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Category: Politics

  • PM Modi to begin two-nation tour of UK, Maldives today

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives beginning Wednesday, with a focus on deepening strategic partnerships and regional cooperation.

    PM Modi’s visit to the UK from July 23–24 comes at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marking his fourth trip to the country. Both sides are expected to review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), with discussions centred around trade, innovation, defence, climate action, health, and education.

    According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the talks will also include regional and global developments of mutual concern. PM Modi is also likely to meet King Charles III during the visit. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), under negotiation for some time, is expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

    In the second leg, the Prime Minister will travel to the Maldives from July 25–26 at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu. This will be the PM’s third visit to the island nation, and the first by any head of government during President Muizzu’s tenure.

    The visit coincides with the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day celebrations on July 26, where Modi will be the Guest of Honour. The two leaders are expected to review the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership.

    The visit underscores India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation. Key areas on the agenda include infrastructure development, defence collaboration, and regional economic connectivity.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Pacific – New world-class health services will transform Nauru – Govt of Nauru

    Source: Government of Nauru

     

    A month after the Government of Nauru announced a ground breaking strategic partnership with UAE company Global Mission Support Services (GMSS) to take over the management and delivery of the country’s health services, the results have already been transformational. 

     

    Minister for Public Health Maverick Eoe said while the first 30 days were earmarked for assessment and planning, the new medical team had already made major progress including reactivating the eye clinic and performing high-impact surgeries that previously could not be performed domestically.

     

    “The government decided that in order to make a real difference in the health care of all Nauruans we had to be innovative, and we are absolutely confident that this solution will dramatically improve, and restore trust in, our health system,” he said. 

     

    The health team has also responded to a dengue fever outbreak which is now under control following consultation with the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, while the company’s engineering team fixed the flooding at the hospital’s entrance which has been an issue for decades.  

     

    The partnership, at no extra cost to the Government, was announced in Parliament last month by President David Adeang, who said, “The government…. had concluded that engaging an experienced and capable private sector partner is a necessary step to ensure our people continue to receive quality and timely medical care, both locally and abroad.”

     

    He also said the new arrangement will reduce the financial burden on the OMR but assured the nation that “this arrangement will (still) ensure that our most vulnerable citizens—those who require overseas medical treatment—are cared for with dignity, efficiency, and compassion.”

     

    The GMSS medical team on Nauru are leading experts from across the world and include a US chief medical officer, a Ukrainian brigadier general who was a special forces physician, an Israeli ophthalmic surgeon, an Australian professor of public policy, a former British Royal Air Force doctor, and a US Navy admiral. 

     

    GMSS manager Roy Shaposhnik said, “Our mission has been receiving outstanding support and goodwill from government, the private sector, and most importantly, the people of Nauru.

     

    “Their support and cooperation remain our greatest motivators and enablers.”

     

    The initial team included civil engineers, logistics specialists, and operations personnel, followed by additional subject-matter experts who conducted in-depth assessments of the Nauru hospital and public health facilities.

     

    GMSS medical adviser Dr Dezheen Zebari said thinking of just how much change they can make in Nauru is “very exciting”.

     

    “This will be a transformative change and build a resilient health care system,” she said.

     

    Dr Zebari credited President Adeang along with ministers Eoe and Charmaine Scotty for “their vision.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Protect American Assets From Unlawful Seizure by Foreign Governments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    In violation of USMCA, Mexico’s president has repeatedly threatened to declare an American company’s property as a “Protected Natural Area” to unjustifiably seize the company’s assets
    WASHINGTON—Yesterday,United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led his colleagues in reintroducing the Defending American Property Abroad Act, legislation to impose retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any nation in the Western Hemisphere that unlawfully seizes American assets. This legislation responds to ongoing efforts by the Mexican government to seize a deep-water port owned by U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company in flagrant violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) governing trade between our two nations. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Budd (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). Representative August Pfluger (R-TX-11) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    In specific, this legislation would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prohibit vessels from entering a U.S. port if they previously used a port, land, or infrastructure that had been illegally seized from a U.S. entity by a foreign nation in the Western Hemisphere.  It also empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate and respond to foreign governments that deny U.S. companies fair and equal treatment or that have expropriated, nationalized, or seized U.S. assets.
    “I strongly condemn the Mexican government’s threats against Vulcan Materials Company and I am pleased to see this bipartisan and bicameral rebuke from the United States Senate,” said Senator Hagerty.  “Under the leadership of Mexico’s previous president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and now the current president, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican government is committing a blatant theft against a major American company and, by extension, the United States itself. No nation should be allowed to bully an American firm without consequences. Our legislation will counter any attempt by the Mexican government to profit from illegal moves to expropriate, nationalize, or otherwise seize U.S. assets.”
    “American companies operating abroad should not have to fear arbitrary government actions that undermine their property rights,” said Representative Pfluger. “The Defending American Property Abroad Act will ensure that such actions do not go unchecked and that American businesses are protected from unjust expropriation. The protection of American property rights abroad is essential for fostering economic growth and maintaining our national security. I urge my colleagues in Congress to support this critical legislation and send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate unjust actions against American companies.”
    “The Mexican government’s unfair targeting of Vulcan Materials Company, a U.S.-based company that employs over 1,000 people in Virginia, is harmful to the relationship between our two countries and severely undermines investor confidence,” said Senator Kaine. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to deter the illegal seizure of U.S. assets.”
    “The threats toward Vulcan’s lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned deep-water port from the Government of Mexico, even under a new president, have not ceased,” said Senator Britt. “Mexico continues to flagrantly violate international law with its actions, putting America’s and Alabama’s economic and national security at risk — and it won’t stand. I’m proud to fight for the rule of law and join Senator Hagerty in introducing the bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025. This reaffirms the U.S. will impose crushing consequences if the Government of Mexico continues to execute its illegal scheme against Vulcan’s property.”
    “For years, the Mexican Government has shown undue aggression toward American businesses, primarily Alabama’s Vulcan Materials,” said Senator Tuberville. “The continued attempts to exploit Vulcan’s operation in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is a disgrace to our longstanding trade agreement with Mexico. The Trump Administration has hit the ground running to prioritize and empower American companies — I look forward to seeing this bill get across the finish line to ensure American companies are fully protected.”
    “U.S.-owned properties in the Western Hemisphere contribute much to our economy and should not be targeted by foreign nations,” said Senator Wicker. “This legislation would hold our allies accountable for their actions and increase protections on American-owned assets that have been expropriated.”
    “American-owned properties and businesses should not experience unlawful expropriation and abuse at the hands of hostile foreign governments,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Defending American Property Abroad Act would strengthen the U.S. response to the illegal seizure of American-owned properties by creating a clear set of consequences for those actions.” 
    Background:
    In May 2022, then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) abruptly shut down Vulcan Materials Company’s operations with false claims that the firm was violating its contract and his government subsequently waged an unceasing pressure campaign against Vulcan, including multiple lawsuits and sending military and law enforcement to its facilities.In May 2022, Senator Hagerty urged then-President Joe Biden to take action against the Mexican government’s moves to expropriate the property of U.S. companies with investments and operations in Mexico.
    In March 2023, Senator Hagerty pressed then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the seizure by Mexican military troops and civilian authorities of U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company’s assets in Mexico.
    In December 2023, Senators Hagerty and Kaine spoke on the Senate floor imploring then-President López Obrador to halt harmful actions against American companies’ lawfully owned assets in Mexico, noting that these unlawful actions violate agreements made between the two countries under the USMCA and jeopardize a key U.S. trade relationship.
    In August 2024, AMLO announced that he is pushing to designate the port and mine a “Protected Natural Area”.
    In September 2024, Senators Hagerty and Kaine introduced legislation to impose retaliatory prohibitions that deter and punish any Western Hemisphere nation that unlawfully seizes American assets, responding to ongoing efforts by the Government of Mexico to seize a deep-water port owned by U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company, which is a flagrant violation of the United Sates-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) governing trade between our two nations.
    In December 2024, Senators Hagerty and other lawmakers condemned ongoing efforts by then-U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai to weaken protections for American companies under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a counterproductive move that would make American companies vulnerable to Mexico seizing their property and assets.
    In April 2025, Senators Hagerty and Kaine sent a letter to Mexican Minister of Economy Ebrard Casaubon urging him to address the country’s unfair treatment of the U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company, which has operated in Mexico for decades and supports thousands of jobs in both countries.
    Full text of the Defending American Property Abroad Act can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The first meeting of the Belarusian-Tajik intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation was held in Minsk

    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

    MINSK, July 23 (Xinhua) — The first meeting of the Belarusian-Tajik intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation was held in Minsk on Tuesday, the press service of the State Military-Industrial Committee (Goskomvoenprom) of Belarus reported.

    The event was held under the leadership of the Chairman of the State Military Industrial Committee Dmitry Pantus and the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan Sherali Kabir. During the meeting, the parties reviewed the progress of the implementation of existing contracts, as well as promising areas for further cooperation and algorithms for their implementation.

    “This dialogue opens up new opportunities for strengthening the partnership between the two countries in the field of military technologies,” the State Military Industrial Committee said. –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.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor’s new bill would cut HELP loans by 20%. But it also risks locking some graduates into a ‘debt treadmill’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor of Higher Education Policy, Monash University

    The Albanese government’s 20% cut to student debt is the first bill introduced to the new federal parliament. It is clever politics.

    In the government’s first term, the 3 million Australians with a student debt turned high indexation of their loan balances into a major issue. The proposed 20% cut flipped a political negative into a positive ahead of the May 2025 federal election.

    The 20% cut legislation, introduced on Wednesday, will also change how student debt is repaid. All the 1.2 million people currently repaying student loans will pay less per year as a result.

    How does the cut work, and what does it mean in practice for current students and people with student debt?

