NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens are the positive and progressive antidote to Reform after local election results 

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    The Green Party is celebrating another record-breaking year having taken their councillor numbers to a new record high. Greens delivered impressive results with gains in counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Devon while breaking through onto councils for the first time in areas where Reform dominated, including in Staffordshire and Leicestershire. 

    Co-Leader Carla Denyer MP said: 

    “The Green Party has broken new records by increasing our number of councillors for the eighth year running. While Labour and the Conservatives have buckled under the Reform insurgency, Greens just keep growing. 

    “Two party politics is dead and five party politics in England is the new norm. We have taken seats off the Tories and Labour and have shown we can be the positive and progressive antidote to Reform, holding their vote back in some places while breaking through onto other councils where Reform dominated.” 

    Co-leader Adrian Ramsay added: 

    “These elections have shown that Labour needs a complete reset. The government needs to listen to the anger and disquiet over our NHS being in crisis, winter fuel allowance being cut from many pensioners and the removal of benefits for many ill and disabled people. It needs to increase taxes for the super-rich so our councils can be properly funded to provide the local services that people are crying out for. 

    “Going into these elections Greens were already in administration in over 40 Councils and on the back of these results this is likely to increase. With over 850 councillors compared to a likely 650 or so, Greens still have many more councillors than Reform. 

    “Green councillors also have a track record of being community champions, offering hope and practical solutions on the housing crisis, cost of living, climate breakdown and protecting public services. They will continue to work hard all year round and the Green Party will carry on growing our representation at all levels of government.”  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney speaks with Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru.

    Prime Minister Ishiba congratulated Prime Minister Carney on his election. Prime Minister Carney underscored the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and Canada’s role as a Pacific nation. The two leaders also discussed deepening trade, defence, and commercial ties.

    They agreed to remain in close contact.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta and Kaptur Introduce Resolution Proclaiming May 9th to May 18th National American Birding Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    This week, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH9), introduced a bipartisan resolution proclaiming May 9 through May 18, 2025, as “National American Birding Week.” Birding is a pastime that generates billions in economic benefits annually, but migratory bird populations face many threats to their survival. Annual birding events such as the “Biggest Week in American Birding”, sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio, leverage government, nonprofit, and private resources to promote conservation of migratory bird populations and economic development through a multifaceted approach that combines research, education, and outreach. Coordinated efforts by Federal, State, and local governments, conservation organizations, and businesses help to promote conservation of migratory birds and economic development through birding.

    “Birdwatching in Ohio is a year-round activity, with a wide variety of birds and over 400 species to spot,” Latta said. “There is a reason Northwest Ohio is dubbed the ‘Warbler Capital of the World,’ and I am proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution with Congresswoman Kaptur, to continue recognizing the art of birdwatching, support local conservation and to encourage more people to get outside enjoy birdwatching during National American Birding Week.”

    “Our bipartisan resolution calls attention to the array of natural and human-caused threats to migratory bird populations, emphasizes contributions birders make to local economies, and applauds the cooperation among governments, conservation organizations, and businesses,” Kaptur said. “I call on my fellow Ohioans to join Congressman Latta and me in supporting the designation of ‘National American Birding Week’ as we celebrate this important event that brings birders from around the world to Northwest Ohio every year. I encourage birders and people from across our nation to attend events including the ‘Biggest Week in American Birding’ to learn about efforts to preserve migratory bird populations.”

    Approximately 3,500,000,000 songbirds, raptors, shore birds, and waterfowl representing over 350 species migrate north through the United States to breeding grounds every spring from wintering grounds in the southern United States, Mexico, and the tropics. Populations of many migratory bird species are in decline due to habitat loss, predation, and collisions with buildings, utility infrastructure, and vehicles. An estimated 45,000,000 American birders spend close to $40 Billion annually on birdwatching and birding activities creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in employment income and Federal and State tax revenue.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Pressley Demand Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Museums, Brazen Attempt to Whitewash History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely,  the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

    Created by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has a clear mandate to operate as a non-partisan and autonomous museum, education, and research complex, free from political influence. Not only is it home to dozens of museums, libraries, education and research centers, and the National Zoo within Washington, D.C., but the Smithsonian also coordinates with over 200 affiliate organizations in nearly every state – all of which could be impacted by the proposed cuts and erasure of race and culture in the Executive Order.

    “On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, which would infringe on the independence of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out its core mission to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information we need to forge our shared future,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Smithsonian Inspector General Nicole Angarella. “The funding cuts and content directives will undoubtedly have a devasting impact on the preservation and integrity of American history and culture.”

    The Trump Administration’s executive order specifically directs the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits and narratives it considers ‘divisive’ or ‘race-centered’, politicizing the Smithsonian’s foundational purpose and eroding public trust. Both the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act were enacted with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment across party lines to explore, document, and interpret the central role of race and cultural identity in American history. Additionally, the funding cuts and content mandates would have a significant trickle-down effect on local museums and cultural organizations across the United States, diminishing the Smithsonian’s ability to provide guidance, professional development, and travel exhibits to smaller museums.

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,” the lawmakers continue. “It is both ironic and self-defeating to demand that the Smithsonian Institution adhere to content mandates banning race, as doing so undermines the very rationale for the creation of these museums.”

    The lawmakers are requesting an inspector general investigation and report on findings including:

    • An audit of the operational and financial implications of the proposed content mandate and funding cuts, including the consequences on the Smithsonian Affiliates;
    • An audit of the expected impact on existing contractual obligations;
    • An analysis of EO 14253’s compliance with statutory requirements established by Congress;
    • Any documentation of deaccessioned artifacts following EO 14253 and plan to prevent the destruction or sale of cultural and historical artifacts; and
    • A recommendation for the Smithsonian Board of Regents on how to adhere to statutory law and the institutions’ public trust responsibilities.

    “Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the Smithsonian remains a source of inspiration and learning for all, free from undue political interference,” the lawmakers wrote.

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HuffPost: Elizabeth Warren Marks 100 Days Of Trump By Reading Aloud 100 Reports Of His Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 29, 2025
    Donald Trump is 100 days into his second presidency, and to mark the occasion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) plans to read into the congressional record what she says are 100 cases of Trump using the presidency to personally benefit himself and his allies.
    “One hundred days, one hundred acts of corruption,” Warren will say in a Tuesday night speech on the Senate floor. HuffPost obtained a copy of her planned remarks.
    “When he ran for office, Trump promised repeatedly that he would lower costs ‘on day 1,’” reads her speech. “But instead of following through on his promise, Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.”
    “So, count with me,” Warren plans to say before launching into a list of 100 things she says Trump has done to enrich himself and punish his perceived political enemies.
    …
    Read the full article here.
    By:  Jennifer BenderySource: HuffPost
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Passaic County Man Admits Embezzling More Than $3 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey man admitted his role in embezzling approximately $3.2 million from a New Jersey couple, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Charles Gallo, 34, of Hawthorne, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with wire fraud.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In 2018, Gallo began working as the part-time personal assistant for the victims.  Gallo’s duties included managing the victims’ monthly bills and assisting them with banking, email, and other computer/technology-related issues.  From March 2022 through March 2023, Gallo, abused this position of trust by engaging in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate approximately $3,200,000 from the victims’ accounts.  Gallo accomplished this fraud by routinely using the victims’ ATM card to withdraw large amounts of money, opening a line of credit, and cashing checks made payable to himself drawn on the victims’ bank accounts.  He also used the victims’ credit cards to purchase for his personal use computer equipment, gaming systems, collectible items from online retailers, and other unauthorized transactions.

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.  She also thanked the Ridgewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Forest R. Lyons, and the Hawthorne Police Department under the direction of Chief James Knepper, for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Dennis S. Clearly, Esq., West Orange, New Jersey.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao Reintroduces Legislation to Improve Local Response to Public Health Threats

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) to introduce the Safety Training for Officers on Public (STOP) Health Threats Act. This bipartisan bill equips local law enforcement with the tools and training necessary to recognize and respond to public health threats arising from building code violations. This includes illegal and unsafe facilities like the biological lab discovered in Reedley, California in 2023.

    “Keeping our communities safe means making sure local law enforcement has the tools required to quickly identify serious public health threats,” said Congressman Valadao. “The STOP Health Threats Act takes important steps to help officers recognize dangerous situations—like the illegal Reedley lab—before they put their lives at risk. I’m proud to join Rep. Costa in introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen public safety and protect our families.”

    “When dangerous, unregulated labs can operate undetected in small towns like Reedley, it’s not just a local issue—it’s a national public health risk,” said Rep. Costa. “This isn’t just about one lab; it’s about making sure no town has to face a threat like this alone. The STOP Health Threats Act gives law enforcement the training they need to identify these risks and act swiftly. It’s about prevention, safety, and making sure every officer has the tools to protect their community.”

    Background:

    In 2023, code enforcement officer Jessalyn Harper uncovered an illegal lab in Reedley, CA. This lab was storing hazardous biological materials in violation of numerous building and health codes, contained infectious agents like COVID-19 and HIV, and was operating without oversight—posing a significant threat to public health.

    Across the country, unsafe, unregulated, and unsanitary buildings and materials often go unchecked due to limited specialized training for law enforcement, especially in rural areas with limited resources. These unchecked violations can trigger disease outbreaks and long-term health risks.

    The STOP Health Threats Act would:

    • Empower local governments by directing the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants for training law enforcement officers to recognize and respond to public health threats caused by building code violations.
    • Promote collaboration with public health departments and nonprofits.
    • Support the development of tailored training programs.
    • Prioritize funding for communities where serious threats have been identified.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smith Statement on Israel’s Role in Middle East

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement:

    “In this current moment, there is a crucial opportunity to bring partners together to blunt the influence of Iran and other extremist groups like ISIS and bring stability to the region. I recently led a congressional delegation to the Middle East and saw firsthand that we have partners who are ready and willing to work with us and with Israel to achieve this goal. However, Israel’s current actions in Syria, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon run the risk of making these efforts at stability in the region much more difficult to achieve.

    “Israel is blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, enabling rapid settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, and delegitimizing the new governments in Lebanon and Syria with military operations. I understand that Israel must defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas and other Iranian proxies, but these extremist groups thrive in chaos and are able to recruit and gain support where populations in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon continue to suffer in active war zones. The only long-term hope is for stable governments to emerge in these places.

    “Israel must immediately allow humanitarian assistance back into Gaza. It should do far more to stop settler violence in the West Bank, and, crucially, it must work with Arab partners in the region to support Palestinian leadership that can be an alternative to Hamas and give all the Palestinian people some hope for the future. Additionally, Israel’s continued attacks on and occupations of land in Lebanon and Syria threaten to undermine the fragile, fledgling efforts of each to build new peaceful and stable governments.

    “Bringing a coalition of partners together as a deterrence to Iran is the only way out of this cycle of regional conflict that has been devastating to the civilian population. Israel must immediately let humanitarian aid in, stop legitimizing settlements in the West Bank, and halt military actions that continue to contribute to the chaos in the region. Israel must change course or we risk losing this opportunity to achieve security and stability in the Middle East.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Nurse, Reader in Urban Planning, University of Liverpool

    The UK now has two regional mayors representing the Reform party, following English local elections on May 1. This is the first time anyone from the party has held a government position at any level.

    Andrea Jenkyns, formerly a Conservative government minister, is now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire following an election win on May 1. She becomes the first Reform and Luke Campbell is now mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Both are new mayoralities, created as part of the government’s developing devolution plans.

    The creation of more mayoralties meant that, perhaps inevitably, the near-monopoly that Labour held on mayors after the 2024 local elections has ended. But with an unproven track record, it’s reasonable to ask what we might expect from the new reform mayors as they take office.

    Since the first devolution deals were signed back in 2014, English devolution has always been about the ability of local governments to convince Westminster to let go of power. The result has been that devolution deals have varied in strength across the country.

    In broad terms, city regions have tended to get more powers, while others get slightly less. This means that not every new regional (also known as metro) mayor will be a budding Andy Burnham – though in practice most can expect to have core powers of housing, transport and education. Over time we have seen how the existing mayors have sought to inhabit those powers in their own way, and bring about their own priorities.

    So, we now wait to see what that means for the new mayors as they take power. We already know that Jenkyns’ election manifesto touched upon the key powers the mayor will hold (transport, education and the economy) but her agenda on these was painted only in the broadest of brush strokes.

    For example, there were promises to upgrade major roads, and to secure more funding for transport – although achieving both would require a willing Labour government to play nice. More realistic promises include more frequent buses which better serve parts of what is a large rural area, and creating skills bodies to work with local employers.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Elsewhere, however, the manifesto delved into the realm of memes and bogeymen. For example, Jenkyns has proposed creating “DOGE Lincolnshire”, mirroring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

    This promises to cut government waste and “ensure efficiency”. Yet, given the combined authority she heads was only constituted in February, it’s not quite clear what inefficiencies Jenkyns is referring to.

    Another pledge is to push back against net zero – something that Reform seems to be using as their protest lodestar now that Brexit is no longer fertile feeding ground. Here, the policies seem to be to fight against national government policy on net-zero rather than anything really specific.

    Playing nicely with central government

    A regional mayor’s fate often hinges on their ability to interact effectively with central government – either by trying to secure concessions from it, or resisting it. Here, it will be very interesting to watch how Jenkyns, Campbell and the new Conservative mayor of Cambridge and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, assimilate.

    They are now members of the Council of the Regions – which for the last 12 months has been largely a cosy cabal of Labour mayors (and Tory Ben Houchen).

    How will Reform mayors – and Jenkyns in particular do business with the others? She is known as a disruptor so it could change the dynamic significantly.

    English local government is littered with examples of national government visiting retribution on local authorities for perceived transgressions. For example, most famously, Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished the Metropolitan Councils in 1986 for getting a bit too big for their boots. While there is no suggestion that will happen this time, current devolution deals are heavily premised on trust and ability to work with government.

    The other issue will be how what started as a protest party deals with the minutiae of governing. Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York, once famously said that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Sometimes, however, local government can be about the grammar – dealing with those minor details.

    I remember interviewing a local councillor who once told me most of the time people want to talk about dog poo and bins. Equally, things like potholes are shown to be what residents want to see fixed.

    From now on, Jenkyns and other reform-led councils will have a record that they will have to defend. Ultimately, while a manifesto that is half-built on memes might grab attention on election day, it probably isn’t going to make the buses run on time.

    Alex Nurse receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins – https://theconversation.com/reform-enters-local-government-for-the-first-time-with-uk-mayoral-election-wins-255731

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bingeable comedy, a Jim Crow-era vampire thriller and William Morris mania – what to watch, read and do this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor

    I recently bought a Now TV subscription because we are in prime prestige TV season and I needed it to watch The White Lotus and The Last of Us. Deep into those big, confronting shows (which are brilliant but, let’s be honest, a lot), I was looking for something that was comforting and easy. If this is what you are also craving right now, I could not recommend Hacks more.

    Hacks is a whip-smart and hilarious show with 30-minute episodes. It follows Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), an edgy comedy writer who isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and spiky Las Vegas comedy veteran Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). This pair are shoved together by their shared manager when Ava is fired from a writing gig for making an off-colour joke on social media, and Deborah loses her headline slot on the Vegas strip as the city moves on without her.

    The trailer for season four of Hacks.

    Since its first season, Hacks has provided insightful commentary on the male-dominated world of comedy. The push and pull relationship between Ava and Deborah is hilarious as they clash over generational differences on everything from comedy to sexuality. The show has been rightly lauded for its brilliant writing, which manages to go all the way up to the line without being hateful – a skill many comedians who argue that it’s hard to make comedy in our politically correct age could learn from.

    Now in its fourth season, our reviewer, Jacqueline Ristola, an expert in the media industry and comedy, says Hacks has managed to maintain the quality (and hilarity) while finding new ground to explore women’s precarious place in the entertainment industry.



    Read more:
    Hacks season four tackles late-night TV – and is as funny and perceptive as ever

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

    If you are in the mood for something a bit moodier and serious, then Sinners might be for you. The film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who have returned home to Mississippi in an attempt to leave their troubles behind. What they find waiting for them, however, is much worse.

    Sinners is set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, a time of harsh segregation and racial injustice. While the horrors of this period are certainly enough to scare anyone, director Ryan Coogler has decided to tell a story grounded in supernatural evil. Vampires aside, there is a lot of history in Sinners too. Criminology expert Rachel Stuart found it interesting how the real stories of Irish and Choctaw oppression informed the film.



    Read more:
    Sinners: how real stories of Irish and Choctaw oppression inform the film

    The trailer for Sinners.

    If you’re looking for something to read, we recommend the memoir Red Pockets. In this piece, Alice Mah, a professor in urban and environmental studies, writes about why she was inspired to create this book after a personal detour to her ancestral village she took while on a research trip.

    In Red Pockets, Mah chronicles her journey from the rice villages of south China back to postindustrial England. Her research on pollution leads to growing eco-anxiety, and paired with this trip leaves her in spiritual crisis. Part memoir, part cultural history and environmental exploration, this book explores what we owe our ancestors and also future generations.



    Read more:
    Travelling to my ancestral home in China unearthed tragedy tinged by the climate crisis – it inspired me to write Red Pockets

    Inky worlds and popular patterns

    Also moody and brilliant is the Victor Hugo exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. I did not know that the French writer was an avid artist, and this exhibition is a wonderful and rare opportunity to gaze into the dark and surreal world of the mind behind Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

    Hugo’s inky paintings and drawings of townscapes and watery underworlds invoke a sort of nightmarish and apocalyptic reality. The low lighting in which these extremely fragile works must be kept adds to the whole foreboding atmosphere. The exhibition’s title comes from Van Gogh’s opinion of Hugo’s work as “astonishing things”, and they really are. Our review, expert in fine art Martin Lang, found “the sense of uncertainty to feel oddly relevant to today”.



    Read more:
    Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo at the Royal Academy is dark and brilliant

    Another man whose art has had enduring appeal is designer William Morris. Most people probably have or know of someone who owns something adorned with one of his hypnotising patterns. His work has remained incredibly popular since he first started producing it in the 1860s. A new exhibition at the William Morris exhibition, Morris Mania: How Britain’s Greatest Designer Went Viral, explores how his work proliferated to such a degree.

    While you may be able to spot a Morris, you might not know much about the man. He was a fervent socialist who championed a principle of handmade production that didn’t chime with the Victorian era’s focus on industrial “progress”. These ideals sit in opposition to how his work has come to be used today.

    Our reviewer, an expert in applied art, found that the exhibition was sensitive to this, championing “ethical and bespoke production, while confronting the darker currents that move objects around our world”.



    Read more:
    William Morris: new exhibition reveals how Britain’s greatest designer went viral

    – ref. Bingeable comedy, a Jim Crow-era vampire thriller and William Morris mania – what to watch, read and do this week – https://theconversation.com/bingeable-comedy-a-jim-crow-era-vampire-thriller-and-william-morris-mania-what-to-watch-read-and-do-this-week-255742

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

    Media freedom has long been essential to healthy democracy. It is the oxygen that fuels informed debate, exposes corruption and holds power to account. But around the world, that freedom is under sustained attack.

    The actions of populist political elites, tech billionaires and foreign disinformation campaigns are reinforcing one another. This is weakening independent journalism and reshaping the global public sphere.

    This convergence was on full display at US president Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration. The presence of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg signalled that the tech elite are no longer simply disruptors. They are increasingly aligned with populist politics, a project openly hostile to independent journalism and democratic accountability.

    Nowhere is this clearer than on X (formerly Twitter). Musk’s takeover has transformed the platform into a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and misinformation, while systematically undermining the credibility of established media outlets. Meta’s decision to abandon factchecking political content in the US also marks a dangerous retreat from even the minimal efforts once made to curb disinformation.

    At its core, journalism’s role is simple but essential: to inform the public and hold power to account. Independent media – outlets free from government, political, or corporate control – are essential to democracy. They play a critical role in exposing corruption, amplifying marginalised voices, scrutinising government decisions and challenging abuses of power.

    When media organisations are weakened, this essential accountability collapses – allowing governments, politicians and corporations to operate unchecked. Minorities and vulnerable groups suffer most when no one is left to shine a light on abuse or discrimination. Human rights violations go unreported. Misinformation and rumour fill the void.

    That is precisely what is happening, not just in fragile states but in established democracies. Populist leaders have attacked journalists as enemies of the people and smeared media outlets that challenge them.

    Donald Trump infamously branded critical coverage as “fake news”. Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro vilified journalists who investigated corruption and environmental crimes. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has systematically dismantled media independence. Slovakia’s Robert Fico called journalists “bloodthirsty bastards” and “possessed by the devil”.

    These leaders know that controlling the narrative is key to holding power. Discrediting the media is the first step.

    One of the clearest recent examples is the Trump administration’s shuttering of Voice of America (VOA). This move to silence a broadcaster that had promoted press freedom for over 80 years has been celebrated by authoritarian regimes. China’s state media mocked VOA as “discarded like a dirty rag”.

    Foreign threats

    What makes this moment uniquely dangerous is that these political attacks are now supercharged by technology platforms retreating from accountability, and exploited by hostile foreign powers.

    The latest European External Action Service (EEAS) Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threat Report paints a stark picture of how disinformation is used as a strategic weapon to weaken democracies from within.

    In 2024, the EEAS – the diplomatic service of the European Union – detected
    record levels of foreign manipulation, particularly from Russia and China. The EEAS recorded more than 500 coordinated manipulation campaigns targeting 90 countries.

    These included AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating European politicians, such as a fabricated video of Moldova’s president endorsing a pro-Russian party.

    Bot networks were deployed to amplify false narratives about migration and inflation, distorting online discourse and inflaming social divisions. Impersonation tactics cloning legitimate news websites like Le Monde and German media were used to disseminate pro-Kremlin disinformation. All these efforts were aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions, inflaming social divisions and creating confusion.

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    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Disinformation has become a standard geopolitical weapon, often used as a precursor to military or economic action. In the lead-up to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia conducted a sustained disinformation campaign. Fabricated videos and false flag operations portrayed Ukraine as the aggressor to justify military action.

    Similarly, during the 2020-21 border clashes with India, China spread disinformation downplaying its military build-up while casting India as the instigator.

    Russia has also used disinformation to pursue economic goals, notably by spreading falsehoods about European renewable energy and gas supply stability, to influence energy policy and sow public doubt about the EU’s energy independence strategy.

    While this happens, platforms like Meta and X are retreating from content moderation and fact-checking. The result is a perfect storm where domestic populism, platform failure and foreign manipulation reinforce one another. Platforms like X have become the key battleground, accounting for 88% of detected disinformation activity.

    What’s at stake – and what must change

    As these threats grow, the traditional media model is collapsing. Advertising revenue – once the lifeblood of newspapers, radio, and television – has shifted almost entirely to digital platforms. Local newsrooms are closing, while investigative journalism is increasingly rare, expensive and risky.

    In the UK, more than 320 local papers have closed since 2009. Titles like the Evening Standard ended daily print in 2024 due to plummeting ad revenues. Across Europe, rising news deserts and newsroom cuts are weakening media’s democratic role.

    In the US, things are even worse – 3,200 newspapers have closed since 2005. More than half of all counties now have little or no local news coverage.

    As social media platforms abandon even basic content moderation, they create vast, ungoverned digital spaces where bad actors dominate the conversation.

    Into this gap flood social media influencers, partisan outlets and state-backed propaganda. The result is a fractured, polarised information ecosystem. Facts struggle to compete with viral misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns.

    News consumers must navigate a sea of misinformation and propaganda.
    Olezzo/Shutterstock

    In the end, it is citizens who pay the price, bombarded by propaganda and adrift in a sea of misinformation. This is not just a media problem, it is a fundamental threat to democracy itself. Without independent journalism, there is no one left to ask difficult questions, expose wrongdoing or defend the public interest.

    Protecting media freedom must now be treated as a democratic priority, as essential as free and fair elections or an independent judiciary. Governments need to regulate tech platforms effectively, enforcing transparency over algorithms and bringing in meaningful protections against disinformation.

    Public investment in journalism is critical to ensure the press can survive and hold power to account. Democracies must coordinate efforts to counter foreign information manipulation, and protect journalists facing harassment and threats from authoritarian regimes.

    The future of democratic accountability now depends on whether governments, regulators and the media can reclaim this space before it is lost entirely. Above all, this means recognising that journalism is not a luxury or a relic. It is a vital public good.

    Tom Felle 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. Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom – https://theconversation.com/perfect-storm-of-tech-bros-foreign-interference-and-disinformation-is-an-urgent-threat-to-press-freedom-252986

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tajikistan: Staff Concluding Statement for the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    May 2, 2025

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

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

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Matthew Gaertner held the 2025 Article IV consultation and discussions on the second review under the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) with the Tajikistan authorities during April 2-15, 2025, in Dushanbe. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Gaertner issued the following statement:

    Economic Developments, Outlook and Risks

    Strong broad-based growth continued in 2024, and the external position remained favorable. Real GDP increased 8.4 percent in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth above 8 percent, as strong momentum in mining, manufacturing and agriculture was underpinned by public and private investment. Strong financial inflows, including remittances, have also supported domestic demand and liquidity and contributed to a current account surplus of 6.2 percent of GDP in 2024. This alongside the NBT’s purchases of domestic gold production has boosted FX reserves from $3.6 billion at end-2023 to $4.7 billion at the end of February 2025, amounting to 7 months import coverage.

    Inflation remains well contained within the NBT’s target range. Twelve-month inflation stood at 3.7 percent in February, within the NBT’s updated target range of 5 percent (±2 percent) for 2025, reflecting stable prices for imported food and fuel and an appreciation of the somoni against key trading partner currencies. Reserve money growth has moderated since mid-2024 as the NBT stepped up its sterilization efforts but remained strong at 32 percent (y/y) in February, boosted by the NBT’s gold purchases.

    Banks’ asset quality continued to improve in 2024, amid strong growth in consumer lending. Banks’ NPL ratio declined to 7.0 percent in February as they continued to clean up their balance sheets, largely through write-offs of legacy NPLs. Credit to the private sector grew at 29 percent (y/y) in February, boosted by a continued expansion of banks’ deposit base. This has been primarily driven by household loans in local currency, supported by the introduction of new retail lending products.

    The medium-term outlook appears positive. Real GDP is projected to increase by 7 percent in 2025, retaining the current strong momentum. Twelve-month inflation (y/y) is projected to remain close to the mid-point of the NBT’s target range in 2025 and 2026, in line with stable inflation expectations. The current account surplus is expected to narrow in 2025 as financial inflows stabilize, with FX reserves projected to remain at comfortable levels. Financial inflows are expected to normalize over the medium term after the strong inflows experienced since 2022, heightening the importance of continuing to advance structural reforms to strengthen potential growth over the medium-term.

    Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, in the context of significant regional and global uncertainty. A pronounced decline in financial inflows due to a less favorable environment for remittances or a slowdown in Tajikistan’s key trading partners would adversely affect growth, fiscal performance, and the banking sector. More frequent and severe natural disasters and heightened security risks can also strain budget resources. On the upside, continued strength in gold prices and rising demand for rare earth metals could attract increased investment in the mining sector.

    Fiscal Policy

    Fiscal performance remained well within the program target in 2024, with a fiscal surplus of 0.3 percent. The favorable fiscal outturn was underpinned by stable revenue growth despite a reduction in the VAT rate from 15 to 14 percent, while externally financed capital spending was lower than planned. Revenue collection reflected continued improvements in tax and customs administration supported by digitalization measures. The 2025 budget envisages a fiscal deficit of up to 2.5 percent of GDP, conditional on available financing. In this context, continuing to expand the domestic debt market is key to diversifying sources of financing. The MOF successfully launched market-based auctions of government securities in 2024; establishing a robust secondary market for these instruments will help to expand the investor base and further deepen the market.

    The fiscal deficit target of 2.5 percent of GDP remains an important anchor to ensure that debt remains on a favorable medium-term trajectory. Prudent fiscal policy coupled with strong GDP growth has contributed to a notable reduction in the public debt ratio over the past few years, with public debt declining to 25 percent of GDP at the end of 2024. Public debt is assessed as sustainable but remains at high risk of distress due to large debt service obligations during 2025-2027; the first semi-annual Eurobond repayment was completed as planned in March. Building fiscal buffers is key to mitigating fiscal risks from potential shocks to revenue and expenditure in the context of the uncertain external environment, with contingency plans for spending reprioritization to protect social assistance and other critical spending.

    Improved revenue mobilization and spending efficiency are key to increasing fiscal space for priority social and development projects. The Medium-Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) aims to raise total revenues by at least 2 percentage points to 26 percent of GDP in 2026 through a combination of tax policy, tax administration and SOE reform measures. In line with the MTRP, the MOF has taken steps to improve revenue mobilization through the expansion of digitalization of payments. Moreover, tax exemptions granted to several large investment projects were discontinued in 2024. A time-bound action plan is essential to anchor a further streamlining of tax exemptions and customs preferences over the medium-term. On the expenditure side, strengthening appraisal, selection and oversight of internally financed capital projects are crucial for enhancing the efficiency of public investment.

    Strong corporate governance and oversight is essential to strengthen SOE efficiency and minimize fiscal risks. Recent reforms include the expansion of the MOF’s financial monitoring coverage from 27 SOEs to 77 entities with state participation, and amendments to the regulations for SOE board composition to ensure that board members are appointed through transparent and competitive procedures in line with best practices. The MOF has also continued to expand the scope of the annual fiscal risk statement, which provides an overview of SOE performance, including profitability, leverage, and budget allocations to SOEs. The publication of an updated SOE list and completion of the ongoing sectorization exercise will also improve monitoring and oversight.

    Greater efforts are needed to improve the financial performance of the electricity sector. Low collection rates for key electricity consumers, together with high technical and commercial losses and end-user tariffs that are below cost recovery levels has led the state electricity generation company Barki Tojik to accumulate sizable arrears to suppliers and creditors. Reducing quasi-fiscal losses in the electricity sector will require sustained efforts to improve collection rates for the largest electricity consumers, as well as implementation of the authorities’ strategy to roll-out smart metering, increase penalties for electricity theft and improve cost controls across the electricity sector. The electricity tariff was increased by about 15 percent in April 2025, and further annual tariff adjustments are envisaged to reach cost recovery by 2027.

    Monetary, Exchange Rate and Financial Sector Policies

    Inflation remains well contained, but strong credit growth warrants continued vigilance. The NBT lowered its inflation target from 6 to 5 percent (±2 percent) for 2025 to reflect well-anchored inflation expectations, and the policy rate was lowered by 25 basis points to 8.75 percent in February 2025 as inflation remains close to the lower bound. Although the real policy rate is still relatively high at about 5 percent (based on realized inflation), monetary policy should remain data-driven and vigilant to potential upward demand pressure on inflation from strong credit growth and robust financial inflows. Proactive liquidity management also remains essential to moderate the impact of the NBT’s gold purchases and FX interventions on the money supply.

    Enhancing exchange rate flexibility is essential to build resilience to external shocks. The NBT has taken several measures to modernize the local FX market, including ending auctions of inward transfers improving the mechanism for executing public sector FX transactions; enhancing the dissemination of information on FX rates; and introducing price-based auctions for FX interventions to facilitate price discovery. The NBT should also aim to limit its FX operations only to avoid disorderly market conditions to facilitate development of the FX market and further support greater exchange rate flexibility.

    Strong macroprudential oversight and banking supervision are key to mitigating external risks to financial stability. The banking system has strengthened its balance sheet following the resolution of two troubled banks but may face possible challenges from the volatile external environment and any reversal of recent inflows. Strong lending to households warrants careful oversight of macroprudential norms to ensure prudent lending standards, and close monitoring of maturity mismatches and funding- and asset-side concentration risk. The planned introduction of macroprudential tools and forward-looking stress tests is essential to manage risks posed by strong credit growth.

    Structural Reforms

    Governance and transparency reforms across economic sectors aim to foster sustainable and inclusive growth. Structural reforms are underway to close existing governance gaps across the public and private sectors through upgrades to the legal and regulatory frameworks. The reforms aim to (i) improve public sector efficiency; (ii) foster financial and private sector development; and (iii) promote an enabling investment climate for private sector-led growth.

    Transparent governance and policy frameworks and robust financial safety nets are key to further strengthen trust in public institutions. Good governance fosters macro-financial stability both directly and indirectly by enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of macroeconomic policies. Transparent corporate ownership is critical to promote an enabling business climate based on the rule of law and prudent AML-CFT standards.

    Timely and comprehensive macroeconomic data is essential to economic policymaking. The authorities have started publishing fiscal statistics in line with GFS standards and broadened the coverage of state-owned enterprises. Compilation of quarterly demand-side GDP data and expanding the use of GFS-based fiscal data would further strengthen data quality.

    Discussions on the policies to complete the second review under the PCI are well advanced and will continue following this mission. The mission would like to thank the Tajik authorities for their hospitality and close collaboration and express its appreciation for the constructive and insightful discussions.

     

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Angham Al Shami

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/02/mcs-tajikistan-staff-concluding-statement-for-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The month of May brings a pair of inspiring new docs to nfb.ca: Saturday, by Jessica Hall, and Incandescence, by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper. Plus, special programming to mark Asian Heritage Month, and more.

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 1, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

    Continue to Stream Canadian in May on nfb.ca! This month, explore two new documentaries from Yukon and British Columbia. Each in its own way offers an inspiring perspective:

    • In Saturday, by Jessica Hall, the filmmaker explores the joyful, creative life of her sister, who has an intellectual disability.
    • Incandescence, by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper, leads us to a new understanding of massive wildfires, a worldwide challenge.

    May is also Asian Heritage Month in Canada, which will be celebrated with a rich themed channel. The NFB wants to highlight the importance of sharing the distinctive stories and important contributions of people from Asian communities across the country. This is all the more crucial in the wake of the terrible attack on Vancouver’s Filipino-Canadian community on April 26, Lapu-Lapu Day.

    In addition, a blog post in conjunction with Mental Health Week (May 5–11) will explore animation filmmakers’ perspectives on the subject.

    Is Montreal on your itinerary? Starting Thursday, May 8, stop by the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre in the Quartier des Spectacles to enjoy a few gems from the NFB’s collection on the big screen, at the Hello Film! series. Free films, first-come, first-wowed!

    Remember, nfb.ca is home to more than 7,000 streaming films and a collection of over 100 interactive works.

    NEW ONLINE RELEASES

    Starting May 16

    Saturday by Jessica Hall (2025, NFB)
    Documentary (13 min 8 s) / Press kit

    • Filmmaker Jessica Hall’s sister Katherine manages her intellectual disability by leading an independent, creative and joyful life. Saturday documents her story. An inspiring tribute to a daughter and mother’s close and supportive relationship.
    • The film has been screened at a number of Canadian festivals, including the Available Light Film Festivalin Whitehorse, where it was shot.

    Starting May 26

    Incandescence by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (2024, NFB)
    Documentary (105 min 22 s) / Press kit

    • Wildfires are burning with increasing intensity around the world. Following the rhythms of the seasons, the film is an immersive cinematic experience, weaving on-the-ground footage with extraordinary stories of survival and adaptation that transform our understanding of wildfire. From the flightpath of bees to an osprey’s aerial perspective, floating over the landscape: the Earth comes back.
    • The doc has been selected for festivals in Canada and the US, including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. This spring, it played at sold-out screenings across British Columbia.
    • Incandescence will be shown in Montreal on Thursday, May 22,* as part of the Hello Film! series at the NFB’s Alanis Obomsawin Theatre.

    SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
    THEMED CHANNEL AND BLOG POSTS

     Marking Asian Heritage Month

    Channel: Asian-Canadian Perspectives

    Watch close to 30 NFB animated films and documentaries that centre around Asian communities and stories told from Asian perspectives. The selection includes Eisha Marjara’s Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen?, which won the prestigious Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

    Celebrating the NFB’s 86th anniversary

    • English Collection Curator Camilo Martín-Flórez is publishing a new blog post on April 30.

    Marking Mental Health Week (May 5–11)

    • French Collection Curator Marc St-Pierre will publish the blog post “An Animated Journey into Mental Health,” available soon.

    HELLO FILM! – FREE SCREENINGS IN MONTREAL

    Free admission (reservations required)

    Details: events.nfb.ca/hello-film-free-screenings-at-the-nfb

    Each of the films below will be preceded by a short to open the program.

    • Marking Asian Heritage Month

      Thursday, May 8, 2025, 7 p.m.:

      The Apology by Tiffany Hsiung (104 min)

      The film follows three former “comfort women” who were among the 200,000 girls and young women kidnapped and forced into military sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

    • Marking the International Day of Families

      Thursday, May 15, 2025, 7 p.m.:

      Seguridad by Tamara Segura (76 min)

      Once dubbed “Cuba’s youngest soldier” in a militia publicity stunt, Tamara Segura uncovers family secrets and portrays her troubled relationship with her father.

    • Looking ahead to Father’s Day in June

      Thursday, May 29, 2025, 7 p.m.:

      Sons by Justin Simms (70 min)

      As Donald Trump is elected to a first term in 2016, a first-time dad wrestles with traditional methods of raising boys. How do we teach our boys to become better men?

    The Hello Film! series will continue through July 31, with more films to discover or rediscover.

    To get to the NFB’s Alanis Obomsawin Theatre

    1500 Balmoral Street
    Montreal
    Place-des-Arts Metro

    Accessible to persons with reduced mobility.

    – 30 –

    Media Relations

    Jennifer Mair
    NFB Publicist
    C.: 416-436-0105
    j.mair@nfb.ca | @NFB_Jennifer

    Katja De Bock
    NFB Publicist
    C.: 778-628-4890
    k.debock@nfb.ca | @NFB_Katja

    Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

    Stay Connected

    Online Screening Room: nfb.ca
    NFB Facebook | NFB Twitter | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo
    Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

    About the NFB

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Tonko Demand Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Museums, Brazen Attempt to Whitewash History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Lawmakers Warn Funding Cuts, Politically Motivated Attacks Will Undermine Integrity of Smithsonian, Accuracy of Exhibits

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,”

    Text of Letter (PDF) | Pressley Floor Speech (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

    Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

    Created by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has a clear mandate to operate as a non-partisan and autonomous museum, education, and research complex, free from political influence. Not only is it home to dozens of museums, libraries, education and research centers, and the National Zoo within Washington, D.C., but the Smithsonian also coordinates with over 200 affiliate organizations in nearly every state – all of which could be impacted by the proposed cuts and erasure of race and culture in the Executive Order.

     “On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14253, which would infringe on the independence of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out its core mission to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information we need to forge our shared future,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Smithsonian Inspector General Nicole Angarella. “The funding cuts and content directives will undoubtedly have a devasting impact on the preservation and integrity of American history and culture.”

    The Trump Administration’s executive order specifically directs the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits and narratives it considers ‘divisive’ or ‘race-centered’, politicizing the Smithsonian’s foundational purpose and eroding public trust. Both the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act were enacted with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment across party lines to explore, document, and interpret the central role of race and cultural identity in American history. Additionally, the funding cuts and content mandates would have a significant trickle-down effect on local museums and cultural organizations across the United States, diminishing the Smithsonian’s ability to provide guidance, professional development, and travel exhibits to smaller museums.

    “Conditioning funding on adherence to prescribed, right-wing ideology jeopardizes the Smithsonian’s legal compliance oversight and its capacity to document American history and culture accurately,” the lawmakers continue. “It is both ironic and self-defeating to demand that the Smithsonian Institution adhere to content mandates banning race, as doing so undermines the very rationale for the creation of these museums.”

    The lawmakers are requesting an inspector general investigation and report on findings including:

    • An audit of the operational and financial implications of the proposed content mandate and funding cuts, including the consequences on the Smithsonian Affiliates;
    • An audit of the expected impact on existing contractual obligations;
    • An analysis of EO 14253’s compliance with statutory requirements established by Congress;
    • Any documentation of deaccessioned artifacts following EO 14253 and plan to prevent the destruction or sale of cultural and historical artifacts; and
    • A recommendation for the Smithsonian Board of Regents on how to adhere to statutory law and the institutions’ public trust responsibilities.

    “Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the Smithsonian remains a source of inspiration and learning for all, free from undue political interference,” the lawmakers wrote.

    The letter was also signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), ValeriE Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús García (IL-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-08), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Derek Tran (CA-45), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    Rep. Pressley has been an outspoken champion for intellectual freedom and diversity, equity, and inclusion program, and has been on the front lines of the fight against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to ban books and erase Black history.

    In April, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

    Rep. Pressley is also the author of the Books Save Lives Act legislation to confront the rise of book bans in America and ensure inclusive learning environments.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Nature in the City grants now open

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Plants and natural materials help cool urban areas.

    In Brief:

    • The Nature in the City: Cooling Your Suburb grants program is now open for applications.
    • The program supports projects that make urban areas cooler using plants and natural materials.
    • This story describes eligibility criteria and projects that have secured funding from previous rounds.

    Grants are now open for the ‘Nature in the City: Cooling Your Suburb’ program.

    What is the program for?

    The grants support innovative projects to make the hottest areas in Canberra cooler.

    A total of $150,000 in grant funding is now available for local projects that:

    • use plants and natural materials to make urban areas cooler
    • protect suburbs from the harsh impacts of climate change.

    As the heat continues to rise, Canberrans are more likely to suffer from ‘urban heat island effect’. This is when surfaces and infrastructure like pavement, roads and buildings soak up the heat from the sun. It then radiates back into suburbs.

    What kind of projects are eligible for funding?

    Up to $50,000 per project is available for projects that will benefit the community through:

    • providing natural shade
    • capturing rainwater
    • improving water absorption
    • showcasing creative ways to keep suburbs cool.

    These projects may include:

    • replacing hard and hot surfaces with plants and natural materials
    • installing a combination of shade structures and plants, or
    • installing landscaping features that retain water, like swales.

    Up to $10,000 is also available for eligible organisations to conduct feasibility studies that explore new ways to make an area cooler with nature-based solutions.

    Which projects have received grant funding before?

    Three Mills Bakery is a local business that received funding in the last round of the program. They are working to transform an urban concrete hotspot in Woden into a publicly accessible oasis.

    They are installing canopy trees and other plants in planter boxes. The vegetation and planters will reduce urban heat and retain water.

    “The external environment plays a huge role in creating remarkable hospitality experiences”, Jarrod Deaton, founder of Three Mills Bakery said.

    “The Nature in the City: Cooling Your Suburb grant will help us to transform a harsh concrete environment into a softer, greener space that people can enjoy.”

    How can I find out more?

    An online information session will be held on 12 December 2024 for those who are interested in applying for a grant and wish to find out more about the program and application process. 

    Applications for the 2024-25 ‘Nature in the City: Cooling Your Suburb’ grants program are now open until midnight 9 February 2025.

    For more information on the grant program and how to apply, visit the Everyday Climate Choices website.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Wyoming Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Wildfires

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Wyoming of the June 2 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by wildfires beginning June 11, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the Wyoming counties of Campbell, Converse, Crook, Johnson, Sheridan and Weston as well as Powder River in Montana.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than June 2.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Directs Flags To Half-Staff Sunday for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in recognition of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service, an annual ceremony hosted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation that serves as the official national tribute honoring all firefighters in the U.S. who have died in the line of duty.

    Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags – including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise – should also be lowered during this same duration of time.

    During this year’s ceremony, which will be held at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a plaque containing the names of 140 fallen firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2024 and previous years will be added to the memorial, becoming a permanent part of the federal park. Among the names included will be one firefighter from Connecticut: Robert “Sharky” E. Sharkevich, Sr., an engineer from the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and retired member of the Hartford Fire Department who died in the line of duty while operating at a brush fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin on October 22, 2024.

    “Firefighters go to work every day ready to risk their lives to protect the lives and homes of complete strangers, and we owe it to them to honor and recognize their fearlessness,” Governor Lamont said. “During this year’s memorial ceremony, we especially pay tribute to one of Connecticut’s own, Robert Sharkevich, Sr. of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department, who lost his life in the line of duty. I am immensely thankful for the firefighters who protect Connecticut, and I am especially grateful for the families of firefighters who make many sacrifices themselves over the course of their loved one’s call to duty. I urge everyone in our state to reflect upon the bravery of firefighters who have given their lives in service.”

    “We are humbled by our firefighters’ sense of duty and commitment to keeping their communities safe,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “They are truly heroes, demonstrating an unparalleled commitment to leadership, bravery, and dedication. Today, let us all take a moment to honor the sacrifice of our fallen firefighters and hold their loved ones in our hearts.”

    Flags will be at half-staff on the Connecticut State Capitol building and all other state-operated buildings, grounds, and facilities statewide. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, and any other private entities and government subdivisions are encouraged to lower their flags for this same duration of time.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement for World Press Freedom Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, released the following statement ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated annually on May 3: 
    “A free press is essential, both here in America and internationally. It is vital that journalists are protected—not impeded, silenced, or threatened. 
    “The Trump White House has shown nothing but distain for the constitutionally-protected press, abusing the immense powers of the Executive by obstructing the media at all costs. President Trump has entered frivolous legal battles with press outlets he disagrees with. His administration has threatened and sought to block federal funding, including for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS, NPR, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and the Voice of America, among others. The FCC and the Department of Justice, pressured by President Trump, have targeted reporters. Freedom of the press is under attack in America.  
    “Reporters and members of the press are also targeted abroad, where many have been imprisoned, assaulted, and killed. This year alone, 15 journalists and media workers have been killed while reporting, 13 of them in Palestine, and one in Ukraine. Last year was the deadliest ever, with at least 124 killed, 82 of whom died in Palestine. 
    “On World Press Freedom Day I honor Dylan Collins, a Vermonter and talented video journalist for the AFP news agency. Dylan was attacked and wounded by Israeli Defense Forces while reporting in Southern Lebanon. Five of his colleagues were also hurt, and a fellow journalist traveling with him died. The Vermont Delegation met with Dylan after the attack by the IDF, and demanded the Department of State and the Department of Justice conduct credible and thorough investigations into the attack, which we believe violated U.S. and international law. To date, the U.S. government has failed to investigate this deplorable attack on an American journalist. I am committed to demanding accountability for Dylan and his colleagues. 
    “Freedom of the press is enshrined in the First Amendment. It is an essential part of our nation’s DNA. On World Press Freedom Day and every day, I will stand up for the safety and freedom of journalists—here in America and around the world.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: May 5 is Red Dress Day in Saskatchewan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 2, 2025

    Red Dress Day is held annually on May 5 to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ people in Canada and remind all residents that each person has a role to play in ending violence. 

    “On Red Dress Day, we stand alongside the families and communities impacted by interpersonal violence against Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ people,” Minister Responsible for First Nations Métis and Northern Affairs Eric Schmalz said. “Our government is working toward a safer future for all by providing funding opportunities to organizations and grassroots initiatives that empower awareness and safety in Indigenous communities.”

    The Ministry of Government Relations provides grant funding of $800,000 through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ (MMIWG+) Community Response Fund, with $400,000 provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). This fund supports initiatives aimed at enhancing safety and preventing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit+ individuals.

    Applications for the MMIWG+ Community Response Fund are currently being accepted. More details and the application form can be found at saskatchewan.ca.

    “As we work to help prevent violence that disproportionately affects Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit People, it is important for us to honour the people we have lost,” Parks, Culture, and Sport Minister Alana Ross said. “We are committed to continuing this important work so that Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit People, and all people can live safely in our communities.” 

    In 2025-26, the Government of Saskatchewan will invest $31.7 million into interpersonal violence programs and services through the Ministry of Justice. Additionally, the government is investing $3.8 million into 16 agencies over the next two years to enhance interpersonal violence programming and support, as part of its partnership with the federal National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

    “Red Dress Day is meant to draw attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ and to honour their families,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “As a government we have taken numerous steps to create safer communities, and develop and support education and prevention programs that decrease violence and discrimination.”

    A national call line is available to provide emotional assistance related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+. Call 1-844-413-6649 for immediate support.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur and Latta Introduce Resolution Proclaiming May 9th To May 18th National American Birding Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Toledo, Ohio — This week, on Wednesday April 30, 2025, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), introduced a bipartisan resolution proclaiming May 9 through May 18, 2025, as “National American Birding Week.” Birding is a pastime that generates billions in economic benefits annually, but migratory bird populations face many threats to their survival. Annual birding events such as the “Biggest Week in American Birding”, sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio, leverage government, nonprofit, and private resources to promote conservation of migratory bird populations and economic development through a multifaceted approach that combines research, education, and outreach. Coordinated efforts by Federal, State, and local governments, conservation organizations, and businesses help to promote conservation of migratory birds and economic development through birding.

    “Our bipartisan resolution calls attention to the array of natural and human-caused threats to migratory bird populations, emphasizes contributions birders make to local economies, and applauds the cooperation among governments, conservation organizations, and businesses,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “I call on my fellow Ohioans to join Congressman Latta and me in supporting the designation of ‘National American Birding Week’ as we celebrate this important event that brings birders from around the world to Northwest Ohio every year. I encourage birders and people from across our nation to attend events including the ‘Biggest Week in American Birding’ to learn about efforts to preserve migratory bird populations.”

    “Birdwatching in Ohio is a year-round activity, with a wide variety of birds and over 400 species to spot,” said Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05). “There is a reason Northwest Ohio is dubbed the ‘Warbler Capital of the World,’ and I am proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution with Congresswoman Kaptur, to continue recognizing the art of birdwatching, support local conservation and to encourage more people to get outside enjoy birdwatching during National American Birding Week.”

    Approximately 3,500,000,000 songbirds, raptors, shore birds, and waterfowl representing over 350 species migrate north through the United States to breeding grounds every spring from wintering grounds in the southern United States, Mexico, and the tropics. Populations of many migratory bird species are in decline due to habitat loss, predation, and collisions with buildings, utility infrastructure, and vehicles. An estimated 45,000,000 American birders spend close to $40 Billion annually on birdwatching and birding activities creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in employment income and Federal and State tax revenue.

    A full copy of the resolution declaring “National American Birding Week” can be found by clicking here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump’s Budget Puts America First

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    President Trump’s Budget Puts America First

    Washington, May 2, 2025

    WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement on President Trump’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026:

    “President Trump’s proposed budget is a bold blueprint that reflects the values of hardworking Americans and the commitment to American strength and prosperity.

    “Our country cannot continue to bear the hard consequences of years of runaway spending under Democratic leadership, and this budget makes clear that fiscal discipline is non-negotiable. President Trump’s plan ensures every federal taxpayer dollar spent is used to serve the American people, not a bloated bureaucracy or partisan pet projects.
     
    “House Republicans stand ready to work alongside President Trump to implement a responsible budget that puts America first. This budget also reflects the critical role the One Big, Beautiful Bill will play in securing our border and strengthening our national security. This proposal promises the American people that their government is finally listening, leading with commonsense, and restoring the principles of good governance.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Bergen Woman Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A North Bergen woman was charged with distribution of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor child, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Natasha Rivas, 23, was charged by complaint and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    After an individual (the “Individual”) was arrested in January 2025 for possession of child pornography, law enforcement discovered that the Individual exchanged messages with Rivas wherein Rivas distributed images containing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) to the Individual and discussed sexually assaulting children for Rivas’s and the Individual’s mutual sexual gratification.  The images Rivas distributed involved a prepubescent minor child whom she was with at a hotel in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey in July 2024.

    The charge in the complaint carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly for their assistance.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Timothy Donahue, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Greensburg Police Chief Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The former police chief of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 1, 2025, to 15 months in federal prison for narcotics charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Shawn Denning, 44, of Delmont, Pennsylvania. Denning pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.

    According to information presented to the Court, during the time that he was the Greensburg police chief, Denning was involved in a nationwide drug conspiracy and had helped numerous individuals purchase narcotics from suppliers in California. Those narcotics included cocaine and methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills. One of the individuals with whom Denning conspired was former Greensburg police officer Regina McAtee, who also pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and will be sentenced later this month.

    Despite Denning’s argument during the sentencing hearing that he should not serve any time in prison, Judge Bissoon sentenced Denning to 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and a $2,000 fine. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that “When law enforcement becomes the bad guys, our civil society cannot function.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Denning.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reform enters government for the first time with mayoral election wins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Nurse, Reader in Urban Planning, University of Liverpool

    The UK now has two regional mayors representing the Reform party, following English local elections on May 1. This is the first time anyone from the party has held a government position at any level.

    Andrea Jenkyns, formerly a Conservative government minister, is now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire following an election win on May 1. She becomes the first Reform and Luke Campbell is now mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Both are new mayoralities, created as part of the government’s developing devolution plans.

    The creation of more mayoralties meant that, perhaps inevitably, the near-monopoly that Labour held on mayors after the 2024 local elections has ended. But with an unproven track record, it’s reasonable to ask what we might expect from the new reform mayors as they take office.

    Since the first devolution deals were signed back in 2014, English devolution has always been about the ability of local governments to convince Westminster to let go of power. The result has been that devolution deals have varied in strength across the country.

    In broad terms, city regions have tended to get more powers, while others get slightly less. This means that not every new regional (also known as metro) mayor will be a budding Andy Burnham – though in practice most can expect to have core powers of housing, transport and education. Over time we have seen how the existing mayors have sought to inhabit those powers in their own way, and bring about their own priorities.

    So, we now wait to see what that means for the new mayors as they take power. We already know that Jenkyns’ election manifesto touched upon the key powers the mayor will hold (transport, education and the economy) but her agenda on these was painted only in the broadest of brush strokes.

    For example, there were promises to upgrade major roads, and to secure more funding for transport – although achieving both would require a willing Labour government to play nice. More realistic promises include more frequent buses which better serve parts of what is a large rural area, and creating skills bodies to work with local employers.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Elsewhere, however, the manifesto delved into the realm of memes and bogeymen. For example, Jenkyns has proposed creating “DOGE Lincolnshire”, mirroring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

    This promises to cut government waste and “ensure efficiency”. Yet, given the combined authority she heads was only constituted in February, it’s not quite clear what inefficiencies Jenkyns is referring to.

    Another pledge is to push back against net zero – something that Reform seems to be using as their protest lodestar now that Brexit is no longer fertile feeding ground. Here, the policies seem to be to fight against national government policy on net-zero rather than anything really specific.

    Playing nicely with central government

    A regional mayor’s fate often hinges on their ability to interact effectively with central government – either by trying to secure concessions from it, or resisting it. Here, it will be very interesting to watch how Jenkyns, Campbell and the new Conservative mayor of Cambridge and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, assimilate.

    They are now members of the Council of the Regions – which for the last 12 months has been largely a cosy cabal of Labour mayors (and Tory Ben Houchen).

    How will Reform mayors – and Jenkyns in particular do business with the others? She is known as a disruptor so it could change the dynamic significantly.

    English local government is littered with examples of national government visiting retribution on local authorities for perceived transgressions. For example, most famously, Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished the Metropolitan Councils in 1986 for getting a bit too big for their boots. While there is no suggestion that will happen this time, current devolution deals are heavily premised on trust and ability to work with government.

    The other issue will be how what started as a protest party deals with the minutiae of governing. Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York, once famously said that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Sometimes, however, local government can be about the grammar – dealing with those minor details.

    I remember interviewing a local councillor who once told me most of the time people want to talk about dog poo and bins. Equally, things like potholes are shown to be what residents want to see fixed.

    From now on, Jenkyns and other reform-led councils will have a record that they will have to defend. Ultimately, while a manifesto that is half-built on memes might grab attention on election day, it probably isn’t going to make the buses run on time.

    Alex Nurse receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Reform enters government for the first time with mayoral election wins – https://theconversation.com/reform-enters-government-for-the-first-time-with-mayoral-election-wins-255731

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS Coral Reef Science Informs State, Territorial, and National Policy

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Since then, using these data, following this guidance, and under this definition, the states and territories have passed their own laws declaring their coral reefs as natural infrastructure and secured $48 million in FEMA hazard mitigation funding to restore their coral reefs to make their infrastructure, communities, and economy more resilient to coastal hazards, with more, larger proposals being planned.

    USGS and partners continue to provide stakeholders and decision-makers with information on how, where, when, and for whom coral reefs provide critical coastal storm flood risk reduction benefits. These efforts support state and local preparedness through infrastructure prioritization and strategic investments, providing critical information needed to make risk-informed decisions for a more hazard-resilient Nation.

    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs used by Puerto Rico government to justify Puerto Rico Law 72-2020 “Law to Declare Coral Reefs as an Essential Structure for the Protection of the Coasts of Puerto Rico”, 2020
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs used by Guam government to justify Guam Legislature Bill No. 372-35 (COR) to pursue insurance for coral reefs because of their coastal protection benefits, 2020
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in State of Hawaii’s Senate Concurrent Resolution SCR-159 to pursue insurance for coral reefs because of their coastal protection benefits, 2021
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs noted in “Restoring Resilient Reefs Act and Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2022” in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, 2022
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in US Coral Reef Task Force’s Resolution 47.2 “Coral Reefs as National Natural Infrastructure”, 2023
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in State of Hawaii’s House Concurrent Resolution HCR-80 to declare coral reefs as essential natural infrastructure for the protection of coastlines, 2023
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in State of Hawaii’s Senate Concurrent Resolution SCR-41 to declare coral reefs as essential natural infrastructure for the protection of coastlines, 2023
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in Territory of American Samoan Public Law 38-13 An act designating the Coral Reef as Critical Natural Infrastructure, 2024
    • Research on coastal hazard risk reduction provided by coral reefs highlighted in Territory of Guam’s Senate Resolution 207-37(COR) to declare coral reefs as essential natural infrastructure for the protection of coastlines, 2024
    • Executive Order 2025-001 to establish coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Opposes Trump’s Plan to Defund NPR & PBS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump tried and failed in his first term to kill federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP) but is now taking another shot at undercutting NPR and PBS stations across the country.  Yesterday evening, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to prohibit federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 
    Last month, the Trump White House issued a statement accusing NPR and PBS of allegedly promoting “radical, woke propaganda.”
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) strongly opposes the move to eliminate public broadcasting and silence unbiased, fact-based reporting and educational programming.
    “Public broadcasting is for the public benefit in every single state across this great country.  It provides trusted local and national news, culture, lifesaving emergency alerts, and public safety information.  NPR and PBS stations play an important role in the media landscape.  They are not ratings driven or just trying to reach one target demographic.  Whether you’re listening in Idaho, Alabama or Rhode Island, NPR and PBS are fact-based and their goal is to inform and ensure all voices can be part of the national discussion.  It’s not sensationalized or slanted: It is civic-minded.  At a time when newsrooms are shrinking, and when billionaires are buying up and controlling the editorial content of big papers, TV, and the internet, public broadcasting is the opposite: It’s for everyone and not beholden to any individual or ideology,” said Senator Reed.
    CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 under the leadership of former U.S. Senator John O. Pastore (D-RI).  CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services.  However, both NPR and PBS are only partly funded by federal funds and rely heavily on private donations.
    According to America’s Public Television Stations, there are over 160 locally-operated, locally-controlled, locally-focused public television stations that serve communities small and large across the country.  In Rhode Island, the state’s public television and radio stations have partnered to offer local original news and programming, as well as national broadcasts ranging from “All Things Considered” to “Sesame Street.”
    Reed noted that Trump is working to end federal support for NPR and PBS at the same time he is trying to curtail the free press and limit unbiased news in favor of his preferred right-wing media outlets. 
    “President Trump seems to want all news to be about how great he thinks he is.  He routinely attacks the media and doesn’t want people to have facts – he wants right-wing stenographers parroting his version of the facts.  His FCC Chair has threatened news outlets and suggested their “licensed operations” could be in jeopardy because of immigration coverage that ran afoul of the President’s preferred spin and narrative.  I hope Americans will contact their representatives in Congress and urge them to support public broadcasting.  It is valuable to have unbiased news to keep the administration’s deeds in the limelight and keep people well informed,” said Reed.
    CBP receives about $535 million annually in federal funds which it uses to provide grants to hundreds of local stations nationwide. The stations use the federal funds to produce their own programming or to purchase programming from services such as NPR and PBS that is then broadcast to local audiences.
    While Trump can ask Congress to defund CBP, he cannot force NPR and PBS off the air entirely.  Both networks have revenue that comes from non-profit grants, advertising, and voluntary viewer and listener donations.  However, if Trump claws back the federal funding it would likely force small, local stations to cease operations, likely in rural and less populated regions that President Trump claims don’t get enough from the government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Statement On Trump’s Politicization Of Holocaust Remembrance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    Published: 04.29.2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump removed former President Joe Biden’s appointees from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, including former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff – less than a week after Holocaust Remembrance Day.
    “President Trump’s decision to fire members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council is wrong and deeply disrespectful. This move politicizes Holocaust remembrance and disrespects the victims, survivors, and the fight against antisemitism. Some things should never be used for politics — this is one of them.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On President Trump’s Executive Order To End Federal Funds For NPR And PBS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 02, 2025
    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to prohibit federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB):
    “The ruthless cuts and attacks on our federal government was not enough for President Trump—now he is going after public broadcasting, which has been providing unbiased, informative, and breaking news for years, especially for our nation’s rural communities. As a democracy, we pride ourselves on having a strong freedom of the press. With President Trump’s executive order, we will only backslide. This is dangerous and I implore my Republican colleagues to act to reverse the President’s course—our democracy depends on it.” 
    Through the government funding bill passed earlier this year, CPB will receive $535 million in advanced appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. However, the Trump Administration has rescinded all funding that goes directly to NPR and PBS, including funding appropriated for FY 2025, FY 2026, and FY 2027. NPR and PBS provide educational programming for young children, unbiased and local new, especially in rural communities, and lifesaving emergency alerts during natural disasters.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Demands Attorney General Bondi To Recuse Herself From Any Work Benefitting Private Prison Company Due To Conflicts Of Interest

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 02, 2025
    Durbin cites Bondi’s previous representation of GEO Group and her current role overseeing DOJ’s immigration enforcement efforts, builds on his amped up Congressional oversight of Trump Administration’s immigration detention agenda
    CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from any Justice Department (DOJ)-related work that could benefit her former lobbying client, the GEO Group, a major private prison contractor whose largest source of revenue is from contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
    In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Durbin raises serious ethical concerns due to her past representation of the GEO Group and her current role in overseeing DOJ’s immigration enforcement efforts, given DOJ’s central role in advancing the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda. He also seeks clarification on whether appropriate recusals and ethical safeguards have been implemented, considering Bondi’s prior lobbying for the GEO Group and recent actions undermining internal ethics oversight.
    Durbin began with a specific call for recusal, writing: “With DOJ’s outsized role implementing President Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation agenda and the GEO Group securing long-term, multimillion-dollar contracts in recent weeks,  we call on you to recuse yourself from any and all DOJ activities, communications, or policy decisions related to immigration detention, enforcement, and contracting that could directly or indirectly benefit the GEO Group or impact its federal contracts.”
    Durbin then cited multiple memoranda that have escalated DOJ involvement in immigration enforcement since the start of the Trump Administration.
    Durbin continued by outlining the GEO Group’s significant influence in the private prison industry and recent actions that undercut the Attorney General’s promises during her confirmation hearing, writing: “During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, when asked if you would recuse yourself from any matters involving your past clients, such as the GEO Group, you said you ‘[would] consult with the career ethics officials within the Department of Justice and make the appropriate decision.’ Yet, within weeks of President Trump assuming office, then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove removed the Department’s senior career ethics official and replaced him with two political appointees with limited experience. This marks a dramatic break from past Democratic and Republican administrations, which rightly entrusted a senior career DOJ official, not political appointees, with critical decisions on ethics, recognizing that politicizing this role would endanger both the Department’s integrity and its employees.”
    Durbin concluded with admonishing the stripping of critical safeguards at the Department before making a series of information requests, writing: “Given the removal of critical safeguards designed to ensure that the actions of Department officials are ethical, we can no longer be sure you have properly recused yourself from matters related to the GEO Group. With DOJ fully integrated into the Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda and GEO securing long-term, multimillion-dollar contracts as a result, you cannot credibly claim neutrality on enforcement matters. The ethical considerations are too great to ignore.”
    For a PDF of the letter to Attorney General Bondi, click here.
    The demand for recusal is the latest step in Durbin’s ongoing inquiry into medical and mental health care in DHS’s facilities. Yesterday, Durbin sent oversight requests to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and three major private contractors operating immigration facilities—CoreCivic, the GEO Group, and LaSalle Corrections—seeking clarity on the spending of taxpayer dollars, existing safeguards and accountability measures, and protection of detainees’ rights.
    Earlier this year, Durbin released a revealing investigative report on inadequate care in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and pressed for further investigation into deficient medical care in CBP detention facilities after whistleblower reports alleged systemic failures by DHS to ensure proper oversight of its medical care contractor.
    Durbin continues to actively investigate care in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, which he initiated with letters to ICE and the Government Accountability Office. A June 2024 report from the American Civil Liberties Union, Physicians for Human Rights, and American Oversight found that 95 percent of documented deaths in ICE custody between 2017-2021 were likely preventable.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Delivers House Floor Speech on California’s Right to Clean Air

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    May 01, 2025

    Rep. Mike Levin Defends California’s Right to Clean Air on the House Floor

    Washington, D.C.- Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) delivered a speech on the House Floor against House Republicans’ effort to repeal clean air protections for California through the Congressional Review Act.

    Watch the full House Floor speech here. Full remarks below.

    “M. Speaker, I rise today to support California’s right to clean air.

    “Growing up in Southern California in the 1980s, smog alerts were a regular part of life.

    “A lap around the track at school and your chest would burn. We can’t go back to those days.

    “When President Richard Nixon signed the Federal Clean Air Act in 1970, California under Governor Reagan, was given a waiver letting us set stricter air pollution rules than the federal government.

    “Over the years, Republican and Democratic leaders alike — from Governors Reagan, to Jerry Brown, to Arnold Schwarzenegger — stood together to protect California’s right to clean up our air.

    “But now, House Republicans are trying to strip away California’s ability to set our own air pollution standards.

    “So much for state’s rights.

    “After all the progress we’ve made, they want to turn back the clock and do the bidding of big polluters.

    “Clean air isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a public health issue, and I will never, never stop fighting to protect it.

    “Thank you.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –