restrepo, 33, of Providence pled guilty on December 12, 2022, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and was sentenced on April 27, 2023, to 77 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Juan Gonzalez, 47, of Providence, pled guilty on January 25, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release.
    • Charles Sims, 60, of Providence, pled guilty on November 20, 2023, to a charge of  conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on September 25, 2024, to time served and three years of supervised release.
    • Anthony Lacoste, 33, Woonsocket, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2025.
    • Karla Rivera-Rosa, 34, of Taunton, pled guilty on October 29, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and is awaiting sentencing on a date yet to be set by the court.
    • Felix Robles, 63, of Providence, is awaiting trial on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Law enforcement agents seized approximately $78,000 in drug proceeds from Mendez at the time of his arrest.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson and Taylor A. Dean, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.

    Acting United Sates Attorney Blooms thanks the FBI, DEA, and Providence Police Department for leading this investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service for their invaluable assistance throughout the investigation; and the United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, Cranston, Central Falls, Fall River, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments for their assistance with the arrests of the defendants and the execution of search warrants.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Prison for Violating Conditions of Court-Supervised Release Following Imprisonment

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

    CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for violating the conditions of court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a firearms offense.

    KEESHON SAMSON, 31, was released from federal prison in 2023 after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Chicago’s South Side.  The gun had been reported stolen in a burglary of a licensed firearms dealer.  Samson remained under court-supervised release for three years following imprisonment.

    In February 2025, Samson was accused of breaking windows out of an acquaintance’s house and threatening the physical safety of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator in a series of harassing telephone calls from a masked phone number.

    On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that Samson threatened the DCFS investigator and thus violated the supervised release conditions, one of which prohibited him from committing a federal, state, or local crime while under supervision.  Judge Blakey sentenced Samson to 21 months in federal prison.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

    “In our federal system of justice, supervised release is a critically important part of the sentencing process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “It is designed to help offenders transition back into society while also ensuring public safety.  When a defendant on supervised release chooses to violate clear conditions designed to protect the community, my Office will not hesitate to prosecute the violation and hold the defendant accountable.”

    “The defendant’s conduct while on supervised release demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of others, and the Court’s orders,” said ATF SAC Amon.  “This sentence sends a clear message that violations of Court-imposed conditions of release will not be tolerated.”

    MIL Security OSI –