    Beware the fine print

    These changes come with disadvantages. The 20% cut is not well targeted. It will deliver major benefits to recent graduates, but much less to current students or earlier graduates, and nothing to future students.

    While repaying less HELP debt per year sounds good, more graduates will be caught on a debt treadmill, repaying less than the annual indexation on their HELP balance. Both HELP changes will also be costly for government.

    Meanwhile, the government has not changed the cost of degrees. Arts, law and business students continue to accrue debts of about $17,000 per year of study.

    How does the cut work?

    The 20% cut applies to all student loan schemes, including the five HELPs now operating in higher education – HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP, SA-HELP and START-UP HELP. These cover student fees as well as other programs to assist with overseas study or amenities fees.

    The loans to be cut by 20% will be based on amounts owed as at June 1 2025. As a guide to the amounts of money involved, the table below shows balances as at June 30 2024.

    Why the cut is not fair

    The benefits of the 20% cut will be distributed in a random and inequitable way, as a recent analysis from economic think tank the e61 Institute shows.

    The biggest beneficiaries will be people who recently completed their degrees: their borrowing has peaked but they have not made any significant repayments. Graduates who are partway through clearing their debt, and current students, will receive some benefit. People who recently completed their repayments, and future students, will receive no benefit at all.

    Other winners from the 20% cut will be current and former students of private higher education institutions, as they pay relatively high fees via the FEE-HELP scheme. So too do people who have borrowed to finance postgraduate degrees. Although most student debtors are women, men on average have higher debts, so they will benefit more from the 20% cut.

    A new repayment scheme

    The government is also changing how student debt is repaid.

    The income threshold at which repayments start will increase from A$56,156 to $67,000 a year for 2025–26. People with incomes between these levels who currently repay via employer salary deductions can stop after the legislation comes into force. Any unnecessary repayments will be refunded when 2025–26 tax returns are processed.

    Once the first income threshold is passed, the way repayments are calculated will also change. Under the current system, the repayment is a percentage of the person’s total income. At the $56,156 threshold the repayment rate is 1%, leading to a repayment of $561.56. These percentages increase incrementally up to 10% on incomes of $164,712 or more. The jagged repayment amounts in the chart below are the percentage of income rates changing 18 times on their way to 10%.

    The current repayment system was criticised as “unfair” by the Universities Accord final report in 2024, as an increase in income can result in lower take-home pay.

    Under the proposed system nobody will take home less money after a pay rise. Repayment will be based only on marginal income – the amount above the threshold. People with student debt will pay 15 cents in the dollar for all they earn between $67,000 and $124,999. From $125,000 the rate lifts to 17 cents in the dollar.

    The government has capped annual repayments at no more than 10% of the person’s total income. This ensures nobody pays more under the new repayment system.

    Slower repayments mean more debt in the end

    But there’s a catch.

    A Parliamentary Budget Office costing released in April 2025 estimates the effects of the new system on HELP repayment times. Obviously, if people repay less each year it will take them longer to clear their debt.

    For a HELP debtor consistently earning an average graduate income, the budget office estimates full repayment would take one more year, to 11 years in total. But for people starting their careers on lower incomes, below the $67,000 first threshold, repayment times could increase by much more, dragging out full repayment time from 32 to 40 years.

    What happens early in graduate careers is a major concern with the new system.

    Consider an arts graduate who finishes their degree with a HELP debt of $50,000. Indexation at the current inflation rate of 2.4% would be $1,200. Under the current repayment system, an arts graduate earning $65,000 would cover their indexation and reduce their debt by $100. Under the proposed system, arts graduates will see their debt increase through indexation unless they earn at least $75,000. For context, the median full-time salary for an arts graduate in 2023 was $69,400.

    The worry is many people will get stuck on a HELP debt treadmill, seeing their debt increase each year as they repay nothing or less than the indexation amount.

    The cost of these reforms

    In another report, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the initial debt waiver will cost $9 billion, plus the loss of future indexation.

    But quantifying the total cost of these changes is not straightforward, as it involves estimating the future income and consequent HELP repayments of 3 million people.

    As most HELP debtors will repay less each year under the new system, for the government it means delayed repayments and higher bad debt. The budget office thinks in 2025–26, repayments of loan principal will decline by $820 million compared to the current system.

    What about the Job-ready Graduates scheme?

    This highlights the need for a more coherent funding approach, which integrates debts and repayments in ways that are fair to students while moderating the cost to government.

    The Universities Accord final report recommended student contributions should be realigned with graduate earnings.

    Ideally, graduates working full-time should complete repayments within similar ranges of years, regardless of which course they took. That is far from what happens under the current system – known as the Job-ready Graduates scheme – set up under the Morrison government. With the annual humanities student contribution for 2026 set at $17,399, many arts graduates will struggle to ever get their debt under control.

    The government has promised but postponed changes to student contribution levels. The new Australian Tertiary Education Commission will advise the government on this matter.

    But student contributions alone cannot fix the problem. The repayment system must also be realistic about what different types of debtors earn. Especially with student loans now also serving vocational education, the $67,000 first threshold risks creating a larger group of people with permanent student debt.

    Andrew Norton 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. Labor’s new bill would cut HELP loans by 20%. But it also risks locking some graduates into a ‘debt treadmill’ – https://theconversation.com/labors-new-bill-would-cut-help-loans-by-20-but-it-also-risks-locking-some-graduates-into-a-debt-treadmill-261472

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Chaotic Trump Tariffs Drive Price Hikes, Schakowsky, Deluzio, Warren, Baldwin Propose New Tools to Fight Price Gouging

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

    Full Text of Bill (PDF) | Bill One-Pager (PDF)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Chris Deluzio (PA-17), along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) reintroduced the Price Gouging Prevention Act to fight back against the corporate greed enabled by the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies. The bill would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general new tools to enforce a federal ban against grossly excessive price increases.

    The last five years have repeatedly shown us that giant corporations will take advantage of inflation and supply chain disruptions to expand their profit margins by raising prices higher than necessary to cover cost increases. President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs have created yet another opportunity for corporate price gouging. The tariff-driven uncertainty gives companies the opportunity to raise prices on all goods, regardless of whether they are actually subject to new tariffs, higher and for longer than what is necessary to cover any cost increases. Now, dozens of companies have reported raising the prices of goods and services unaffected by Trump’s tariffs. 

    “President Donald Trump promised to lower costs, but we have seen the exact opposite. Greedy corporations are using the economic turmoil the Trump Administration has created to gouge the American people on everything from groceries to consumer goods. While these large corporations rake in record profits, families in my community and across the country are struggling to put food on the table,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Our bill will finally put an end to price gouging by empowering the FTC and state attorneys general to hold bad actors accountable when they take advantage of consumers.”

    “Prices are still too high, and inflation is still pounding folks. Especially now, we need to rein in monopolists and other huge corporations with the power to price gouge the American people,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio. “By upping FTC enforcement practices and boosting transparency, this bill will take some of the squeeze off American families and small businesses suffering under the thumb of out-of-control corporate power.”

    “Donald Trump’s reckless tariff policies are giving companies cover to squeeze families and raise prices more than necessary. My bill is an opportunity for Congress to stand up for families by cracking down on price gouging and fighting back against corporate abuse,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren.

    “The biggest corporations in our country jack up the cost of everyday household items, take in record profits, and give their executives huge bonuses – all on the backs of hard-working Wisconsin families. Donald Trump claimed he would lower prices – so far, he has done just the opposite and is even opening the door to more price gouging. But, if we pass this bill, we can rein that in and give Wisconsinites some breathing room and allow them to save for the future,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Our bill will finally crack down on corporate greed and help stop those big companies at the top of the food chain from sticking families with exorbitant costs.”

    The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2025 would help the federal government and state attorneys general fight corporate price gouging. The bill would: 

    • Prohibit price gouging at the federal level—anytime and anywhere. The bill would clarify that price gouging is an unfair and deceptive practice under the FTC Act. It would allow the FTC and state attorneys general to stop sellers from charging a grossly excessive price, regardless of where the price gouging occurs in a supply chain or distribution network;
    • Help enforcers establish when price gouging is occurring during a significant shift in trade policy. The bill lists a set of exceptional market shocks—including an “abrupt or significant shift in trade policy”—and outlines a standard for a presumptive violation of the price gouging prohibition during such a shock, such as when companies brag about increasing prices;
    • Create an affirmative defense for small businesses acting in good faith. Small and local businesses sometimes must raise prices in response to crisis-driven increases in their costs because they have little negotiating power with their price-gouging suppliers. This affirmative defense protects small businesses earning less than $100 million from frivolous litigation if they show legitimate cost increases;
    • Require public companies to clearly disclose costs and pricing strategies. During periods of exceptional market shock, the bill requires public companies to transparently disclose and explain changes in their cost of goods sold, gross margins, and pricing strategies in their quarterly SEC filings; and
    • Provide $1 billion in additional funding to the FTC to carry out its work.

    Representatives Angie Craig (MN-02), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Paul Tonko (NY-20) joined as co-sponsors. 

    Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined as co-sponsors. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Slams Republican Rescissions Package as “Reckless Attack on Services Families Depend On”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) issued the following statement after House Republicans passed their latest rescissions package, which slashes funding for essential public services while handing out massive tax breaks to the wealthiest among us:

    “Last night, House Republicans chose to gut public health, emergency communications, and national security in order to appease Donald Trump. Slashing funding for public broadcasting in the middle of climate disasters and handing tax breaks to the wealthiest among us while ballooning the deficit and risking a government shutdown is not fiscal discipline—it’s a reckless attack on the services families depend on.”

