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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Diego Ricardo Murillo-Almanza (25), a Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Murillo-Almanza faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, on February 24, 2025, a deputy from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office observed Murillo-Almanza’s vehicle committing multiple traffic violations, including swerving in and out of the lane of travel. Murillo-Almanza was in the driver’s seat and could not produce a valid driver license. When Murillo-Almanza exited the vehicle, he had flakes of what appeared to be marijuana on his person. Three other undocumented individuals were also in the vehicle. A deputy searched the vehicle and recovered a marijuana cigarette, a small container of marijuana, and a Taurus 9mm pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition near the driver’s seat. Murillo-Almanza admitted to law enforcement that he was in the country illegally and that the pistol was his. He agreed to forfeit the pistol and associated ammunition seized from him on the date of incident. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads Eight Lawyers on Judiciary Committee in Commending Law Firms that have Resisted Trump’s Unconstitutional Executive Orders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, this week led eight lawyers on the Senate Judiciary Committee in sending a letter to the American Bar Association (ABA), commending lawyers and law firms that are resisting President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional attacks on the legal profession.  
    “As fellow members of the legal community, we applaud lawyers who are resisting President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional attacks on the legal profession,” wrote the Democratic lawyers on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “These orders are unlawful—a tool of intimidation, and a weaponization of the federal government. The President’s actions existentially threaten essential rights guaranteed by our Constitution.  
    “The Sixth Amendment right to counsel is undermined when a President signals that choosing to represent his political opponents carries the risk of retribution. The First Amendment protection against viewpoint discrimination is imperiled when a president seeks to punish lawyers who advocate against his policies. By levying punishments outside the ordinary legal process, these orders violate Constitutional due process.” 
    The Senators concluded: “The American Bar Association has stalwartly supported lawyers that have resisted President Trump’s bullying. We join the ABA in commending these lawyers, who have taken financial and professional risks to fight for the rule of law and our constitutional rights. We urge others to join you.” 
    Between March 6th and March 27th, President Trump issued Executive Orders targeting four law firms against whom he has personal grievances—including representing his political opponents and associating with lawyers who have been critical of the President. The Executive Orders limit the targeted law firms’ access to federal buildings, suspend security clearances, and prevent federal agencies from engaging with firm lawyers. 
    Three law firms—Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Perkins Coie—have rightfully challenged the President’s Executive Orders in court, asserting that the orders are in violation of the Constitution and the principles that underlie it. In each of these cases, judges appointed by Presidents from both political parties have properly issued temporary restraining orders against the orders. 
    The letter was signed by nine lawyers on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Senator Welch, Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). 
    Read the full text of the letter. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pierre Poilievre’s proposals on intimate partner violence will do little to stop it

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Walter S. DeKeseredy, Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, Director of the Research Center on Violence, and Professor of Sociology, West Virginia University

    Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently announced that if elected in Canada’s upcoming federal election, his party would enact tougher sentences for anyone accused of intimate partner violence.

    He has also vowed to institute a three-strikes policy for anyone who commits three serious offences, with a minimum 10-year prison sentence with no eligibility for parole.

    The proposed actions include creating a new offence of “assault of an intimate partner,” requiring stricter bail conditions for anyone accused of intimate partner violence and ensuring first-degree murder convictions for anyone who kills their partner.

    There are many steps policymakers who are concerned about victims could take. For example, they could fund a variety of effective prevention programs. However, the approach articulated by Poilievre does not appear to centre the victim, but rather the offender.

    Punishment is often ineffective

    Although government policies in Canada and other countries have emphasized punitive actions towards men who abuse their partners, relatively few of these men are arrested, incarcerated or treated.

    This is due in large part to the fact that most perpetrators are not reported to the police. In fact, one important factor hindering women from reporting their abuse to law enforcement is that officers often express distrust of victims.

    Starting with this survey in 1992, studies repeatedly show that at least one out of every four Canadian female undergraduate students will experience at least one type of sexual assault during their time at university.

    Furthermore, at least 11 per cent of Canadian women in marital or cohabiting relationships are physically abused by their male partners in a year, and in the mid-1990s, there was evidence showing that Canadian men appeared to have higher rates of physical violence towards female intimates than their U.S. counterparts.

    The prevalence of such violence is unlikely to decrease much if all the men who have beaten, raped or killed their partners are arrested and locked up. Decades of research shows that punishment is ineffective in reducing crimes like violence against women.

    Prison and other harsh legal sanctions do not deter abusive men from injuring their female partners any more than they deter the myriad of violent crimes that occur outside domestic or intimate contexts. This has been the conclusion of the majority of deterrence studies conducted in the past 50 years.

    Legal scholar Michelle Alexander and sociologists like Loic Wacquant and Bruce Western have outlined how incarceration can actually increase crime and exacerbate other social problems like unemployment and poverty.

    This information has been available to virtually every Canadian politician for many years, yet they have lacked the political will to act on this information. However, calls to institute more severe sentences often play into public desires to see those accused of crimes punished.

    Improve lives, not punish more

    Violence against women is often a key symptom of structured social inequality. Those who want to reduce it must find ways of reducing social inequality. Governments often compartmentalize social problems like violence against women along bureaucratic lines.

    In other words, some government departments are expected to handle economic issues and find ways to cut spending. However, those working for these departments rarely consider how reductions in unemployment or cuts to social programs and so on affect rates of abuse.

    Rather, the police and courts are often left to respond to male-to-female violence after it has happened. Yet, in real life, jobs, welfare, housing, employment equity, child care, gender inequality and a host of other factors affect the ways men treat women.

    It is time that we move beyond the well-worn path of using after-the-fact approaches to dealing with violence against women.
    (Shutterstock)

    It should be noted that police, courts, prisons and treatment programs play an important role in responding to violence against women. Nevertheless, neither the criminal justice system nor battered women’s shelters should be solely, or even primarily, responsible for dealing with violence against women. Relying only on them to make women’s lives safer is tantamount to “closing the barn doors after the horses have left.”

    Calling the police after a beating, rape or femicide does not prevent the crime from taking place. And although shelters are undoubtedly necessary in our society, shelter workers cannot be expected to solve the problem of woman abuse single-handedly.

    Therefore, it is time that we move beyond the well-worn path of using after-the-fact approaches. Hopefully, if implemented sensitively, what legal professor Leigh Goodmark refers to as a balanced policy approach will result in major reductions in violence against women.

    This approach entails using initiatives such as: putting cash resources directly in the hands of abused women, providing affordable housing and childcare, creating an anti-poverty movement, increased funding for the development and evaluation of community-based prevention programs and encouraging progressive men to be part of the solution.

    Will these strategies make a difference? As criminologist Elliott Currie puts it:

    “We have tried moral exhortation. We have tried neglect. We have tried punishment. We have even grudgingly, tried treatment. We have tried everything but improving lives.”

    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. Pierre Poilievre’s proposals on intimate partner violence will do little to stop it – https://theconversation.com/pierre-poilievres-proposals-on-intimate-partner-violence-will-do-little-to-stop-it-254014

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove Statement on Passage of the Republican Budget Proposal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) released the following statement following her “no” vote on the Republican budget proposal:  

    “The American people are demanding relief from skyrocketing costs. Instead, Donald Trump and Republicans are launching a full-scale assault on the financial security of hard-working families. As if tanking the economy with temper tariffs and inflating costs wasn’t enough, Congressional Republicans just closed their eyes and handed Trump the power to rob everyday people to fund tax breaks for billionaires.

    “In my district, which ranks fourth highest in the nation for Medicaid enrollment, over 409,000 people are on the verge of losing their health care; 225,000 individuals stand to lose the nutrition assistance that puts food on their tables; and the futures of 13,411 students who rely on Pell Grants are now in jeopardy.

    “While my Republican colleagues abandon their constituents and submit to the grifter-in-chief, I will stand firm–eyes wide open–and fight to protect the programs that keep Angelenos alive.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hinson: The No Rogue Rulings Act will End Judicial Weaponization

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) released the following statement after voting for the No Rogue Rulings Act, legislation that would prohibit district judges from legislating from the bench and single handedly overturning the president’s agenda.

    “The courts are an important check and balance in our democracy. However, activist lower court judges have repeatedly issued politically motivated nationwide injunctions to obstruct President Trump’s agenda. For example, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ordered planes carrying dangerous illegal immigrants to turn around midair back to the United States, even after President Trump and President Bukele of El Salvador negotiated an agreement to deport these illegals. The No Rogue Rulings Act will ensure district court judges cannot issue nationwide injunctions and end this latest judicial weaponization tactic.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson 

    Background:

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Garbarino Hosts Thousands of Constituents During Telephone Town Hall

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) held a telephone town hall where he took live questions from constituents, provided updates on his work in Congress, addressed concerns related to federal agencies, and shared helpful resources. 10,281 residents of New York’s Second District joined the call. 

    “I always value hearing directly from my constituents about the issues that matter most to them. The strong participation in this town hall shows how effective these events are in reaching a broad audience across my district,” said Rep. Garbarino. “I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to join and provided me the opportunity to answer your questions directly.”

    Rep. Garbarino took questions and provided updates on a range of topics—from SALT and tariffs to proposed cuts to federal agencies. Check out some highlights below:

    On Securing SALT Relief 

    “The fight right now is front and center…Now we have the numbers, and any extension of the $10,000 cap will not fly…We’re going to have [SALT relief] in the [reconciliation] bill, and it’s gonna be something that I think you all can be very proud of, because if it’s not something I can be proud of, I’m not going to vote for it.”

    On Medicaid

    “You may have seen commercials or social media posts claiming that I voted to cut Medicaid. That accusation is categorically false. There’s been a lot of misinformation flying around, so let me be clear — there was no legislation voted on that would cut Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.”

    On Protecting Veterans’ Benefits

    “The legislators here in D.C., both in the House and Senate, have no interest in harming veterans or stopping programs that we authorized and appropriated…Right now, we are working with the VA, the Secretary of the Veterans Administration, and we are working with the White House to make sure that these cuts [to veterans’ benefits] don’t actually happen…at this point, it’s just rumors. Here on Capitol Hill, we’re doing whatever we can to work with the Administration to ensure that anything Congress has authorized and appropriated funds for continues.”

    On Potential Cuts To Social Security

    “Social Security, under the budget reconciliation process, is not permitted to be touched. There is a lot of bad information out there, saying that the reconciliation bill will affect Social Security benefits and such. We are not legally allowed to touch it under this process, so that information that you’re getting out there, that this might be changed under reconciliation, is false.”

    To stay up to date on Rep. Garbarino’s work in Congress, subscribe to his newsletter. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Healthcare company prosecuted for destroying protected trees

    Source: City of Liverpool

    A local healthcare company has been ordered to pay over £6,000 for unlawfully destroying three protected trees which were believed to be over 100 years old.

    Harbour Healthcare Ltd. appeared in court on Thursday 4 April for breaching a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) that has been in place for almost 40 years.

    Liverpool City Council planning officers were made aware of the unauthorised works taking place at one of the company’s care homes, Kingswood Mount Care Home in Woolton, last year.

    An inspection by one of the Council’s tree and landscape officers found that irreparable damage had been done to mature beech, yew and oak trees, all of which were covered by a TPO.

    The yew tree had been felled from ground level, while both the oak and beech trees had been topped, which is the act of removing the top of the tree, including its main branches. The inspection found that the heavy pruning of the two topped trees had likely caused irreparable damage and caused their destruction.

    A TPO protects trees that contribute to the local environment against being cut down, topped, lopped, or uprooted without prior permission.

    While trees under a TPO can be removed if they are dead or dangerous, this must be evidenced. An inspection of the three destroyed trees at the care home found that the trees posed no such risk.

    Before they were destroyed, the trees were believed to stand between 15m and 25m tall and, due to their age, had a combined value of £357,409.

    In court, Harbour Healthcare Ltd. Pleaded guilty to three separate offences, covering each of the three trees and were ordered to pay £6,777 in the next 28 days.

    In a separate case, Mr Daniel McCormack, the tree surgeon who carried out the works as part of A&C Tree Care, also pleaded guilty to three offences and was sentenced to a fine of £960.

    Anyone planning works on trees in Liverpool can check whether they’re protected by a TPO on the Council’s website.

    Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Communities and Streetscene said: “Trees are a vital part of our city. Not only are they a beautiful feature of Liverpool’s landscape, but they play an important role in cleaning the air that we breathe.

    “Multiple generations have passed since these trees were planted and we protect them for a reason. Heavy pruning can easily damage or kill trees and that’s the last thing we want, which is why we are strict on the type of works that can take place in a Tree Preservation Order.

    “While new trees can be planted to replace the needless loss of the three that were destroyed, we won’t be around to see them grow to their full potential.

    “I hope that this case sends a clear message to anyone thinking about carrying out unauthorised work in a TPO area that this is a serious topic and we won’t hesitate to prosecute. There is no excuse for ignoring these orders and wilfully destroying our city’s much needed and cherished trees.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK welcomes the formation of the new Syrian government: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    The UK welcomes the formation of the new Syrian government: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Jess Jambert-Gray, UK Deputy Political Coordinator, at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

    I will make three points.

    First, since this Council last met, Syria has made further positive progress in its political transition. 

    The UK welcomes the announcement on the formation of the new Syrian government. 

    And we look forward to the protection of human rights, unfettered access of humanitarian aid, the safe destruction of chemical weapons and the combatting of terrorism and extremism.

    The government’s formation marks an important milestone in the transition. 

    We hope this spirit of inclusive representation will be carried forward in state institutions and in any further appointments, including to the Legislative Committee, and to a clear timeline for the next phases of the transition. 

    The UK stands ready to work with the Syrian government to this end and to support an inclusive, stable and prosperous future for the Syrian people.

    Second, this opportunity for stability is being threatened by the continued violence. 

    We are concerned by Israeli strikes and incursions into Syria, with reports of civilian deaths. 

    These actions risk destabilising Syria and the wider region. 

    And this is in no one’s interest. 

    We recognise Israel’s focus on protecting the security of its borders and its people, but the actions it takes must be proportionate and in line with international law. 

    We call on all actors to uphold the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, respect Syrian territorial integrity and prioritise diplomacy over force.

    Third, it is the Syrian people who will suffer the most from this worrying escalation. 

    After fourteen years of tyranny and conflict at the hands of the Assad regime, the Syrian people still face a staggering humanitarian crisis. 

    And that is why the UK has recently pledged up to $207 million in critical humanitarian assistance. 

    Our focus should now be on supporting Syrians to rebuild their country. 

    Therefore we call on all parties to ensure that humanitarian access remains possible across Syria and that civilian lives are protected. 

    The UK will continue to work with our international partners to support Syrians as they look to build a better future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 10 April 2025 Departmental update Worldwide rally for maternal and newborn health marks World Health Day 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    On the occasion of the World Health Day 2025 dedicated to the theme of Healthier beginnings, hopeful futures, over 100 global offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) have organized wide-ranging public advocacy actions in collaboration with Member States, communities, health workers, partner and donor agencies and civil society organizations.

    The unprecedented global action to defend maternal and newborn health care services highlights the importance of protecting critical maternal, newborn health related services that are increasingly under threat of funding challenges affecting the global health sector.
     

    World Health Day 2025 actions by WHO offices

    African Region

    • Angola launched a dynamic Facebook live event and media campaign with UNICEF and UNFPA and partners.
    • Burundi orchestrated a 10-day celebration featuring refugee clinic visits, school disease screenings, and maternal health workshops.
    • Central African Republic hosted a presidential-level celebration launching maternal health roadmap with nationwide media coverage.
    • Chad mobilized 250 UN volunteers for the campaign, culminating in a ministerial ceremony and refugee camp celebrations.
    • Republic of the Congo featured a high-profile Walk the Talk event with the Regional Director to launch a maternal death management system, among other events.
    • Comoros held a joint event with the Directorate of Family Health.
    • Côte d’Ivoire spotlighted reproductive health of disabled women through powerful exhibitions and data showcases.
    • Eritrea conducted knowledge competitions and community visits to maternal waiting homes led by Minister of Health, among other events.
    • Eswatini organized community dialogues on maternal issues with strategic media placements across multiple platforms.
    • The Gambia commemorated through media engagements on national radio and TV networks.
    • Guinea implemented nationwide vaccination campaigns alongside free consultations and high-level advocacy efforts.
    • Lesotho engaged the Prime Minister in a community event complemented by university debates and a scientific symposium.
    • Liberia held a Walk the Talk event with the Ministry of Health.
    • Madagascar combined official ceremonies with free health care services, video broadcasts, among many other activities including an energetic Zumba fitness event.
    • Malawi delivered a bilingual media campaign featuring the Minister of Health addressing maternal and neonatal health priorities.
    • Mali showcased perinatal clinic facilities through an official ceremony and comprehensive media coverage.
    • Mauritania blended cultural performances with scientific panels on reproductive health in a high-impact ceremony.
    • Nigeria: WHO Nigeria, MOH and partners organized a walk to sensitize on improving maternal and newborn health, ending preventable deaths, and prioritizing women’s long-term well-being.
    • South Sudan: amidst the ongoing security concerns, no public events were held but advocacy messages were disseminated.
    • Republic of Sierra Leone facilitated the First Lady’s visit to a maternal hospital alongside diplomatic tours of health monitoring facilities.
    • South Africa produced impact videos and coordinated joint statements with the National Department of Health across media platforms.
    • Uganda published compelling human-interest stories on maternal health alongside policy dialogues and community health check-ups, among many other events (see here).
    • Zambia released a presidential video message highlighting maternal health partnerships and community outreach initiatives (also see here and here).
    • Tanzania: WHO joined the Ministry of Health and partners for the climax of National Health Week.

    WHO Region of the Americas/Pan American Health Organization

    • The Bahamas launched the SIP+ maternal health initiative through a strategic press conference and social media campaign.
    • Belize hosted a media breakfast with the Ministry of Health featuring targeted video content for multiple platforms.
    • Chile partnered with the Ministry of Health for a nationwide campaign launch with sustained media presence.
    • Colombia showcased traditional midwifery alongside technical experts in a ministerial panel on maternal mortality reduction.
    • Cuba celebrated zero maternal deaths in Villa Clara province through a festival and a multi-agency scientific symposium.
    • Guatemala secured vice presidential participation for a high-profile campaign launch at the national palace.
    • Guyana transformed the Rosignol Health Centre into a community hub with a health fair and live social media coverage (also see here).
    • Haiti launched a National Health Week with the Prime Minister featuring themed days and nationwide health fairs.
    • Suriname combined a public health fair with a technical forum on Perinatal Health Information System implementation.
    • Trinidad and Tobago placed strategic advertorials in major newspapers highlighting SIP implementation success.

    WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

    • Bahrain coordinated joint UN-Ministry of Health events with a cross-platform media campaign, among other events (see here and here).
    • Djibouti celebrated the dual milestone of World Health Day and 40 years of WHO presence with a maternal health focus.
    • Jordan launched a Let’s talk about health video from the WHO country office staff to share insights and inspire change.
    • Iraq designed a comprehensive Health Week with daily themes engaging youth, media, and community volunteers.
    • Kuwait secured prime national TV coverage with coordinated social media messaging (see here and here).
    • Oman mobilized a multi-ministry response integrating higher education institutions in maternal health initiatives.
    • Pakistan engaged government officials in high-visibility events complemented by human interest stories and op-eds.
    • Tunisia implemented Health Champions Week featuring centre visits and a bilingual media campaign.

    WHO European Region

    • Republic of Armenia combined provincial and ministerial leadership in a women’s health event with national TV coverage.
    • Republic of Azerbaijan inaugurated a cutting-edge simulation laboratory at Azerbaijan Medical University with national television coverage.
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina distributed ministerial certificates alongside strategic op-eds in local newspapers.
    • Bulgaria honoured Bulgarian nurses through a campaign supporting a new national nursing strategy with UNICEF amplification.
    • Cyprus launched the National Mental Health Strategy alongside breastfeeding advocacy initiatives.
    • Czechia leveraged World Health Day to amplify a national alcohol action plan through high-profile press events.
    • Estonia published influential op-eds supporting early childhood vaccination with a multi-stakeholder social media campaign.
    • Hellenic Republic unveiled WHO European Quality Standards for child/youth mental health services with expert consultation.
    • Hungary launched a targeted campaign on heatwave impacts during pregnancy featuring expert recommendations.
    • Kazakhstan mobilized the Ministry of Health and Astana Medical University for a dynamic Walk the Talk event.
    • Kyrgyz Republic engaged university students through specialized talks on maternal and newborn health priorities.
    • Montenegro secured a national television interview alongside a smoking cessation initiative for pregnant women.
    • North Macedonia combined a media briefing with a doctors’ association and prime-time national TV news coverage.
    • Republic of Moldova produced a national TV health series complemented by school campaigns and a breastfeeding caravan.
    • Romania showcased kangaroo mother care through a strategic partners exhibition and technical roundtables.
    • Serbia illuminated Belgrade Tower with campaign messaging alongside prime-time media interviews.
    • Türkiye lit the iconic Atakule landmark while hosting a university seminar with the Ministry of Health and UN agencies.
    • Turkmenistan organized a bicycle marathon and youth dialogue with health network members.
    • Republic of Uzbekistan unveiled a maternal health mural at the National Center of Mother and Child with a influencer video series.

    WHO South-East Asia Region

    • Bangladesh hosted a national event at Osmani Memorial Auditorium with a newspaper supplement and district-level activities.
    • Bhutan combined a team-building hike with a celebration featuring video messages from the Minister of Health.
    • India showcased achievements in reducing maternal and child mortality rates through a regional webinar (also see here).
    • Indonesia celebrated 75 years of WHO partnership through an online talk show and targeted social media campaign.
    • Nepal highlighted mortality rate reductions through ministerial messages and video testimonies.
    • Sri Lanka delivered a specialized webinar series on maternal health topics with technical policy briefs.
    • Thailand focused on preterm infant care through a Department of Health event featuring regional voices.
    • Timor-Leste launched the Every Newborn Action Plan alongside a Ministry of Health–WHO exhibition and technical seminar.

    WHO Western Pacific Region

    • Cambodia connected health workers nationwide through a virtual gathering with parliamentary engagement.
    • China secured ministerial leadership for a National Health Commission event featuring the Director-General’s video remarks.
    • Lao People’s Democratic Republic published a joint WR/Minister of Health opinion piece with a planned UN partner MCH event.
    • Mongolia simultaneously launched the Healthy Newborn Initiative and the Cervical Cancer Elimination Programme.
    • Independent State of Papua New Guinea implemented a comprehensive activity series including regulatory workshops and violence prevention initiatives.
    • South Pacific coordinated a joint release with regional partners while launching the WHO South Pacific LinkedIn platform.
    • Solomon Islands celebrated maternal and child health achievements with medical workers and ministry officials.
    • Socialist Republic of Viet Nam partnered with the Young Physicians Association for a Hanoi event with strategic opinion pieces in the national media.

    Worldwide actions exemplified above, among many others, generate a strong response to the global call issued by UN agencies on World Health Day, raising alarm on the threat of major backsliding of maternal and newborn health.

    World Health Day 2025 marks WHO’s 77th birthday and kicks off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. WHO urges governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boilermakers organizing nets a win and a setback

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    The Boilermakers union welcomed 145 new members in March after workers in the machine shop micro-unit at BWXT, Lynchburg, Virginia, voted in favor of unionizing. According to Northeast Area organizer John Bland, workers contacted Local 45 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Battle in late December seeking information and help organizing.

    He said workers were fed up with working conditions and constantly changing rules. The Boilermakers and other unions had attempted at least three prior organizing efforts at BWXT since 2008, so some of the machinists had heard the message about how unionizing could provide a voice for them on the job. The time was right to organize.

    “As soon as Kevin got the call, everyone got moving on it,” Bland said. M.O.R.E. Work Investment funds helped support the Boilermakers’ organizing efforts.

    Workers inside the unit were especially key in communicating and ultimately making the campaign a success. Because BWXT is a secured nuclear operation, the massive facility is not accessible to visitors, such as union organizers. For security purposes, even inside the facility some units, areas and workers are off-limits to one another.

    “The workers took charge early on,” agreed IR Tim Tolley, who was part of the IBB organizing team. “These guys were shot out of a cannon and came to us organized and ready to go forward. You could tell they were fed up. It was a perfect storm for organizing.”

    He echoed that the biggest catalyst for the workers to unionize was the “constantly moving goal post” as the company continuously changes rules and conditions. While wages usually are an issue, at BWXT it was more about the way workers were being treated and disrespected at work.

    “This time organizing worked because we had more people that were tired of being bullied. They wanted true change,” said Chris Davis, who’s been a BWXT machinist for 19 years. “I’m most looking forward to getting a contract and a set of rules.”

    Tolley said the machinists are set to elect their bargaining committee in early April so they can get to work on their first contract.

    “The things they’re asking for are attainable,” he said. “We told them we couldn’t promise anything but a seat at the table, and that’s exactly what they’re looking for. Now, they’re looking forward to negotiating their first contract.”

    Unfortunately, a vote in March at Siemens Mobility in Sacramento, California, was a no-go to unionize—at least for now. For more than a year, Boilermakers had been working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as “Siemens Workers United” to organize more than 1,600 workers who manufacture light rail vehicles for a variety of transit agencies. Siemens is a global company headquartered in Germany. While the company is generally union-friendly in Germany, many of Siemens’ North American operations have resisted unionization.

    Workers interested in unionizing in Sacramento rallied around issues such as inadequate health and welfare benefits, low pay, pay disparity, gender inequality, safety and poor working conditions, such as extreme heat.

    Lawrence Garcia, a four-year employee who works in the coach weld shop, said the wages are too low, especially considering cost of living in the area.

    “I know guys who work 12-hour days or 10-hour days just to keep buying rent. I even know guys who work two jobs, just to keep from going on the streets,” he said. “The pay is not worth it.” Until recently, welders at Siemens were paid less than the $20/hour McDonald’s worker wage dictated by California.

    Alan Scovill, a weld inspector who’s worked for Siemens for a decade, told The Sacramento Bee that he hadn’t been to a doctor in three years. He pays $500 month from his paycheck for his family’s health insurance coverage, and he can’t afford the medical co-pays.

    While reasons to unionize were plentiful, the campaign faced some unique challenges. In addition to the usual union-busting tactics from the company, organizers also had a daunting task to reach workers on a massive campus – 60 acres, 11 buildings and many different departments – plus, communicating to workers in six languages and with multiple cultural nuances.

    Organizers from the Boilermakers and IBEW worked daily, building allies, dispelling myths, answering questions, knocking on doors and deploying myriad tactics to help workers understand what unions are and how unionizing gives workers a voice and a seat at table through collective bargaining.

     The M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund provided organizing support and communications resources, including billboards, signage, fliers, digital ads and social media presence, and materials were translated into multiple languages. The unions also gained support from global unions IG Metall and IndustriALL, the California Federation of Labor Unions, State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and prominent local and state congress members. At the end of the day, it wasn’t enough to overcome Siemens Sacramento’s anti-union tactics and secure the 50% “yes” vote. This time.

    The unions must wait a full 12 months before petitioning for another union vote. That’s time to continue building positive momentum and for those who voted “no” this time to see if Siemens will live up to the promises they made in fighting against the unions.

    “If Siemens chooses now to make positive changes for workers, it’s because of the courage of workers standing together,” said organizer Pablo Barrera.

    “Although we didn’t win the vote, we are amazed by the courage of the hundreds of workers who stood together for a better future for their colleagues and their families,” said IVP-Western States J. Tom Baca. “This is not the end. It’s just the beginning, and the fight goes on.”

    Read a December 2024 Boilermaker Reporter article about earlier Siemens organizing work

    Read more

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Loaded Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Andre Dominique Barnes (35, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Barnes faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to court documents, on September 20, 2024, Barnes was stopped in Lee County by the Florida Highway Patrol for speeding. Barnes was identified by his Oklahoma identification card and had a suspended driver license. During a search of his vehicle, troopers located a loaded pistol. Court records show that Barnes was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses in Oklahoma. DNA swabs taken from the pistol and from Barnes linked him to the firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Barnes is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

    This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Shooting at Mail Carrier and Illegal Possession of Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment on his convictions for shooting at a mail carrier and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Martinel Humphries, 30, on April 9, 2025.

    According to information presented to the Court, Humphries fired four shots from a semi-automatic pistol at a mail carrier on January 5, 2023, for no apparent reason. The bullets missed the mail carrier, who fell to the ground upon seeing the defendant’s gun, but entered a nearby home, shattering the glass front door. Humphries fled and was apprehended soon after by law enforcement. Humphries has a lengthy criminal history, including two separate firearms convictions in 2015 relating to arrests in 2013 and 2015, and a 2021 conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, for which he still was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time he shot at the mail carrier. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    “Federal employees must be able to work without fearing for their personal safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s violent act, shooting at a mail carrier who was in the middle of his route. Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at all levels to prioritize combating violent crimes such as committed by this defendant.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to its core mission of protecting postal employees,” said Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Thankfully, the letter carrier escaped being physically hurt in this crime, and, with the assistance of our local law enforcement partners, Humphries was quickly apprehended to prevent further harm to the public. Postal Inspectors will always strive to keep our employees safe while delivering mail to our communities. And we take pride in working with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served to those like Humphries, who bring violence to our communities.”

    Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service, City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Ross Township Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Humphries.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: H Block Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges.

    Dennis Wilson, a/k/a “Deuce,” 36 of Boston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025.

    Wilson was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. According to court documents, over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H Block. Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    From 2022 through 2023, Wilson, a long-time H Block gang member, participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, including fentanyl, powdered cocaine and cocaine base (crack). On numerus occasions, Wilson accompanied a co-conspirator on various drug deals with undercover officers.

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Wilson is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the case.
        
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Change of Name

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    If you are in any doubt about the course of action to take, you should consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other professional advisor.

    If you have sold or transferred all your shares in WisdomTree Issuer ICAV please forward this document to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank manager or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected.

    10 April 2025

    Dear Shareholder

    WisdomTree Issuer ICAV (the “ICAV”)
    Change of Fund Names and Index Methodology

    The directors of the ICAV (the “Board of Directors”) wish to advise you of a proposed changes to certain sub-funds of the ICAV (the “Funds”) to meet the requirements of EMSA’s guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms (the “Guidelines”). The Guidelines are intended to enhance investor protection where funds have names that suggest they meet certain sustainability standards. The Guidlines will apply to the Funds with effect from 21 May 2025.

    A.      The Guidelines requirements for funds’ names.

    For “environmental” related-terms to be used in a fund name, the strategy of the fund must (i) meet an 80% threshold linked to the proportion of investments used to meet the environmental and social characteristics of the fund; and (ii) incorporate the exclusionary criteria for Paris-aligned Benchmarks detailed in Article 12(1)(a) – (g) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 (the “PAB Exclusions”).

    For “transition” to be used in a fund name, in addition to (i) and (ii) above funds must ensure that the investments used to meet the threshold in (i) are on a are on a clear and measurable path to social or environmental transition or are made with the objective to generate a positive and measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.

    For “sustainability-related” terms to be used in a fund name it must, in addition to meeting the requirements at (i) and (ii) above, also commit to investing meaningfully (i.e it must invest at least 50% of its assets) in sustainable investments referred to in Article 2(17) of the SFDR (“Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation“).

    B.      Changes to Funds currently using “Transition” and “environmental” terms in their name

    As the below Funds do not not incorporate the PAB exclusions, the Board of Directors have determined it appropriate to rename each Fund (each a “Fund Name Change” and together, the “Fund Name Changes”) to remove “Decarbonisation” and “Energy Transition” where relevant. Accordingly, it is proposed to rename each Fund as follows with effect from 16 April 2025 or such later date as approved by the Central Bank of Ireland (the “Effective Date”).

    Current name New name
    WisdomTree Recycling Decarbonisation UCITS ETF WisdomTree Recycling UCITS ETF        
    WisdomTree Energy Transition Metals and Rare Earths Miners UCITS ETF Wisdomtree Strategic Metals and Rare Earths Miners UCITS ETF

    The Fund Name Changes will be reflected in updated versions of the Supplements for the Funds, as well as the Funds’ KIIDs, PRIIPs KIDs and marketing materials. All other key features of the Funds will remain the same and for the avoidance of doubt, the Funds’ SFDR classifications as Article 8 and investment strategies will be unchanged. Additionally, the amendments will not affect the tracking error between the Funds’ performance and that of their indices.

    WisdomTree, Inc is the index provider in relation to WisdomTree Energy Transition Metals and Rare Earths Miners UCITS ETF. Following consultation, WisdomTree Inc has changed the name of WisdomTree Energy Transition Metals and Rare Earths Miners Index to align with the Fund Name Change described above. The Index name change will take effect on 16 April 2025.

    C.      Index methodology changes

    As “WisdomTree Global Sustainable Equity UCITS ETF” references the term “Sustainability” in its name, the Index used by the Fund has been updated to incorporate the PAB Exclusions (the “Index Methodology Change”). We will be updating the “Index Description” section of the Supplement to reflect these additional exclusions required under the PAB Exclusions which have not resulted in any material change to the Fund. The Index Methodology Change will only cause a change in the underlying components of the Index on its rebalance date, being 16 May 2025. All other key features of the Fund will remain the same and for the avoidance of doubt, the Fund’s SFDR classification as Article 9 will not change and the Fund’s investment strategy and minimum sustainable investment commitment will be unchanged. For more information, please see the updated Index methodology at Solactive Methodology Change | Solactive WisdomTree Global Sustainable Equity UCITS Index

    All capitalised terms used in this notice shall bear the same meaning as the capitalised and defined terms used in the Prospectus.

    Should you have any questions in relation to the above, please do not hesitate to contact WisdomTree UK Limited at Europesupport@wisdomtree.com

    Yours faithfully

    Director
    WisdomTree Issuer ICAV

    The MIL Network –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Blumenthal Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Service Dogs to Eligible Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act, bipartisan legislation that would establish a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist them in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans. Joining Senators Tillis and Blumenthal were Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Angus King (I-ME). The SAVES Act builds on the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act that was introduced by Senator Tillis and signed into law. 

    “Long after the fighting on the battlefield ends, too many of the courageous servicemembers come home and continue to battle against enemies that many consider just as insidious as those with guns, grenades, and rockets. That is why in 2021, I introduced the PAWS Act that created a pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans, but it is clear we must continue to build on that effort to ensure this program is expanded to veterans in need,” said Senator Tillis. “The SAVES Act will allow more veterans who are struggling with the invisible wounds of war to receive service dogs that could ultimately save their lives. We must repay the debt to the men and women who served our country, I hope congress quickly passes this legislation to provide them with his important resource.” 

    “Service dogs provide vital support to our brave servicemembers struggling with PTSD and other service-related injuries after they return from the battlefield,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Military men and women are often fighting invisible battles when they return home from service, and these canine companions are able to offer them comfort and ease their transition back into civilian life. The SAVES Act ensures that nonprofits have the necessary resources to provide our nation’s heroes with access to the essential and even life-saving assistance of service dogs.”

    “Service dogs have a proven track record of providing life-saving assistance to Veterans in critical need,” said Bill McCabe, Vice President of Government & External Affairs, K9s For Warriors. “The SAVES Act will ultimately put more service dogs in the hands of Veterans with visible and invisible disabilities, allowing them to regain their independence and reintegrate into civilian life. We applaud this bipartisan, bicameral effort and urge Congress to pass this important legislation without delay.”

    “The therapeutic benefits service dogs provide can profoundly empower veterans to battle the invisible wounds of war and assist those facing physical challenges from mobility issues to blindness,” said Joy IIem, National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans. “DAV is proud to support the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act and thanks Sen. Tillis for championing this vital legislation to unleash the healing power of service dogs.” 

    “Service dogs don’t just change lives—they save them,” said Cole T. Lyle, Director of Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, American Legion. “For veterans navigating the unseen scars of war, these remarkable companions are a lifeline to independence, stability, and hope. Their loyalty and unconditional love restore purpose and dignity, proving that the wounds of war can heal through the strength of the human-animal bond. However, training a service dog to meet the specialized needs of veterans comes with significant costs—often ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 per dog. This expense covers everything from intensive training to ensure the dog can assist with tasks like mobility support or PTSD mitigation, to veterinary care and matching veterans with their perfect companion. For many veterans, these costs are prohibitive and can stand in the way of accessing this life-changing support. Grants and funding initiatives, such as those provided under the SAVES Act (Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act), play a critical role in bridging this gap. The SAVES Act provides federal grants to organizations that train and place service dogs with veterans. By alleviating the financial burden, this act ensures that veterans can access the support they need without the barrier of high costs. It represents a commitment to honoring our heroes by investing in their recovery and well-being. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Congress for their steadfast support in advancing the SAVES Act. Special thanks to Senator Tillis, Congressman Luttrell, Congressman McGarvey, and Senator Blumenthal for championing this vital legislation.”

    Background: 

    It is estimated that upwards of 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have PTSD and more than 485,000 service members have been diagnosed with at least one traumatic brain injury over the past two decades. As a result, these veterans suffer from alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety, joblessness, homelessness, substance use disorder and other negative behaviors. Far too often, they resort to taking their own lives – roughly 20 veterans die by suicide each day, nearly one an hour.

    Under the SAVES Act, nonprofit organizations would be required to submit an application to the Secretary that includes a description of the training that will be provided by the organization to eligible veterans; the training of dogs that will serve as service dogs; the aftercare services that the organization will provide for the service dogs and eligible Veteran; the plan for publicizing the availability of service dogs through a marketing campaign; the committee of the organization to have humane standards or animals. Nonprofit organizations would also need to certify that they are accredited by Assistance Dogs International or another widely recognized accreditation organization. 

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Lung Screening Program Expands to Eastern Nova Scotia

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More lives will be saved from lung cancer as the Lung Screening Program expands to Cape Breton and the eastern mainland.

    The program, which targets people at very high risk of developing lung cancer, is now available in Nova Scotia Health’s Eastern Zone, which includes all of Cape Breton and Antigonish and Guysborough counties.

    “Cancer screening saves lives, and expanding the lung screening program will improve outcomes for people by preventing or finding and treating lung cancer earlier,” said Addictions and Mental Health Minister Brian Comer, MLA for Cape Breton East, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “I encourage Nova Scotians who are eligible for the program to make that call sooner than later. Your life could depend on it.”

    Nova Scotians aged 50 to 74 who have smoked daily for 20 years or more at any point in their lives can contact the program. Primary care providers may also refer patients to the program.

    People who meet the initial program criteria are offered a clinical assessment to determine their personal risk of lung cancer and whether they would benefit from a low-dose computerized tomography (CT) chest scan. Everyone who calls the program receives information about lung health and, if applicable, supports available to stop smoking.

    People can contact the Lung Screening Program by calling 1-833-505-LUNG (5864).

    To date, more than 2,700 people have called or been referred to the program, which launched in the central health zone (Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants) in January 2024. It will continue to be rolled out across the province over the next year.

    Quotes:

    “More Nova Scotians die of lung cancer than all other cancers combined, and there is a lot of shame associated with it. Many people believe that they bring it on themselves because they smoke, but smoking is an addiction, and we are here to help. This is why the Lung Screening Program offers tobacco cessation supports to anyone interested in quitting. However, a person does not have to stop smoking to qualify for lung screening. Our job is to help Nova Scotians prevent lung cancer when we can or find it earlier when treatment works better.”
    — Dr. Daria Manos, Medical Director, Lung Screening Program

    “Screening programs put the power of prevention and early detection into the hands of our people. This is especially true for lung cancer, which is often diagnosed at late stage when treatment is less effective. The Lung Screening Program is changing this by finding lung cancer before there are warning signs or symptoms and making it more treatable. By expanding the Lung Screening Program to Eastern Zone communities – where incidence of lung cancer is high – we’re making early detection more accessible for people who are at high risk for the disease.”
    — Valerie Nugent, Director, Cancer Care, Eastern Zone, Nova Scotia Health

    Quick Facts:

    • lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nova Scotia; each year, about 1,000 Nova Scotians are diagnosed and 700 die of the disease
    • to date, more than 1,500 people have had a telephone assessment in the screening program, including:
      • 403 people who asked to be referred to smoking cessation counselling
      • 385 people who were determined to be at very high risk for lung cancer received free nicotine replacement therapy to help them stop smoking
      • 41 patients were found to possibly have lung cancer and were referred to a lung specialist for a diagnostic assessment
    • the government will invest about $3 million annually in the Lung Screening Program once fully implemented across the province

    Additional Resources:

    Lung Screening Program website: https://www.nshealth.ca/lungscreening

    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Slams Republican Budget Resolution

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Slams Republican Budget Resolution

    WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a member of the House Budget Committee, spoke during floor debate ahead of a vote on the Trump-Republican budget resolution.

       

    “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this resolution, yet again. We hear speech after speech from the other side about the deficit and debt and, here, we see this resolution which increases the deficit. Let’s start with some facts. Every single Democratic presidential administration since Kennedy has left for their Republican successor a better deficit situation than they inherited. And every Republican president since Nixon, their administration has left for the Democrats a WORSE deficit situation than they inherited. All without exception.

    “So here we are again. A Republican president following a Democratic president. And once again we have a budget that will explode the deficit and national debt just like clockwork with their tax cuts for corporations and the top 1%. Trump’s first term added over $7 trillion to the national debt. And he wants to double down, and do it all over again.

    “As the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, I am particularly outraged that Republicans want to partially fund tax cuts for corporations and billionaires by making cuts to education programs and child nutrition programs. And this resolution will direct them to cut Medicaid, ripping health care away from millions of Americans.

    “There is nothing fiscally responsible about this budget. It will add to the deficit and the resolution wants to further inflict pain on working families and the middle class.

    “Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to oppose this resolution for the damage it will do to the economy and to the deficit. Thank you, I yield back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Warns Phone Providers Regarding Unlawful Robocall Traffic

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Today, Attorney General Raúl Labrador and the 51 attorneys general of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force notified nine voice service providers that they may be violating state and federal laws by continuing to route allegedly unlawful robocalls across their networks. These warning letters include information about the task force’s investigation and analysis of each provider’s illegal and/or suspicious robocall traffic.
    “We will go after network providers that continue to allow illegal robocalls to plague Idaho consumers,” said Attorney General Labrador. “My Consumer Protection Division regularly hears from Idahoans who receive scam jury duty, Medicare cancellation, and utility shut-off calls, just to name a few.  If bad actors continue to disregard the law, we will hold them accountable.”
    Many of the traced scams included government and financial imposters and impersonations, Social Security imposters, Amazon suspicious charges, credit card interest rate reductions, Medicare scams, Chinese package delivery scams, cable discount scams, utility disconnect scams, COVID financial relief, and student loan forgiveness.
    In addition to sending these warning notices demanding that these companies stop transmitting illegal robocalls, the task force has also shared its concerns about providers with its federal law enforcement partners, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
    The task force sent warning letters to the following companies: Global Net Holdings, All Access Telecom, Lingo Telecom, NGL Communications, Range, RSCom Ltd., Telcast Network, ThinQ Technologies, and Telcentris (Voxox).
    Copies of the warning letters are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Urges North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” to Prevent Tick- and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Urges North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” to Prevent Tick- and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

    NCDHHS Urges North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” to Prevent Tick- and Mosquito-Borne Diseases
    hejones1
    Thu, 04/10/2025 – 10:21

    As warmer weather approaches, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” by taking measures to reduce their risk of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases. In 2024, more than 900 cases of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses were reported statewide. 

    April is Tick and Mosquito Awareness Month and NCDHHS is announcing the return of the “Fight the Bite” campaign to increase awareness about the dangers of vector-borne diseases. Students in grades K-12 were invited to submit educational posters for the annual campaign contest. NCDHHS, local health departments and K-12 schools will use these illustrations to educate residents about measures they can take to protect themselves. Winners will be announced at the end of April on the NCDHHS “Fight the Bite” webpage.

    “Vector-borne diseases are on the rise in North Carolina,” said Emily Herring, Public Health Veterinarian. “We encourage all North Carolinians to protect themselves from tick and mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants, using EPA-approved repellents, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors.”

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases can cause fever, headache, rashes, flu-like illness and other symptoms that can be severe. Lyme disease accounted for 33% of all tick-borne diseases reported last year. Ehrlichiosis, which can cause symptoms similar to Lyme disease, accounted for 38% of all tick-borne diseases in 2024. These diseases are treatable with antibiotics, and early treatment can prevent severe illness from developing. If you feel ill after you have been bitten by a tick, it is important to see your health care provider as soon as possible.

    Ticks live in wooded, grassy and brushy areas, and frequenting these areas can put you in contact with ticks and increase your potential exposure to vector-borne diseases. To reduce exposure to ticks: 

    • Use an EPA-approved repellent, such as those containing DEET or picaridin, on exposed skin and treat clothing with a pesticide called permethrin (0.5%). Use caution when applying insect repellent to children.
    • Check yourself and your children for ticks if you have been in a tick habitat and remove them promptly.
    • Reduce tick habitats around your house with selective landscaping techniques such as pruning shrubs and bushes, removing leaf litter and keeping grass cut short.

    The mosquito-borne diseases most often acquired in North Carolina are West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis and La Crosse encephalitis. Nationally, North Carolina was second to only Ohio in reported cases of infections from La Crosse virus between 2003 and 2023. Most reported mosquito-borne diseases — including cases of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika — are acquired while traveling outside the continental United States. To reduce exposure to mosquitoes: 

    • Use an EPA-approved mosquito repellent, such as those containing DEET or picaridin, when outside. Use caution when applying to children.
    • Consider treating clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks and tents) with 0.5% permethrin.
    • Install or repair screens on windows and doors and use air conditioning if possible.
    • “Tip and Toss” to reduce mosquito breeding: empty standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths at least once a week.
    • Talk with your primary care provider or local health department if you plan to travel to an area where exotic mosquito-borne diseases occur and always check your destination to identify appropriate prevention methods, including vaccines.

    For more information on tick- and mosquito-borne diseases in North Carolina, please visit the NCDHHS Vector-Borne Diseases webpage.

    A medida que se acerca el clima más cálido, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte urge a los habitantes de Carolina del Norte a “combatir la picadura” y tomar medidas para reducir el riesgo de enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas y mosquitos. En 2024, se informaron más de 900 casos de enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas y mosquitos en todo el estado.

