NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Time to prepare for better floodwater management at Murray Mouth – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    Extended drought and warm weather are damaging South Australia’s marine ecosystems, and periodic flooding of the River Murray poses another major risk.

    A significant flood in the Murray-Darling Basin in 2022-23 gave Flinders University researchers a rare opportunity to analyse conditions that damaged biodiversity and water quality for both marine species and local ecosystems, some at popular tourist locations south of Adelaide.

    A new study led by the Beach and Dune Systems (BEADS) Lab at Flinders University provides a detailed framework for understanding how the river discharge increased turbidity (silt, clay and other suspended particles in the water) as the sediment plume expanded across thousands of kilometres from the river mouth westwards around the Fleurieu Peninsula into Gulf St Vincent.

    “During this period of high riverine discharge, we measured the spatial extent and intensity of the surface sediment plume, with our satellite imagery providing a reference point for future plume behaviour – particularly near shore for targeted monitoring,” says Flinders environmental science honours student Evan Corbett.

    “Interestingly we found the historically important sediment plume within the coastal region reached its maximum spatial extent of 13,681 km2 during the eight-day period beginning on 11 December 2022, more than a month before the peak discharge occurred.”

    The local monitoring and satellite imaging between November 2022 and February 2023 measured the volume of water discharge, turbidity levels affecting regular seawater quality, surface winds, barrage controls and other factors.

    The study found the major plume typically pooled near the river’s mouth within the northern corner of Long Bay, before migrating persistently westward around the Fleurieu Peninsula through Backstairs Passage into Gulf St Vincent, occasionally exhibiting brief eastward migration periods.

    Fine organic and inorganic particulate matter in water can make it cloudy or opaque, often having a detrimental impact on ecosystems when it occurs in large amounts.  

    Strategic Professor in Coastal Studies Patrick Hesp, who leads Environmental Sciences at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering, says the study – in collaboration with University of Adelaide lecturer Dr Sami Rifai – used technology which effectively built a useful dataset to direct future research.

    “This study highlights the significant role of riverine discharge in driving the surface sediment plume’s spatial extent and intensities, particularly within the plume’s inner core,” says Professor Hesp.

    “Revealing when and where plumes are likely to form and evolve, this study provides a foundation for targeted monitoring, timely management interventions, and informed planning to reduce the discussed ecological and socio-economic risks associated with extreme river discharge events in the future.

    “By improving how we measure and analyse these environmental events, we pave the way for better coastal management strategies, ensuring beaches and ecosystems remain more stable and resilient in the face of changing climate and weather conditions.”

    The article, ‘Temporal and spatial distribution of 2022–2023 River Murray major flood sediment plume’ (2025) by Evan Corbett, Sami W Rifai (University of Adelaide), Graziela Miot da Silva and Patrick A Hesp has been published in the journal Remote Sensing. DOI: 10.3390/rs17101711.

    https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17101711

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cheating by car makers, tampering by owners: crucial car pollution control is being sabotaged

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin Smit, Adjunct Professor of Transport, University of Technology Sydney

    Peter Cade/Getty

    Emission control systems in modern cars have slashed air pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.

    But these systems face two major challenges: carmakers cheating on pollution tests and owner tampering. Cheating means high-polluting cars can be sold when they shouldn’t be, while tampering can increase some pollutants up to 100 times.

    In our new research review, we found the impacts of cheating and tampering on emissions of pollutants are substantial across the globe. For instance, researchers in Spain found almost half the diesel trucks had been tampered with, while the Volkswagen Dieselgate cheating scandal uncovered in 2015 led to an estimated A$60 billion in health costs in the European Union. In California, researchers found one in 12 trucks had a damaged or malfunctioning diesel particulate filter – and these high-emitting trucks contributed 70% of the entire fleet’s emissions of tiny particulate matter.

    The solutions? Better detection of tampering, cheating and malfunctioning emission systems – and vigilance to get high polluting cars off the road.

    Catalytic converters and other emissions control systems have slashed air pollutant emissions from modern cars.
    Virrage Images/Shutterstock

    How did we get here?

    From the 1950s onwards, smog, air pollution and health issues from car exhausts led many regulators to require carmakers to reduce dangerous air pollutants.

    These days, modern combustion-engine cars are complex computer-controlled systems optimised to balance engine performance, durability and emission control. When working properly, new vehicles can reduce air pollutant emissions by 90% or more. However, they can increase carbon dioxide emissions by using slightly more fuel.

    But these pollutants can soar if emissions control systems malfunction – or suffer from intentional cheating or tampering.

    Cheating and tampering are not new. Cheating was first reported in the 1970s and it’s still happening. Tampering, too, dates back to the 1970s.

    Both issues worsen air quality. These excess air pollutants have substantial costs to human health, as they can trigger respiratory conditions and can cause disability and premature death.

    While the numbers of electric vehicles are rising, they’re only about 5% of the global fleet – about 60 million compared to about 1.5 billion cars powered by petrol, diesel and gas.

    Because cars have relatively long lifespans, many fossil-fuel powered cars will still be in use in 2050, now just 25 years away. Many will be exported from rich countries to developing economies. That means effective pollutant control still matters.

    Cheating by manufacturers

    It’s well established combustion engine cars produce substantially more emissions and pollutants during real-world driving than they do in regulatory tests.

    There are many reasons for this, including natural wear and tear. But one big reason may be cheating.

    Authorities in many nations rely on testing to see if a new model is emitting at rates low enough to meet emission standards.

    Manufacturers can take advantage of the known quirks of official tests and intentionally alter how their vehicles operate during testing. To do this, they may install a “defeat device”, usually deep in the car’s engine or its computer code.

    These devices shift the car to a special low-emissions mode if testing is detected. They’re typically easy for the automaker to install and difficult to detect.

    Car makers can cheat on emission tests by installing defeat devices or other countermeasures.
    Belish/Shutterstock

    Defeat devices are mainly found in diesel cars and trucks, since diesel emissions control systems are more complicated and expensive than petrol or LPG. Adding an emission control system to meet Euro 6 standards costs about $600 for a petrol car. For diesel, the cost can be three to five times higher.

    In 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California announced Volkswagen had been using a software-based defeat device to make its diesel cars appear substantially cleaner. The scandal drew worldwide attention and cost the company about $50 billion.

    For those caught, large fines and mandatory recalls have followed. But this hasn’t been enough to stop the practice.

    The way these tests are conducted usually has to be disclosed by law to ensure transparency and make results comparable and repeatable. Unfortunately, having detailed knowledge of the tests makes it easier to cheat.

    Tampering by car owners

    Tampering is largely done by owners of diesel cars and trucks. Owners can tamper with emission control systems to improve performance, rebel against laws they don’t agree with or avoid extra costs such as Adblue, a liquid needed to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel trucks.

    Tampering is usually illegal. But that hasn’t stopped the production of aftermarket tampering devices, such as software which deactivates emission control systems. It’s not necessarily illegal to sell these devices, but it is illegal to install and use them.

    In the road freight sector, the use of aftermarket tampering by vehicle owners also acts as an unfair economic advantage by undercutting responsible and law-abiding operators.

    What should be done?

    Combustion engine cars and trucks will be on the world’s roads for decades to come.

    Ensuring they run as cleanly as possible over their lifetime will require independent and in-service emissions testing. Authorities will also need to focus on enforcement.

    Creating an internationally agreed test protocol for the detection of defeat devices will also be necessary.

    Combating tampering by owners as well as malfunctioning emissions systems will require better detection efforts, either through on-road emissions testing or during a car service.

    One approach would be to add telemetry to the onboard diagnostics systems now common in modern cars. Telemetry radio transponders can report emissions problems to the owner and relevant authorities, who can then act.

    Shifting to EVs offers the most robust and cost-effective way to combat fraud and cut exhaust pollutants and carbon emissions from road transport. But this will take decades. Authorities need to ensure diesel and petrol vehicles run as cleanly as possible until they can be retired.

    Robin Smit is the founding Research Director at the Transport Energy/Emission Research (TER) consultancy.

    Alberto Ayala 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. Cheating by car makers, tampering by owners: crucial car pollution control is being sabotaged – https://theconversation.com/cheating-by-car-makers-tampering-by-owners-crucial-car-pollution-control-is-being-sabotaged-255882

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: IVF is big business. But when patients become customers, what does this mean for their care?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilary Bowman-Smart, Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia

    Monash IVF CEO Michael Knaap has resigned after one of the company’s Melbourne clinics mistakenly transferred the wrong embryo to a patient. The patient wanted her partner’s embryo, but instead her own embryo was transferred.

    It is the second time this year Monash IVF has made such an announcement. In April, the company revealed a clinic in Brisbane had mixed up two different couples’ embryos.

    IVF is big business in Australia. When Monash IVF was listed on the stock exchange in 2014, it raised more than A$300 million, with financial analysts noting the potential for massive profits, as “people will pay almost anything to have a baby”.

    Total annual revenue in Australia from the IVF industry is more than $800 million. But what does the booming IVF industry mean for patients?

    Strong regulation is crucial

    In Australia, regulation of the IVF industry largely happens at the state and territory level. This leads to variation, such as restrictions on single women accessing IVF in Western Australia, which other states do not have.

    Victoria passed legislation in 2008, with a guiding principle to safeguard children born through assisted reproduction. However, until recently, Queensland largely relied on industry self-regulation.

    The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, the peak body for reproductive medicine, has called for a national regulatory framework to address the current “patchwork” of legislation.

    Commercialisation is not necessarily a bad thing for patients. It can lead to innovation that improves the chances of successfully having a baby.

    However, clinicians, ethicists and patients have raised concerns about the effects of commercialisation on the quality and cost of service provision in IVF.

    With the rapid growth of the sector and high-profile incidents such as those at Monash IVF, stronger and more comprehensive regulation at the national level can help ensure quality and safety for patients.

    High costs can lead to inequities in access

    Most IVF in Australia occurs in private practice, not the public system. While Medicare rebates are available, there is usually a significant out-of-pocket expense. This can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands for each cycle. IVF can therefore be a big financial decision. Financial expense is one of the biggest barriers, which leads to inequities in access between those who can afford it and those who can’t.

    The costs stack up even more if you want non-essential “add-ons”, such as pre-implantation genetic testing, acupuncture, or embryo time-lapse imaging. A study in 2021 found 82% of women using IVF in Australia had used an add-on during their IVF treatment.

    Many IVF clinics offer these add-ons, which are promoted as improving patient experience, or the chance of a successful birth. Add-ons are offered as a point of difference on the market.

    However, the evidence for these claims is often weak or non-existent. They also come with significant costs and can potentially take advantage of people’s hopes, if they are willing to pay “whatever it takes” to have a baby.



    Read more:
    IVF add-ons: why you should be cautious of these expensive procedures if you’re trying to conceive

    Patients or customers?

    Commercial providers in the IVF industry can help provide choice, particularly as it is difficult to get IVF in the public system.

    However, when health care becomes a business, a risk is that the relationship between the patient and doctor can be affected: a patient seeking treatment becomes a “customer” buying a product.

    The therapeutic relationship should be about enhancing patients’ health and wellbeing, relieving suffering, and promoting human flourishing.

    When we talk about “choice” in medicine, we often think about ideas such as informed consent, autonomy and the best interests of the patient. However, if we think of patients as customers, “choice” may become more about being free to purchase what you want to.

    The commercialisation of the sector can also increase the risk of over-servicing, where financial incentives may shape medical decision-making.

    This doesn’t necessarily mean clinics are making deliberate decisions or misleading patients for financial benefit. However, it can mean doing more IVF cycles, even as success becomes increasingly unlikely.

    We need to ensure doctors don’t feel pressure – directly or indirectly – to provide particular treatments just because a patient is willing to pay for it.

    Medical professionals’ obligations

    Doctors and other healthcare professionals have special responsibilities and moral obligations because of their role. They serve an essential human need in society because of their particular expertise in health and wellbeing. And they often have a monopoly on the essential services they offer.

    Without patients’ trust that clinicians are being guided by medical reasons instead of financial ones, their special and privileged role to promote human flourishing can be undermined.

    This special role is not necessarily incompatible with business. However, it is essential we allow doctors to maintain their focus on patient wellbeing. This is reflected in the doctors’ code of conduct, which notes their “duty to make the care of patients their first concern”.

    What happens next?

    Much public and media discourse has framed the embryo mix-up primarily as a reputational and financial risk to Monash IVF – but it is about patients. It’s not (just) an error of corporate governance, it’s about the special trust that we as a society place in medical practice.

    IVF is expensive, and can be tough both emotionally and physically. One of the ways we can ensure trust in IVF services is by moving towards consistent and improved regulation at the national level. This might include more uniform standards and policies around who is eligible for IVF.

    IVF industry regulation is on the agenda for the federal and state health ministers tomorrow. While there is still much to be done, a review of the regulation and processes in this sector could help prevent more embryo mix-ups from happening in the future.



    Read more:
    Why do women get ‘reassurance scans’ during pregnancy? And how can you spot a dodgy provider?

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

    – ref. IVF is big business. But when patients become customers, what does this mean for their care? – https://theconversation.com/ivf-is-big-business-but-when-patients-become-customers-what-does-this-mean-for-their-care-258585

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace – Shane Jones indicates NZ’s entire EEZ now open for oil and gas free-for-all

    Source: Greenpeace

    In a speech to the energy industry in Singapore this week, Shane Jones signalled a major change to New Zealand’s oil and gas exploration rules.
    It appears the Government plans to remove restrictions that previously limited oil and gas exploration to defined block offer areas and instead allow oil and gas companies to apply for exploration permits across all of New Zealand’s territory.
    Greenpeace has condemned the move, warning it risks turning Aotearoa into a free-for-all for the oil and gas industry, threatening the climate, marine life and the coastline.
    “Ending the oil and gas exploration ban was bad enough – but this entirely new free-for-all approach could see multinational oil corporations carrying out risky deep sea drilling anywhere in New Zealand’s oceans,” says Greenpeace spokesperson Gen Toop.
    “This is a giant leap backwards for the climate. Opening up all of New Zealand’s ocean and land to oil and gas exploration is reckless – it flies in the face of what the science says is needed to avoid climate catastrophe.”
    “The climate science is clear. We cannot afford to burn known fossil fuel reserves, let alone search for more. This latest move by Shane Jones is climate denial in action.”
    “Luxon’s Government cannot continue to claim that they take climate change remotely seriously while opening up the entire ocean in New Zealand to fossil fuel extraction,” says Toop.
    In his speech, Minister Jones stated: “… we are giving the oil and gas exploration market a new Open Market Application process, meaning all acreage is open for application, and you’re not restricted to block offers.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: From farm to plate, China steps up push to reduce food waste

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

    At a bustling restaurant in Tianjin’s Xiqing District, signs reading “Save Food” catch the eye. After lunch with her family, a woman surnamed Wang carefully packs up a half-eaten bowl of congee to take home.

    “I want my child to learn the value of food from an early age,” she said, tucking the container into her bag, a small act echoing a nationwide push to reduce food waste.

    From public awareness campaigns to industry overhauls, China is undergoing a green transformation in how it grows, prepares and consumes food.

    Restaurant manager Guo Ke said the nationwide “Clear Your Plate” campaign has led to tangible change in diners’ behavior, while the food service industry is also improving its practices.