    The rescissions package includes sweeping cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, pandemic preparedness programs, and emergency response funding—all while preserving tax giveaways that overwhelmingly benefit billionaires.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Introduces Bill to Give D.C. Authority to Appoint All Members of Board that Deals Exclusively with Local D.C. Zoning

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced her bill to give the District of Columbia the authority to appoint all members of the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment (Board), except when the Board is performing functions regarding an application by a foreign mission with respect to a chancery. Under current law, in general, the Board consists of a representative of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the D.C. Zoning Commission, each of whom may be a federal official, and three mayoral appointees, subject to D.C. Council approval. The Board has no authority over federal property and Norton’s bill would not alter the Board’s authority.

    “The District of Columbia should be free to set its own local land-use policies like every other jurisdiction in the United States,” Norton said. “We face local issues, such as a growing population and economic development, that require local solutions. Land use is a quintessentially local issue. The Board of Zoning Adjustment should be accountable to District residents and local elected officials.”

    When the Board is performing functions regarding an application by a foreign mission with respect to the location, expansion, or replacement of a chancery, the Board consists of the Executive Director of NCPC, the Director of the National Park Service (or, if the President so designates, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior or the Administrator of General Services), and the three mayoral appointees. Norton’s bill would not change this composition.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Calls D.C. Appropriations Bill Text “Unreasonable” and “Patronizing” to 700,000+ D.C. Residents

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Appropriations today released the text of its fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Appropriations bill, which Norton said includes an outrageous number of anti-home rule riders. Republicans try to attach the riders to the annual D.C. spending bill to exert control over local D.C. matters, despite their positions as federal officials who do not represent D.C. residents. Significantly, the bill would halve funding for DCTAG, a program established by a 1999 Norton bill. DCTAG makes up the difference for D.C. residents between in-state and out-of-state tuition up to $10,000 at public institutions of higher education in the U.S.

    “I am outraged at the number and scope of anti-D.C. home rule riders in the bill released today,” Norton said. “In my long career representing D.C. residents in Congress, I have rarely seen a bill as unreasonable and patronizing to the more than 700,000 people who live in the nation’s capital as this one. I will use every tool at my disposal to stop these riders from becoming law, and I commit to reminding my fellow lawmakers across the aisle that D.C. residents deserve the same consideration as their own constituents at every opportunity.” 

    The text released today:

    • Would permit anyone with a concealed carry permit from any state or territory to carry a concealed handgun in D.C. and on WMATA.
    • Would provide $20 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), a 50% decrease from the current funding level.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to carry out its Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014.
    • Would repeal D.C.’s Death with Dignity Act, and prohibits enacting any similar act.
    • Would require D.C. to submit a report on its enforcement of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from spending its own local funds to enforce its vehicle emission standards.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to carry out its automated traffic enforcement law.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using its local funds to enact or carry out any law which prohibits motorists from making right turns on red.
    • Would repeal the provision of D.C.’s Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation law, or Anti-SLAPP law, that exempts from that law any claim brought by the D.C. government.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to implement its law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections or on activities related to enrolling or registering noncitizens into voter rolls for local elections.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to implement its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
    • Would repeal parts of the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 2018 that allows courts to use sentencing alternatives for a person who was sentenced as an adult but was under the age of 24 at the time the person committed a crime, changing that age back to 22.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce any COVID–19 mask or vaccine mandate.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to commercialize recreational marijuana.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to implement the Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024, which relates to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.
    • Would prohibit funds to implement or enforce provisions of the Consumer Protection Act against oil and gas companies for environmental claims.

    Among the anti-home rule riders are several victories secured by Norton, despite Republican control of the House.

    “Even among the long list of anti-home rule riders in the bill text released today, there are a number of victories for residents of the nation’s capital,” Norton said. “I was pleased to secure these wins for the District, including increasing the DCTAG yearly cap from $10,000 to $15,000 and lifetime award cap from $50,000 to $75,000, a change I have requested for years. Even in the face of funding for the overall program being cut by half, these increases are a positive for D.C. residents who are recipients of the program. I will continue to work to secure full funding for DCTAG.”

    The bill also maintains the provision to exempt the D.C. government from a federal government shutdown in FY 2026, a provision she has gotten enacted every year since FY 2015. It also approves D.C. to spend under its FY 26 local budget.

    Norton also secured the following victories in the bill:

    • Increasing the yearly cap on DCTAG to $15,000 from $10,000 and increasing the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000.
    • Requiring ratably reducing the amount of tuition and fee payment of each eligible DCTAG student who receives more than $10,000 for the award year if there are insufficient funds.
    • Exempting D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2026.
    • Providing $5.7 million for D.C. Water Clean Rivers Project.
    • Providing $70 million for the Emergency Planning and Security Fund. The fund pays for the unique public safety and security costs the District incurs as the nation’s capital, and is designed to cover the District’s costs upfront so D.C. does not need to expend local funds and then seek an appropriation to be reimbursed for such costs after the fact.
    • Providing $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
    • Providing $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Says Anti-Home Rule Riders on Subcommittee-Passed D.C. Appropriations Bill are “Appalling” and “Unsurprising”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Appropriations marked up and passed the fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Appropriations bill tonight, which Norton said includes an outrageous and irresponsible number of anti-home rule riders. Republicans try to attach the riders to the annual D.C. spending bill to exert control over local D.C. matters, despite their positions as federal officials who do not represent D.C. residents. Significantly, the bill would halve funding for DCTAG, a program established by a 1999 Norton bill. DCTAG makes up the difference for D.C. residents between in-state and out-of-state tuition up to $10,000 at public institutions of higher education in the U.S.

    “It is unsurprising that at a time when there are more frequent Republican attacks on D.C. home rule than any time since the 1990s, the D.C. appropriations bill reported out of a Republican-controlled subcommittee contains numerous and extensive riders that would overrule the expressed will of D.C. residents,” Norton said. “I am particularly appalled by the 50% cut in funding for DCTAG, a program created in 1999 by a bill I authored that simply helps pay for students who are D.C. residents to attend college.

    “I will use every tool at my disposal to stop these riders from becoming law, and I commit to reminding my fellow lawmakers across the aisle that D.C. residents deserve consideration equal to that given to as their own constituents.”

    As reported out of the subcommittee today, the bill:

    • Would provide $20 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), a 50% decrease from the current funding level.
    • Would permit anyone with a concealed carry permit from any state or territory to carry a concealed handgun in D.C. and on WMATA.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to carry out its Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014.
    • Would repeal D.C.’s Death with Dignity Act and prohibit enacting any similar act.
    • Would require D.C. to submit a report on its enforcement of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from spending its own local funds to enforce its vehicle emission standards.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to carry out its automated traffic enforcement law.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using its local funds to enact or carry out any law which prohibits motorists from making right turns on red.
    • Would repeal the provision of D.C.’s Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation law, or Anti-SLAPP law, that exempts from that law any claim brought by the D.C. government.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to implement its law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections or on activities related to enrolling or registering noncitizens into voter rolls for local elections.
    • Would prohibit D.C. from using local funds to implement its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
    • Would repeal parts of the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 2018 that allows courts to use sentencing alternatives for a person who was sentenced as an adult but was under the age of 24 at the time the person committed a crime, changing that age back to 22.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce any COVID–19 mask or vaccine mandate.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to commercialize recreational marijuana.
    • Would prohibit the use of funds to implement the Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024, which relates to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.
    • Would prohibit funds to implement or enforce provisions of the Consumer Protection Act against oil and gas companies for environmental claims.

    Despite Republican control of the House, Norton secured several key victories for D.C., including the first increase in the annual and lifetime award caps for DCTAG recipients since the program was created in 1999.

    “I was pleased the bill that passed out of subcommittee tonight maintained several wins I secured for D.C., including increasing the DCTAG yearly cap from $10,000 to $15,000 and lifetime award cap from $50,000 to $75,000, a change I have requested for many years. Even in the face of funding for the overall program being cut by half, these increases are a positive for DCTAG recipients. I will continue to work to secure full funding for DCTAG.”

    The bill also maintains the provision to exempt the D.C. government from a federal government shutdown in FY 2027, a provision Norton has gotten enacted every year since FY 2015. It also approves D.C. to spend under its FY 26 local budget.

    Norton secured the following victories in the bill:

    • Increasing the yearly cap on DCTAG to $15,000 from $10,000 and increasing the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000.
    • Requiring ratably reducing the amount of tuition and fee payment of each eligible DCTAG student who receives more than $10,000 for the award year if there are insufficient funds.
    • Exempting D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2027.
    • Providing $5.7 million for D.C. Water Clean Rivers Project.
    • Providing $70 million for the Emergency Planning and Security Fund. The fund pays for the unique public safety and security costs the District incurs as the nation’s capital, and is designed to cover the District’s costs upfront so D.C. does not need to expend local funds and then seek an appropriation to be reimbursed for such costs after the fact.
    • Providing $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
    • Providing $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Introduces Bill to Give D.C. Control Over Operations of Local D.C. Courts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.–– Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act today, which would give the D.C. Council authority over the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. The D.C. Home Rule Act expressly prohibits D.C. from enacting any law with respect to any provision of the D.C. Code that relates to the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. Congress can give D.C. this authority even before the District becomes the 51st state.

    “The District has never had authority over its local courts, even before 1997 when it was responsible for paying for the courts’ operations,” Norton said. “As the duly elected and accountable local legislature for the District, it is irresponsible for the D.C. Council to be left on the sidelines while Congress, which could not care less about the local D.C. courts, remains in charge of improving their operations. My bill would correct this wrong and increase democratic autonomy and self-government for the District.”

    Under the Home Rule Act, the D.C. Council has no authority to “enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect to any provision of title 11 of the District of Columbia Code (relating to organization and jurisdiction of the District of Columbia courts).”

    In 1997, under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act, the federal government assumed the costs for several state-level functions from D.C., including the local D.C. courts. This bill would not affect the authority of the President to nominate, or the Senate to confirm, local D.C. judges, which has been within their purview since the creation of the District’s modern local court system in 1970.

    Norton’s introductory statement follows.

    Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

    on the Introduction of the District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act

     

    July 21, 2025

    Today, I introduce the District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act.  This bill would give the Council of the District of Columbia authority over the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts.  The D.C. Home Rule Act (HRA) prohibits the Council from enacting any law with respect to title 11 of the D.C. Code, which relates to the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. 

    More than 50 years after passage of the HRA and notwithstanding the importance of the local D.C. courts to D.C., the Council, which is the legislative body accountable to D.C. residents, is left on the sidelines while Congress, which could not care less about the local D.C. courts, remains the only legislative body that can amend title 11 of the D.C. Code.

    Under the HRA, the Council has no authority to “enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect to any provision of title 11 of the District of Columbia Code (relating to organization and jurisdiction of the District of Columbia courts).”  Title 11 of the D.C. Code primarily relates to the rules of criminal and civil procedure, court administration, the branches of the courts, jury service and admission to the bar. 

    D.C. has never had authority over its local courts, even when it was responsible for paying for them.  Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, the federal government assumed from D.C. the costs for several state-level functions, including the courts.  This bill would not change the federal government’s responsibility for funding the local D.C. courts or the authority of the President to nominate, and the Senate to confirm, local D.C. judges.

    This bill is an important step to increase self-government for D.C.  I urge my colleagues to support it.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sánchez: Brazil trade investigation politically motivated, anti-democratic

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

    WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez released the following statement in response to the Trump administration announcing a Section 301 trade investigation of Brazil:

    “It is unacceptable that President Trump is weaponizing the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Section 301 authority to subvert democracy, prop up his friends and target his foes. 

    “This investigation is clearly being driven by the president’s own political motives. You need to look no further than his letter to Brazil, citing grievances that range from Brazil’s treatment of his far-right ally Bolsonaro to the country’s efforts to crack down on hate speech. 

    “And it’s rich to focus on Brazil’s anti-corruption efforts when President Trump’s administration is refusing to enforce the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and is engaging in blatant self-dealing and grifting.

    “It’s completely anti-democratic and corrupt for American trade policies to benefit one individual’s personal interests. House Republicans must join Democrats in reclaiming our constitutional trade authority and stop enabling this president’s incessant abuses of power.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman DeSaulnier Statement on FDA Reversal of Ban on Dangerous Juul E-Cigarettes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) made the following statement about the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) reckless reversal of its ban on the sale of Juul e-cigarettes.

    “Juul is Big Tobacco with sleeker marketing. It is outrageous and dangerous that the FDA would approve Juul e-cigarettes for sale while in the same breath conceding that the reversal of the ban ‘does not mean these tobacco products are safe,’ especially when we know these products pose a particular threat to the health and safety of young people whom Juul has targeted with predatory marketing,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “I have been at the forefront of trying to protect American consumers, particularly children, from greedy tobacco companies, including Juul, who care more about profits than public health. I will continue the fight in Congress to ban these products as long as they threaten the health of children and the general public.”

    Congressman DeSaulnier is a member of the Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic and has previously introduced legislation to immediately halt the sale of all e-cigarettes nationwide until the FDA conducts a pre-market review of these products. He has been a long-time advocate of policies to reduce the public health impacts of tobacco products, including as mayor of Concord, California where he helped enact one of the nation’s first efforts to curb secondhand smoke in public places.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US exits UNESCO again, agency calls move ‘regrettable’ but ‘expected’

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

    The United States announced Tuesday its decision to pull out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization two years after rejoining.

    According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, the withdrawal was due to what Washington saw as the UN cultural agency’s policy to “advance divisive social and cultural causes” over the Israel-Palestine conflicts.

    “UNESCO’s decision to admit the ‘State of Palestine’ as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization,” the statement said.

    The U.S. exit will take effect at the end of December 2026.

    Meanwhile, UNESCO said Tuesday the U.S. exit was regrettable but came as no surprise.

    “However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.

    This will be the third time that Washington has left UNESCO, and the second time during the administration under Donald Trump. Since his second term in office started early this year, the Trump administration had announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

    Washington has long had a contentious relationship with UNESCO, repeatedly withdrawing over political grievances. In 1984, the Ronald Reagan administration pulled the United States out of the agency, citing what it called the UN body’s ideological tilt toward the former Soviet Union against the West, and the United States stayed away till 2003.

    In November 2011, the Barack Obama administration cut off funding for the UN cultural agency, after its member countries defied a U.S. warning and approved a Palestinian bid for full membership in the body. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese envoy calls for multilateralism for sake of international peace, security

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

    Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, on Tuesday called on the international community to revitalize multilateralism to maintain international peace and security.

    He made the appeal at a UN Security Council open debate on multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

    “Countries must respect each other’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, take seriously each other’s legitimate security concerns, resolve differences through mutual understanding and accommodation, and move toward greater consensus through dialogue and engagement,” Fu said.

    The international community, particularly major countries, should build bridges for dialogue and cooperation rather than stoke or fuel the flames and instigate confrontation, he added.

    Fu said that the UN Charter is the unshakable bedrock of the international order, and that it is not an a la carte menu. The international community must reject the law of the jungle, where more powerful nations bully weaker ones, he said. “We must adhere to the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and peaceful settlement of disputes,” he added.

    The Security Council shoulders the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Council members should rise above self-interests, prioritize the common good, abandon geopolitical calculations, and seek unity and cooperation, said Fu.

    Security Council resolutions are legally binding and must be implemented in both letter and spirit, he said, adding that selective application and double standards must be rejected.

    Most countries of the Global South have suffered invasion, colonization and plunder, and thus deeply understand the value of peace, Fu said. They represent a stabilizing, constructive and progressive force amid the tectonic changes in the world, he said.

    Fu called for support for regional organizations like the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Arab League in deepening their partnerships with the UN and playing leading roles in resolving regional conflicts.

    China remains ready to work with the international community to uphold true multilateralism and build a community with a shared future for humanity, he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Innovation, solid supply chain attracting FDI

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

    This aerial photo taken on July 5, 2023 shows the Tianjin factory of Danfoss, a global refrigeration industry giant, in north China’s Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China will remain a vital innovation hub and manufacturing base for foreign corporations despite global economic uncertainty, said government officials and business leaders.

    They noted that foreign firms are maintaining deep engagement with the Chinese market, capitalizing on their technological expertise alongside China’s well-developed industrial and supply chains — a synergy that enhances operational efficiency, fosters innovation and strengthens supply chain resilience.

    Foreign-invested companies in China saw their export and import value grow by 2.4 percent year-on-year to 6.32 trillion yuan ($881.2 billion) in the first half, marking growth for the fifth consecutive quarter, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

    The number of foreign-invested businesses in the country with actual import and export activities amounted to 75,000 in the first six months, the highest level for the same period since 2021, said the administration.

    China’s evolving industrial ecosystem — combining cost, quality and speed with advanced infrastructure — is transforming into a collaborative innovation hub where multinationals co-develop and expand alongside local partners, said Mohamed Kande, global chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, a London-based global accounting company.

    Reflecting on this shift, Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s department of statistics and analysis, said that among the major manufacturing categories involved in foreign company exports, industries such as specialized equipment, electrical machinery and electronic devices all posted robust growth between January and June.

    One such company — Global Electric Appliance (Nantong) Co Ltd, a manufacturer of household appliances in Nantong, Jiangsu province and a subsidiary of a Singapore-based industrial group — reported a 31.9 percent year-on-year increase in exports, reaching 343 million yuan in the first half, said Nanjing Customs.

    Chen Jinxin, head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said the company has shipped its products, including vacuum and steam cleaners, to over 90 overseas markets, backed by China’s innovative solutions and a highly integrated supply chain that enables rapid product development and efficient global distribution.

    Apart from investing 3 billion yuan in its Hangzhou plant in Zhejiang province over the past decade, Italian chocolate and confectionery maker Ferrero Group said that the factory now supplies 53 percent of its products to the Chinese market, with the remaining 47 percent exported to more than 20 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America.

    Yang Lianjun, general manager of Ferrero’s Hangzhou plant, said the Chinese market offers significant opportunities, and the company may introduce additional premium product categories in the future, such as ice cream.

    To bolster its local research and development capabilities, Ferrero established a food innovation center within its Hangzhou facility last year. The center focuses on developing chocolate, confectionery and bakery products tailored to regional preferences and shortening time-to-market cycles.

    The Ministry of Commerce said foreign direct investment in China’s manufacturing sector reached 109.06 billion yuan in the first half, while high-tech industries attracted 127.87 billion yuan. FDI inflows from Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany rose by 68.6 percent, 59.1 percent, 37.6 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.

    Amid a turbulent and uncertain global trade landscape, the stability of China’s policy environment and the long-term orientation of its planning have grown increasingly valuable, said Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

    Neutrik Technology (Ningbo) Co Ltd, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based manufacturer of electronic connectors and a subsidiary of the European company Neutrik AG, reported a 19 percent year-on-year rise in first-half sales to 68.45 million yuan, covering both domestic sales and exports, said Ningbo Customs.

    Dong Lanju, the company’s president, said that China’s well-integrated industrial ecosystem and pro-business environment will continue to empower foreign manufacturers to expand production, boost operational efficiency and better capture opportunities in global markets.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI CONDEMNS REPUBLICAN CUTS TO PUBLIC MEDIA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, released the following statement in response toRepublicans passing the Trump administration’s $9 billion rescission package, including clawing back $1.1 billion in funding for public radio and television.

    “By ripping away funding for local radio and television stations, Republicans are jeopardizing Americans’ ability to access free, community-supported access to news, educational programming, and lifesaving emergency alerts,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This is an attack on the over 1500 local stations nationwide—and the millions of Americans who rely on them—all to satisfy President Trump’s obsession with silencing dissenting voices and bullying our press into becoming his personal mouthpiece. Stations, especially those serving our most rural and remote communities, will be forced to cut back on programming, lay off staff, and even go off air.”

    “I will keep fighting against President Trump’s deliberate and dangerous assault on our free press,” Matsui continued. “Congress must fully restore funding to public media and protect it from political interference. We must stand up for Americans’ ability to access no-cost, trusted educational resources, nonpartisan journalism, and public safety content that connect the local communities they serve.”

    The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as a private, non-profit corporation to provide non-commercial educational programming to the public. For 50 years, Congress has provided advance appropriations for CPB to protect public media from political interference and provide the essential lead time to plan and develop high-quality programming. CPB provides grants to 1,216 public radio stations and 365 public television stations across the country, to provide nearly 99 percent of the U.S. population with free programming and services.

    Congresswoman Matsui has actively pushed back against the Trump administration’s attacks on a free and independent press. In March, Congresswoman Matsui introduced the Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act, legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from revoking broadcast licenses or taking action against broadcasters based on the viewpoints they disseminate. The legislation would reaffirm the importance of the independence of the FCC, including that the President should not mandate the FCC’s agenda.

    That same month, Congresswoman Matsui, along with Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, opened a probe into the Trump FCC’s sham investigations into media outlets. Congresswoman Matsui also led a bipartisan letter emphasizing the importance of federal funding for public radio and television.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Lauren Underwood Delivers Remarks at the Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

    WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) delivered the following remarks at the House Appropriations Committee markup of the fiscal year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill:

    “Families in northern Illinois are in a cost-of-living crisis. The price of rent is through the roof. Actually buying a home feels more out of reach than ever. And working people are paying more—and waiting longer —to get to work and back home every single day.

    We heard Republicans talk endlessly about inflation and the cost of living before the election. But what have they done since? Nothing to lower costs. Nothing to help families. Nothing to make housing more affordable or transit more reliable.

    Instead, they’ve pushed through their “Big Ugly Bill,” which gives tax breaks to the same corporations and private equity firms that are driving up the cost of housing and construction.

    And now, the bill in front of us today continues the Republican agenda of stealing from the poor to give to the rich.

    This bill cuts nearly $1 billion from effective, data-backed housing programs.

    While rents skyrocket, Republicans are gutting the very programs that help the lowest-income families keep a roof over their heads and pushing more families into homelessness.

    These policies don’t just ignore the housing crisis—they’re fueling it.

    This bill also includes more poison pills that, once again, do nothing to help families in northern Illinois.

    This bill includes language to block HUD from building energy-efficient housing. It also strips away basic protections for tenants, making it easier for families to be evicted in violation of their rights.

    And the transportation cuts in this bill are just as harmful.

    Families in my district depend on Metra every day to get to work, pick up their kids, and get downtown without sitting in hours of traffic.

    Yet the bill we are debating today cuts federal funding programs that Metra uses to improve service, capacity, and reliability by 98 percent.

    That means slower trains, longer waits, worse service, more traffic on our roads, and more pollution for everyone.

    Republicans are also slashing Amtrak—another essential service for Illinois families, especially in rural towns like Mendota, where Amtrak is a lifeline. These communities will be hit the hardest.

    But once again, the Republican answer to popular government services is: cut it, dismantle it, or give it away to big corporations who will charge us more. 

    Republicans will tell you this is about cutting waste. But the truth is, this is about taking resources away from working families, so they can hand the reins to their billionaire friends who want to keep making money off public services. 

    Families in my district, and across the country, deserve safe, affordable housing and reliable, efficient public transportation. 

    They deserve a government that shows up for them, not one that guts the programs they depend on.

    With this bill, Republicans are once again failing to address the cost-of-living crisis that is crushing families in northern Illinois.

    I urge my colleagues to reject this cruel, out-of-touch bill.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Harder Calls for National Aging Conference to Fast-Track Solutions for Seniors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

    Senior population skyrocketing while resources, health care access dwindling

    Last convened in 2015, time running out for 10-year Aging Conference this year

    WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) called for immediate action to fast-track solutions to address unprecedented challenges for seniors. As the senior population grows, long-term care becomes less accessible and more unaffordable, leaving many seniors without the critical care they need.

    The White House Conference on Aging is traditionally held every ten years and was last convened in 2015. With time running out to hold the conference this year, Rep. Harder introduced legislation to demand the federal government take this long-term care crisis seriously and immediately convene the 2025 Conference. 

    The aging crisis by the numbers:

    • By 2034, seniors will outnumber children under 18 years old for the first time ever.
    • 70% of seniors need long-term care at a time when the long-term care workforce is short nearly 8 million workers.
    • More than 53 million Americans currently provide unpaid caregiving services to family members, and nearly one-third of unpaid caregivers report experiencing mental health challenges.

    “A caregiver collapse is coming, and we’re running out of time to prevent it,” said Rep. Harder. “Seniors can’t get the care they need, and now many parents are being squeezed to provide for their parents and their kids at the same time. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to change course before it’s too late – that’s why I’m calling for the 2025 Aging Conference to immediately convene and put long term care at the top of the agenda.”  

    Harder’s top priorities for the 2025 White House Conference on Aging:

    • Protect health care access, including Medi-Cal and the Affordable Care Act.
    • Tackle workforce shortages facing the nation’s health care system.
    • Reduce barriers to quality, affordable in-home care.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Crow Secures Key Wins in Annual Defense Bill for Colorado

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), a former Army Ranger who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, announced today that more than 15 provisions he championed have been successfully included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Congressman Crow’s provisions focused on improving the lives of servicemembers and their families, modernizing our military to make America more safe, and investing in Colorado’s space industry to make us more competitive.

    “I served in combat and know the critical role Congress plays in improving the quality of life for servicemembers, strengthening our military readiness, and keeping Americans safe,” said Congressman Crow. “As a Member of the Armed Services Committee, I’ve worked in a bipartisan fashion to secure key wins for Colorado and support our men and women in uniform.”

    Congressman Crow’s provisions included in this year’s Pentagon budget include:

    Improving the Lives of our Servicemembers:

    • Upgrading Digital Health Technologies for Traumatic Brain Injury: Improves care for active-duty servicemembers suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by identifying ways that digital technology can be used to better deliver care.
    • Preventing Traumatic Brain Injuries in Fighter Pilots: Directs the Department of Defense to create a strategy to better identify, document, and treat TBIs in active duty pilots.
    • Providing Dental for Our Troops: Ensures no-cost dental care for all reservists, which will help recruiting, retention, and readiness.
    • Securing affordable health care for servicemembers: Ensures children’s hospitals that serve a large population of active duty families can continue providing high quality, affordable healthcare for servicemembers and their children.

    Investing in Colorado’s Space Industry & Making America More Competitive:

    • Bolstering Crucial Space Programs: Provides U.S. Space Systems Command with the resources needed to compete tactically and technologically with our adversaries in outer space.
    • Modernizing Rocket Launches: Requires the Space Force to report to Congress on how it will modernize standards and processes around rocket launches so they are safer and more efficient.
    • Supporting Space Domain Awareness: Improves our ability to track objects, like satellites, and activities happening outside of our atmosphere.
    • Increasing competition when the government buys space technology: Ensures that all companies have a fair shot when the U.S. government is looking to purchase technology that we use in space.

    Modernizing our Military:

    • Updating Air Force’s Flying Communications System: Authorizes support for mobile communications platforms to ensure continuity of government and national military command and control during a crisis
    • Protecting Assets Against Climate Change: Ensures climate shocks don’t negatively impact military installations, training, operations, and readiness.
    • Ensuring the Military Protects Civilians in Combat: Compels the Department of Defense to produce a report on how civilian harm could impact the success of military operations.
    • Improving the Defense Supply Chain: Encourages changes to the way DoD buys equipment so the supply chain that supports our defense is stronger and more efficient.
    • Strengthening the Afghanistan War Commission: Gives them more tools to complete their bipartisan assessment of key decisions made over twenty years of war in Afghanistan and to produce their final report.
    • Maintaining a global security footprint: Prevents the elimination or consolidation of US Southern Command.
    • Bolstering our strategy in Eastern Europe: Requires DoD to provide Congress an updated strategy related to NATO, and provide a detailed update on Russia’s actions. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Crow Statement on Being Denied Access to Aurora’s ICE Detention Facility

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

    AURORA — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) today was denied entry by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Aurora Detention Facility in his district. This denial is in violation of federal law, which grants Members of Congress the right to provide oversight of such federal detention facilities.

    Congressman Crow’s office regularly conducts oversight of the facility, including publishing public reports on his website of oversight visits and conditions at the facility.

    Since being elected to Congress, Crow has fought to promote transparency, oversight, and accountability in government. In February 2019, following multiple reports of a disease outbreak at the Aurora Detention Facility operated by GEO Group, Congressman Crow made an unannounced visit to the federal facility where he was initially denied entry. Afterward, he led the push for Members of Congress to be able to conduct unannounced, in-person oversight visits of ICE facilities, including to check on any concerns related to public health and the humane treatment of detained individuals. 

    In a statement, Congressman Crow said:

    “Today I attempted to visit the federal detention facility in Aurora in order to conduct critical oversight as a Member of Congress. I was unlawfully denied access by ICE and the Trump Administration.

    “Providing oversight is critical to my job in Congress. The law is clear that Members of Congress have the legal right to conduct unannounced oversight of federal detention facilities.

    “Since President Trump was elected, this administration has tried to intimidate Members of Congress from doing their jobs. I will not be deterred from conducting lawful oversight. I will continue working to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pappas Joins Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers, Advocates to Condemn Shutdown of 988 LGBTQ+ Crisis Lifeline

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    Today, in response to the LGBTQ+ subline of the 988 crisis support hotline being shut down as previously ordered by the Trump Administration, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers and national mental health advocates to speak out against the harmful decision and called for its immediate reversal. Today’s event follows an earlier plea to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., urging his office to “scrap this ill-advised plan.” WATCH HERE.

    Since its launch in 2022, the LGBTQ+ subline under the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been a critical, life-saving resource for LGBTQ+ youth and adults facing mental health crises. The line has handled nearly 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats from LGBTQ+ individuals seeking support. Its closure comes at a time of growing need — just last year, nearly 40 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide, according to national surveys.

    “LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. It should not be a political issue, but a matter of basic human decency to restore the 988 hotline’s specialized services that have been proven to save LGBTQ+ children’s lives,” said Rep. Pappas. “We all know someone who struggles with their mental health. We will continue to call on the administration to right this wrong and make them see why they must fund these critical services for LGBTQ+ youth.” 

    The decision to shut down the LGBTQ+ subline has drawn widespread concern from mental health experts and civil rights organizations, including The Trevor Project, which helped establish the dedicated line in partnership with the federal government. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ own data shows the subline has significantly expanded access to crisis care for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially youth in underserved communities.

    Today’s press conference included Representatives Sharice Davids (KS-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and representatives from The Trevor Project, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The bipartisan group emphasized that the LGBTQ+ subline is not duplicative or political — it is a proven, specialized tool that meets a real and growing public health need. 

    “The 988 Lifeline’s ‘press 3’ option represents a landmark, bipartisan achievement that has connected more than 1.5 million LGBTQ+ youth in crisis with life-saving care during their darkest moments,” said Jaymes Black, CEO, The Trevor Project. “Ending our country’s suicide crisis is about people, not politics — and we are devastated that the federal government has prioritized a political agenda over saving the lives of at-risk young Americans. Even in the wake of this difficult news, we express our enormous gratitude to the champions in Congress and across the mental health space who have fought to protect these life-saving services — and who continue to fight for a country that supports the health, happiness, and safety of LGBTQ+ young people everywhere. For any LGBTQ+ young person who needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s counselors are still here for you 24/7 — no matter what. Visit TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help.” 

    “LGBTQ+ youth face unique challenges — including stigma, discrimination, and elevated stress — that contribute to a suicide attempt rate more than four times higher than their non-LGBTQ+ peers,” said Robert Gebbia, Chief Executive Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Recognizing the urgent need for culturally competent support, Congress established a dedicated crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth in 2022. Since then, usage has grown steadily, with over 1.4 million contacts as of June 2025. We are grateful to Representatives Moulton, Krishnamoorthi, Davids, Matsui, Salinas, Tonko, Pappas, Fitzpatrick, and Lawler for championing continued support for this life-saving resource. At a time when youth, including LGBTQ+ youth, are facing a mental health crisis, eliminating specialized services would endanger lives.” 

    “Since its launch, over 1.3 million individuals have reached out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. The importance of talking to someone who understands your experience or has a shared experience with you is invaluable, and it has saved countless lives,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “NAMI urges the Administration to immediately reverse its decision eliminating these specialized services and to support resources for the mental health of our LGBTQ+ friends and family, who are tragically at a higher risk of suicide.” 

    If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call, text, or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Guest Opens Hearing on How NGOs Fueled the Border Crisis: “Tax Dollars Were Used to Form the Final Link in Cartels’ Human Smuggling”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Today, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement, delivered the following opening statement in a full committee hearing to examine how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) helped facilitate and benefited from the historic Biden-Harris border crisis, as well as how far-left NGOs are still working to help inadmissible aliens undermine federal immigration law under the Trump administration. 

      

       

    Watch Subcommittee Chairman Guest’s full opening statement in a hearing entitled, “An Inside Job: How NGOs Facilitated the Biden Border Crisis.”

     
    As prepared for delivery:
     
    For four years, the Biden-Harris administration created the worst border crisis in American history. From day one, Biden, Harris, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas implemented a policy of mass catch-and-release, dismantled effective border-security policies, and gutted interior enforcement. As a result, roughly 13 million inadmissible aliens were either encountered at our borders or entered as gotaways. The consequences have been devastating.   

    Thousands of Americans were lost to fentanyl poisonings. Gang members wreaked havoc in local communities. Young women like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin were raped, abused, and murdered by illegal aliens. 

    This committee led the way in impeaching Secretary Mayorkas for his willful and systemic refusal to enforce longstanding immigration laws—laws passed and amended over the years by bipartisan majorities in Congress. The American people also emphatically rejected the open-borders policies at the ballot box last November.  

    What is not known by many, and what will be highlighted today at this hearing, is that the Biden-Harris administration could not execute an open borders policy on its own. They needed help, and that help came from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) funded by the federal government.  

    These groups that received billions in taxpayer funding would prove instrumental in helping the Biden-Harris administration process and release a historic number of illegal aliens into our communities.  

    Under a DHS program called the Emergency Food and Shelter Humanitarian Program (EFSP-H), which later became the Shelter and Services Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided grants to numerous NGOs, many of whom were operating at the Southwest border.  These groups spent billions of taxpayer dollars given to them by the Biden and Harris administration to provide all manner of benefits to illegal aliens “recently released from DHS custody,” according to the department. 

    Our taxpayer dollars were spent on purchasing tens of thousands of nights in hotel rooms for illegal aliens, instead of using existing ICE detention facilities to house those detained individuals. The Biden-Harris Administration sent taxpayer dollars to NGOs to put them in hotels at the cost of hundreds of dollars per night, often without any ICE supervision. 

    Even worse, our tax dollars were used to form the final link in the cartels’ human smuggling operation, paying to help illegal aliens travel to their preferred destination—Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and other destinations of choice.   

    Jason Owens, then-chief of the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector, told us in an official interview, “ICE would then turn [illegal aliens] over to NGOs for them to travel to wherever they were going to go while they await their hearing.”   

    Recent studies have shown that illegal aliens who passed through the doors of these NGOs at the border ended up in effectively every congressional district in this country. Many of the NGOs served as a launching pad for mass illegal immigration.   

    The abuse was so widespread that even the Biden-Harris administration and the NGOs couldn’t deny what was happening. In June 2022, one DHS official said the department “will continue to closely coordinate with and support…NGOs to facilitate the movement of any individual encountered at the Southwest border…” John Martin with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, an NGO in El Paso, said that his organization works with illegal aliens to “facilitate travel to the destination of their choice.”  

    These actions appear to constitute a violation of Section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits any individual from encouraging or inducing someone to enter the country unlawfully, or helping transport them in the interior. 

    Corruption and waste were rampant in the spending by NGOs. Under Biden and Harris, DHS’s top watchdog audited millions of dollars that had gone to local grant recipients over a six-month period in 2021. They found that a lack of proper documentation kept them from determining how more than half of that money had been spent. In some cases, they discovered that funds had been used to pay for benefits for individuals who were legally ineligible to receive them.    

    The Biden border crisis proved to be a profitable business model for NGOs. According to the Free Press, three large NGOs involved in handling unaccompanied alien children—Global Refuge who received 85 percent of its revenue from government grants, Endeavors who received 97 percent of its funding from government grants and Southwest Key Programs who received an astonishing 99 percent of its revenue from government funding — these three groups saw “their combined revenue grow to an astonishing $2 billion by 2022.”   
     
    They had a vested interest in prolonging the crisis. One NGO, Southwest Key Programs, used the increase in government funding to raise salaries of officers across the board, including an over $675,000 salary increase for their CEO, according to media reporting.  

    Many NGOs tried to mislead the public in how these funds were being allocated, as documented by a recent Florida grand jury investigation, “actively obstructed” efforts to determine how they were spending federal dollars. The grand jury also noted that some NGOs received the vast majority of their funding from federal grants—pretty interesting for groups calling themselves “non-governmental organizations.”  

    The American people are tired of being told that we should fund the actions of those breaking our laws. They are tired of groups encouraging people to cross the border illegally, and organizations that facilitate the release of illegal aliens into the interior.   

    When would-be border crossers know that a host of benefits awaits them immediately after crossing the border, they are more likely to make the deadly journey. That’s exactly what happened on Biden and Harris’s watch as millions of vulnerable people put themselves in the hands of the cartels and smuggling groups.

    An untold number perished along the route. Tens of thousands more suffered physical and sexual assault on the way, and many are still trapped paying off their cartel debts through forced labor or working in the sex trade.   

    We can and should look for ways to care for the vulnerable and less fortunate. But using taxpayer dollars to undermine our laws and the well-being of Americans and migrants alike is not the way to do it. We cannot let taxpayer dollars be used to facilitate lawbreaking. Shining a light on this disgrace is the first step in accountability. This can never happen again.   

      

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Government introduces legislation to cut every student debt by 20 per cent

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    The Albanese Labor Government is today introducing legislation to cut 20 per cent off all student debts. 

    This will wipe more than $16 billion in debt for more than three million Australians. 

    Our number one focus is continuing to deliver cost of living relief for the Australian people. 

    Cutting student debt by 20 per cent will ease pressure on workers and students across the country. 

    For someone with the average debt of $27,600 this will see around $5,520 wiped from their outstanding Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loans. 

    Backdated to 1 June, it will reduce the burden for Australians with a student debt – including all HELP, Vocational Education and Training (VET) Student Loans, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans, Student Startup Loans, and other student loans. 

    In addition to cutting student debt by 20 per cent, the legislation raises the minimum amount before people have to start making repayments from $54,435 to $67,000 and reduces minimum repayments. 

    For someone earning $70,000 it will reduce the minimum repayments they have to make by $1,300 a year. 

    This builds on our reforms to fix the indexation formula, which has already cut more than $3 billion in student debt. 

    This means, all up, the Albanese Labor Government will cut close to $20 billion in student debt for more than three million Australians. 

    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: 

    “This is another way my Government is continuing to deliver cost of living relief to Australians. 

    “We promised cutting student debt would be the first thing we did back in Parliament – and that’s exactly what we’re doing. 

    “Getting an education shouldn’t mean a lifetime of debt. 

    “No matter where you live or how much your parents earn, my Government will work to ensure the doors of opportunity are open for you.” 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

    “We promised we would cut your student debt by 20 per cent and we are delivering. 

    “This is a big deal for 3 million Australians, in particular, a lot of young Australians. 

    “Just out of uni, just getting started, this will take a weight off their back. 

    “It will also cut their annual repayments. For someone earning $70,000 a year, it will cut the amount they have to repay every year by $1,300.” 

    “That’s real help with the cost of living. It means more money in your pocket, not the government’s.” 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles: 

    “From speaking with students at TAFEs across the country, I know that cost can often be a barrier to Australians pursuing an apprenticeship or qualification. 

    “This bill will deliver cost of living relief to almost 280,000 students in the VET sector – cutting half a billion dollars of student debt from this group alone. 

    “Our Government is focused on reducing the barriers to further study and training, so that every Australian can get the skills they need for secure, well-paid jobs.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ministers release Homelessness Insights Report

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government has released the latest Homelessness Insights Report and announced a series of actions to reduce the number of people living without shelter, including sleeping rough in New Zealand, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.

    “Homelessness is a problem New Zealand has grappled with for a long time. It is a symptom of a dysfunctional housing market and is exacerbated during challenging economic times,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Census data shows an ongoing trend of increasing homelessness, with 4,122 people living without shelter in 2013, 3,624 people in 2018 and 4,965 in 2023.

    “The 2018 to 2023 period showed a 37% increase of people living without shelter despite the large-scale use of Emergency Housing costing well over $1 billion across that period.

    “The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s latest Homelessness Insights Report confirms what frontline organisations like the Auckland City Mission and Salvation Army have been saying: there are too many people in housing need.

    “Accurate numbers are difficult to pin down – people without shelter often move around and may avoid engaging with government services – but it’s clear we have a real problem.

    “The Government takes this seriously. At present, over $550 million is spent annually across a range of programmes run by multiple agencies, including Transitional Housing, Housing First, Rapid Rehousing and many other support services.”

    “All New Zealanders deserve a warm, dry place to stay, and the Government is determined to make progress on this long-running challenge for New Zealand,” Mr Potaka says.

    “In the short-term, we’ve asked officials for advice on further targeted interventions to provide help and support to those living without shelter, including rough sleepers. We’ve asked for recommendations around better utilisation of existing programmes and existing services, and we are also open to new ideas that will make an enduring difference. 

    “We’ve made it clear that officials should engage with frontline providers such as the Auckland City Mission, The Wise Group and the Salvation Army, among others, because they are the organisations working at the frontline of this problem. 

    “We will not be returning to the previous government’s large-scale emergency housing model, which cost over $1 million a day at its peak and was a social disaster. New Zealanders – including people sleeping rough – deserve better than that.

    “The Government has an existing review under way of housing support services. There are hundreds of contracts for these services, and the system is complicated and often duplicative. Our aim is to make the system simpler, more effective, and reduce duplication. We want to fund what works.

    “We’re also looking at how to better support people leaving residential support programmes or prison. Stable housing is critical to successful reintegration and reducing reoffending.”

    “Our long-term focus is on fixing the fundamentals of our housing market: freeing up land, removing planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding, and giving councils stronger incentives to support housing growth,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Next year we’ll replace the RMA with a new planning system that makes it easier to build the housing and infrastructure New Zealand needs.

    “We’re also looking at ways to improve the social housing system to ensure it delivers the right homes, in the right places, for the right people. The Government has recently changed Kāinga Ora’s funding settings to enable the agency to build more one-bedroom units. About 50 per cent of people on the Housing Register require a one-bedroom unit, but they only make up about 12 per cent of Kāinga Ora’s housing stock.

    “Homelessness is complex and there are no easy answers, but we’re determined to take meaningful actions – like our Priority One policy which has seen more than 2,100 children and their families moved from emergency housing motels into homes.”

    Note to editors:

    The report is available on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s website.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ministers release Homelessness Insights Report

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government has released the latest Homelessness Insights Report and announced a series of actions to reduce the number of people living without shelter, including sleeping rough in New Zealand, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.

    “Homelessness is a problem New Zealand has grappled with for a long time. It is a symptom of a dysfunctional housing market and is exacerbated during challenging economic times,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Census data shows an ongoing trend of increasing homelessness, with 4,122 people living without shelter in 2013, 3,624 people in 2018 and 4,965 in 2023.

    “The 2018 to 2023 period showed a 37% increase of people living without shelter despite the large-scale use of Emergency Housing costing well over $1 billion across that period.

    “The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s latest Homelessness Insights Report confirms what frontline organisations like the Auckland City Mission and Salvation Army have been saying: there are too many people in housing need.

    “Accurate numbers are difficult to pin down – people without shelter often move around and may avoid engaging with government services – but it’s clear we have a real problem.

    “The Government takes this seriously. At present, over $550 million is spent annually across a range of programmes run by multiple agencies, including Transitional Housing, Housing First, Rapid Rehousing and many other support services.”

    “All New Zealanders deserve a warm, dry place to stay, and the Government is determined to make progress on this long-running challenge for New Zealand,” Mr Potaka says.

    “In the short-term, we’ve asked officials for advice on further targeted interventions to provide help and support to those living without shelter, including rough sleepers. We’ve asked for recommendations around better utilisation of existing programmes and existing services, and we are also open to new ideas that will make an enduring difference. 

    “We’ve made it clear that officials should engage with frontline providers such as the Auckland City Mission, The Wise Group and the Salvation Army, among others, because they are the organisations working at the frontline of this problem. 

    “We will not be returning to the previous government’s large-scale emergency housing model, which cost over $1 million a day at its peak and was a social disaster. New Zealanders – including people sleeping rough – deserve better than that.

    “The Government has an existing review under way of housing support services. There are hundreds of contracts for these services, and the system is complicated and often duplicative. Our aim is to make the system simpler, more effective, and reduce duplication. We want to fund what works.

    “We’re also looking at how to better support people leaving residential support programmes or prison. Stable housing is critical to successful reintegration and reducing reoffending.”

    “Our long-term focus is on fixing the fundamentals of our housing market: freeing up land, removing planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding, and giving councils stronger incentives to support housing growth,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Next year we’ll replace the RMA with a new planning system that makes it easier to build the housing and infrastructure New Zealand needs.

    “We’re also looking at ways to improve the social housing system to ensure it delivers the right homes, in the right places, for the right people. The Government has recently changed Kāinga Ora’s funding settings to enable the agency to build more one-bedroom units. About 50 per cent of people on the Housing Register require a one-bedroom unit, but they only make up about 12 per cent of Kāinga Ora’s housing stock.

    “Homelessness is complex and there are no easy answers, but we’re determined to take meaningful actions – like our Priority One policy which has seen more than 2,100 children and their families moved from emergency housing motels into homes.”

    Note to editors:

    The report is available on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s website.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Letter, Murray, Blumenthal, Gallego Call on Secretary Collins Stop Endangering VA Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    “Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently expressed their deep concerns with the ongoing setbacks to medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a result of VA Secretary Doug Collins’ cuts and policies at the Department, including his months-long hiring freeze on essential research staff.

    “Mr. Secretary, your hiring freeze has brought real-life impacts and pain upon our veterans – and reversing your hiring freeze for these positions months later is not enough to undo this harm,” the senators wrote in their letter to Secretary Collins. “VA researchers often work on 2- or 3-year appointments – “not to exceed” (NTE) contracts – which, as long as the researcher has funding, are typically rolled over into new appointments. Due to your hiring freeze, essential researchers whose terms were ending soon were shown the door and forced to abandon often lifesaving work, and their positions were unable to be backfilled. These actions damaged veterans’ access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials.” The senators cited specific examples of how the Trump VA’s hiring freeze impeded veterans’ access to critical clinical trials, including those aimed at preventing dementia and heart disease, better predicting veterans’ stroke risk, studying advanced cancers, and a substance use disorder study.

    The senators urged Collins to “rebuild this cornerstone of the United States’ medical research enterprise” by rehiring VA researchers whose terms were not extended due to the hiring freeze; addressing the backlog of research positions that were frozen but are now able to be hired again; coordinating with the National Institutes of Health to restore cancelled grants for VA researchers; and allowing researchers to publish their findings without the unprecedented step of preapproval by political appointees.

    The senators also emphasized their concerns around the prospect of politicizing VA research: “We are also concerned by reports that VA research studies may now have to be approved by political appointees before publication in academic journals. Please clarify to Congress, VA research employees, and veterans that no political appointees will be involved in approving or censoring the publication of research studies. Such clarification will support the historically bipartisan nature of VA research and help assure current and future VA researchers that VA will not censor the work of the talented staff it employs.”

    The senators concluded: “Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans. The consequences of your hiring freeze – and the resulting backlog in hiring VA research staff – could be severe and long-lasting. You still have the chance to correct course by immediately rehiring wrongly terminated researchers, working with OPM to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring, coordinating with other agencies to restore all grants revoked from VA researchers, and assuring current and future VA researchers that their research will not be subject to political review.”

    Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. In March, Senator Murray and her colleagues sent letters to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding that the VA swiftly reverse moves to cut VA researchers, as well as multiple letters pressing Secretary Collins to sever DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and protect veterans, their families, and VA staff from unprecedented access to sensitive information. Senator Murray grilled Trump’s nominee for VA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Paul Lawrence, on the mass firings of VA employees and VA researchers, and voted against Doug Collins’s nomination to be VA Secretary in early February, sounding the alarm over reports of DOGE at the VA and making clear that the Trump administration’s lawlessness was putting our national security and our veterans at risk.

    The full letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    We write today to express our deep concerns with the setbacks to medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under your leadership. Although VA has begun to resolve some of your self-inflicted issues, including your multiple months-long hiring freeze on essential research staff, we call on you to take additional key actions to build back VA research. To rebuild this cornerstone of the United States’ medical research enterprise, you must rehire VA researchers whose terms were not extended due to the hiring freeze, address the backlog of research positions that were frozen but are now able to be hired again, coordinate with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to restore cancelled grants for VA researchers, and allow researchers to publish their findings without the unprecedented step of preapproval by political appointees.

    Mr. Secretary, your hiring freeze has brought real-life impacts and pain upon our veterans – and reversing your hiring freeze for these positions months later is not enough to undo this harm. VA researchers often work on 2- or 3-year appointments – “not to exceed” (NTE) contracts – which, as long as the researcher has funding, are typically rolled over into new appointments. Due to your hiring freeze, essential researchers whose terms were ending soon were shown the door and forced to abandon often lifesaving work, and their positions were unable to be backfilled. These actions damaged veterans’ access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials. For example:

    • A clinical trial aimed at preventing dementia and heart disease was unable to renew a without compensation appointment and had to turn veterans away from enrollment.
    • A substance use disorder study was paused due to an employee’s termination, leaving progress stalled on a major public health issue affecting veterans at a rate higher than non-veterans.
    • Critical research employees on a study predicting stroke risk were fired, leading this study to be halted.
    • Enrollment in clinical trials for advanced cancers was delayed, limiting access to promising therapies.

    To ensure there are no further impediments to this vital research, we request a list of all research positions that are still subject to the hiring freeze – including research positions at VA’s Centers of Excellence and Centers of Innovation – and call on you to rehire all researchers who, through no fault of their own, had their NTE contracts expire during the hiring freeze. We also urge you to work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring that your hiring freeze has engendered. VA research staff nationwide are reporting a significant backlog in the hiring process for critical research employees who are finally, after months of waiting, no longer subject to your hiring freeze. Failure to swiftly address this backlog will put veterans’ health at risk, decimate the morale of an already understaffed research workforce, and undercut one of VA’s best recruiting tools.

    Furthermore, timely coordination with the National Institutes of Health – the nation’s leading biomedical research agency – is essential to restore any VA researchers’ canceled NIH grants. Our offices have heard from VA researchers whose studies on topics such as opioid use disorder among veterans have been halted due to NIH grant cancellations. We urge you to work with NIH to restore these grants and all other cancelled grants that funded studies to improve veterans’ health outcomes. We are similarly concerned that additional grants for VA researchers affiliated with academic institutions have been canceled, especially given VA’s refusal to answer repeated requests from our offices regarding the status of VA research at Harvard University. Reporting has noted that VA research projects associated with Harvard University – including studies on veteran suicide prevention, toxic exposure, and prostate cancer screening – have been proposed for termination. Veterans should not have to suffer due to this Administration’s political crusade on research and academia. We urge you to work to restore any such canceled grants without delay.

    We are also concerned by reports that VA research studies may now have to be approved by political appointees before publication in academic journals. Please clarify to Congress, VA research employees, and veterans that no political appointees will be involved in approving or censoring the publication of research studies. Such clarification will support the historically bipartisan nature of VA research and help assure current and future VA researchers that VA will not censor the work of the talented staff it employs.

    Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans. The consequences of your hiring freeze – and the resulting backlog in hiring VA research staff – could be severe and long-lasting. You still have the chance to correct course by immediately rehiring wrongly terminated researchers, working with OPM to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring, coordinating with other agencies to restore all grants revoked from VA researchers, and assuring current and future VA researchers that their research will not be subject to political review.

    We appreciate your attention to this critical issue and stand ready to support swift efforts that will allow VA research to thrive once more and continue to improve veteran health outcomes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman García’s Statement on Prisoner Trade with Venezuela

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

    CHICAGO — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement on the United States prisoner trade with Venezuela and El Salvador:  

    “This trade is about cleaning up the mess left behind by Trump’s immigration agenda.

    “The U.S. illegally deported migrants, many who had legal permission to be here, most with no criminal record. They were held without charges and used as bargaining chips in a deal. 

    “This is the legacy of the Trump administration: lying to federal judges, handing billions to DHS, and treating human beings like pawns. This is what authoritarian regimes do, and we must end our government’s practice of kidnapping and disappearing migrants once and for all.”

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s US-Africa Policy Working Group Briefing on Debt Sustainability in Africa

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

    Today, the U.S.-Africa Policy Working Group convened a meeting to examine the growing debt challenges facing many African countries. Members of the Working Group heard from leading experts, including Mr. Tim Hirschel-Burns, Policy Liaison for the Global Economic Governance Initiative at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center; Dr. Brahima Coulibaly, Vice President & Director of the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution; and Mr. Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network.

    The briefers discussed the structural and geopolitical drivers of Africa’s sovereign debt burden, including rising borrowing costs, external shocks, economic vulnerabilities, and institutional governance issues. They emphasized the critical role of private creditors, bilateral lenders, and multilateral institutions in shaping both the debt landscape and the policy responses available. The discussion also explored the shortcomings of current debt relief mechanisms and identified opportunities to improve global financial governance, strengthen creditor coordination, and expand fiscal space for African governments to invest in sustainable development.

    Members engaged in a constructive dialogue about how the U.S. and Congress can help advance debt fairness, economic resilience, and inclusive growth – advancing strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships across the continent.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Do countries have a duty to prevent climate harm? The world’s highest court is about to answer this crucial question

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    Getty Images

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will issue a highly anticipated advisory opinion overnight to clarify state obligations related to climate change.

    It will answer two urgent questions: what are the obligations of states under international law to protect the climate and environment from greenhouse gas emissions, and what are the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to Earth’s atmosphere and environment?

    ICJ advisory opinions are not legally binding. But coming from the world’s highest court, they provide an authoritative opinion on serious issues that can be highly persuasive.

    This advisory opinion marks the culmination of a campaign that began in 2019 when students and youth organisations in Vanuatu – one of the most vulnerable nations to climate-related impacts – persuaded their government to seek clarification on what states should be doing to protect them.

    Led by Vanuatu and co-sponsored by 132 member states, including New Zealand and Australia, the United Nations General Assembly formally requested the advisory opinion in March 2023.

    More than two years of public consultation and deliberation ensued, leading to this week’s announcement.

    What to expect

    Looking at the specific questions to be addressed, at least three aspects stand out.

    First, the sources and areas of international law under scrutiny are not confined to the UN’s climate change framework. This invites the ICJ to consider a broad range of law – including trans-boundary environmental law, human rights law, international investment law, humanitarian law, trade law and beyond – and to draw on both treaty-related obligations and customary international law.

    Such an encyclopaedic examination could produce a complex and integrated opinion on states’ obligations to protect the environment and climate system.

    Second, the opinion will address what obligations exist, not just to those present today, but to future generations. This follows acknowledgement of the so-called “intertemporal characteristics” of climate change in recent climate-related court decisions and the need to respond effectively to both the current climate crisis and its likely ongoing consequences.

    Third, the opinion won’t just address what obligations states have, but also what the consequences should be for nations:

    where they, by their acts and omissions have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment.

    Addressing consequences as well as obligations should cause states to pay closer attention and make the ICJ’s advisory more relevant to domestic climate litigation and policy discussions.

    Representatives from Pacific island nations gathered outside the International Court of Justice during the hearings.
    Michel Porro/Getty Images

    Global judicial direction

    Two recent court findings may offer clues as to the potential scope of the ICJ’s findings.

    Earlier this month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights published its own advisory opinion on state obligations in response to climate change.

    Explicitly connecting fundamental human rights with a healthy ecosystem, this opinion affirmed states have an imperative duty to prevent irreversible harm to the climate system. Moreover, the duty to safeguard the common ecosystem must be understood as a fundamental principle of international law to which states must adhere.

    Meanwhile last week, an Australian federal court dismissed a landmark climate case, determining that the Australian government does not owe a duty of care to Torres Strait Islanders to protect them from the consequences of climate change.

    The court accepted the claimants face significant loss and damage from climate impacts and that previous Australian government policies on greenhouse gas emissions were not aligned with the best science to limit climate change. But it nevertheless determined that “matters of high or core government policy” are not subject to common law duties of care.

    Whether the ICJ will complement the Inter-American court’s bold approach or opt for a more constrained and conservative response is not certain. But now is the time for clear and ambitious judicial direction with global scope.

    Implications for New Zealand

    Aotearoa New Zealand aspires to climate leadership through its Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019. This set 2050 targets of reducing emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) to net zero, and biogenic methane by 25-47%.

    However, actions to date are likely insufficient to meet this target. Transport emissions continue to rise and agriculture – responsible for nearly half of the country’s emissions – is lightly regulated.

    Although the government plans to double renewable energy by 2050, it is also in the process of lifting a 2018 ban on offshore gas exploration and has pledged $200 million to co-invest in the development of new fields.

    Critics also point out the government has made little progress towards its promise to install 10,000 EV charging stations by 2030 while axing a clean-investment fund.

    Although a final decision is yet to be made, the government is also considering to lower the target for cuts to methane emissions from livestock, against advice from the Climate Change Commission.

    With the next global climate summit coming up in November, the ICJ opinion may offer timely encouragement for states to reconsider their emissions targets and the ambition of climate policies.

    Most countries have yet to submit their latest emissions reduction pledges (known as nationally determined contributions) under the Paris Agreement. New Zealand has made its pledge, but it has been described as “underwhelming”. This may present a chance to adjust ambition upwards.

    If the ICJ affirms that states have binding obligations to prevent climate harm, including trans-boundary impacts, New Zealand’s climate change policies and progress to date could face increased legal scrutiny.

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

    – ref. Do countries have a duty to prevent climate harm? The world’s highest court is about to answer this crucial question – https://theconversation.com/do-countries-have-a-duty-to-prevent-climate-harm-the-worlds-highest-court-is-about-to-answer-this-crucial-question-261396

    MIL OSI –