    Abril es el Mes de Concientización sobre las Garrapatas y los Mosquitos y el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) anuncia el regreso de la campaña “Combate la picadura” para aumentar la conciencia sobre los peligros de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Se invita a los estudiantes de grados kínder a 12 a enviar pósters educativos para el concurso anual de la campaña. NCDHHS, los departamentos de salud locales y las escuelas de grado K a 12 utilizarán estas ilustraciones para educar a los residentes sobre las medidas que pueden tomar para protegerse. Los ganadores se anunciarán a finales de abril en la página web de NCDHHS “Combate la picadura” (NCDHHS “Fight the Bite”).

    “Las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores están en aumento en Carolina del Norte”, dijo Emily Herring, veterinaria de Salud Pública. “Alentamos a todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte a protegerse de las picaduras de garrapatas y mosquitos usando mangas largas y pantalones, repelentes aprobados por la EPA y verificando si tiene garrapatas después de pasar tiempo al aire libre”.

    La fiebre manchada de las Montañas Rocosas, la enfermedad de Lyme y otras enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas pueden causar fiebre, dolor de cabeza, erupciones cutáneas, enfermedades similares a la influenza (gripe) y otros síntomas que pueden ser graves. La enfermedad de Lyme representó el 33% de todas las enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas informadas el año pasado. La erliquiosis, que puede causar síntomas similares a la enfermedad de Lyme, representó el 38% de todas las enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas en 2024. Estas enfermedades se pueden tratar con antibióticos, y el tratamiento temprano puede prevenir el desarrollo de enfermedades graves. Si se siente enfermo después de haber sido picado por una garrapata, es importante que consulte a su proveedor de atención médica lo antes posible.

    Las garrapatas viven en áreas boscosas, cubiertas de hierba y arbustos, y frecuentar estas áreas puede ponerlo en contacto con garrapatas y aumentar su posible exposición a enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Para reducir la exposición a las garrapatas: 

    • Use un repelente aprobado por la EPA, como los que contienen DEET o picaridina, en la piel expuesta y aplicar un plaguicida a la ropa con un pesticida llamado permetrina (0.5%). Tenga cuidado al aplicar repelente de insectos a los niños.
    • Revisese a sí mismo y a sus hijos en busca de garrapatas si ha estado en un entorno de garrapatas y retírelas de inmediato.
    • Reduzca los entornos de garrapatas alrededor de su casa con ciertas técnicas de jardinería, como podar arbustos y arbustos, eliminar los residuos de hojas y mantener el césped corto.

    Las enfermedades transmitidas por mosquitos que se contraen con mayor frecuencia en Carolina del Norte son el virus del Nilo Occidental, la encefalitis equina oriental y la encefalitis de La Crosse. A nivel nacional, Carolina del Norte ocupó el segundo lugar después de Ohio en casos reportados de infecciones por el virus La Crosse entre 2003 y 2023.  La mayoria de las enfermedades transmitidas por mosquitos reportadas, incluidos los casos de malaria, dengue, chikungunya y Zika, se adquieren mientras las personas viajan fuera de los Estados Unidos continentales. Para reducir la exposición a los mosquitos: 

    • Use un repelente de mosquitos aprobado por la EPA, como los que contienen DEET o picaridina, cuando esté afuera. Tenga cuidado cuando aplique el repelente a los niños.
    • Considere tratar la ropa y el equipo (como botas, pantalones, calcetines y carpas) con permetrina al 0.5%.
    • Instale o repare mosquiteras en ventanas y puertas y use aire acondicionado si es posible.
    • “Verter y hechar” para reducir la reproducción de mosquitos: vacíe el agua estancada de las macetas, canaletas, cubos, cubiertas de piscinas, platos de agua para mascotas, neumáticos desechados y baños para pájaros al menos una vez a la semana.
    • Hable con su proveedor de atención primaria o departamento de salud local si planea viajar a una zona donde se encuentra enfermedades exóticas transmitidas por mosquitos y siempre consulte con personas a donde va a llegar para identificar los métodos de prevención apropiados, incluso las vacunas.

    Para obtener más información sobre las enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas y mosquitos en Carolina del Norte, visite la página web NCDHHS Vector-Borne Diseases. 

    Apr 10, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 285 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has carried out five deliveries of equipment and other technical assistance over the past week as it remains fully focused on helping to prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict in Ukraine, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

    Since the beginning of the conflict more than three years ago, the IAEA has now organised a total of 125 such shipments to 29 counterparts in Ukraine, including its nuclear power plants (NPPs), the national operator Energoatom, the country’s regulator, technical support organizations and laboratories, emergency services, organizations handling radioactive material,  as well as health centres offering medical care to plant personnel and others.

    “This technical support is an important component of the IAEA’s overall efforts aimed at ensuring nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. We will continue to provide such critical assistance to Ukraine, prioritizing areas where it is most urgently needed, thanks to the generous donor support,” Director General Grossi said.

    In recent days, the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology received equipment to enhance nuclear security at the site, the South Ukraine NPP received a whole body counter to monitor internal exposures of its operating staff, USIE Izotop – which manages radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received a forklift to support the safe handling and transport of radioactive material, and the Khmelnytskyy and Rivne NPPs received influenza medication and dental care equipment.

    These deliveries were provided with funding from Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union. Since the start of the conflict, equipment worth almost 17 million euros has so far reached Ukraine. The IAEA is preparing further assistance for delivery.

    At Ukraine’s nuclear sites, frequent air raid alarms and the sound of explosions in the distance continued to highlight persistent risks to nuclear safety. On the night of 9 April, according to information from the site, eight drones were detected flying within 4 km of the South Ukraine NPP.

    At the Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP), the IAEA team based at the site has continued to conduct regular walkdowns to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security, including to the dry spent fuel storage where the team observed the safety and security arrangements, the on-site radiation monitoring laboratory, and on-site warehouses.

    The team also discussed with the plant upcoming electrical maintenance activities as well as staffing levels, training and qualifications at the ZNPP.

    At the Khmelnytskyy and Rivne NPPs, one reactor at each site remains in shutdown for refuelling. On 5 April, two units at the Rivne site had to temporarily reduce their power output due to grid limitations, highlighting the ongoing difficulties caused by the fragile energy infrastructure. Also this past week, the team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP rotated.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Share this:

    In recent years, World Expo organisers and pavilion hosts have designed immersive exhibition experiences and transported pioneering technology, like flying cars, across borders.  

    As the opening in Osaka approaches, preparations for a range of events, trade shows or global fairs in other corners of the world are underway. 

    Your guide to securing an ATA Carnet 

    If you are planning to temporarily import professional equipment, samples or exhibition materials for similar happenings, here’s everything you need to know to secure your ATA Carnet, your international customs documents for duty- and tax-free temporary import of goods. 

    Step 1: Planning and inventory check

    Start by making a detailed list of all the items needed for your presence at the World Expo or another global event—display stands, promotional materials, demo equipment and branded merchandise. 

    Check these guidelines to know whether your items are eligible for an ATA Carnet. ATA Carnets cover almost everything (except consumables and giveaways) including:  

    • goods for use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions  
    • professional equipment  
    • commercial samples  
    • personal effects and goods for sports purposes 

    Step 2: Contacting your national ATA Carnet issuing body  

    • Find your national guaranteeing association, short NGA, through a simple online search. NGAs are authorised by your Customs administration and affiliated with the international guarantee chain managed by the International Chamber of Commerce. 
    • Get your Carnet application form and a list of requirements from your NGA. 
    • Check with your local chamber of commerce if info sessions to clarify the process are available. 

    Tip: If you plan to attend multiple trade fairs before and after the World Expo, confirm if the same Carnet could be used for multiple destinations. 

    Step 3: Submitting the ATA Carnet application  

    • Fill out the application with: 
      • A complete list of goods (with serial numbers, values and descriptions). 
      • Your planned entry and exit dates. 
      • A security (either a deposit, guarantee made by a bank or an insurance company depending on the rules of the issuing body. The security will be discharged upon your return if the temporary admission is regularised correctly). 
    • The issuing body processes your request within a few days and delivers your ATA Carnet to you. 

    Step 4: Shipping and pre-departure logistics  

    • Book a freight forwarder familiar with ATA Carnets to ensure smooth customs clearance. 
    • Add the Carnet document to your shipment paperwork and make multiple copies. 
    • Check the host country’s customs regulations to ensure compliance and avoid last-minute issues. Your freight forwarder might be able to help. 

    Step 5: Using the ATA Carnet at the border 

    • Upon arrival, present the Carnet document to local customs officials. 
    • They stamp the importation counterfoil and detach the importation voucher, allowing your goods to enter duty-free. 
    • After setting up your pavilion or booth, keep the Carnet in a secure place— you will need it again for re-export. 

    Step 6: Re-exporting and refund 

    • After the event, pack all your items and head to customs before leaving Japan. 
    • Present your Carnet to have the exit stamped—this confirms you re-exported everything as required. 
    • Once back home, return the Carnet to your issuing body and receive your security deposit refund. 

    In 2024, 204 224 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, allowing goods worth $32 billion to pass through customs checkpoints – duty free and tax free for up to one year. Its efficiency was highlighted during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment were imported for the Games using ATA Carnets.   

    As the one and only globally unified customs document, the ATA Carnet is the backbone of global events, trade shows, sports competitions and more, allowing smooth customs clearance of professional equipment without the need for a guarantee, bond, or cash deposit at borders. 

    Learn more about the ATA Carnet and find your local contact point in +80 countries and territories

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: World Expo: Getting ready as an exhibitor 

    Share this:

    In recent years, World Expo organisers and pavilion hosts have designed immersive exhibition experiences and transported pioneering technology, like flying cars, across borders.  

    As the opening in Osaka approaches, preparations for a range of events, trade shows or global fairs in other corners of the world are underway. 

    Your guide to securing an ATA Carnet 

    If you are planning to temporarily import professional equipment, samples or exhibition materials for similar happenings, here’s everything you need to know to secure your ATA Carnet, your international customs documents for duty- and tax-free temporary import of goods. 

    Step 1: Planning and inventory check

    Start by making a detailed list of all the items needed for your presence at the World Expo or another global event—display stands, promotional materials, demo equipment and branded merchandise. 

    Check these guidelines to know whether your items are eligible for an ATA Carnet. ATA Carnets cover almost everything (except consumables and giveaways) including:  

    • goods for use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions  
    • professional equipment  
    • commercial samples  
    • personal effects and goods for sports purposes 

    Step 2: Contacting your national ATA Carnet issuing body  

    • Find your national guaranteeing association, short NGA, through a simple online search. NGAs are authorised by your Customs administration and affiliated with the international guarantee chain managed by the International Chamber of Commerce. 
    • Get your Carnet application form and a list of requirements from your NGA. 
    • Check with your local chamber of commerce if info sessions to clarify the process are available. 

    Tip: If you plan to attend multiple trade fairs before and after the World Expo, confirm if the same Carnet could be used for multiple destinations. 

    Step 3: Submitting the ATA Carnet application  

    • Fill out the application with: 
      • A complete list of goods (with serial numbers, values and descriptions). 
      • Your planned entry and exit dates. 
      • A security (either a deposit, guarantee made by a bank or an insurance company depending on the rules of the issuing body. The security will be discharged upon your return if the temporary admission is regularised correctly). 
    • The issuing body processes your request within a few days and delivers your ATA Carnet to you. 

    Step 4: Shipping and pre-departure logistics  

    • Book a freight forwarder familiar with ATA Carnets to ensure smooth customs clearance. 
    • Add the Carnet document to your shipment paperwork and make multiple copies. 
    • Check the host country’s customs regulations to ensure compliance and avoid last-minute issues. Your freight forwarder might be able to help. 

    Step 5: Using the ATA Carnet at the border 

    • Upon arrival, present the Carnet document to local customs officials. 
    • They stamp the importation counterfoil and detach the importation voucher, allowing your goods to enter duty-free. 
    • After setting up your pavilion or booth, keep the Carnet in a secure place— you will need it again for re-export. 

    Step 6: Re-exporting and refund 

    • After the event, pack all your items and head to customs before leaving Japan. 
    • Present your Carnet to have the exit stamped—this confirms you re-exported everything as required. 
    • Once back home, return the Carnet to your issuing body and receive your security deposit refund. 

    In 2024, 204 224 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, allowing goods worth $32 billion to pass through customs checkpoints – duty free and tax free for up to one year. Its efficiency was highlighted during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when hundreds of thousands of pieces of equipment were imported for the Games using ATA Carnets.   

    As the one and only globally unified customs document, the ATA Carnet is the backbone of global events, trade shows, sports competitions and more, allowing smooth customs clearance of professional equipment without the need for a guarantee, bond, or cash deposit at borders. 

    Learn more about the ATA Carnet and find your local contact point in +80 countries and territories

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 10 April 2025 Donors making a difference in support of WHO’s global work for better nutrition for all

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Nutrition is a critical part of health and development at every stage of life. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and longevity. Healthy children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.

    Today, the world faces a double burden of malnutrition that includes both undernutrition and overweight. Undernutrition as well as obesity result in diet-related noncommunicable diseases.

    WHO’s support to initiatives to tackle malnutrition is not possible without funding. For core work like this, WHO needs sustainable financing that is predictable, flexible and resilient, enabling the Organization to have the greatest impact where it is needed most.

    In parallel to providing fully flexible funding, donors also invest in specific WHO activities across the globe to address malnutrition. The examples reveal a wide range of donor support, not only in emergency contexts with vulnerable or displaced populations but also as a long-term and deeply embedded concern for many countries. This support is even more vital in the face of rising conflict, poverty, food insecurity and rising food prices coupled with easy access to cheap and highly processed foods across all income levels.

    Bridging gaps in health and nutrition services for internally displaced people (IDPs) and crisis-affected communities in Amhara, Ethiopia

    Bridging gaps in health and nutrition services for IDPs and crisis-affected communities in Amhara, Ethiopia. Photo by: WHO/Nitsebiho Asrat

    The Amhara region of Ethiopia has faced a severe humanitarian crisis since November 2021. Nearly a million IDPs are scattered across 38 collective sites and host communities, alongside hundreds of thousands of refugees and returnees.

    Ongoing public health emergencies have exacerbated the already critical demand for basic essential health and nutrition services. Availability and access to services are severely limited. WHO, in collaboration with regional government authorities, deployed Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNTs) to bring essential services to the most vulnerable populations.

    As needs increased, the number of MHNTs expanded to 19, comprising 132 health workers, in April 2024. This was made possible through funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid, the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF), and the People and Government of Japan.

    Read the full story.

    Stabilisation centres are a lifeline for Sudan’s malnourished children

    WHO Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy at the WHO-supported nutrition stabilisation centre in Port Sudan which is providing life-saving care for many infants suffering from acute malnutrition. Photo by: WHO/Inas Hamam

    In 2024, almost a year after conflict erupted in Sudan, nearly 25 million people needed humanitarian assistance. Of these, 18 million people faced acute hunger, 5 million of them at emergency levels.

    In 2024, WHO provided medical supplies and technical support to 121 state-run stabilisation centres in Sudan and supported 11 with operating costs. About 3.5 million children under 5 years – every 7th child in Sudan – experience acute malnutrition. Stabilisation centres are a lifeline to more than 100 000 children who are severely acutely malnourished and suffer from medical complications.

    Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, WHO has trained 1 942 nutrition cadres and distributed over 2 300 severe acute malnutrition kits to help treat more than 28 000 children. WHO was able to do this thanks to the generous financial assistance of the Italian Development Cooperation, Japan and the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. This ensured life-saving support, much more of which is needed to address the staggering numbers of Sudanese children in need.

    Read the full story.

    Nutrition services included in the emergency health response in Syria

    WHO team visits a health centre in Maskaneh village in rural Aleppo, meeting with health and community workers and beneficiaries, 2024. Photo by: WHO/Farah Ramada

    WHO welcomes US$ 5.5 million funding received from UN CERF to enhance its integrated multisectoral emergency response in Syria. The funding will enable WHO to continue delivering life-saving healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions of the country.

    The support aims to reduce morbidity and mortality by ensuring access to essential health care, including advanced nutrition services, and by delivering health services to people in need in north-west and north-east Syria, including sub-districts in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Dar’a, Deir-ez-Zor, Idleb and Lattakia.

    The funding supports around 1.8 million people in prioritized areas, aiming to improve access to primary and secondary health care and to bolster emergency referral systems. The focus is on children experiencing malnutrition, providing essential supplies to nutrition stabilisation centres and hospitals, and on strengthening the capacity of local health care workers for mental health, gender-based violence, and communicable diseases.

    Read the full story.

    Life-saving health supplies and services to over 5 million people across drought-affected states in Somalia

    EU ECHO-funded project helped equip 11 nutrition stabilisation centres, 2024. Photo by: WHO/Somalia I.Taxta

    WHO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU ECHO) supported Somalia’s Federal and State Ministries of Health to provide life-saving health supplies and services to over 5 million people across drought-affected areas of Banadir, South West, Jubbaland and Galmudug states. WHO supported 63 stabilisation centres for treatment of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications, treating over 25 000 children across the country in these centres. 84% of these children survived.

    The 24-month project increased access to health and nutrition services for IDPs in camps and host communities and addressed the needs of pregnant and lactating women, elderly individuals, and children under 5 in drought and conflict-affected areas.

    Essential medical supplies were procured and distributed for severe acute malnutrition with medical complications in children, essential health and severe malnutrition kits, and to support detection and response to outbreaks. The project helped equip 11 nutrition stabilisation centres across target districts with severe acute malnutrition kits, with an average cure rate of 94.25% in children under 5.

    Read the full story.

    Benin: nutrition and health monitoring to bolster children’s health

    WHO-supported health screenings help safeguard children’s physical and intellectual well-being in Benin’s primary schools, 2023. Photo by: WHO/D. Akomatsri

    Every day, all primary and pre-primary pupils in Benin’s state schools receive a hot meal, courtesy of the National Integrated School Feeding Programme. An associated nutritional and health monitoring campaign is carried out biannually offering a package of services, including micronutrient supplementation, deworming, and hygiene promotion in schools.

    The campaign reached 60 schools in 2023, with support from WHO, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund. This helped detect and treat cases of malnutrition amongst pupils, with 13 986 children screened and 1 367 cases of malnutrition detected, including 390 severe acute cases and 975 moderate acute cases.

    By linking medical care to the school feeding scheme, Benin’s Ministry of Health aims to address both the physical and intellectual health of schoolchildren. WHO, through the French Muskoka Fund, is supporting this initiative to monitor health and nutrition amongst schoolchildren in a bid to help entrench health promotion in schools.

    Read the full story.

    Protecting children from the harmful effect of food marketing in Malaysia

    Policymakers, civil society organizations, academics and industry representatives participated in the consultative seminar. Photo by: WHO

    Malaysia has the highest rate of childhood overweight or obesity in ASEAN, yet children continue to be exposed to aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Over 30% of children aged 5-17 years old were classified as overweight or obese in 2022.

    This trend is coupled with a significant portion of children growing up stunted, creating a double burden of malnutrition. Addressing the double burden of malnutrition demands collaboration across different sectors and levels of society.

    In Malaysia, the Pledge on Responsible Advertising to Children was launched in 2012 and it included 15 food and beverage companies which committed to not marketing unhealthy foods to children aged 12 and below.

    To identify ways to better protect children in Malaysia from the harmful effects of food marketing, WHO and the Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health convened over 60 policymakers, academics, industry and civil society representatives in September 2024. Stakeholders discussed key challenges and barriers to policy implementation, and developed strategies and recommendations while strengthening collaboration.

    This works is thanks to invaluable flexible, unearmarked funding to WHO.

    Read the full story.

    Nine Latin American and Caribbean countries intensify efforts to curb obesity

    Lady measuring her weight. Photo by: iStock/klvn

    The WHO Region for the Americas (PAHO/AMRO) has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world, with 67.5% of adults and 37.6% of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 experiencing overweight or obesity. The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity and forthcoming Technical Package to stop obesity aims to halt rising obesity rates through a comprehensive approach combining regulatory, fiscal, and multisectoral strategies.

    In the Americas, 9 countries are pioneering this initiative: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. Lessons learned are expected to serve as a model for future expansion across the region.

    PAHO and these countries are implementing a series of measures including the application of front-of-package warning labels, regulation of marketing for unhealthy food products, promotion of breastfeeding, regulation of foods offered in schools, and adoption of fiscal policies that promote healthy diets. Along with monitoring and learning, PAHO continues to provide technical assistance, capacity-building, and intersectoral coordination.

    This work is thanks to invaluable flexible, unearmarked funding to WHO.

    Read the full story.

    Thailand fighting obesity – changing the system to save lives

    The Minister of Public Health, DOH Director-General and other officials, together with WHO Representative to Thailand showed strong commitment to fight against obesity. Photo by: Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

    In recent years, Thailand is facing an escalating obesity trend that threatens the health of its future generations. In the span of just two decades, the rate of obesity in school children has surged from 5.8% to 15%. The situation amongst adults is equally alarming, with 42% falling into the obese category by 2020. Noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and stroke now claim 400 000 lives annually and account for 74% of all deaths in Thailand.

    Recognizing the urgent need for action, Thailand has taken bold and innovative steps to curb this epidemic. The Ministry of Public Health (MPOH) has rolled out a comprehensive policy that aims to drive changes in 4 systems.

    The priority interventions will focus on improving the quality of school lunch programme, changing food marketing to reduce sugar, fat, and salt, strengthening health services system to provide better prevention and management of obesity-related conditions, and modifying the environment to increase physical activity. Thailand has also tightened its national definition of obesity. While WHO’s definition states that “a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese”, in Thailand citizens with BMI greater or equal to 25 are registered as obese – which allows the health stakeholders to expand the reach and support to broader population groups.

    Show less Show more

    Promoting healthy diets and increased physical activity are key strategies which are supported by Global Regulatory and Fiscal Capacity Building Programme (RECAP), a collaborative project between the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and WHO, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the European Union. In addition, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) partners with WHO to promote healthy diets through evidence-based interventions.

    Strong leadership, multi-sectoral action and development partners’ support are crucial in bending the obesity curve in the country.

    Read the full story.

    Fast forward: Nutrition for Growth 2025 Summit

    WHO announced 13 ambitious commitments across 8 key areas at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, hosted by the Government of France. Stakeholders pledged US$ 27,55 billion in global funding for nutrition. This moment of global solidarity showcases growing support to improve health and well-being for all through nutrition.

    127 delegations, including the governments of 106 countries, together with international and civil society organizations, development banks, philanthropic organizations, research institutions, and businesses, joined forces in Paris to help put an end to the malnutrition scourge, which hinders countries’ economic and social development and traps communities in an intergenerational cycle of poverty.

    A few amongst numerous examples of pledges are: €750 million in projects supported by France (between now and 2030), €6.5 billion to fight malnutrition mobilized by the European Union, of which €3.4 billion was allocated by the European Commission. Other countries, including Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, and Bangladesh also made noteworthy political and financial commitments to tackling the burden of malnutrition in their countries. The development banks are also on board, particularly the World Bank and the African Development Bank, which pledged US$ 5 billion and US$ 9.5 billion respectively until 2030. Philanthropic organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector account for a substantial share of financial commitments. Philanthropic organizations will raise more than US$ 2 billion in the coming years to combat malnutrition. As follow up builds, participants expect more than 500 commitments to be made overall.

    WHO’s eight commitments reflect our dedication to tackling malnutrition and promoting health and well-being worldwide. Read more on commitments.

    Acknowledgements

    WHO’s work is made possible through all contributions of our Member States and partners. WHO thanks all donor countries, governments, organizations and individuals who are contributing to the Organization’s work, with special appreciation for those who provide fully flexible contributions to maintain a strong, independent WHO.

    The donors and partners acknowledged in this story are (in alphabetical order) the African Development Bank, Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, the EU ECHO, European Commission Humanitarian Aid, French Muskoka Fund, the Government of France, Guatemala, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), Italian Development Cooperation, Japan, Madagascar, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNCERF, the USA Agency for International Development, and the World Bank.

    WHO’s support to initiatives to tackle obesity and malnutrition would not have been possible without funding. To continue to support core work like this, WHO needs sustainable financing, that is, predictable, flexible, and resilient. This will allow WHO to have the greatest impact where it is needed most.

    More on nutrition and obesity

    Draft recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course, including potential targets

    Follow-up to the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases – Annex 12

    Obesity and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists | Obesity | JAMA | JAMA Network

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Panetta Awarded U.S. Navy’s Highest Civilian Honor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), a veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve, was awarded the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor the Navy can bestow upon a civilian.  The award recognizes Rep. Panetta’s steadfast support of the United States Navy and Marine Corps during his tenure in Congress and his commitment to ensuring that service members have the resources, training, and readiness necessary to protect the nation’s interests.

    Rep. Panetta served in the U.S. Navy, Reserve Component, as an Intelligence Officer.  In 2007, Rep. Panetta was mobilized to active duty and deployed with a special operations task force to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  Based on his meritorious service in a combat zone, then Lieutenant Panetta and was awarded the Bronze Star. 

    Upon returning home, Rep. Panetta continued his advocacy for our men and women who served in uniform by working with homeless veterans at the Veterans Transition Center, and leading the effort to establish the first Veterans Treatment Court in Monterey County, as well as the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery on the former Fort Ord.

    As the U.S. Representative for California’s 19th Congressional District, Rep. Panetta works hard to support and bolster the 17 defense installations, including five naval installations, in his district.  Those installations include the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Support Activity Monterey, Fleet Meteorology Center, Naval Research Lab, Coast Guard Station Monterey.  The installations of California’s 19th Congressional District boast more than 15,000 military personnel and their families and help boost the local economy by $2.6 billion each year.

    “Our nation must always serve those who serve us and the military families who shoulder immense sacrifices,” said Rep. Panetta.  “California’s 19th Congressional District has long boasted a strong military tradition and presence, which I am proud to carry on and support as a veteran in Congress advocating for the quality of life and support needed by our men and women in uniform.  I’m honored to receive this recognition from the U.S. Navy and look forward to the work ahead to bolster our military, national security, and all of those committed to serving our nation.” 

    In Congress, as well as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Panetta has led bipartisan efforts to strengthen military readiness, enhance servicemember benefits, tackle military hunger, address subpar housing for military families, and advance the Navy and Marine Corps’ operational capabilities. 

    In the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Rep. Panetta secured funding for the new Naval Innovation Center in Monterey, established a pilot program to send noncommissioned officers from the Army and Navy to the Naval Postgraduate School, and directed a regenerative grazing pilot program and Navy and Marine Corps installations, among other key quality of life provisions.

    Through previous NDAAs, Rep. Panetta has had several bills signed into law including; the Smart Act which opened new advanced degree opportunities at NPS for enlisted servicemembers, Military Hunger Prevention Act which created a Basic Needs Allowance for military servicemembers with incomes below the poverty line, DLI Act which allowed the Defense Language Institute to confer Bachelor degrees to graduates, Better Military Housing Act which created a tenant bill of rights for residents of privatized military housing, and more.

    In 2024, Rep. Panetta also authored and passed into law legislation to honor Everett Alvarez, Jr. who grew up on the Central Coast of California and demonstrated immense courage and resilience as our nation’s second longest serving prisoner of war, with the Congressional Gold Medal.  The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to American history and culture. 

    The Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award is presented to individuals who have provided exceptionally distinguished service that significantly impacts the Department of the Navy as a whole. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jimmy Panetta Calls Out Trump Administration Trade Policy Chaos, Impact on Working Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) recently questioned U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a recent House Ways and Means Committee. During his line of questioning, Rep. Panetta called out the faulty economic data behind the Trump Administration’s chaotic tariff policies. 

    During the hearing, President Trump announced on social media that the Administration would place a 90-day pause on new tariffs on most nations, while raiding tariffs on China to 125 percent.  U.S. Trade Representative Greer said he was not informed about this new trade policy.

    “It is the largest self-inflicted wound to our economy in history, a self-inflicted wound that if it stays in place, it could constitute the largest tax increase on working families in more than 40 years, costing households more than $3,800,” said Rep. Panetta.  “I know that the president is saying, ‘we’re getting screwed,’ but the fact is, Trump is screwing us with these incoherent and inchoate tariffs.  In the short term and in the long term, domestically and internationally, and for our economy and for our national security, they are making us weaker.”

    Rep. Panetta questions the Administration’s top trade representative.
    Click play on the above video or click HERE to watch his remarks.

    A transcript of Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s remarks during the Ways and Means Committee hearing is below:

    “Before this week, talked to a lot of my colleagues about you.  They actually said a lot of good things about you. You had a good reputation until this week, I have to say, because I actually wanted to work with you on solutions when it comes to free trade agreements.  I think we still can once we get past this, and I hope that’s the case, but unfortunately, you’re defending a policy here from President Trump that’s absolutely incoherent.

    “It’s a self-imposed tariff regime of ten times the amount of tariffs that were in place before this president took office.  It is the largest self-inflicted wound to our economy in history, a self-inflicted wound that if it stays in place, it could constitute the largest tax increase on working families in more than 40 years, costing households more than $3,800.

    “Per year, a self-inflicted wound that prompted one of the largest three day moves on the markets since World War II, and it’s a self-inflicted wound that’s leading investors to expect a severe economic slowdown. Eight years ago, this president talked about American carnage.  Little did we know that he would create economic carnage that is spreading something similar across the entire global economy.

    “Now the reason for these tariffs is based on a national emergency that we have trade deficits according to him and you.  Unfortunately, the president’s thinking about trade is reflected in this policy. This weekend, after the markets tanked, after a small businesses fretted and after the president played golf all weekend, the president said, I consider any trade deficit a loss.

    “That type of scorecard thinking combined with the president’s 40-year fetish for tariffs.  That has put this policy in place and put us in the global economy in this position.  Now, I know the president is painting all trade deficits as bad, but they are a product of larger macroeconomic factors relating to a number of things as you know well, savings, investments, cultural demographics, and so on.

    “But the President is acting completely irrational when it comes to trade deficits.  He believes that trade deficits are subsidies paid by Americans to other countries.  His scorecard ignores our trade surpluses and services to the tune of $250 billion annually.  He is oblivious to the relationship of trade deficits to foreign investment in America in that when we send dollars abroad for goods and services, most of those dollars ultimately come back to America, and he refuses to grasp that tariffs are taxes paid by American importers and Americans, not foreigners.

    “A perfect example of this unreasonableness is our reasonable trade deficit with Canada.  The reason we have a trade deficit with Canada is because starting with FDR, we entered into an agreement that would sell US oil at well below market prices.  We entered into and maintain that deal because we may and we maintain the trade deficit with Canada so that we can buy cheap oil, which is a huge benefit for America.

    “And if we took that oil out of our trade relationship, guess what?  We’d have a trade surplus.  Yet Trump says we’re getting ripped off even though we are actually getting the benefit of that sweetheart deal.  Now, absolutely, sometimes a trade deficit is a loss.  Foreign trade barriers are a problem that includes tariffs and non-tariff barriers, but there are ways to remedy these things.

    “Free trade agreements don’t require a tariff policy that cripples our economy.  Yet due to the President’s fetish for tariffs and superficial thinking on trade deficits, the president has imposed a trade policy that makes the global baseline of 10% with countries that have trade surpluses like Singapore, Australia, Netherlands.

    “Countries we have free trade agreements are getting tariffs at 10%.  Countries that are free trade countries are getting tariff at 10%.  It does not make sense.

    “If other countries eliminate their tariffs and we eliminate ours, that’s just deal making. And we don’t raise revenue and businesses don’t relocate to the us. If it’s a permanent revenues source and you want to relocate to the us, then going to have these tariffs permanently and there are not going to be any deals.

    “So, what is clear is that you can’t have it both ways.  Additionally, tariffs undermine our national security as we’re seeing in the Indo-Pacific region.  Look, I know the president wants to bring back the rust belt.  I get that.  But a big part of that is political.  It’s nostalgia.  And nostalgia, as they say, is the rust of memory.

    “We are not victims here.  Our economy is the envy of the world, partly because it was our choice to invest in other countries over saving.  It was our choice to have bilateral trade deficits.  This is not some unexpected crisis here.  This is no extraordinary or unusual threat.  This is because we chose to invest in other countries where labor is cheaper and therefore products are cheaper.

    “And as we know it’s okay for working families to want to pay low prices for products in this country.  I know that the president is saying, ‘we’re getting screwed,’ but the fact is, is that Trump is screwing us with these incoherent tariffs.  That in the short term and in the long term, domestically and internationally, and for our economy and for our national security, they are making us weaker.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Boyle Warns of Devastating Impacts in Philadelphia if Republicans Cut Medicaid

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    PHILADELPHIA, PA – Yesterday, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) held a press conference to sound the alarm about the catastrophic consequences that the Medicaid cuts proposed by President Trump and Republicans in Congress would have in Philadelphia. He was joined by Susan Post, Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Health Center, and Suzanne O’Grady Laurito, Director of Catholic Housing and Community Services at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

    At the press conference, Congressman Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, warned that the Republican budget would make the largest Medicaid cuts in US history, even as it proposes massive handouts for billionaires. The event also spotlighted the story of a 64-year-old Navy veteran from Northeast Philadelphia who receives in-home care through Medicaid, allowing him to live with dignity.

    “In Philadelphia, well over half a million people get their health care from Medicaid. This is the greatest threat to Medicaid in the history of its existence. And why? To pay for tax cuts for the top 1% — it is absolutely unconscionable,” said Congressman Boyle. “The bill that already passed out of the House of Representatives included over $800 billion worth of cuts to Medicaid — the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history. Now the good news is that that was just the beginning of the process, not the end of it. As soon  as we’re done here, I will be hopping on a train to go to Washington, DC, where as the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, I have been asked to lead the opposition to these Medicaid cuts.”

    “In the geographical area that Esparanza takes care of, which is about a three-mile radius from here, we have a population that’s almost 400,000 people. And of those 400,000, almost 200,000 of them rely on Medicaid insurance for all of their health care needs,” said Susan Post, Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Health Center. “I also live in North Philly. I’ve lived here 25 years. These are not just a statistic, these are actual people, people that I love … thank you so much, Congressman Boyle, for your concern about this important, devastating situation for us here in North Philadelphia.”

    “Medicaid is not just a health care program, although that is critical, but it is a lifeline for many we serve. It’s the thread that holds stability, independence, and dignity together,” said Suzanne O’Grady Laurito, Director of Catholic Housing and Community Services at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. “We stand with Congressman Boyle today to protect and preserve Medicaid. It’s not just a program. It’s a promise.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Welch Raise Alarm Over Escalating Violence in West Bank, Assault of Hamdan Ballal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) are raising the alarm over escalating violence in the West Bank, especially following the violent assault of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, an Oscar-winning co-director of the documentary, No Other Land. The letter demands President Trump reinstate sanctions against individuals who perpetrate violence that undermines regional stability and security in the West Bank.

    “The assault on Mr. Ballal occurred against the backdrop of intensified Israeli military operations across the West Bank,” wrote the Members. “Given the gravity of this attack and its implications on the ability of Palestinian civilians to advocate for self-determination peacefully, the U.S. must put pressure on the Israeli government to hold perpetrators accountable.”

    On March 24, 2025, Ballal was attacked by a group of Israeli settlers in the village of Susiya in the occupied West Bank. The account of the attack from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) differs greatly from witness reports, which also claim that the IDF did not intervene and instead handcuffed Ballal after he sustained serious injuries.  

    “Given Mr. Ballal’s platform, we are especially concerned that this violent attack and failure to hold his

    perpetrators accountable suppresses his freedom of speech and those who tell Palestinian stories,” continued the Members. “While it is important to dismantle militant cells in the West Bank that

    threaten the security of the Israeli people, we are concerned recent Israeli operations have

    disproportionately impacted Palestinian civilians.”

    This assault occurred as tensions continue to rise in the occupied West Bank during intensified military operations by the IDF forces. Since January, operations have displaced more than 40,000 Palestinians. 

    Ballal is a director of the Oscar-winning documentary, No Other Land, which chronicles how difficult life is for Palestinians under occupation. 

    The full letter can be read here.

    The letter was also signed by Bernard Sanders (I-VT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) as well as Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-04), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

    It is also endorsed by Endorsing Organizations: American Friends of Combatants for Peace, CAIR Action, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Church Women United in New York State, Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace for Israel/Palestine, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), IfNotNow Movement, J Street, Jahalin Solidarity, MARUF CT, Medglobal, Minnesota Peace Project, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Civic Coalition, Muslims United PAC, New Jewish Narrative, Oasis Legal Services, Partners for Progressive Israel, Peace Action, Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction, Upte Members for Palestine, Voices for Justice in Palestine, WILPF, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US), and Win Without War.

    Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Responds to Republican Attempt to Rig the Courts with Legislation to Prevent Judge Shopping

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As Speaker Mike Johnson and Washington Republicans continue to enable President Trump’s unprecedented attacks on federal judges, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) re-introduced legislation to prevent right-wing manipulation of the court system through a tactic known as “judge shopping.” Judge shopping is utilized by Republican activists, like anti-abortion advocates, to cherry-pick ultra-conservative judges — and guarantee favorable decisions — by filing lawsuits in single-judge divisions of United States District Courts. 

    Meanwhile, House Republicans brought legislation to the floor for a vote — the No Rogue Rulings Act — that would limit district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, curbing their constitutional authority, and pairing back our system of checks and balances. 

    “House Republicans are abdicating their constitutional responsibility to serve as a check on the illegal actions of the Trump administration. Instead, they are attempting to strip federal judges of their authority to stop the President’s unlawful orders. If Washington Republicans were serious about addressing court manipulation, they would support my bill to crack down on judge shopping, a tactic deployed to obtain favorable decisions from hand-picked judges.

    “Judge shopping was the tool right-wing extremists used to attack access to mifepristone, a form of medication abortion — along with other health and safety regulations conservatives opposed. My bill would end this unfair practice, because I refuse to let conservative activists weaponize the court to further their agenda and strip away our fundamental rights,” said Rep. Sherrill.

    “There will always be some gamesmanship by parties when deciding which federal court to file their lawsuit in. But there’s forum-shopping and then there are guaranteed judge draws, the latter of which are assured in single-judge divisions and are antithetical to the American legal system’s goal of fairness. Thankfully, Congress possesses the constitutional authority to modify the structure of the federal courts, and I commend Rep. Sherrill’s legislation to do so by restoring the veil of ignorance to judicial assignments, thereby making our courts more trustworthy and impartial,” said Gabe Roth, Executive Director, Fix the Court. 

    “A litigant should not be able to handpick the judge who will hear their case,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “But no federal law prevents judge shopping, thus allowing litigants to effectively choose who will oversee their litigation by filing actions in divisions with only a single judge. By preventing cases of nationwide consequence from being filed in a single-judge division, however, Rep. Sherrill’s End Judge Shopping Act prevents this manipulation of the judicial system. CREW applauds Rep. Sherrill for reintroducing this commonsense legislation to restore public faith in the independence and impartiality of our judiciary.”

    In February, the American Bar Association adopted a resolution supporting congressional action to address judge shopping, and in a recent publication, the Harvard Law Review highlighted Rep. Sherrill’s bill in discussing the benefits of restricting judge shopping. 

    Rep. Sherrill is a former federal prosecutor and has been a strong champion for abortion rights. In the wake of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA case in Texas, Rep. Sherrill gathered leaders from Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Agile Therapeutics for a panel discussion on the threat to abortion access in New Jersey. She has also introduced legislation on protecting the reproductive rights of servicewomen and access to emergency abortion care. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Neal Leads Massachusetts Delegation in Demanding Answers on the Sudden Closure of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Office in Boston

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Richard Neal (D-MA)

    Letter Text PDF

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09) – demanded answers from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. after the abrupt shuttering of the entire HHS Regional Office (RO) in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 1, 2025.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “It is impossible to overstate the lasting consequences this reckless action will have on every single person in this region—whether the families who rely on Region 1 employees dutifully overseeing child care licensing systems to ensure they deliver quality care to our children, or the coordination these civil servants conduct with state survey agencies to make sure all our nursing homes meet federal safety standards. Through steadfast commitment to the programs they oversee, employees of ROs provide a service to all of us whether we know it or not.”

    The HHS Boston RO employs hundreds of workers who serve Americans from Maine to Connecticut. As the economic catastrophe caused by Trump’s Tariff Tax devastates communities and businesses across the country, the administration continues to make senseless layoffs, adding even more individuals to the ranks of the unemployed. These job losses will have trickle-down effects on other businesses in the area during an already challenging time.

    The Boston RO specializes in health care innovation, partnering with drug companies, biotech groups, and other innovators to ensure gaps in research are being filled and the cures of tomorrow come to fruition. Eliminating the Boston RO will both deny the people of New England access to public health officials with expertise in our local communities and halt innovation in its tracks, with ramifications felt by the whole country for generations to come.

    The ROs are also on the front lines of fighting fraud, waste, and abuse alongside local law enforcement, as well as the vanguard coordinating responses against disease and outbreaks. Its closure will leave our communities and our programs less safe.

    The lawmakers continue, “It could open our region to massive risks of fraud and abuse of our vital federal programs. And it could provide the pathway for another pernicious disease to sweep the nation, absent vital on-the-ground detection and coordination among public health experts. We do not take lightly this attack on the health of our constituents and the unceremonious termination of thousands of experts living in our communities who make us all safer.”

    The Boston Regional Office property is desirable real estate and appeared on an early list of properties Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) group wished to “auction off”, raising questions about whether this action has ulterior motives – enabling Trump acolytes to cash in on real estate deals while ordinary Americans suffer from loss of services. The Trump Administration has shown a complete disregard for Americans’ needs, closing Social Security offices and curtailing customer service. This RO closure is just another effort to make it more difficult for our constituents to access the health and safety protections they count on the federal government to provide.

    The lawmakers are demanding detailed answers as to the basis of this decision, its effect on constituent health, and how HHS will continue serving individuals in the region. They request answers to the following questions by April 18:

    ·       Please provide a list of each division within the Boston RO that was eliminated, a description of its core functions, a summary of staff expertise, program staff caseloads for each overseen program at the time of closing, and all documentation justifying the Department’s decision to close each division within the RO.

    ·       Please provide the Department’s analysis of the impact this regional closure will have on costs and health outcomes for the 15 million residents of New England, as well as the local economy.

    ·       Please provide a detailed analysis of how the remaining five ROs will take over the responsibilities of the Boston RO, including total caseloads, in beneficiaries served and dollars managed, for the staff taking over New England responsibilities, and any anticipated hirings or training to offset the caseload inundation and loss of regional expertise.

    ·       Please provide a detailed analysis of anyways responsibilities of the Boston RO which will be absorbed by HHS headquarters, including the current and new responsibilities of any headquarters staff assuming responsibilities and any anticipated hirings to offset the caseload inundation and loss of regional expertise.

    ·       Please provide a detailed analysis of the anticipated additional wait times for services previously provided by staff at the Region 1 RO, such as the approval of Medicaid State Plan Amendments, enrollments of new providers into Medicare, surveys of nursing homes, child care licensing inspections, state plan approvals, and cost allocation agreements.

    ·       Please explain the Administration’s plan for the now-vacant real estate that previously housed the Boston RO.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton, Van Hollen Introduce Bill to Make Union Station Eligible for Funding Under Federal Transportation Grant Programs

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today introduced a bill to make the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC), a nonprofit responsible for managing and operating Union Station in D.C., eligible for funding under several federal transportation grant programs.

    “Union Station is the second busiest Amtrak station in the country. It is an architectural marvel that has played a vital role in our nation’s history. Yet, it has not undergone major renovation in nearly 40 years,” Congresswoman Norton said. “The planned redevelopment and expansion of Union Station represents a historic transportation and economic development opportunity for D.C. and the National Capital Region, but billions of dollars are needed to carry it out. This bill would give USRC access to critical funding.”

    “Union Station is the gateway to our nation’s capital for visitors and regional commuters alike, including thousands of Marylanders and District residents every day, but it is long overdue for critical upgrades. This legislation will unlock major federal funding opportunities for this important regional transit hub,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    Union Station is a vital local, regional and national intermodal transportation hub that welcomes approximately 70,000 travelers and visitors each day—more than either Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport or Washington Dulles International Airport. It is owned by the federal government, and USRC manages and operates it exclusively under a lease. Due to its federal ownership and management structure, it is currently ineligible for federal grant funding. As such, the station has not undergone major renovation since the 1980s.

    Congresswoman Norton and Senator Van Hollen’s Union Station Redevelopment Corporation Funding Eligibility Act allows USRC to apply for funding under four major U.S. Department of Transportation infrastructure funding programs: the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP) Program, the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Program and the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, also known as the Mega Program.

    Norton’s introductory statement follows.

     

    Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

    On the Introduction of the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation Funding Eligibility Act

    April 9, 2025

    Today, I introduce the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation Funding Eligibility Act, which would make the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) eligible for funding under the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP) Program, the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Program and the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, also known as the Mega Program.  Funding under these transportation programs is essential to implement the planned expansion and modernization of Union Station in the District of Columbia, known as the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (USEP).  Senator Chris Van Hollen has introduced this bill in the Senate.

    Union Station is owned by the federal government, and USRC, a nonprofit, manages and operates the station under a lease with the federal government. The members of USRC’s board of directors are the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, the Federal City Council, the District of Columbia and the USRC President and CEO.  USRC is the only entity exclusively dedicated to the management and operations of Union Station and therefore should be eligible for funding under the FSP Program, the CRISI Program, the BUILD Program and the Mega Program.

    Union Station is a vital local, regional and national intermodal transportation hub that, pre-pandemic, welcomed more than 100,000 travelers and visitors each day—more than either Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport or Washington Dulles International Airport.  Located five blocks from the U.S. Capitol, Union Station serves as a gateway to the nation’s capital, as well as the backbone that connects East Coast passenger rail lines to the north and south.  People rely on Union Station every day to get to work and to visit the nation’s capital. 

    Despite the vital role Union Station plays in the nation’s capital, it has not undergone major renovation since the 1980s.  The USEP represents a historic transportation and economic development opportunity for the nation’s capital and the national capital region, but billions of dollars are needed to carry it out.  This bill would give USRC access to critical funding.

    I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 11, 2025
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