    “We follow a purchase-on-demand model to avoid overstocking ingredients,” Guo said. “Scientific management in storage and food preparation helps us make the most of every item.”

    The restaurant also offers half-size and small portions to encourage customers to order more reasonably, he added.

    At the policy level, China has passed a landmark anti-food waste law, forming a robust legal framework to tackle waste from farm to chopsticks. Under the law, catering service providers are required to remind customers to avoid excessive ordering and can charge a disposal fee for large amounts of leftovers.

    Additionally, a food security law, implemented in 2023, includes provisions to promote grain conservation, reinforcing the legal foundation for nationwide efforts against waste.

    Authorities have also introduced national standards, such as the credit rating evaluation standard for the restaurant industry and the general principles for food waste reduction management in catering services.

    “China now boasts one of the world’s most comprehensive anti-food waste systems,” said Wu Bo, associate professor at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics.

    Under policy guidance, cities across the country are embracing the shift.

    In Beijing, “food banks” have been piloted to give a second life to near-expiry groceries by redistributing them to communities in need. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the “Clear Your Plate” campaign has taken root in the restaurant industry, helping slash kitchen waste by nearly 50 percent.

    By the end of last year, Shanghai had certified 2,950 “green restaurants,” where food safety, low-carbon practices and ethical business standards are taken into consideration.

    Beyond the “Clear Your Plate” campaign, efforts to curb food waste now stretch across the entire supply chain, from smarter farming to greener logistics.

    At a modern agricultural farm in Tianjin, drones and transplanters work in sync with satellite data to manage rice fields more efficiently, where less grain is wasted during the production.

    “A six-person team can manage over 1,300 hectares of rice fields, with yields improving year after year thanks to tailored, eco-friendly solutions,” said Dai Renqiang, farm manager.

    Yet, on a macro level, challenges still remain. Data from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows 8 percent of China’s grain is lost in the process from production and harvesting to storage, transport and consumption.

    To address such issues, China launched a national action plan in late 2024 to build a long-term mechanism for food saving. The plan aims to keep grain production, storage, transport and processing loss rates below the international average by 2027.

    “Going beyond simple conservation, China’s green dining transformation reflects a deeper commitment to sustainability — and a vision for safeguarding the future of food and society,” Wu Bo believed. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are sunsets so pretty in winter? There’s a simple explanation

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chloe Wilkins, Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Solar Physics, University of Newcastle

    nelo2309/Shutterstock

    If you live in the southern hemisphere and have been stopped in your tracks by a recent sunset, you may have noticed they seem more vibrant lately. The colours are brighter and bolder, and they linger longer in the sky.

    Why are sunsets “better” at some times of the year compared to others? We can use science to explain this.

    There are many ingredients for a “good” sunset, but the main three are clear skies, low humidity, and the Sun sitting low in the sky.

    In winter, sunsets sometimes look much more vivid that in summer – and yes, temperature plays a role.
    Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash

    From light to colour

    To understand why we get such vibrant sunsets in the colder months of the year, we first need to know how colours appear in the sky.

    All visible light is actually energy that travels in waves; the length of those waves determines the colour that our eyes see.

    Although sunlight might look white to us, it’s actually a mix of different wavelengths of light that make up all the visible colours – from fiery reds and oranges (longer wavelengths) to deep blues and purples (shorter wavelengths).

    The wavelength of light determines the colour we see. At shorter wavelengths, the colours are purple and blue, while at longer wavelengths they are red and orange.
    DrSciComm/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    These individual colours become visible when sunlight is “scattered”, which is precisely what happens when it passes through the invisible gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere – mostly nitrogen and oxygen.

    When sunlight hits these molecules, it’s absorbed and shot back out (scattered) in different directions. Blue and violet light is scattered more strongly than red and orange light – this is also why the sky looks blue during the day.

    The path of the Sun

    In the middle of the day when the Sun is high in the sky, sunlight travels a more direct path through the atmosphere.

    The path of the Sun’s light through the atmosphere is longer at sunset than it is at noon.
    The Conversation

    But when the Sun is closer to the horizon, the path is less direct. This means that during sunrises and sunsets, sunlight travels through more of Earth’s atmosphere. And more atmosphere means more scattering.

    In fact, during sunsets, the blue and violet light encounters so many oxygen and nitrogen molecules that it is completely scattered away. What we’re left with is the longer wavelengths of light – the reds and oranges. In other words, more atmosphere means more fiery sunsets.

    But why are sunsets especially magnificent during winter? One reason is the Sun’s position in the sky during different times of the year.

    The Sun travels a longer and higher path in the sky in summer compared to winter. This affects the duration of sunsets.
    The Conversation, Shutterstock

    Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, giving us day and night. But this axis isn’t perfectly “upright” relative to the Sun – it’s tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees. This tilt is why we have seasons. The southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun around the start and end of the calendar year (southern summer), and away from the Sun around the middle of the year (southern winter).

    Because of this tilt, the Sun sits lower in the sky during winter, which is why the days are shorter. And because the Sun sits lower, it spends more time near the horizon as it rises and sets. That’s why winter sunsets often seem to last longer.

    Earth has seasons because its axis is tilted. The axis always points in the same direction as our planet orbits the Sun.
    Bureau of Meteorology

    The quality of the air

    Humidity and air quality also play a big role when it comes to vibrant winter sunsets.

    In winter, humidity is typically much lower than in the warmer summer months, meaning there’s less moisture in the air. Humid air often contains tiny water droplets, which can scatter incoming sunlight. This scattering is slightly different to how the oxygen and nitrogen molecules scatter light – here, even red and orange light can be affected.

    When humidity is high, the extra scattering by these small water droplets can cause sunsets to appear softer or more washed out.

    Even on a clear summer’s night, the sunset will appear more muted if the air humidity is high.
    Doug Bagg/Unsplash

    In drier winter air, with fewer of these water droplets in the way, sunlight can travel through the atmosphere with less interference. This means the colours can shine through more vividly, making for crisper and more vibrant sunsets.

    If you’re looking to a catch a spectacular sunset, you’ll want to wait for a nice, clear winter’s evening. Cloud cover and air pollution can block the sunlight and mute the colours we see.

    So the next time you find yourself wrapped up in a warm jumper at dusk, be sure to look up – there could be a spectacular light show playing out just above you.

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

    – ref. Why are sunsets so pretty in winter? There’s a simple explanation – https://theconversation.com/why-are-sunsets-so-pretty-in-winter-theres-a-simple-explanation-258192

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why are sunsets so pretty in winter? There’s a simple explanation

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Chloe Wilkins, Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Solar Physics, University of Newcastle

    nelo2309/Shutterstock

    If you live in the southern hemisphere and have been stopped in your tracks by a recent sunset, you may have noticed they seem more vibrant lately. The colours are brighter and bolder, and they linger longer in the sky.

    Why are sunsets “better” at some times of the year compared to others? We can use science to explain this.

    There are many ingredients for a “good” sunset, but the main three are clear skies, low humidity, and the Sun sitting low in the sky.

    In winter, sunsets sometimes look much more vivid that in summer – and yes, temperature plays a role.
    Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash

    From light to colour

    To understand why we get such vibrant sunsets in the colder months of the year, we first need to know how colours appear in the sky.

    All visible light is actually energy that travels in waves; the length of those waves determines the colour that our eyes see.

    Although sunlight might look white to us, it’s actually a mix of different wavelengths of light that make up all the visible colours – from fiery reds and oranges (longer wavelengths) to deep blues and purples (shorter wavelengths).

    The wavelength of light determines the colour we see. At shorter wavelengths, the colours are purple and blue, while at longer wavelengths they are red and orange.
    DrSciComm/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    These individual colours become visible when sunlight is “scattered”, which is precisely what happens when it passes through the invisible gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere – mostly nitrogen and oxygen.

    When sunlight hits these molecules, it’s absorbed and shot back out (scattered) in different directions. Blue and violet light is scattered more strongly than red and orange light – this is also why the sky looks blue during the day.

    The path of the Sun

    In the middle of the day when the Sun is high in the sky, sunlight travels a more direct path through the atmosphere.

    The path of the Sun’s light through the atmosphere is longer at sunset than it is at noon.
    The Conversation

    But when the Sun is closer to the horizon, the path is less direct. This means that during sunrises and sunsets, sunlight travels through more of Earth’s atmosphere. And more atmosphere means more scattering.

    In fact, during sunsets, the blue and violet light encounters so many oxygen and nitrogen molecules that it is completely scattered away. What we’re left with is the longer wavelengths of light – the reds and oranges. In other words, more atmosphere means more fiery sunsets.

    But why are sunsets especially magnificent during winter? One reason is the Sun’s position in the sky during different times of the year.

    The Sun travels a longer and higher path in the sky in summer compared to winter. This affects the duration of sunsets.
    The Conversation, Shutterstock

    Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, giving us day and night. But this axis isn’t perfectly “upright” relative to the Sun – it’s tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees. This tilt is why we have seasons. The southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun around the start and end of the calendar year (southern summer), and away from the Sun around the middle of the year (southern winter).

    Because of this tilt, the Sun sits lower in the sky during winter, which is why the days are shorter. And because the Sun sits lower, it spends more time near the horizon as it rises and sets. That’s why winter sunsets often seem to last longer.

    Earth has seasons because its axis is tilted. The axis always points in the same direction as our planet orbits the Sun.
    Bureau of Meteorology

    The quality of the air

    Humidity and air quality also play a big role when it comes to vibrant winter sunsets.

    In winter, humidity is typically much lower than in the warmer summer months, meaning there’s less moisture in the air. Humid air often contains tiny water droplets, which can scatter incoming sunlight. This scattering is slightly different to how the oxygen and nitrogen molecules scatter light – here, even red and orange light can be affected.

    When humidity is high, the extra scattering by these small water droplets can cause sunsets to appear softer or more washed out.

    Even on a clear summer’s night, the sunset will appear more muted if the air humidity is high.
    Doug Bagg/Unsplash

    In drier winter air, with fewer of these water droplets in the way, sunlight can travel through the atmosphere with less interference. This means the colours can shine through more vividly, making for crisper and more vibrant sunsets.

    If you’re looking to a catch a spectacular sunset, you’ll want to wait for a nice, clear winter’s evening. Cloud cover and air pollution can block the sunlight and mute the colours we see.

    So the next time you find yourself wrapped up in a warm jumper at dusk, be sure to look up – there could be a spectacular light show playing out just above you.

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

    – ref. Why are sunsets so pretty in winter? There’s a simple explanation – https://theconversation.com/why-are-sunsets-so-pretty-in-winter-theres-a-simple-explanation-258192

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 11th, 2025 Heinrich Highlights Harmful Impact of DOGE Cuts to the Department of the Interior, Slams President Trump’s Interior Budget Request

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — In his opening statement, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee, grilled the U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the Trump Administration’s budget request for the Department of the Interior, which will further gut the Department already reeling from chaos and mismanagement by the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE.

    VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers opening remarks on the Department of Interior’s Fiscal 2026 budget request before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, June 11, 2025.

    “Mr. Secretary, when you were going through the confirmation process, I believed that you would be a responsible steward of our public lands, conservative, of course, but responsible. And with your experience in the private sector and as a governor, I believed that you could rein in the sometimes reckless tendencies of DOGE, at least within the Department of Interior,” said Heinrich in his opening statement. “We’re never going to agree on everything, but I thought we could agree that our public lands are the greatest heritage of our nation, and we have a responsibility to hand them down to the next generation, well-stewarded.

    Heinrich continued, “This budget request will not resource your department to responsibly steward our lands and waters. The proposal for the Interior Department operations next year includes a 30 percent cut across programs. It’s no exaggeration to say that this would cripple the Department as we know it.”

    A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here.

    A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below:

    We are here today to talk about the budget proposal of a department that is, quite frankly, not resourced to meet its mission.

    Parks are cutting hours and services for visitors. Ranger tours are cancelled. Toilets are overflowing and trashcans sit unemptied.

    Permits are languishing on empty desks. Energy projects are delayed or cancelled.

    Contracts slowly wind their way through a byzantine bureaucracy that was invented overnight.

    The senior leadership positions at the department are mostly vacant.

    Roughly 100 park superintendent positions are vacant. Five of the seven regional director positions for the National Park Service sit empty.

    At the Bureau of Land Management, about a third of senior leadership positions are vacant, including both deputy directors and the director position itself.

    And the front-line staff is in no better shape.

    After promising to hire 7,700 seasonal employees to serve Americans visiting their national parks this summer, the Park Service has managed, at least according to public reports, to hire only half that. Memorial Day is gone. The 4th of July just around the corner.

    And all of this has occurred before this budget request is put place.

    Mr. Secretary, when you were going through the confirmation process, I believed that you would be a responsible steward of our public lands, conservative, of course, but responsible. And with your experience in the private sector and as a governor, I believed that you could rein in the sometimes reckless tendencies of DOGE, at least within the Department of Interior.

    We’re never going to agree on everything, but I thought we could agree that our public lands are the greatest heritage of our nation, and we have a responsibility to hand them down to the next generation, well-stewarded.

    This budget request will not resource your department to responsibly steward our lands and waters.

    The proposal for the Interior Department operations next year includes a 30 percent cut across programs.

    It’s no exaggeration to say that this would cripple the department as we know it.

    The cut to the Park Service is paid for by getting rid of most park system units.

    The National Park System would have to lose more than 350 of its 433 units to swallow that kind of a proposed cut.

    And yet, the Department has still not told us which units those might be.

    Any hope for a speedier permitting system from the BLM is gone, with a proposed 35 percent cut to that agency.

    Anyone who needs a recreation permit, a right-of-way, or a grazing lease will be left waiting. That is not efficiency.

    The 35 percent cut to the Bureau of Reclamation puts critical water infrastructure at risk of failing to safely deliver water to farmers, fish, and people.

    The proposal completely eliminates the WaterSMART program that provides resources to local, often rural communities and water users to conserve water and to make efficiency improvements to their water infrastructure, thereby reducing conflicts over this scarce resource.

    The nearly 40 percent cut to the U.S. Geological Survey would kneecap the scientific research we need to understand how our natural world is changing in the face of a changing climate

    And the major reduction to the Natural Hazards program would leave communities more vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanos, and landslides.

    The proposal also completely eliminates the biological resources program at USGS, which could mean abandoning bird flu monitoring, closing the most advanced wildlife disease lab in the United States, and discontinuing research efforts for climate adaptation.

    The USGS migratory bird research also directly informs the Fish and Wildlife Service’s bag limits for migratory bird hunting seasons. Eliminating this research would hobble the management of migratory bird hunting seasons.

    One of the seven pillars of the North American model of wildlife conservation, the foundation of wildlife management in the United States, is scientific management. We cannot manage wildlife without wildlife science.

    The budget proposal also overturns the bipartisan work of this committee in 2020 to pass the Great American Outdoors Act signed into law by this president.

    Instead of supporting reauthorization of this great accomplishment, this budget robs the Land and Water Conservation Fund in order to pay for deferred maintenance projects.

    And lastly, but most importantly, this budget request, if implemented, would cause irreparable harm to Indian Country.

    With 30-plus percent cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, this budget represents a dereliction of every treaty obligation this country has to tribes and their members.

    This proposal even cuts the BIA’s Public Safety account, belying any claim that this administration might try to make that it cares for the safety of people of Indian Country.

    Mr. Secretary, you promised to prioritize the needs of Indian country in your time leading this department, but this budget simply doesn’t give you the resources to be able to effectively accomplish that.

    I think we need to do better, which I say out of respect for you and our shared values.

    It is often said a president’s budget requests that they’re “dead on arrival” on Capitol Hill.

    For the sake of the shared landscapes that we hold in trust for our grandchildren. I hope that’s the case for this budget.

    I yield back my time.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Backing New Zealand’s native forest champions

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today congratulated the winners of the inaugural Growing Native Forests Champions Awards for driving real progress in native forest establishment and land use innovation.

    “This is what good land management looks like — native forests that support both the environment and the rural economy,” Mr McClay says.

    “This is practical, long-term investment in our land that delivers environmental and economic benefits while supporting farm profitability.”

    With 59 entries this year, the awards show what’s possible when innovation meets local knowledge — from farmers and lifestyle block owners to iwi and forestry companies.

    “Native forests and farming go hand in hand. We can farm the best land and plant natives on the most vulnerable, stabilising hillsides and safeguarding waterways.

    “These winners prove native planting can work alongside other productive land uses to deliver real results.”

    Award Winners:

    • Lifestyle Block Owner: Paul and Katherina Quinlan, Northland — pioneers of sustainable tōtara timber management.
    • Mana Whenua: Kapenga M Trust, Bay of Plenty — blending mātauranga Māori and science to grow native forests and create jobs.
    • Trees on Farms: Ian Brennan, Waikato — integrating natives for ecosystem health and income through continuous cover forestry.
    • Forestry Company: Tasman Pine Forests, Nelson/Tasman — restoring native forests, controlling wilding pines, and protecting native species.
    • Catchment/Community: Wai Kōkopu, Bay of Plenty — retiring erodible land and improving estuary health while supporting profitable farming.

    Each winner received a handcrafted trophy made from native timbers — a symbol of their commitment to New Zealand’s land and future.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Thursday’s Forecasted High Temperatures

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today reminded New Yorkers to stay safe this summer during periods of elevated temperatures. Higher than normal temperatures are forecast for New York City for tomorrow, June 12. The National Weather Service HeatRisk index forecasts potential heat risks for the New York City area which will impact most individuals sensitive to heat. In addition to the heat risks, an Air Quality Health Advisory is being issued for Thursday for the Long Island, New York City Metro, and Lower Hudson Valley regions due to fine particulate matter pollution caused by wildland fires in Western Canada.

    “With summer almost here, New Yorkers should make plans to stay cool and safe, and sensitive groups should take steps to especially avoid potential health issues from high temperatures, humidity, and air quality,” Governor Hochul said. “I encourage everyone to be prepared for periods of warmer weather, including making a preparedness plan and knowing the location of local cooling centers.”

    New York State provides resources on the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services website to help residents stay cool and to help prepare for extreme heat ahead of the summer season. In addition, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today released preliminary urban heat island maps to help communities plan and adapt to extreme heat in the future.

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Governor Hochul, DEC, and our partnering agencies are working together to help protect the air we breathe, educate the public on how to prepare and stay healthy, and ensure resources are available to address extreme heat and other harmful climate impacts. DEC’s updated heat maps are the latest step in helping New Yorkers in disadvantaged communities and statewide better understand heat threats, inform climate solutions, support actions to address urban heat islands, and protect public health.”

    New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme heat can have a significant impact on people’s health, especially older people. Take steps to stay cool ahead of the hot weather including installing air conditioners and locating cooling centers in your area that will be open. People should also familiarize themselves with the symptoms and treatments for heat-related illnesses. During high heat drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned space and out of the sun, monitor your local forecast and check in on friends and neighbors who live alone or may be at risk.”

    New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tem Randy Simons said, “Our New York State Park pools, beaches and spraygrounds are gearing up to help people cool off in the summer heat. Remember to always keep safety in mind for yourself and your loved ones while enjoying a day at the beach or the pool.”

    Air Quality Advisory

    An Air Quality Health Advisory for PM2.5 is being issued for tomorrow, June 12, 2025, for the Long Island, New York City, and Lower Hudson Valley regions due to the impact of smoke from wildfires in Canada.

    New Yorkers are encouraged be “Air Quality Aware” and check airnow.gov for accurate information on air quality forecasts and conditions. Information about exposure to smoke from fires can be found on DOH’s website.

    Staying Safe During Higher Temperatures

    The dangers of hot temperatures can affect everyone, regardless of age, physical shape, or existing health conditions. The body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature during extreme heat and, without taking proper measures, this can lead to heat-related illness or even death. Governor Hochul recently announced a suite of actions to help New Yorkers stay cool during extreme heat events this summer.

    Pools and beaches at New York State Parks are available for swimming, dependent on location. Prior to making a trip, visitors should call ahead to the park they plan to visit or  check the New York State Parks website  for any updates as weather and water conditions may affect swimming status. Park status updates are also available on the free New York State Parks Explorer mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

    New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tem Randy Simons said, “Our New York State Park pools, beaches and spraygrounds are gearing up to help people cool off in the summer heat. Remember to always keep safety in mind for yourself and your loved ones while enjoying a day at the beach or the pool.”

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “As extreme heat events and air quality issues become more frequent due to climate change, it’s important that people know what resources are available to help them stay safe. Poor air quality can pose serious health risks, especially for people with asthma and heart conditions. New Yorkers can visit airnow.gov for the latest air quality forecast. Be alert for signs of heat related illness, like dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be life threatening. I also encourage everyone to keep an eye on one another and take action if you think someone is experiencing heat or air quality related illness.”

    Learn more about heat related illness, including signs and symptoms and when to take action on the State Department of Health website here.

    The New York state Department of Health’s interactive Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard allows the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their area and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.

    Information about what the public can do during hot weather and how to  locate cooling centers  can be found on  DOH’s Extreme Heat website.

    For a complete listing of weather watches, warnings, advisories and latest forecasts,  visit the National Weather Service website.

    To view the latest DEC air quality forecasts, visit the DEC website.

    Implementing the Extreme Heat Action Plan

    DEC today released preliminary Urban Heat Island maps to help communities better understand, plan for, and adapt to extreme heat exposures on the neighborhood level. DEC worked in partnership with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the Davey Tree Expert Company to help identify, model, and map urban heat islands, assess extreme heat impacts and responses, and support climate actions to address urban heat island effects and extreme heat, particularly where New Yorkers are disproportionately burdened by the impacts of climate change.   

    Links to the maps, as well as additional information and data, can be found on DEC’s Extreme Heat Action Plan webpage  and posted at nys-heat.daveyinstitute.com/hottest-hour. Over the next year, more comprehensive heat exposure maps will be developed and released. Unlike the preliminary maps showing the single hottest hour based on past data, the final maps will incorporate both historical and future data based on climate change projections. The project advances a key action in the Extreme Heat Action Plan and advances a 2022 law signed by Governor Hochul directing DEC to study the impacts of disproportionate concentrations of extreme heat in disadvantaged communities across the state.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Antarctic Program appoints Chief Scientist

    Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

    The Australian Antarctic Program has appointed Professor Nerilie Abram from the Australian National University as its new Chief Scientist.
    Professor Abram is a professor of climate science, and was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2024.
    “I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be taking up the role of Chief Scientist of the AAD,” Professor Abram said.
    “Antarctica is such a special place, and the science that the Australian Antarctic Program does is critical for protecting Antarctica, and for preparing Australia and the world for how changes in Antarctica will affect us all.”

    Professor Abram has extensive experience as a climate and Antarctic scientist, most recently taking part in the Denman Terrestrial Campaign.
    She is a former Chair of the Academy of Science National Committee on Antarctic Research, where she served as Australia’s delegate to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) and on Australia’s Antarctic Science Council.
    “It is great to be coming into this role with a new and ambitious Decadal science strategy,” she said.
    “One of my first priorities will be to work with the community to develop the plans for how we will implement this strategy within the AAD, and through bringing together the expertise that we have across the whole of the Australian Antarctic science community.”
    Professor Abram said she is taking up the role of Chief Scientist at an incredibly exciting time for Australian Antarctic science.
    “Major investments in Australia’s new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, the Million Year Ice Core traverse and our national climate modelling capabilities are opening up research possibilities that we haven’t seen before,” she said.
    “The way that the Australian Antarctic science community has come together around major campaign-style research priorities offers a new way of tackling really big and important science problems.”
    The Head of the Australian Antarctic Division, Emma Campbell, said Professor Abram will be a welcome addition to the Science branch of the Division.
    “Professor Abram will be playing a key role in what will be a crucial time for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science,” she said.
     “We are planning the first environmental management voyage to Heard Island and McDonald Islands in over 20 years, which will have a significant Southern Ocean and sub-Antarctic science component,” she said.
    “We are also making excellent progress in the Million Year Ice Core campaign, as we chase the longest ice core climate record in history.
    “And the monitoring work done by our seabird teams will be crucial as we prepare for the arrival of avian influenza.”
    Professor Abram will take up the Chief Scientist posting in August.
    This content was last updated 16 minutes ago on 12 June 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 201 ways to say ‘fuck’: what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Martin Schweinberger, Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, The University of Queensland

    Our brains swear for good reasons: to vent, cope, boost our grit and feel closer to those around us. Swear words can act as social glue and play meaningful roles in how people communicate, connect and express themselves – both in person, and online.

    In our new research published in Lingua, we analysed more than 1.7 billion words of online language across 20 English-speaking regions. We identified 597 different swear word forms – from standard words, to creative spellings like “4rseholes”, to acronyms like “wtf”.

    The findings challenge a familiar stereotype. Australians – often thought of as prolific swearers – are actually outdone by Americans and Brits, both in how often they swear, and in how many users swear online.

    Facts and figures

    Our study focused on publicly available web data (such as news articles, organisational websites, government or institutional publications, and blogs – but excluding social media and private messaging). We found vulgar words made up 0.036% of all words in the dataset from the United States, followed by 0.025% in the British data and 0.022% in the Australian data.

    Although vulgar language is relatively rare in terms of overall word frequency, it was used by a significant number of individuals.

    Between 12% and 13.3% of Americans, around 10% of Brits, and 9.4% of Australians used at least one vulgar word in their data. Overall, the most frequent vulgar word was “fuck” – with all its variants, it amounted to a stunning 201 different forms.

    We focused on online language that didn’t include social media, because large-scale comparisons need robust, purpose-built datasets. In our case, we used the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) corpus, which was specifically designed to compare how English is used across different regions online.

    So how much were our findings influenced by the online data we used?

    Telling results come from research happening at the same time as ours. One study analysed the use of “fuck” in social networks on X, examining how network size and strength influence swearing in the UK, US and Australia.

    It used data from 5,660 networks with more than 435,000 users and 7.8 billion words and found what we did. Americans use “fuck” most frequently, while Australians use it the least, but with the most creative spelling variations (some comfort for anyone feeling let down by our online swearing stats).

    Teasing apart cultural differences

    Americans hold relatively conservative attitudes toward public morality, and their high swearing rates are surprising. The cultural contradiction may reflect the country’s strong individualistic culture. Americans often value personal expression – especially in private or anonymous settings like the internet.

    Meanwhile, public displays of swearing are often frowned upon in the US. This is partly due to the lingering influence of religious norms, which frame swearing – particularly religious-based profanity – as a violation of moral decency.

    Significantly, the only religious-based swear word in our dataset, “damn”, was used most frequently by Americans.

    Research suggests swearing is more acceptable in Australian public discourse. Certainly, Australia’s public airing of swear words often takes visitors by surprise. The long-running road safety slogan “If you drink, then drive, you’re a bloody idiot” is striking – such language is rare in official messaging elsewhere.

    Australians may be comfortable swearing in person, but our findings indicate they dial it back online – surprising for a nation so fond of its vernacular.

    In terms of preferences for specific forms of vulgarity, Americans showed a strong preference for variations of “ass(hole)”, the Irish favored “feck”, the British preferred “cunt”, and Pakistanis leaned toward “butt(hole)”.

    The only statistically significant aversion we found was among Americans, who tended to avoid the word “bloody” (folk wisdom claims the word is blasphemous).

    Being fluent in swearing

    People from countries where English is the dominant language – such as the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland – tend to swear more frequently and with more lexical variety than people in regions where English is less dominant like India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Ghana or the Philippines. This pattern holds for both frequency and creativity in swearing.

    But Singapore ranked fourth in terms of frequency of swearing in our study, just behind Australia and ahead of New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. English in Singapore is increasingly seen not as a second language, but as a native language, and as a tool for identity, belonging and creativity. Young Singaporeans use social swearing to push back against authority, especially given the government’s strict rules on public language.

    One possible reason we saw less swearing among non-native English speakers is that it is rarely taught. Despite its frequency and social utility, swearing – alongside humour and informal speech – is often left out of language education.

    Cursing comes naturally

    Cultural, social and technological shifts are reshaping linguistic norms, blurring the already blurry lines between informal and formal, private and public language. Just consider the Aussie contributions to the July Oxford English Dictionary updates: expressions like “to strain the potatoes” (to urinate), “no wuckers” and “no wucking furries” (from “no fucking worries”).

    Swearing and vulgarity aren’t just crass or abusive. While they can be used harmfully, research consistently shows they serve important communicative functions – colourful language builds rapport, expresses humour and emotion, signals solidarity and eases tension.

    It’s clear that swearing isn’t just a bad habit that can be easily kicked, like nail-biting or smoking indoors. Besides, history shows that telling people not to swear is one of the best ways to keep swearing alive and well.

    Martin Schweinberger has received funding from from the Centre for Digital Cultures and Society and the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland. He is currently funded by the Language Data Commons of Australia, which has received investment from the Australian Research Data Commons, funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

    Kate Burridge 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. 201 ways to say ‘fuck’: what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears – https://theconversation.com/201-ways-to-say-fuck-what-1-7-billion-words-of-online-text-shows-about-how-the-world-swears-257815

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Abbott, Texas Groups Endorse Cornyn-Led Push to Bring Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    Cornyn Announces Support for His Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act                                                                           
    U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)’s Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, which would move the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, has earned praise from Texas Governor Greg Abbott and space-related groups in the Houston area as the Senator works to include it in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation:
    “There is no better final home for Space Shuttle Discovery than JSC, where these explorers of tomorrow can learn from and be inspired by the incredible legacy of those who changed the history of the world in Houston, where giant leaps in human spaceflight started,” said Gov. Abbott. (Letter, 6/6/2025)
    “Exhibiting the Space Shuttle Discovery in Houston would significantly enhance educational opportunities and support the growth of our space economy, here in the home of human space flight. With 280 acres at Exploration Park dedicated to commercial space companies, the nearby Ellington Field Space Port, and the Texas Space Commission actively investing in the space economy, Discovery would play a crucial role in advancing our future prospects,” said Space Center Houston President & CEO William T. Harris. (Letter, 6/9/2025)
    “Despite its central role in the Shuttle program, Houston was not selected to receive an orbiter following retirement. Your bill offers an opportunity to correct that oversight and deliver a fitting and permanent home for the Shuttle in the place where so much of its story was written and where it will inspire the next generation of explorers,” said Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Brian Freedman. (Letter, 6/9/2025)
    Background:
    The Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, introduced by Sen. Cornyn and cosponsored by Sen. Cruz in April, would move the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near NASA’s JSC in Houston.
    Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center led all of the space shuttle flights throughout the program’s history, and the astronauts who flew aboard the shuttles lived and trained in the area Houston. Four space shuttles were retired from NASA in 2010, and one of them was expected to go on display in the Space City. Congress stated in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that the four space shuttles were to be given to states with a “historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA-manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight.” Unfortunately, this directive was unlawfully ignored by the Obama administration, who played politics to keep Houston from getting one of the shuttles. Notably, the administration gave one of the four shuttles to New York City, which has not made any major contributions to the nation’s history of space exploration and is not home to a NASA center—unlike Houston. The Space Shuttle Discovery is the only shuttle still owned by the federal government and able to be transferred to Houston. This legislation would authorize the movement of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to a nonprofit near the JSC in Houston.
    Last week, provisions led by Sen. Cornyn, including the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources (MARS) for Space Act, as well as funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis program and resources to support the International Space Station (ISS) were included in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s legislative text to be included in the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Sen. Cornyn continues to advocate for funding for NASA’s JSC and other space-related initiatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Makes Case To HHS Secretary RFK Jr. for Access to Crop Protection Tools, Flexibility in School Nutrition Standards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    06.11.25
    Senator, Ag Committee Colleagues Secure Commitment to Include Extensive Ag & School Nutrition Consultation in MAHA Strategy
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week met with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the White House to discuss progress on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy and advance the priorities of U.S. agriculture producers and school nutrition professionals. At the meeting in the Roosevelt Room, Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee:
    Stressed that access to proven safe crop protection tools is critical to the ongoing success of family farmers, as well as the affordability and security of the U.S. food supply.
    Highlighted the importance of flexibility in dietary guidelines so school nutrition professionals can serve meals students will actually eat without breaking their budget.
    Secured a commitment from Secretary Kennedy to conduct extensive consultation with farm and school nutrition groups prior to issuing the final strategy.
    “Considering the growing prevalence and impact of chronic disease in the U.S., it makes sense to take a careful, comprehensive look at the factors that are contributing to this issue. However, as these policies are being formed, we need to make sure that relevant stakeholders are at the table and the very best science is being used in making such decisions,” said Hoeven. “Our farmers rely on a range of crop protection tools, with decades-worth of evidence showing they are safe, to provide the highest-quality, lowest-cost food supply in the world. At the same time, school nutritionists face real challenges in providing healthy, cost-effective meals that students will actually eat. Their concerns need to be addressed as the MAHA Strategy moves forward, and I appreciate Secretary Kennedy’s commitment to include our farmers and school nutrition professionals in these ongoing discussions.”
    Hoeven was joined by his Senate Agriculture Committee colleagues, including Chairman John Boozman and Senators Chuck Grassley, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Marshall.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Speaks at EPA Clean Power Plan, MATS Amendments Announcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here for photos.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in announcing two proposals to achieve national energy dominance and ensure Americans have access to affordable and reliable energy. The orders reverse punitive policies unveiled during the Biden administration. These rules targeted North Dakota’s energy industries and spurred a critical legal response from the state and industry.

    Administrator Zeldin announced a proposed repeal of all greenhouse gas emission standards for the power sector under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act as well as the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) amendments. The EPA previewed its intent to repeal these regulations on its Deregulation Day in March. Between the two proposed actions, the power sector could save more than $20 billion dollars over the next two decades, with the bulk of that savings—approximately $19 billion in savings, or $1.2 billion per year coming from the greenhouse gas rule. 

    “In North Dakota, we mine lignite coal and produce very reliable, long-term, steady electricity at a low cost,” said Cramer. “I’ve always resented that somebody in this building, at EPA, thought they cared more about the air, land, water, and economy than I did and my family did. Thank you to President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for recognizing American greatness, for giving this opportunity to both highlight it and change the rules in a more common sense and reasonable way.”

    [embedded content]

    Clean Power Plan

    Clean Power Plan greenhouse gas emission standards, first issued in 2015 by President Barack Obama, would have resulted in the closure of nearly half of North Dakota’s lignite power plants, as well as raising consumer prices to pay for its multi-billion-dollar price tag.

    After legal challenges from the state of North Dakota and industry, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Clean Power Plan in 2022, in West Virginia v. EPA. The Supreme Court ruled the Clean Power Plan was an illegal attempt at mandating fuel choices outside the legislative process. It also found the EPA had engaged in an unconstitutional power grab contrary to the major questions doctrine, which requires agencies to adhere to Congressional intent. Despite this clear rebuke, the Biden administration issued a similar rule which Cramer called for the EPA to withdraw from consideration in August 2023. 

    The EPA’s new Clean Air Act proposal states the agency is required to find that the specific emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants contribute to dangerous air pollution before it can regulate those emissions. EPA’s proposal acknowledges the greenhouse gas emissions targeted by the Clean Power Plan do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution. The proposal would also repeal carbon capture and sequestration requirements for new turbines and modified coal plants while also engaging in public comment on efficiency-based requirements for new natural gas power plants.

    MATS Amendments

    The EPA also proposed repealing 2024 amendments to MATS and reverting to standards set by the Obama administration in 2012. Despite the Biden administration’s own admission that the 2012 standard adequately protected public health, it issued new amendments requiring installation and adaptation of continuous monitoring technology originally used for the detection of particulate matter instead of mercury, as well as costly mitigation methods unproven at the scale required for North Dakota’s lignite plants. Cramer and then-Congressman Kelly Armstrong pointed out many of these concerns in a letter they sent asking for these amendments to be rescinded.

    Additionally, while the Biden administration ignored the EPA’s own data findings and reversed a key precedent which created a regulatory subcategory for lignite coal, this announcement restores it. Lignite coal generates more than half of all electricity in North Dakota. The subcategory was originally created by the EPA to align its regulatory approach with the physical and chemical characteristics of lignite coal to best protect public health. North Dakota’s aggressive defense of the lignite subcategory was based on decades of sound science and laid the foundation for its reimplementation by the Trump administration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech: Hon Andrew Hoggard to Federated Farmers at Fieldays

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT MP Hon Andrew Hoggard
    Federated Farmers Rural Advocacy Hub Speaking Engagement     
    Wednesday 11 June, 11:30 am 

    Good morning, everyone. 

    It’s great to be back, and thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. 

    I’d like to start by acknowledging the significant effort that’s gone into organising this year’s Fieldays Rural Advocacy Hub. These events don’t happen without a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and it shows. 

    I also want to acknowledge Federated Farmers and the many other farmer-led organisations who work tirelessly to support and advocate for the sector. 

    As a dairy farmer and a former President of Federated Farmers, I know firsthand how important your work is. Whether it’s in the regions or on the national stage, you give voice to rural communities, bring practical solutions to the table, and stand up for the interests of farmers and growers across New Zealand. 

    This Government is firmly committed to backing you—by reducing costs, cutting unnecessary red tape, and strengthening frontline support. 

    When I spoke at Fieldays last year, interest rates were a massive challenge for rural New Zealand. Make no mistake, that was Wellington’s fault. It was the hangover from a Labour-led pandemic response that pumped out easy money without a productivity boost to match.

    Now we’ve reined in waste, got inflation back to the target range, and farmers are finally seeing real interest rates relief. We need to do more to cut the waste in Wellington, because the less resource the Government sucks up, the more is left over for people like you out in the real world trying to grow things. 

    Over the past year, we’ve made real progress on red tape. We’ve started delivering on our promise to fix the resource management system and reduce the regulatory burden. 

    Amending intensive winter grazing and stock exclusion rules. Pausing the rollout of freshwater farm plans while we make them more practical and affordable, and halting the identification of new Significant Natural Areas. 

    Right now, we’re consulting on a package of proposals aimed at streamlining or removing regulations that are holding the primary sector back. 

    Most critically, we are consulting on changes to the NPS Freshwater 2020. There are several options being put forward. Now, if I remove my Minister hat and put on my ACT Party hat, we need to be bold. By that I mean Te Mana o te Wai needs to go. Worrying about the Paris Accord, whilst still a concern, is a sideshow compared to the hard calls we need to make with regards to RMA reform and the NPS Freshwater.

    Make no mistake, as a Party we have no interest in taxing the most carbon efficient farmers in the world, having methane targets far in excess of what is needed to play our part, sending billions offshore to be carbon neutral, or turning the lights off in homes or businesses through misguided energy policies.

    But if you ask me what area of policy scares me the most for the future of New Zealand farming, it is resource management and freshwater policy.

    Te Mana o te Wai has caused confusion amongst councils, and I see that if left in place its current trajectory will likely lead towards co-governance for regional councils, not just in policy but consenting as well, and policies that are based on vague spiritual concepts, not clear and simple water science balanced with societal needs.

    This debate will undoubtedly be noisy, but farming groups need to advocate strongly for clear unambiguous language in the NPS, individual farmers need to submit on what they are seeing and the stress this concept has caused many of them with regards to consenting.

    At the Treaty Principles Bill second reading debate many coalition party MPs stated that the Bill was too general, too broad-brushed, and that we should just focus on ensuring that we don’t have unclear language and vague concepts in future bills and policies. Well I would suggest that this NPS Freshwater is a good test for those statements. You will see plenty of MPs here for the next few days playing farmer dress up, make sure you let them know you expect them to keep their word.

    Now, while I’m being a staunch ACT MP I also want to give a shout out to the Regulatory Standards Bill, for many of you undoubtedly are thinking, why should I care about something that sounds that boring.

    Real simple. If this Bill had been in place during my Feds presidency it would have made the job so much easier, as it would have highlighted some of the more impractical and stupid regulations that were dreamed up. Even if it didn’t make the politicians think twice, at least the system would have shone a spotlight on the issues. We are so lucky that Bernadette Hunt got on the Hosking show and was able to show up some of the more daft parts of the winter grazing regs and they got changed within days, but they shouldn’t have got that far. That’s what the Regulatory Standards Bill will hopefully show up.

    But also, government doesn’t just take away your hard-earned dollars through its fiscal policies. It also can take away your property rights through its regulatory policies, so this Bill will ensure that if those property rights are taken away then compensation should be forthcoming. This whole concept has complete distaste from the Left, and some lukewarm reception from everyone else but ACT. So, if more protection for property rights is something you want to see, make sure you put your case forward for it.

    Okay, back to being a Minister, if I can just highlight some of the other Government work that is going on that is relevant for farming.

    In the health and safety space, we’ve got Brooke van Velden leading reforms to get rid of over compliance, reduce paperwork, and make WorkSafe helpful, not harmful. I’m especially pleased about her work to protect landowners from liability when they allow recreational activities like horse trekking, hunting, or hiking on their land. It’s about a shift from fear to freedom, opening up land for maximum enjoyment and enhancing the Kiwi way of life. 

    We’re also keen to empower farmers on the conservation front. I believe farmers are natural environmentalists. We live off the land, so we have every incentive to care for it. Many of us work to maintain stands of native bush or wetland on our land. For too long, the approach has been to punish this work, with councils looking at your land and saying, “that looks pretty, in fact that natural area looks ‘significant’ and you’re going to lose your property rights over that.” It’s all stick and no carrot. I think farmers deserve real credit for their contributions to biodiversity, and I’ll have more to say about that at the Beef + Lamb stall tomorrow.

    In this year’s Budget, we announced a 20% funding increase to tackle the spread of wilding pines—a major win for our landscapes and productive land. 

    Another important change in this year’s Budget is Investment Boost—a major new tax incentive to encourage business investment, support economic growth, and lift wages. 

    If you’re a farmer, tradie, manufacturer, or run any business, this matters to you. 

    When you invest in new equipment, machinery, tools, vehicles, or technology—you’ll now be able to deduct 20% of that cost immediately from your taxable income. 

    It’s a straightforward way to help reduce your tax bill and support decisions that lift productivity and grow your business. 

    To put it simply, we’re backing your success. 

    We want to see a thriving primary sector that’s not weighed down by complexity, but supported to innovate, grow, and lead. 

    I want to thank Federated Farmers, and many of you here, for the constructive role you’ve played in helping shape these changes. Your feedback is vital to making sure the final rules are workable, sensible, and fit for purpose. 

    Thank you again for the chance to be here, and for everything you do to keep this sector moving forward.

    All the best for a successful and enjoyable Fieldays. 

    Thank you.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – New Zealand’s ability to monitor geohazards weakened by science job cuts – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The centre providing 24/7 monitoring of geohazards will have to close at times as Government cuts force the centre workforce to be cut to the bone.
    The National GeoHazard Monitoring Centre, operated by GNS Science, provides round the clock monitoring of potential tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides, and was set up after the Kaikoura Earthquake in 2016.
    Last year GNS Science announced plans to cut a quarter of the 20 strong team of Geohazard Analysts by attrition following funding cuts. Yesterday, with 18 of the team left, it called for voluntary redundancies and indicated that forced redundancies could follow if sufficient voluntary redundancies are not agreed.
    “Cutting the team to the bone means there is a high chance the centre will close at times when a team member falls sick or is unavailable for whatever reason – how is this keeping New Zealanders safe?” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    Analysts work in teams of four, that is falling to three, but there must be at least two on each monitoring shift raising the risk of the centre closing due to staff absences.
    “The Government needs to explain to New Zealanders why it views that this service is not as important as it was two years ago, before its funding cuts.
    “Geohazard Analysts play a critical role in reviewing earthquake measurements to determine things like the magnitude and location of earthquakes and provide science advice to our emergency management services.
    “The Government’s decisions mean that this critical information may not be available to emergency management in times of need when lives are at risk. This is reckless for a country so vulnerable to geohazard risks like earthquakes and eruptions.
    “This government does not value the role of science as we have seen with more than 400 jobs cuts throughout the sector, and a restructure announced this year with no new funding.
    “The undermining of the National GeoHazard Monitoring Centre is yet another sad example of the Government’s short-sighted cuts that we have seen across the public sector with little regard to the impacts on New Zealanders.”
    Background
    In September last year GNS Science announced plans to axe 59 roles, 10% of its workforce following Government funding cuts. The cuts shocked the international science community – 85 scientists from seven countries wrote an open letter to the Government stating that the cuts risk ‘compromising essential geoscientific expertise and partnerships needed to address geohazards risks, which is critical for a country whose economy and community safety is so vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanoes, and climate change’.
    See PSA statement:
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Rallies Against “Big Ugly Bill,” Demands Protection of Medicaid and Life-Saving Care

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

    “Medicaid has been essential – providing essential care to those who need it most in the midst of a crisis or a chronic diagnosis.”

    “Republicans who gave their vote and their endorsement to this horrific “Big Ugly Bill” should be ashamed. They voted against their neighbors. They voted against their constituents. They are complicit in wholesale harm.”

    Video (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) rallied with advocates from Caring Across Generations, Care Can’t Wait, and partner organizations to protest Trump’s and Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill that proposes disastrous cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs and would leave communities sicker, poorer, and more vulnerable. The Congresswoman made it plain that Medicaid is a lifeline, and the support it provides is critical to everyone’s livelihoods – from those care taking for their loved ones to those needing medication for chronic conditions.

    A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks, as delivered, is available below, and the full video is available here.

    Transcript: Pressley Rallies Against “Big Ugly Bill,” Demands Protection of Medicaid and Life-Saving Care

    Upper Senate Park

    June 11, 2025

    Hey, movement family!

    And we are truly one movement and one human family, and that’s why you’re all here.

    When you could have been anywhere else, you chose to be here because you recognize that our freedoms and our destinies are tied.

    Thank you to our advocates and our partners in good. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for never losing sight of what is necessary in the work and the fight for our shared liberation and our collective humanity.

    You know, every day in Congress, I sit across the aisle from Republicans, and I’ve asked myself – since all around us is callousness, contempt for every person that calls this country home, and I’m going to say cluelessness – you know, we’ll stick with that C theme there – chaos, callousness, contempt and cluelessness.

    Because I wonder if they’ve ever sat at the bedside of a loved one in their final days.

    I wonder if they ever rushed a toddler to the emergency room with a fever.

    These are basic human experiences: grief, worry, care, concern.

    So either my colleagues across the aisle are some sort of extreme anomaly, and they’ve never experienced these moments, or they simply don’t give a damn.

    Maybe they believe if the language you speak is different, or your bank account is lighter, your heart just doesn’t break the same way.

    But you and I know that’s not true.

    Again, we are part of one human family.

    Brother James Baldwin reminds us that, “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I’m beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing that may be incapable of morality,” said Baldwin.

    Well, Medicaid is a lifeline to both our elders and our babies.

    It’s NICU care, it’s blood pressure medications, it’s cancer treatment.

    There is no moment, in my view, more basic and human than trying to take care of and keep safe your loved ones.

    In America, far too often, for far too many, we come up short.

    But that is not on our caregivers. That is on a broken system. And in the midst of broken systems and broken promises, programs like SNAP, food stamps have been essential.

    The difference between a family going hungry or being able to stretch those groceries until pay day.

    You know, being poor is not a character flaw, and being poor is one of the hardest, most expensive – one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have, and one of the most expensive conditions.

    Medicaid has been essential – providing essential care to those who need it most in the midst of a crisis or a chronic diagnosis.

    Republicans who gave their vote and their endorsement to this horrific “Big Ugly Bill” should be ashamed.

    They voted against their neighbors. They voted against their constituents. They are complicit in wholesale harm.

    And these programs, as I said, they are essential. They are core to the basic functions of government. We’re not talking about nice-to-haves.

    We’re talking about programs that determine who lives, programs that determine who dies, programs that determine who survives, programs that determine who thrives.

    But this is not an inevitability.

    And this extremist march towards fascism – what history has taught us time and time again is that appeasement never works. Silence never works.

    What they want is a citizenry that is ignorant and uninformed. They want a citizenry that is indifferent to the suffering of their neighbors. They want a citizenry that is inactive.

    But in this moment today, we assemble, we come together to reject and resist the vision of Donald Trump’s America.

    And let me just say, for those that think that you can inoculate yourself or you are exempt from this harm, this harm is coming for everyone.

    Your whiteness will not keep you safe. Your wealth will not keep you safe. This hurt and harm is coming for everybody.

    I just wish I had some colleagues that were more concerned with doing a job than keeping it.

    That’s what has them complicit in this cult of cowards and wholesale harm because of this culture of grievance and political retribution that the occupant of the Oval Office moves with.

    What happens in the weeks to come will determine the lives and livelihoods of families for decades to come.

    Look, y’all, movement family – this is not just about how do we get through the next four years. This moment is going to determine and shape the next 100.

    And the Senate must act accordingly and listen to the people and stop this bill in its tracks.

    The consequences cannot be more severe. I’m appealing to people – this is bigger than Democrat and Republican. This is about right and wrong. This is about good and evil.

    I’m appealing to people of conscience to stand united against this bill, to raise your voice and share your stories.

    And to the Republicans who are all too eager to green light a handout to billionaires on the backs of the most vulnerable: if you won’t act in good faith, at least act to save your own job, because we will not forget where you stand in this moment.

    The people deserve better, and we can stop this Big Ugly Bill.

    So movement, family, I love you.

    We won’t back down, we won’t back down, we won’t back down, we won’t back down, we won’t back down, we won’t back down.

    I love you, movement family.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Disastrous Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), alongside U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), introduced the bicameral, bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 today. The legislation would support prescribed burns as an essential, cost-effective, science-based strategy to save lives and property, and address the harmful impacts of the recent wildfires across the nation.

    The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would invest in hazardous fuels management to reduce the risk of blistering infernos by increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burns during cooler, wetter months. The legislation would grow a technically skilled prescribed fire workforce, provide new tools to aid smoke management, and prescribed fire permitting during winter months to reduce ruinous fires and smoke in the summer.

    “Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, thousands of acres of North Carolina forest were left destroyed. Now, these downed trees and piles of leaves represent a serious wildfire risk. By enabling the Forest Service to better conduct controlled burns of unchecked vegetation and scattered debris, we can protect our forests from catastrophic wildfires that may occur in the hottest months of the year. I am proud to join my colleague, Sen. Wyden, in introducing this common-sense, proactive approach to preventing disastrous wildfires,” said Senator Budd.

    “It’s no secret that rising temperatures and increased drought are leading to more and more wildfires, and firefighters are struggling to keep up as they put their lives on the line. We can no longer wait for disaster to strike before we address these fires destroying our neighborhoods and even taking people’s lives. I have heard firsthand from Oregonians who are sick and tired of inaction while the West burns. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill will tackle wildfires head-on by focusing on prevention to get the West out of the cycle of crisis and devastation every wildfire season,” said Senator Wyden.

    “Here in Washington State, we experience devastating wildfires every year. That’s why Congress must act now and address this issue. My bill, the National Prescribed Fire Act, expands the use of prescribed fire to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” said Rep. Schrier.

    “In California, we understand the dangerous impact of wildfires—from damage to property to loss of life. By prescribing controlled burns to fire-adapted land in a safe and supervised way, we can limit dangerous fuel buildup and help reduce the threat of future wildfires. I’m proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing this bipartisan bill to protect our communities from wildfire risk,” said Rep. Valadao.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    Background

    In 2024 alone, 8.9 million acres of land were burned by wildfires, one of the highest totals on record. As vegetation continues to grow, the Forest Service has been unable to address the current hazardous fuel backlog, which is exacerbated by the nation’s hot and dry fire seasons.

    Hurricane Helene resulted in 822,000 acres of downed timber and debris in North Carolina. As this debris dries out, it poses a significant risk of wildfire. According to the North Carolina Forest Service, there have been 4,193 wildfires burning more than 26,000 acres so far this year, on pace to dramatically exceed 2024’s totals of 4,588 fires burning over 15,000 acres.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 201 ways to say ‘fuck’: what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Schweinberger, Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, The University of Queensland

    Our brains swear for good reasons: to vent, cope, boost our grit and feel closer to those around us. Swear words can act as social glue and play meaningful roles in how people communicate, connect and express themselves – both in person, and online.

    In our new research published in Lingua, we analysed more than 1.7 billion words of online language across 20 English-speaking regions. We identified 597 different swear word forms – from standard words, to creative spellings like “4rseholes”, to acronyms like “wtf”.

    The findings challenge a familiar stereotype. Australians – often thought of as prolific swearers – are actually outdone by Americans and Brits, both in how often they swear, and in how many users swear online.

    Facts and figures

    Our study focused on publicly available web data (such as news articles, organisational websites, government or institutional publications, and blogs – but excluding social media and private messaging). We found vulgar words made up 0.036% of all words in the dataset from the United States, followed by 0.025% in the British data and 0.022% in the Australian data.

    Although vulgar language is relatively rare in terms of overall word frequency, it was used by a significant number of individuals.

    Between 12% and 13.3% of Americans, around 10% of Brits, and 9.4% of Australians used at least one vulgar word in their data. Overall, the most frequent vulgar word was “fuck” – with all its variants, it amounted to a stunning 201 different forms.

    We focused on online language that didn’t include social media, because large-scale comparisons need robust, purpose-built datasets. In our case, we used the Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) corpus, which was specifically designed to compare how English is used across different regions online.

    So how much were our findings influenced by the online data we used?

    Telling results come from research happening at the same time as ours. One study analysed the use of “fuck” in social networks on X, examining how network size and strength influence swearing in the UK, US and Australia.

    It used data from 5,660 networks with more than 435,000 users and 7.8 billion words and found what we did. Americans use “fuck” most frequently, while Australians use it the least, but with the most creative spelling variations (some comfort for anyone feeling let down by our online swearing stats).

    Teasing apart cultural differences

    Americans hold relatively conservative attitudes toward public morality, and their high swearing rates are surprising. The cultural contradiction may reflect the country’s strong individualistic culture. Americans often value personal expression – especially in private or anonymous settings like the internet.

    Meanwhile, public displays of swearing are often frowned upon in the US. This is partly due to the lingering influence of religious norms, which frame swearing – particularly religious-based profanity – as a violation of moral decency.

    Significantly, the only religious-based swear word in our dataset, “damn”, was used most frequently by Americans.

    Research suggests swearing is more acceptable in Australian public discourse. Certainly, Australia’s public airing of swear words often takes visitors by surprise. The long-running road safety slogan “If you drink, then drive, you’re a bloody idiot” is striking – such language is rare in official messaging elsewhere.

    Australians may be comfortable swearing in person, but our findings indicate they dial it back online – surprising for a nation so fond of its vernacular.

    In terms of preferences for specific forms of vulgarity, Americans showed a strong preference for variations of “ass(hole)”, the Irish favored “feck”, the British preferred “cunt”, and Pakistanis leaned toward “butt(hole)”.

    The only statistically significant aversion we found was among Americans, who tended to avoid the word “bloody” (folk wisdom claims the word is blasphemous).

    Being fluent in swearing

    People from countries where English is the dominant language – such as the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland – tend to swear more frequently and with more lexical variety than people in regions where English is less dominant like India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Ghana or the Philippines. This pattern holds for both frequency and creativity in swearing.

    But Singapore ranked fourth in terms of frequency of swearing in our study, just behind Australia and ahead of New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. English in Singapore is increasingly seen not as a second language, but as a native language, and as a tool for identity, belonging and creativity. Young Singaporeans use social swearing to push back against authority, especially given the government’s strict rules on public language.

    One possible reason we saw less swearing among non-native English speakers is that it is rarely taught. Despite its frequency and social utility, swearing – alongside humour and informal speech – is often left out of language education.

    Cursing comes naturally

    Cultural, social and technological shifts are reshaping linguistic norms, blurring the already blurry lines between informal and formal, private and public language. Just consider the Aussie contributions to the July Oxford English Dictionary updates: expressions like “to strain the potatoes” (to urinate), “no wuckers” and “no wucking furries” (from “no fucking worries”).

    Swearing and vulgarity aren’t just crass or abusive. While they can be used harmfully, research consistently shows they serve important communicative functions – colourful language builds rapport, expresses humour and emotion, signals solidarity and eases tension.

    It’s clear that swearing isn’t just a bad habit that can be easily kicked, like nail-biting or smoking indoors. Besides, history shows that telling people not to swear is one of the best ways to keep swearing alive and well.

    Martin Schweinberger has received funding from from the Centre for Digital Cultures and Society and the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland. He is currently funded by the Language Data Commons of Australia, which has received investment from the Australian Research Data Commons, funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

    Kate Burridge 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. 201 ways to say ‘fuck’: what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears – https://theconversation.com/201-ways-to-say-fuck-what-1-7-billion-words-of-online-text-shows-about-how-the-world-swears-257815

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Hard to measure and difficult to shift’: the government’s big productivity challenge

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra

    Higher productivity has quickly emerged as an economic reform priority for Labor’s second term.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has laid down some markers for a productivity round table in August, saying he wants it to build the “broadest possible base” for further economic reform.

    The government is right to focus on productivity. Improving economic efficiency will increase real wages, help bring down inflation and interest rates, and improve living standards.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers is flagging a broad productivity agenda, but acknowledges the rewards will take time to percolate through the economy:

    Human capital, competition policy, technology, energy, the care economy – these are where we are going to find the productivity gains, and not quickly, but over the medium term.

    Making the economy operate more efficiently is simple in concept. But Albanese and Chalmers would be well aware productivity is hard to measure, and even more difficult to shift.

    The numbers are fraught

    What do we mean by productivity growth? And how will it help lift the economy? The authors of the bestselling new book Abundance offer this neat explanation:

    People need to think up new ideas. Factories need to innovate new processes. These new ideas and new processes must be encoded into new technologies. All this is grouped under the sterile label of productivity: How much more can we produce with the same number of people and resources?

    At its most basic, productivity measures outputs divided by inputs – what we produce compared to the resources such as labour and capital used to produce it.

    But large parts of the “non-market” economy including the public service, health care and education are excluded from the official productivity figures.

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics is working to address the gap in the data. For example, it is developing “experimental estimates” for the health sector, which suggests hospital productivity has fallen.

    However measurement is fraught. If a nurse, for instance, who previously cared for four patients now looks after eight, is that a productivity improvement? Or a drop in standard of care?

    Flatlining productivity

    Australian productivity growth has averaged just 0.4% a year since 2015 – the lowest rate in 60 years.

    The exception was during COVID, when industries with low productivity, such as accommodation and food, were shut down and those with high productivity – such as IT and communications – thrived.

    The objective must be to return to, or even surpass, historical levels of productivity. However, it won’t be easy given economists have no clear idea why productivity growth has fallen in Australia and overseas.

    Theories include:

    • measurement problems
    • new industries
    • decline in business investment in equipment and technology
    • more service industries, where productivity is lower
    • the easy reforms have all been done.

    No shortage of advice

    Productivity is multidimensional, with an absurd number of moving parts. It depends on skills, technology, investment, knowledge, management, and a host of other factors. Like the movie, it’s “everything, everywhere all at once”.

    The government has a plethora of advice on how to improve productivity. Scientists argue for more scientific research; business lobbies for more investment breaks;
    innovators for more technological advances.

    This poses a dilemma for the Treasurer. Most suggestions on their own would make some difference. Doing all of them would make a huge difference. Alas, government cannot do everything. It must choose where to apply its limited resources.

    Beyond money and time, the government must also have appetite for the fight.

    Interest groups typically support productivity reforms in principle, but resist them if they are directly affected. Every inefficient regulation or program has a supporter somewhere.

    Five pillars

    Jim Chalmers does not need another shopping list. He needs help to sort through options and set priorities for which fights to pick. To this end, in December year he tasked the Productivity Commission with new inquiries into the five main drivers – “pillars” – of higher productivity.



    Read more:
    Labor says its second term will be about productivity reform. These ideas could help shift the dial

    Yet the Albanese government has already been handed a comprehensive blueprint for productivity reform.

    In March 2023, the Productivity Commission released the Advancing Prosperity report, which it described as a “road map”.

    However, it had more of a shopping list feel, incorporating 71 recommendations and 29 “reform directives”. Many were of the “should” variety, lacking a detailed plan of how to do them.

    Roughly speaking, any government only has bandwidth for one big and a few small reforms a term. It cannot implement more than 70, even if that’s ideal.

    Productivity reform will succeed if it involves only a few changes – preferably those that deliver the most improvement for the least complaint.

    Some proposed measures are desirable but controversial. The tax system, for example, is crying out for improvement, but the government is unlikely to take it on.

    Reforming occupational licences to make it easier for tradies to move states is a more modest aim. It would not generate the same productivity gains, but politically would be simpler to implement.

    Nothing to fear

    Finally, some words of caution.

    Productivity is not code for exploiting workers. As The Guardian recently noted:

    When most people hear the word ‘productivity’ they think of their boss wanting them to take on more duties for the same pay. That’s not the case. It’s about getting more out of the hours you work.

    Working harder to get the same result is in fact a drop in productivity. Working shorter hours for the same outputs is productivity growth, with the benefits seen in better work-life balance.

    Nor is productivity just about producing more outputs. Who needs more useless stuff?

    And statistics can mislead, because they measure the value of production, not the quality. A broader accounting for production, incorporating society and the environment, would help the productivity debate avoid this trap.

    Albanese and Chalmers readily acknowledge the government can do more on productivity. Anyone with an interest in driving a more efficient economy, higher real wages and better living standards will hold them to their word.

    This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the productivity dilemma.

    Stephen Bartos 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. ‘Hard to measure and difficult to shift’: the government’s big productivity challenge – https://theconversation.com/hard-to-measure-and-difficult-to-shift-the-governments-big-productivity-challenge-257968

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Opening Remarks at Hearing on Army Corps, Bureau of Reclamation Budgets

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, during a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget requests for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, underscored the indispensable role each agency plays in ensuring America’s waterways are flowing, supporting our economy, and protecting the American people—and slammed President Trump’s politicization of America’s water resources and proposal to gut investments in the Corps and Bureau.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “Thank you very much, Chair Kennedy. Good morning to all of you, Acting Assistant Secretary Forsgren, Lieutenant General Graham, and Acting Assistant Secretary Cameron—thank you all for being here today.

    “We are here today to talk about the fiscal year 2026 budget requests for the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. Whether they know it or not—every American depends on the work of these agencies every day. And that is especially true for folks in my home state of Washington, and anyone who lives out West or near a major waterway.

    “The Army Corps keeps our ports running smoothly, which is critical for our economy and trade. They manage critical infrastructure like our dams, levees, and bridges—and protect communities from dangerous floods. And they support our ecosystems and help protect keystone species like salmon, among a lot else. Bureau of Reclamation brings water to over 30 million people and irrigation to one-in-five farmers out West, it generates power to keep the lights on in millions of homes, and it protects farmers and communities against drought—to name a few things!

    “It is critical work—work that we cannot afford to shortchange. But President Trump’s budget request shows yet again that he has no clue, and no problem gutting essential water investments our communities rely on to feed their families and stay safe from flooding. The president’s budget requests a nearly 25 percent cut for the Corps of Engineers.

    “And when you consider the fact that House Republicans’ last yearlong CR already cut funding for the Corps, we are really talking about a nearly 30 percent cut for the Corps relative to the funding level just a few months ago. This request, for example, falls $1.7 billion below the target level for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund—leaving more than half of that target funding on the table.

    “Not only that, you include just $60 million for Donor and Energy ports like in my home state, when our bipartisan Water Resources Development Act has specifically instructed that there be $417 million for these ports. And President Trump’s budget also proposes a massive 30 percent cut for the Bureau of Reclamation. These cuts would end critical work on flood prevention, port dredging, basic management of our water resources, and more. This is flat-out dangerous—and Trump’s budget is dead on arrival here in Congress as far as I’m concerned.

    “But we have a lot more to cover beyond the budget request. Because, as we sit here today, the President seems bent on doing everything he can to undermine the work of the Corps and the Bureau with reckless staffing cuts, and by brazenly—and corruptly—politicizing the allocation of funding and control over our nation’s water resources. In the span of just a few months, DOGE has pushed out a quarter of the Bureau’s staff without any discernible strategy. This mass exodus of talent puts the Bureau’s mission at serious risk. The last thing we need are fewer dam safety inspections or big delays on repair projects.

    “And when it comes to politicization, the President spent much of his first few weeks in office making up conspiracies about California’s water supply as wildfires raged; vowing to block disaster relief, picking fights with the state’s governor, and—against the advice of all experts—ultimately ordered the Corps to open two dams and unleash billions of gallons of water on California’s central valley. That move, predictably, did absolutely nothing to stop the fires and came nowhere near LA. But it did waste huge quantities of precious water and nearly flooded—yes, flooded—local farms and communities and put agriculture at risk.

    “It was one of the first instances we saw of this president meddling in the Corps’ work and overruling experts to chase some fixation, but it was not the last. A few weeks ago, the Corps released plans detailing how it is allocating funding for construction projects in FY-25. Now, usually, that is something we decide here in Congress. But that decision-making power was turned over to the Trump administration with House Republicans’ yearlong, slush-fund CR.

    “That was one of the many reasons I voted against that bill, and it’s a reminder to all of us about why we need strong, bipartisan spending bills. So instead of allocating construction funding to projects that were selected in both our bipartisan Senate appropriations bill and the Republican House bill and giving funding to red and blue states roughly evenly—as both bills did—this administration decided to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in critical investments from blue states, and steer those investments instead to red states and the president’s political allies.

    “Every single construction project in California—the most populous state in the country—was zeroed out. We’re talking about funds to protect people in one of the most flood-prone states in the country—gone. And Trump completely defunded construction at the Howard Hansom Dam in Washington state, leaving a literal hole in the ground! This is a shovel-ready project that will ensure water reliability for over one million people in the region. And of course, the administration’s budget proposal does not fund those projects in FY-26 either.

    “All told, two-thirds of Army Corps construction funding is now headed to red states, for no reason other than Trump wanting to punish political enemies and reward his friends. This is not how these projects should work—ever—in the United States of America.

    “Lieutenant General Graham, a few weeks ago the Assistant Secretary’s office was asked in a House hearing about this nakedly partisan allocation. That official didn’t even try to justify it. Instead, they said, tellingly, the buck stopped with OMB. So, there it is: Trump and Russ Vought called the final shots and defunded these projects on their own.

    “Now, I shouldn’t need to tell anyone here, floods hit red states and blue states alike. Droughts hammers farmers in rural districts, and strain families in big ways. Every single American—in one way or another—depends on our ports being well-maintained to get the basic goods we count on and keep our economy humming. And everyone should be able to trust their government will decide how to invest resources and protect them from threats like flooding, drought, and wildfire based on science, based on engineering—that is, what’s best for people—not on a president’s desire for retribution.

    “I believe Congress needs to reject the reckless cuts you’re requesting for the Corps and the Bureau. And we need to see an end to the egregious politicization of these resources—this is not a path we can afford to continue going down as a country.

    “So, I will just give a warning to all of my colleagues, once again: It may have not been your state this time, but you all know full well just how fickle the President can be.

    “Let’s not leave this authority with him. We do need to come together and write a strong bipartisan bill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Slams Trump Administration’s Politicization of Water Resources, Proposal to Gut Investments in America’s Waterways, Flood and Drought Prevention

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***WATCH AND READ: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s questioning***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, slammed the Trump administration’s politicization of water resources and proposal to gut investments in the Corps and Bureau.

    Senator Murray questioned witnesses D. Lee Forsgren, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works); Lt. Gen. William H. Graham, Jr., Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Scott J. Cameron, Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Department of Interior, on the Trump administration threatening the Howard Hanson Dam project in Washington state, not meeting funding targets for donor ports like the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and putting the Columbia River Treaty with Canada—which is critical for the entire Pacific Northwest—at risk.

    [RANK POLITICIZATION OF ARMY CORPS FUNDING]

    Senator Murray began by asking General Graham about President Trump’s flagrant politicization of Army Corps funding—an issue she touched on in her opening remarks—stating: “The Howard Hanson dam project is to address dam safety issues, provide additional water supply, and meet the Corps’ legal obligations by opening up miles of critical salmon habitat—would you agree with that assessment?”

    General Graham responded, “Yes. The Howard Hanson project right now is, the one we are working on is primarily is fish passage, to figure out how to get small juvenile fish off of a high head dam which we have never done before, but it is part of a larger project that provides as you said, critical flood risk management and water supply protection to the southeastern part of Seattle.”

    “Is it true that the $500 million the project was slated to receive in the FY25 budget—as well as in the House and Senate bills—would have allowed construction to proceed on schedule?” Senator Murray asked General Graham.

    General Graham replied, “Yes, that would have allowed us to keep on our current construction schedule.”

    Senator Murray said, “Well it’s clear that the Howard Hanson project is shovel ready. And despite that—the Trump Administration seems ready to walk away from that. Everyone needs to understand, turning the Army Corps into a political slush fund sets a very dangerous precedent.”

    “In fact, in testimony before the House, a top Army Corps official very explicitly stated that OMB—not the experts at the Corps—called the final shots here. Section 107 has been passed on a bipartisan basis in our bill for the last five years and makes clear that funding should be allocated only to projects determined to be eligible by the Chief of Engineers. But it appears that OMB handed the Corps the final spend plan without consulting you as required,” Senator Murray continued. “The law needs to be followed. So, I am going to ask you, yes or no—were you provided a final spend plan so you could determine all the projects listed were eligible?”

    General Graham answered, “We provided our best technical recommendation to the assistant secretary.”

    Mr. Forsgren responded, “We provided input through the presidential budget process on that spending plan. We provided technical input on that spending plan.”

    “So that you could prove that all of them were eligible, correct?” pressed Senator Murray.

    “I don’t think eligibility was ever the question,” replied Mr. Forsgren.

    Senator Murray replied, “That’s really troubling—and really an example of this Administration that just somehow thinks they are above the law. I’ve got news for Russ Vought—the law applies to him the same as for everybody else. So that is very troubling.”

    [DONOR PORT FUNDING]

    Senator Murray continued her questioning by discussing the administration’s failure to meet statutory targets for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) funding for donor ports like the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma—which contribute significantly to the HMTF but have historically received relatively little funding back for harbor maintenance projects. Murray said, “I consistently hear from ports and harbors across the country about how they rely on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to maintain critical port infrastructure. Now, in April, the Administration issued an Executive Order acknowledging that cargo carriers divert goods to Canada from our donor ports, Seattle and Tacoma, to avoid the Harbor Maintenance Tax—that is really an unfair practice, I have spoken about for years.”

    “But this year’s budget request does not even attempt to meet the WRDA [Water Resources Development Act] targets for HMTF donor port funding,” continued Senator Murray. “Even more troubling, in the skinny budget, this administration tries to tell Congress that it is not a federal responsibility to provide those dollars—even though that is one of the explicit purposes Congress passed into law. That is really unacceptable. Donor Port funding has already been determined through the WRDA process and our annual appropriations bills for years. It is extremely frustrating that I have to continue raising this issue year after year to get our ports the fair share they are entitled to under the law.”

    Senator Murray asked Mr. Forsgren, “Will you commit to ensure that Donor Ports like Seattle and Tacoma will receive their full, fair share of the HMTF dollars as Congress intended?”

    Mr. Forsgren responded, “I will commit to working to ensure that the Harbor Maintenance Fund is used to the maximum extent it possibly can. We understand the Harbor Maintenance Fund is the backbone of the commercial navigation system for our ports and that system has to be able to be functional across all of the nation’s ports. But I will say, there needs to be a primary focus on the principal federal responsibility which is the mainline channels. I will commit to working with you to fully utilize the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund as it is passed into law.”

    [COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY]

    Finally, Senator Murray emphasized the importance of the Columbia River Treaty for Washington state and the entire Pacific Northwest, and the shared waterway with Canada, “The Columbia River provides habitat for salmon and endangered species, it also irrigates 600,000 acres of farmland, and serves as a marine highway, it also provides electricity to the entire Northwest. And critically, it is also a transboundary waterway shared with Canada. Now, the State Department has been leading efforts to negotiate a modernized Columbia River Treaty—which is really critical to providing certainty for people and businesses across our region who rely on the Columbia River. But this Administration appears committed to doing everything they can now to tank our relationship with our friend and neighbor, Canada. And the key to getting this agreement in place, and all the hard work that has gone into it, was collaboration between all the stakeholders. It is really imperative that as the interim agreement is executed, that that collaboration continues.”

    Senator Murray asked Mr. Cameron and Mr. Forsgren, “Will you commit to ensuring that the Corps and Reclamation continue to communicate with tribes and the mid-C public utilities on the operation of the Columbia River System?”

    Mr. Forsgren replied, “We certainly commit—we are committed to the treaty, as is reflected in the budget. We are committed to continuing the dialogue necessary to operate and maintain the system.”

    “Mr. Cameron?” followed up Senator Murray.

    Mr. Cameron said, “Yes Senator, I’ve already had multiple meetings with stakeholders from throughout the Columbia River basin, including tribes. Conversations are ongoing.”

    Senator Murray concluded, “This is really a critical treaty. We need to get it enacted. And again, Canada is not our enemy there, we need to include them.”

    ___________________________________

    Senator Murray recently led the Washington state and California delegations to call out President Trump’s outrageous, nakedly-political decision to zero out critical funding for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects in blue states like Washington and California while steering hundreds of millions more to red states. Supporting the Howard Hanson Dam has been a longtime priority for Senator Murray, and she has pressed the Army Corps to prioritize funding for the Dam for years. Under the last administration, Senator Murray was able to secure critical funding boosts for Howard Hanson Dam, including $220 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $50 million to begin construction of a new facility in the funding bills for fiscal year 2024 that Murray wrote as then-Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Back in 2010, Murray secured $44 million in badly needed emergency funds for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Howard Hanson Dam. In the draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill she cleared unanimously out of Committee last year, Senator Murray secured $500 million for the dam, which would support fish passage and address dam safety and water supply issues for cities like Tacoma and Covington. $500 million was also included in the House’s draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. The funding is needed to execute a construction option on the contract for the project, which would have allowed construction to begin in 2026 as scheduled.

    Congress typically provides specific, detailed instructions in its annual appropriations bills on how the Army Corps (and so many other agencies) must spend funding provided by Congress. Annual appropriations bills note exactly what Army Corps projects must be funded and at what levels. But instead of working with Democrats to pass full-year appropriations bills that deliver for communities across America, Republicans in Congress put forth a yearlong continuing resolution (CR) that failed to include hundreds of specific directives on how funding must be spent. For months, Senator Murray warned of the dangers of passing Republicans’ slush fund CR, noting, for example, that it would allow the administration to zero out funding for Army Corps projects. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Signs Executive Orders on Drones, Flying Cars, and Supersonics

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump has signed three executive orders that will accelerate domestic drone production, secure our airspace, and position America to once again lead the world in supersonic technology.
    “Decades of regulatory gridlock have grounded advancements in drones, flying cars, and supersonic flight in the U.S. With today’s EOs, the Trump Administration is giving America’s innovators greater ability to test, develop, and commercialize these cutting-edge aircrafts that will reshape aviation,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. “President Trump’s actions will unleash a new era of American aviation dominance, fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and protecting our national security.
    Burdensome red tape has hindered homegrown drone innovation and grounded progress in supersonic flight for generations. Today’s executive orders accelerate domestic drone innovation, secure supply chains, reduce reliance on adversarial nations, repeal regulations that stalled supersonic flight, and assert U.S. leadership in emerging aviation sectors. They also enable routine beyond line-of-sight operations, which will empower our domestic drone economy to assist with critical infrastructure, emergency response, and long-distance cargo and medical delivery.
    The executive orders also create a pilot program testing flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, for EMS, air taxis, cargo, and defense logistics. The eVTOL pilot program builds on the successes of President Trump’s 2017 drone pilot program, highlighting how President Trump’s actions continue to put America in a position to lead.
    Additionally, these orders address the growing threats from criminal, terrorist, and foreign misuse of drones inside U.S. airspace. This administration is securing our borders against aerial threats by cracking down on unlawful drone activity and prioritizing real-time detection and identification of drones to safeguard national security. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Booker Reintroduce the Prescription Information Modernization Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Senators Mullin and Booker Reintroduce the Prescription Information Modernization Act

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the “Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025”. This bill will enable the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement a rule that allows drug manufacturers to share prescribing information electronically in order to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and ensure that healthcare professionals have access to the latest drug information.

    Prescribing information is crucial for healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about prescriptions. Unfortunately, under current regulations, this information is required to be printed which leads to excessive paper use and the distribution of outdated materials.

    “This common-sense legislation is long overdue and will have an immense impact on both our healthcare professionals and patients,” said Senator Mullin. “Electronic prescriptions will simplify how providers access and manage data, improving efficiency without compromising quality.”

    “Our health care system should adapt to the latest technological advances so that people can receive efficient, quick, and effective care like never before,” said Senator Booker. “Right now, drug manufacturers and health care providers are still forced to rely on printed materials to access and manage prescription materials. This bipartisan legislation will pave the way for electronic prescriptions and modernize our health care practices.”

    The legislation is supported by the following organizations: The Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), Allergy & Asthma Network, American Pharmacists Association, AmGen, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Association for Accessible Medicines, Beyond Type 1, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, BioNJ, BioUtah, Boomer Esiason Foundation, Environmental Paper Network, Georgia Bio, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, LUNGevity Foundation, Lupin, Maryland Tech Council, MassBio, McKesson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Consumers League, National Grange, NewYorkBIO, North Carolina Biosciences Organization, Texas Healthcare and Biosciences Institute, and Zero Cancer.

    Full text of the ‘‘Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2025’’ can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sanctuary cities can’t protect people from ICE immigration raids − but they don’t actually violate federal law

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

    While sanctuary policies for immigrants have grown in the U.S. since the 1980s, the Trump administration is the first to challenge them. Marcos Silva/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    The Trump administration plans to send special response teams of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct immigration raids in four cities run by Democratic mayors, NBC news reported on June 11, 2025, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the planning process.

    NBC reports that New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle are four of the five places that would be affected by this deployment, as well as northern Virginia. These cities are also among the other major metropolitan hubs – as well as more than 200 small towns and counties and a dozen states – that over the past 40 years have adopted what are often known as sanctuary policies.

    Special response teams are tactical units under ICE that are trained to respond to extreme situations such as drug and arms smugglers. These units have been used to respond to recent immigration protests in Los Angeles in response to ICE raids. President Donald Trump has also deployed 4,000 National Guard troops, as well as about 700 Marines, to quell protests in that city. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have said the presence of troops is exacerbating the situation and are challenging the legality of these deployments in court.

    While sanctuary policies often prohibit local participation in immigration enforcement or cooperation with ICE, if large-scale raids take place in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle, their designation as sanctuary cities offers little protection to immigrants living without legal authorization from deportation.

    There is not a single definition of a sanctuary policy. But it often involves local authorities not asking about a resident’s immigration status, or not sharing that personal information with federal immigration authorities.

    So when a San Francisco police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer will not ask if the person is living in the country legally.

    American presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden, have chosen to leave sanctuary policies largely unchallenged since different places first adopted them in the 1970s. This changed in 2017, when President Donald Trump first tried to cut federal funding to sanctuary places, claiming that their policies “willfully violate Federal law.” Legal challenges during his first term stopped him from actually withholding the money.

    At the start of his second term, Trump signed two executive orders in January and April 2025 which again state that his administration will withhold federal money from areas with sanctuary policies.

    “Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Trump said, according to an April White House statement. This statement was immediately followed by his April executive order.

    These two executive orders task the attorney general and secretary of homeland security with publishing a list of all sanctuary places and notifying local and state officials of “non-compliance, providing an opportunity to correct it.” Those that do not comply with federal law, according to the orders, may lose federal funding.

    San Francisco and 14 other sanctuary cities, including New Haven, Connecticut, and Portland, Oregon, sued the Trump administration in February on the grounds that it was illegally trying to coerce cities to comply with its policies. A U.S. district court judge in California issued an injunction on April 24 preventing the administration – at least for the time being – from cutting funding from places with sanctuary policies.

    However, as researchers who have studied sanctuary policies for over a decade, we know that Trump’s claim that sanctuary policies violate federal immigration law is not correct.

    It’s true that the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over immigration. Yet there is no federal requirement that state or local governments participate or cooperate in federal immigration enforcement, which would require an act of Congress.

    A sign is seen at the Nogales, Ariz., and Mariposa, Mexico, border crossing.
    Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

    What’s behind sanctuary policies

    In 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department was the first to announce a prohibition on local officials asking about a resident’s immigration status.

    However, it was not until the 1980s that the sanctuary movement took off, when hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Nicaraguans fled civil war and violence in their home countries and migrated to the U.S. This prompted a number of cities to declare solidarity with the faith-based sanctuary movement that offered refuge to Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Nicaraguan asylum seekers facing deportation.

    In 1985, Berkeley, Calif., and San Francisco pledged that city officials, including police officers, would not report Central Americans to immigration authorities as long as they were law abiding.

    Berkeley also banned officials from using local money to work with federal immigration authorities.

    “We are not asking anyone to do anything illegal,” Nancy Walker, a supervisor for San Francisco, said in 1985, according to The New York Times. “We have got to extend our hand to these people. If these people go home, they die. They are asking us to let them stay.”

    Today, there are hundreds of sanctuary cities, towns, counties and states across the country that all have a variation of policies that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

    Sometimes – but not always – places with sanctuary policies bar local law enforcement agencies from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the country’s main immigration enforcement agency.

    A large part of ICE’s work is identifying, arresting and deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. In order to carry out this work, ICE issues what is known as “detainer requests” to local law enforcement authorities. A detainer request asks local law enforcement to hold a specific arrested person already being held by police until that person can be transferred to ICE, which can then take steps to deport them.

    While places without sanctuary policies tend to comply with these requests, some sanctuary jurisdictions, like the state of California, only do so in the cases of particular violent criminal offenses.

    Yet local officials in sanctuary places cannot legally block ICE from arresting local residents who are living in the country illegally, or from carrying out any other parts of its work.

    Can Trump withhold federal funding?

    Trump claimed in 2017 that sanctuary policies violated federal law, and he issued an executive order that tried to rescind federal grants that these jurisdictions received.

    However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2018 case involving San Francisco and Santa Clara County, California, that the president could not refuse to “disperse the federal grants in question without congressional authorization.”

    Federal courts, meanwhile, split over whether Trump could freeze funding attached to a specific federal program called the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, which provides about US$250 million in annual funding to state and local law enforcement.

    These cases were in the process of being appealed to the Supreme Court when the Department of Justice, under Biden, asked that they be dismissed.

    Other Supreme Court rulings also suggest that the Trump administration’s claim that it can withhold federal funding from sanctuary places rests on shaky legal ground.

    The Supreme Court ruled in 1992 and again in 1997 that the federal government could not coerce state or local governments to use their resources to enforce a federal regulatory program, or compel them to enact or administer a federal regulatory program.

    Under pressure

    The first Trump administration was not generally successful, with the exception of the split over the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, at stripping funding from sanctuary places. But cutting federal funding – even if it happens temporarily – can be economically damaging to cities and counties while they challenge the decision in court.

    Local officials also face other kinds of political pressure to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

    A legal group founded by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff in the Trump administration, for example, sent letters to dozens of local officials in January threatening criminal prosecution for their sanctuary policies.

    Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, a sanctuary city, testifies during a House committee hearing on sanctuary city mayors on March 5, 2025, in Washington.
    Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The real effects of sanctuary policies

    One part of Trump’s argument against sanctuary policies is that places with these policies have more crime than those that do not.

    But there is no established relationship between sanctuary status and crime rates.

    There is, however, evidence that when local law enforcement and ICE work together, it reduces the likelihood of immigrant and Latino communities to report crimes, likely for fear of being arrested by federal immigration authorities.

    Sanctuary policies are certainly worthy of debate, but this requires an accurate representation of what they are, what they do, and the effects they have.

    This is an updated version of a story originally published on May 28, 2025.

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

    – ref. Sanctuary cities can’t protect people from ICE immigration raids − but they don’t actually violate federal law – https://theconversation.com/sanctuary-cities-cant-protect-people-from-ice-immigration-raids-but-they-dont-actually-violate-federal-law-255831

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Microaggressions’ can fly under the radar in schools. Here’s how to spot them and respond

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Leslie, Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy with a focus on Educational Psychology, University of Southern Queensland

    Klaus Vedfelt/ Getty Images

    Bullying is sadly a common experience for Australian children and teenagers. It is estimated at least 25% experience bullying at some point in their schooling.

    The impacts can be far-reaching and include depression and anxiety, poorer school performance, and poorer connection to school.

    The federal government is currently doing a “rapid review” of how to better prevent bullying in schools. This do this, we need a clear understanding of the full spectrum of aggressive behaviours that occur in schools.

    We already know bullying can be physical, verbal and social, and can occur in person and online. But there is less awareness among educators and policymakers of “microaggressions”. These can be more subtle but are nonetheless very damaging.



    Read more:
    With a government review underway, we have to ask why children bully other kids

    What’s the difference between bullying and microaggressions?

    Bullying is unwanted aggressive behaviour by a person or group against a targeted victim, with the intent to harm. The behaviour is repeated and there is a power imbalance between the perpetrator and victim.

    Microaggressions are a form of aggression that communicate a person is less valued because of a particular attribute – for example, their race, gender or disability.

    Microaggressions are repeated, cumulative and reflect power imbalances between social groups. A key difference with traditional bullying is microaggressions are often unconscious on the part of the perpetrator – and can be perpetrated with no ill intent.

    For example, traditional bullying could include a child always excluding another child from the group, always pushing them when they walk past them, or calling them a rude name.

    Microaggressions could include:

    • saying “you don’t look disabled” to a student with an invisible disability

    • mispronouncing a student’s name with no attempt to correct the pronunciation

    • saying to a student of colour, “wow, you’re so articulate”, implying surprise at their language skills

    • minimising a student with disability’s experience by saying “it can’t be that difficult. Just try harder.”

    We don’t have specific statistics on prevalence within Australia, although there is ample research to say those from minority groups frequently experience microaggressions.

    For example, studies of young people in the United States found incidents of microaggressions, often focused on racism, homophobia, transphobia and fat stigma. Students who held more than one identity (for example, a minority race and sexual orientation), were more likely to be targets.

    Microaggressions in schools

    My 2025 research on microaggressions towards dyslexic students in Australia found both students and parents can be on the receiving end. Teachers, school support officers and other students could be perpetrators.

    These interactions minimised the students’ experiences of dyslexia and made them feel like second class students compared to their peers.

    Some of the children reported comments from peers such as “oh yeah, reading, writing is hard already” which minimised the difficulties caused by dyslexia. Another student recalled how a peer had corrected her spelling “by snatching my book and re-writing it”, assuming she couldn’t do it herself. One student was made to feel bad for using a laptop in class as “someone said it was cheating”.

    The impact of microaggressions

    Schools where microaggressions occur are not safe spaces for all students.

    This can have serious implications for students’ school attendance, harm their mental health and ability to learn and socialise.

    Research on US university students, showed students may also become hypervigilant waiting for future microaggressions to occur.

    One Australian study found microaggressions can be so bad for some school students, they change schools in search of environments where staff and peers are more accepting.

    How to address microaggressions

    Research suggests addressing microaggressions can work as a prevention strategy to reduce other forms of bullying before it starts.

    Studies also show teacher awareness of microaggressions is key to preventing and addressing incidents.

    So a first step step is to make sure schools, teachers and students are aware of microagressions. Teachers should be educated about the relationship between microaggressions and bullying.

    Schools need to create environments where microaggressions are understood, recognised and addressed. All students need to be taught how to respond appropriately as bystanders if they see microaggressions happening in the classroom, playground or online.

    If a student feels that they or a friend has been made to feel less because of their identity, then they should be encouraged to seek help from an appropriate adult.

    Schools also need proactive programs to foster inclusion in schools. Research shows school psychologists can help by delivering programs in mental health and social and emotional development.

    Just as schools, teachers and school psychologists can be proactive in addressing microaggressions, so too can the federal government – by including microaggressions in its anti-bullying review.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

    Rachel Leslie is a committee member for the Australian Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools association.

    – ref. ‘Microaggressions’ can fly under the radar in schools. Here’s how to spot them and respond – https://theconversation.com/microaggressions-can-fly-under-the-radar-in-schools-heres-how-to-spot-them-and-respond-258684

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Were the first kings of Poland actually from Scotland? New DNA evidence unsettles a nation’s founding myth

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

    An illustration from a 15th-century manuscript showing the coronation of the first king of Poland, Boleslaw I. Chronica Polonorum by Mathiae de Mechovia

    For two centuries, scholars have sparred over the roots of the Piasts, Poland’s first documented royal house, who reigned from the 10th to the 14th centuries.

    Were they local Slavic nobles, Moravian exiles, or warriors from Scandinavia?

    Since 2023, a series of genetic and environmental studies led by molecular biologist Marek Figlerowicz at the Poznań University of Technology has delivered a stream of direct evidence about these enigmatic rulers, bringing the debate onto firmer ground.

    Digging up the dynasty

    Field teams have now opened more than a dozen crypts from the Piast era. The largest single haul came from Płock Cathedral in what is now central Poland.

    The exhumed bones were dated between 1100 and 1495, matching written records. Genetic analysis showed several individuals were close relatives.

    “There is no doubt we are dealing with genuine Piasts,” Figlerowicz told a May 2025 conference.

    The Poznań group isolated readable DNA from 33 individuals (30 men and three women) believed to span the dynasty’s full timeline.

    Surprise on the Y chromosome

    The male skeletons almost all carry a single, rare group of genetic variants on the Y chromosome (which is only carried and passed down by males). This group is today found mainly in Britain. The closest known match belongs to a Pict buried in eastern Scotland in the 5th or 6th century.

    These results imply that the dynasty’s paternal line arrived from the vicinity of the North Atlantic, not nearby.

    Mieszko I, the first Piast ruler documented in written sources.
    Jan Matejko, c. 1893 (via Wikimedia)

    The date of that arrival is still open: the founding clan could have migrated centuries before the first known Piast, Mieszko I (who died in 992), or perhaps only a generation earlier through a dynastic marriage. Either way, the new data kill the notion of an unbroken local male lineage.

    Yet genetics also shows deep local continuity in the wider population. A separate survey of Iron Age cemeteries across Poland, published in Scientific Reports, revealed that people living 2,000 years ago already shared the genetic makeup seen in early Piast subjects.

    Another project that sequenced pre-Piast burials drew the same conclusion: local Poles were part of the broader continental gene pool stretching from Denmark to France.

    In short, even if the Piasts were exotic rulers, they governed a long-established community.

    A swamp tells its tale

    While the DNA work progressed, another Poznań team dug into the history of the local environment via samples from the peaty floor of Lake Lednica near Poznań, the island-ringed stronghold often dubbed the cradle of the Piast realm.

    Their study of buried pollen, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows an abrupt switch in the 9th century: oak and lime pollen plummet, while cereal and pasture indicators soar. Traces of charcoal and soot point to widespread fires.

    The authors call the shift an “ecological revolution”, driven by slash-and-burn agriculture and the need to feed concentrated garrisons of soldiers guarding local trade routes carrying amber and slaves.

    Modelling boom and bust

    Using this environmental data, historians and complexity scientists constructed a feedback model of population, silver paid as tribute to rulers, and fort-building. As fields expanded, tributes rose; as tributes rose, chiefs could hire more labour to clear more forest and build forts.

    The model reproduces the startling build-out of ramparts at Poznań, Giecz and Gniezno around 990. It also predicts collapse once the silver stopped flowing.

    Pollen data indeed show the woodlands recovered to some extent after 1070, while archaeological surveys record abandoned hamlets and shrinking garrisons.

    The early Piast state rode a resource boom as the Piasts controlled part of the amber and slave trade routes that linked the shores of the Baltic Sea to Rome.

    The impact of Mieszko’s conversion to Christianity on that lucrative trade remains subject to scholarly debate.

    Reconciling foreigners and locals

    How do these strands fit together? Evidence of a Scottish man in the Piast paternal line does not necessarily imply a foreign conquest. Dynasties spread by marriages as well as by swords.

    For example, Świętosława (the sister of the first Piast king, Bolesław the Brave), married the kings of both Denmark and Sweden, and her descendants ruled England for a time. The networks of Europe’s nobility were highly mobile.

    Conversely, the stable genetic profile of ordinary folk suggests that, whoever sat on the ducal bench, most people remained where their grandparents had farmed.

    The broader research engine

    None of this work happens in isolation. Poland’s National Science Centre has bankrolled a 24-person team across archaeology, palaeoecology and bioinformatics since 2014, generating 16 peer-reviewed papers and a public database of ancient genomes.

    Conferences at Lednica and Dziekanowice now bring historians and molecular biologists to the same table. The methodological pay-off is clear: Polish labs can now process their own ancient DNA rather than exporting it to Copenhagen or Leipzig.

    What still puzzles researchers

    Three questions remain. First, does that British-leaning male line really start with a Pict? The closest known match to the Piasts may change as new burials are sequenced.

    Second, how many commoners carried the same genetic variant? Spot samples from Kowalewko and Brzeg hint that it was rare among locals, but the data set is small.

    Third, why did the silver dry up so fast? Numismatists suspect a shift in Viking routes after 1000 AD, yet the matter is far from settled.

    A balanced verdict

    Taken together, the evidence paints a nuanced picture. The Piasts were probably not ethnic Slavs in the strict paternal sense, yet they ruled, and soon resembled, an overwhelmingly Slavic realm.

    Their meteoric rise owed less to outsider brilliance than to the chance alignment of fertile soils, cheap labour, and an export boom in amber and captives.

    As geneticists conduct more DNA sequencing of remains, such as those of princes in crypts at Kraków’s Wawel castle, and palaeoecologists push their lakebed pollen samples back to 7th century, we can expect further surprises.

    Darius von Guttner Sporzynski receives funding from the National Science Centre, Poland as a partner investigator in the grant ‘The “Chronicle of the Poles” by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow also known as Kadłubek. First critical Latin-English Edition.’ (2022/47/B/HS3/00931).

    – ref. Were the first kings of Poland actually from Scotland? New DNA evidence unsettles a nation’s founding myth – https://theconversation.com/were-the-first-kings-of-poland-actually-from-scotland-new-dna-evidence-unsettles-a-nations-founding-myth-258579

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Merck Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and African First Ladies mark World Hypertension Day 2025 by launching their Annual Awards for Best Media, Fashion, Song, and Film to raise awareness on hypertension, diabetes and importance of healthy lifestyle

    Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘World Hypertension Day 2025’ in partnership with Africa’s First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Medical Societies and Academia through their “Nationwide Diabetes & Hypertension Blue Points Program, by reinforcing its commitment to improving cardiovascular and diabetes care across Africa, and beyond.

    Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation stated, “At Merck Foundation we observe “World Hypertension Day” by expanding access to quality and equitable care in Hypertension, Diabetes, Endocrinnology and Cardiovascular preventive care, which are all co-related, by providing scholarships for young doctors from across Africa and beyond.

    “Together with our Ambassadors, The First Ladies of Africa, and partners like Ministries of Health, Medical Societies and Academia, we have till today provided more than 860 scholarships for young doctors from 52 countries, of One-Year Online PG Diplomas and Two-Year Online Master’s Degrees in Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology, Cardiology, and Obesity & Weight Management, as well as One-Year Clinical Cardiovascular Care and Clinical Diabetes Onsite Fellowship Programs in India, a special 3-month Diabetes Mastercourse in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish languages.

    What is special about these scholarships is that they have been provided not only to doctors from capital cities, but also to those from across the country — ensuring wider geographic coverage of healthcare capacity. We remain committed to continuing our efforts to improve healthcare capacity and access to hypertension and diabetes care.”

    Merck Foundation has in total provided more than 2270 scholarships for doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties.

    Dr. Dzifa Ahadzi, Merck Foundation alumnus from Ghana shares, “I have completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Cardiology and currently pursuing MSc in Cardiology. Being a practicing cardiologist, this program has provided me with the opportunity to consolidate my knowledge and apply current advances in cardiovascular care to my clinical practice. Since completing the PG Diploma in Cardiology, I have been involved in establishing a Heart Failure clinic in my hospital that caters to the needs of a diverse population of Heart Failure patients including women with Postpartum cardiomyopathy and Cardio-oncology patients.

    I am extremely grateful to Merck Foundation for the support and exposure it has provided me. It has inspired me and helped me to improve cardiovascular care amongst the population that I serve.”

    Merck Foundation scholarships are of great value, given that as per WHO data, the African region has the highest prevalence of hypertension, with approximately 27% of adults affected.

    Therefore, Merck Foundation has launched several community awareness programs to emphasize on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about diabetes and hypertension prevention, early detection and management.

    Merck Foundation, together with The First Ladies of Africa has launched a storybook and its adapted animation Film “Mark’s Pressure”.

    “I believe early education is key to building a healthier community. Through our storybook and animation film “Mark’s Pressure”, we aim to instill healthy habits in children and youth — like reducing salt and sugar, eating well, exercising, and avoiding smoking. I believe that this is the only way to to prevent and manage hypertension and diabetes, which are major risk factors for many serious complications and illnesses.”

    Watch the “Mark’s Pressure” Animation Film here:

    https://apo-opa.co/45pQuid

    Moreover, Merck Foundation’s pan African TV program “Our Africa” conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation has episodes dedicated to raising awareness about Diabetes and Promoting Healthy Lifestyle.

    Watch the Episodes here:

    https://apo-opa.co/4jMij7M

    https://apo-opa.co/43VGaf9

    “Our Africa” TV Program has been broadcasted on National and Prime TV stations of many African countries like Burundi, Botswana, Ghana, The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and is currently on social media handles of Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej [Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4jMijEO), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4jPaTkd), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/43XKSco) and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4l3tpX8)] and Merck Foundation [Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/445Av6G), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/3SMH2Ok), Twitter (https://apo-opa.co/403N1Cb) and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3HD4xXz)].

    Additionally, Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies, also launches annually, their Awards for best Media, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Musicians/ Singers, and new potential talents in these fields from African countries to Promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

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

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

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

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    3. Merck Foundation Fashion Awards 2025 “Diabetes & Hypertension”: All African Fashion Students and Designers are invited to create and share designs to deliver strong and influential messages to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of Diabetes and Hypertension.

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

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

    Submission deadline: 30th October 2025.

    Entries for all the awards are to be submitted via email to:

    submit@merck-foundation.com

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

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

    Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard:
    Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/445Av6G
    X: https://apo-opa.co/403N1Cb
    YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3HD4xXz
    Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/3SMH2Ok
    Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4l5X9CL
    Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/4jMiwrA
    Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com
    Download Merck Foundation App: www.Merck-Foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirection

    About Merck Foundation:
    The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/445Av6G), X (https://apo-opa.co/403N1Cb), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/3SMH2Ok), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/3HD4xXz), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4l5X9CL) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4jMiwrA).

    The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Wildfire Season Approaches, Wyden, Budd, Schrier and Valadao Unveil Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Impacts of Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    June 11, 2025

    In 2024 alone, 8.9 million acres of land were affected by wildfires

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., and U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and David Valadao, R-Calif., today introduced bipartisan legislation that would support prescribed burns as an essential, cost-effective, science-based strategy to save lives and property, and address the harmful impacts of the recent wildfires across the nation. 

    In 2024 alone, 8.9 million acres of land were burned by wildfires, one of the highest totals on record. Since vegetation continues to grow, the Forest Service has been unable to address the current hazardous fuel backlog as the nation suffers from hotter and drier fire seasons.

    The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would invest in hazardous fuels management to reduce the risk of blistering infernos by increasing the pace and scale of prescribed  burns during cooler, wetter months. The legislation would grow a technically skilled prescribed fire workforce, and provide new tools to aid smoke management and prescribed fire permitting during winter months to reduce catastrophic fires and smoke in the summer. 

    “It’s no secret that rising temperatures and increased drought are leading to more and more wildfires, and firefighters are struggling to keep up as they put their lives on the line,” Wyden said. “We can no longer wait for disaster to strike before we address these fires destroying our neighborhoods and even taking people’s lives. I have heard firsthand from Oregonians who are sick and tired of inaction while the West burns. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill will tackle wildfires head-on by focusing on prevention to get the West out of the cycle of crisis and devastation every wildfire season.”  

    “Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, thousands of acres of North Carolina forest were left destroyed,” Budd said. “Now, these downed trees and piles of leaves represent a serious wildfire risk. By enabling the Forest Service to better conduct controlled burns of unchecked vegetation and scattered debris, we can protect our forests from catastrophic wildfires that may occur in the hottest months of the year. I am proud to join my colleague, Sen. Wyden, in introducing this common-sense, proactive approach to preventing disastrous wildfires.”

    “Here in Washington State, we experience devastating wildfires every year.  That’s why Congress must act now and address this issue,” Schrier said. “My bill, the National Prescribed Fire Act, expands the use of prescribed fire to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfires.”

    “In California, we understand the dangerous impact of wildfires—from damage to property to loss of life,” Valadao said. “By prescribing controlled burns to fire-adapted land in a safe and supervised way, we can limit dangerous fuel buildup and help reduce the threat of future wildfires. I’m proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing this bipartisan bill to protect our communities from wildfire risk.”

    The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025:

    • Dedicates funding for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to plan, prepare, and conduct prescribed burns on federal, state, and private lands. 

    • Requires the Forest Service and Department of Interior to increase the number of acres treated with prescribed fire.

    • Establishes a new collaborative program to implement prescribed burns on county, state, and private land at high risk of burning in a wildfire. 

    • Establishes a workforce development program at the Forest Service and DOI to develop, train, and hire prescribed fire practitioners, and establishes employment programs for Tribes, veterans, underutilized employees, and those formerly incarcerated.

    • Facilitates coordination between land managers and state, tribal, and local air quality agencies to use current laws and regulations to allow larger prescribed burns, and give states more flexibility in winter months to conduct prescribed burns that reduce catastrophic smoke events in the summer. 

    “Prescribed fire is critically important for building resilience to wildfire across America’s public lands. The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 will help increase the pace and scale of this underused tool to a level commensurate with the wildfire crisis. Outdoor Alliance commends Senator Wyden, Senator Budd, and Representative Schrier and Valadao for their work on this important legislation,” said Jamie Ervin, Senior Policy Manager of Outdoor Alliance.

    “Prescribed fire is critical for maintaining healthy forests and protecting our communities from the threat of wildfire. State Foresters applaud the bipartisan efforts of Senators Wyden and Budd to ensure this important forest management tool remains in the toolbox while eliminating several key barriers to safely and responsibly expanding its use across the nation’s forest landscapes,” said Patty Cormier, President of National Association of State Foresters.

    “Beneficial fire, including prescribed fire, has historically been an underused and under-resourced tool for promoting fire-resilient landscapes, despite being among the most cost-effective land management strategies available. The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would enable greater prescribed fire utilization by supporting workforce development and training for prescribed fire practitioners. It would also establish clear liability standards for non-federal partners engaged in essential cross-boundary mitigation work. We commend Senator Wyden and Senator Budd for working to equip land managers with what they need to protect our communities and treasured landscapes,” said Marek Smith, North America Fire Director at The Nature Conservancy.

    “Increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration is paramount, and prescribed fire is one of the most economical techniques for large-scale forest restoration. Western Governors support the expanded use of prescribed fire and applaud Senator Wyden and Senator Budd’s bipartisan effort to promote the judicious deployment of this management tool. The Western Governors’ Association urges the Senate to consider this critically important bill,” said Jack Waldorf, Executive Director at Western Governors’ Association.

    “Prescribed and cultural burning are the most effective, yet underutilized tools to address the nation’s wildfire crisis. This bill proposes comprehensive and practical solutions to increase safe use of beneficial fire to restore forest health, protect communities, and reduce the risk of mega-fires. Congress should act to pass it immediately,” said Dylan Kruse, President of Sustainable Northwest.

    “The Stewardship Project supports the National Prescribed Fire Act as a critical step toward ecological restoration through the expanded use of beneficial fire. We appreciate that this legislation elevates the role of Indigenous practitioners in cultural burning, invests in cross-boundary collaboration, and focuses on landscape-scale restoration to address the wildfire crisis,” said Scott Stephens, Don Hankins, and Sara Clark, Co-Leads at The Stewardship Project.

    “The exclusion of fire from our fire-dependent ecosystems over the past century has degraded America’s forests and grasslands and contributed significantly to the compounding climate and catastrophic wildfire crises. The National Prescribed Fire Act proposes practical solutions to expand the use of various types of beneficial fire,” said Marissa Christiansen, Executive Director at the Climate and Wildfire Institute.

    “As the leading non-governmental research organization with over 65-years of experience using prescribed fire science to solve land management problems, Tall Timbers is excited to see the reintroduction of the National Prescribed Fire Act. We support the emphasis on workforce training and collaboration across federal and non-federal stakeholders and believe this bill would greatly enhance how prescribed fire is conducted on public and private lands throughout the country,” said J. Morgan Varner, PhD, Director of Research at Tall Timbers.

    “Senator Wyden’s National Prescribed Fire Act is a must-pass bill for the sake of our communities and forests. Prescribed fire is the safest, most effective, efficient, and economical tool for influencing future wildfire behavior. Ask any wildland firefighter and they will admit that they’d rather be lighting fires under the best of weather conditions than fighting fires under the worst conditions. Proactive prescribed burning beats reactive wildfire fighting any day!” said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE).

    “In Oregon, The Nature Conservancy has been using prescribed fire since 1983. Prescribed fire is an essential tool to restore and steward fire-dependent ecosystems, reduce the risk to communities, and help many of Oregon’s most iconic natural landscapes become more resilient to extreme wildfires. We are grateful for Senator Wyden’s leadership on the National Prescribed Fire Act – providing a pathway to accelerate the pace and scale of prescribed fire necessary to combat the wildfire crisis in the western United States,” said Katie Sauerbrey, Oregon Fire Program Director at The Nature Conservancy. 

    The text of the bill is here. A one-page summary of the bill is here. A section-by-section of the bill is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –