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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Neil Ward, Professor of Rural and Regional Development at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia

    William Edge / shutterstock

    If the UK is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, over one-third of its sheep and cows will have to go, with their fields being replaced by huge new areas of woodland. That’s one conclusion of the latest report by the the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK government’s independent advisor on climate change.

    The CCC is tasked with outlining how much greenhouse gas the UK can emit if it is to achieve its climate targets – its “carbon budget”. The committee also recommends how the country might reduce its emissions to get within that budget. It sets future budgets every five years or so. This latest report, the seventh carbon budget, looks at emissions in the period 2038 to 2043. It updates the sixth carbon budget produced in 2020.

    The UK has almost halved its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, but that was the easy half. Most dirty industries are long gone, for instance, and coal power plants have been replaced with gas and renewable energy.

    Next, the country will be grappling with the most challenging sectors including the focus of my academic research: agriculture and land use. This challenge will be worsened by the impacts of climate change and geopolitical uncertainties that raise doubts about the UK’s food security.

    Currently, agriculture makes up about 11% of UK emissions, but this proportion will rise considerably over the next 15 years as other sectors decarbonise further. Cattle and sheep contribute most of these emissions, and the latest carbon budget suggests their numbers will have to be reduced by 22% by 2035 and by over 38% by 2050.

    This is principally to release land to plant tens of thousands of hectares of new woodland each year (60,000 hectares a year by 2040) and to grow energy crops (38,000 hectares a year by 2040). It will also mean fewer emissions from the animals themselves and from growing animal feed.

    The UK needs a lot more of this.
    Callums Trees / shutterstock

    Less meat and dairy

    The latest carbon budget suggests that dietary change is key to this anticipated change in farming and land use. While British people won’t need to give up meat entirely, they will need to reduce consumption of meat and dairy products by around 35% by 2050 compared to 2019 levels.

    Meat and dairy consumption are already falling, however, and the trend has accelerated since 2020. To meet the budget, the decline would need to continue but more rapidly than the long-term trend.

    The CCC is in the business of advising on what government should do to address climate change, not in the business of telling people what to eat. It hopes that food labels with additional information about emissions will help people make better choices for themselves.

    Emphasising non-meat options and altering the layout of supermarkets may also help change the “choice environment” and so change consumption practices. Nevertheless, before long, the UK and devolved governments will have to grasp the nettle of diet change, land use and livestock. There have already been successful legal challenges for having inadequate plans in this area.

    It helps that diets good for the planet are also good for people’s health. In October 2024, the House of Lords food, diet and obesity committee estimated diet-related ill health and obesity cost £98 billion a year. This is a significant drag on productivity and places acute pressures on the NHS.

    Plant-based foods are better for food security

    Energy security is currently prompting much thought and action, but food security has not. Dietary change can also help improve the UK’s food security, however, since meat and dairy take up more land per calorie than healthier alternatives. A large-scale shift in diet and land use could render the UK more resilient to future wars, pandemics or anything else that causes shocks to food prices and supplies.

    For farmers and landowners there has been increasing interest in greener approaches to production, sometimes called regenerative farming. Some within, or clustered around, farming will protest about the scale of reduction in animal numbers implied by net zero.

    Faced with the basic maths, a marked reduction looks unavoidable. The sooner the conversation can shift from whether change is needed to how it might best be fairly and equitably pursued, the better.

    This carbon budget brings positive opportunities for nature restoration, diversifying rural economies and improving the appearance and ecology of the countryside. But for net emissions to come down enough, the amount of wooded land will need to increase from 13% to 19% by 2050 – that’s over a million extra hectares, or roughly equivalent to Cornwall, Devon and Dorset combined.

    These are very stretching targets, and tree planting over the past few years has fallen far short of the rates required. Because afforestation is such an important factor in the carbon budget, if the UK fails to meet its targets, the dietary changes may need to be even greater.

    Heightened international instability threatening UK food security could mean the same. Indeed, some food, health and environmental organisations will point to the seventh carbon budget and say the CCC has not gone far enough.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Neil Ward receives funding from UKRI in his role as Co-lead of the AFN (AgriFood4NetZero) Network+.. He is a member of the Labour Party and the National Trust.

    – ref. The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-must-make-big-changes-to-its-diets-farming-and-land-use-to-hit-net-zero-official-climate-advisers-250158

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Leads Massachusetts Delegation in Denouncing Trump Administration Move to Strip Unaccompanied Immigrant Infants and Toddlers of Legal Representation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) led the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), 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), in writing to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the Trump administration to maintain funding for legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children. The administration generated confusion and distress when it issued—and mere days later, rescinded—an order that would jeopardize the safety and welfare of vulnerable minors, including infants and toddlers, by stripping them of critical legal representation. In Massachusetts, several hundred unaccompanied minors stood to lose their lawyers and more than 2,000 children who receive services short of full legal representation faced the loss of assistance. The lawmakers urge the administration to renew the contract that provides immigrant minors the legal help they require.  

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “For decades, esteemed organizations across the nation have steadfastly provided indispensable legal services, social support, and foster care to these at-risk minors. The recent stop-work order egregiously undermined this longstanding commitment to child welfare and due process. Maintaining and renewing the unaccompanied child legal services program contract is critical for fulfilling our legal obligations and abiding by the foundational principles of justice and compassion that define our nation.”

    The lawmakers request responses by March 11 to questions that include:

    • What was the internal decision-making process that led to the issuance of the February 18 stop-work order? Which officials within the Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services were involved in reviewing and approving this directive?
    • What specific legal, policy, or budgetary considerations were cited as the rationale for initially terminating legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children? Was a formal impact assessment conducted before this decision was made? If so, please provide a copy? If not, why not?
    • Prior to issuing the stop-work order, were affected organizations, legal service providers, child welfare experts, or other stakeholders consulted about the potential consequences of this decision? If so, please provide documentation of these discussions and any recommendations made. If not, why not?
    • What was the internal decision-making process that led to the rescission of the February 18 stop-work order? Which officials within the Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services were involved in reviewing and approving this rescission?
    • Has the Department of the Interior or the Department of Health and Human Services developed a position regarding the renewal of the unaccompanied child legal services program contract?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Decries Trump Administration Cuts to National Park Service and Attacks on Massachusetts Economy, Heritage

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (February 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, released the following statement today in response to the Trump administration’s staffing cuts and funding cut-offs for the National Park Service (NPS).

    The Trump administration’s hiring freeze, combined with a five-percent NPS staffing cut, has already affected parks, public lands and historical sites both nationwide and across the Commonwealth. More than 1,000 permanent NPS employees were reportedly fired last week, along with 3,000 U.S. Forest Service workers.

    In Massachusetts, heritage areas, museums and historical sites, watersheds, and stewardship councils have all been affected by funding freezes and upheaval driven by the Trump administration’s executive orders and unlawful attacks on congressionally appropriated funding. Last year, Massachusetts ranked 11th in the country with $1.3 billion in economic contributions from national park visitors, with $863 million in direct visitor spending. Senator Markey voted on February 20, 2025 in favor of an amendment to the Republicans’ budget resolution that would support the reinstatement of NPS and federal employees working on conservation, management, and recreation; however, this amendment was voted down by Republicans by a vote of 48-52.

    “At a time when our parks and historical sites should be getting ready to meet the high-season influx of visitors, President Trump, his billionaire-in-chief Elon Musk, and the unelected, unwanted, and unqualified DOGE minions are instead targeting both National Park Service staff and funding. 

    Without NPS staff, visitor centers will be closed during the height of the tourism season, restrooms will be left dirty, and tours will be left unfinished. Not only is this bad for park visitors, it’s bad for everyone who wants to celebrate and learn about our nation’s past and future as we near our 250th anniversary. Our Commonwealth was the site of key events during the founding of our nation — but these cultural cornerstones will not be ready for additional visitors without sufficient staffing. 

    The unconstitutional cut-off of grant programs for our parks, waterways, and public lands is wreaking havoc, causing chaos, and needs to be fully reversed. According to the National Park Service and its partners, this uncertainty means that restoration work is costing more, investments are being stranded, trails aren’t getting maintained, and too many small organizations and partners are left in the lurch. For example, the Forest Legacy Program is a popular and cost-effective program to conserve private, working forest resources—but the Trump administration’s chaos means that partners on the ground are paused and waiting to see if their work can continue.

    Outdoor recreation is a $1.2-trillion business sector where public-private partnerships create an outsized return on investment and boost local economies—every federal dollar invested in NPS generates fifteen dollars of economic activity—so there is nothing effective nor efficient about attacking our parks. Neither the staff cuts, nor the illegal funding freezes can stand, which is why I am fighting in DC to protect the National Park Service workers and programs tirelessly working to provide all Americans with spaces in which to learn about our history and enjoy our outdoors.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Highlights Threats to Election Security, Campaign Finance in First Business Meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Highlights Threats to Election Security, Campaign Finance in First Business Meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined his first business meeting as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he highlighted the importance of free and fair elections, campaign finance reform, and Capitol security. The meeting focused on the committee funding resolution and committee rules for the 119th Congress.

    In his remarks, Senator Padilla emphasized that he will continue working to protect the right to vote, secure our elections, safeguard election workers, and push for essential funding to state and local governments for election administration. He called out the Trump Administration for decimating critical election security efforts by disbanding the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s foreign election interference task force, removing election security specialists at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and deploying President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the agency.

    Senator Padilla, California’s former Secretary of State, also underscored Americans’ strong support for curbing the massive influx of dark money and corporate spending in politics, calling the Citizens United decision a “complete disaster.” He blasted President Trump for his recent illegal firing of the Federal Elections Commission Chair and his executive order claiming to bring independent regulatory agencies under the control of the executive branch.

    Last week, Senator Padilla and Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25) pressed senior officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for answers after reports indicated employees who previously worked on election misinformation and disinformation issues were placed on administrative leave. Padilla denounced the illegal firing of FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind this decision.

    Padilla’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are available here and below:

    Thank you, Chairman McConnell. I look forward to working with you and all the Members of the Rules Committee in this new role as Ranking Member. 

    I also want to thank Senators Klobuchar and Fischer for their leadership last Congress — including making key security improvements here at the Capitol following the January 6th insurrection.

    This Committee has a long history of working across party lines in support of the Senate and the legislative branch. Today I am committed to continuing that tradition with Chairman McConnell. 

    While the Capitol and Senate buildings may be our workplaces, ultimately, they belong to the American people. Americans spend their time and money — some traveling thousands of miles — to visit and exercise their First Amendment rights. For Americans from states red, blue, and purple, this Capitol means more than politics: it’s the embodiment of our democracy. It is our responsibility to maintain and secure the Capitol for them.

    Today’s action on the committee funding resolution for the 119th Congress gives us an early opportunity to come together. And while I wish we were able to provide more funding in certain instances, I am pleased that we worked in a bipartisan fashion on this effort.

    But in addition to our responsibilities to the administration of both the buildings and rules that allow this body to run, our Committee also plays a central role in our democracy – overseeing federal elections and campaign finance.

    Election Administration

    As California’s former Secretary of State, I know the importance of defending free and fair elections. I will always work to preserve voter access, protect election workers, ensure election security, and provide critical funding to the states. 

    Over the years, Congress has invested resources to help states start to modernize their election systems, but we have failed to provide the reliable funding that is needed. I hope we can find bipartisan consensus to help states and local governments manage the growing challenges of running elections.

    Unfortunately, just a few weeks in, the current Administration is taking a blowtorch to election security. Already, the Department of Justice has disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s foreign election interference task force while the Department of Homeland Security is removing election security specialists at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

    And now, President Trump and Elon Musk have sent DOGE’s inexperienced, unqualified staff — with a history of leaking security information and cybercrime — to CISA. Despite our inquiries and DOGE’s claims of transparency, this Committee and the public have no real information about the goals of this interference. And state and local election officials are losing the critical election security support that Congress has directed CISA to provide.

    It is my hope that moving forward, members on this committee from both parties will join me in strengthening election security — not weakening it.

    Campaign Finance

    At the same time, Americans overwhelmingly support efforts to roll back the tide of unregulated and secret money in politics. They are tired of their voices being drowned out by unlimited spending from corporations and billionaires. Yet today, an unelected billionaire who spent over 270 million dollars on the 2024 election sits in the Oval Office, issuing policy directives and accessing federal contracts and regulatory favors.

    The Citizens United decision was a complete disaster that continues to damage our democracy and must be repealed. Until then, Congress and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) should uphold the law and improve what we can.

    Unfortunately, President Trump is trying to destroy what few guardrails we have left. He illegally fired the Chair of the FEC and issued an Executive Order that gives White House operatives control over the FEC and other independent agencies. Congress created agencies like the FEC to follow the law independent of political pressure — not to be tools for handing out political favors or retribution on behalf of the White House.

    The FEC was created over 50 years ago following Watergate. Now, President Trump is opening the floodgates for a new golden age of corruption. As a committee, we must work to stop these power grabs before more damage is done.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Franks, Professor and Director – Global Centre for Mineral Security, The University of Queensland

    Thanagornsoisep/Shutterstock

    Every year, the world consumes around 50 billion tonnes of sand, gravel and crushed stone. The astonishing scale of this demand is hard to comprehend – 12.5 million Olympic sized swimming pools per year – making it the most-used solid material by humans.

    Most of us don’t see the sand and gravel all around us. It’s hidden in concrete footpaths and buildings, the glass in our windows and in the microchips that drive our technology.

    Demand is set to increase further – even as the extraction of sand and gravel from rivers, lakes, beaches and oceans is triggering an environmental crisis.

    Sand does renew naturally, but in many regions, natural sand supplies are being depleted far faster than they can be replenished. Desert sand often has grains too round for use in construction and deserts are usually far from cities, while sand alternatives made by crushing rock are energy- and emissions-intensive.

    But there’s a major opportunity here, as we outline in our new research. Every year, the mining industry crushes and discards billions of tonnes of the same minerals as waste during the process of mining metals. By volume, mining waste is the single largest source of waste we make.

    There’s nothing magical about sand. It’s made up of particles of weathered rock. Gravel is larger particles. Our research has found companies mining metals can get more out of their ores, by processing the ore to produce sand as well.

    This would solve two problems at once: how to avoid mining waste and how to tackle the sand crisis. We dub this “nose-to-tail” mining, following the trend in gastronomy to use every part of an animal.

    Concrete is everywhere – but it requires a great deal of sand and gravel.
    MVolodymyr/Shutterstock

    The failings of tailings

    The metal sulphides, oxides and carbonates which can be turned into iron, copper and other metals are only a small fraction of the huge volumes of ore which have to be processed. Every year, the world produces about 13 billion tonnes of tailings – the ground-up rock left over after valuable metals are extracted – and another 72 billion tonnes of waste rock, which has been blasted but not ground up.

    For decades, scientists have dreamed of using tailings as a substitute for natural sand. Tailings are often rich in silicates, the principal component of sand.

    But to date, the reality has been disappointing. More than 18,000 research papers have been published on the topic in the last 25 years. But only a handful of mines have found ways to repurpose and sell tailings.

    Why? First, tailings rarely meet the strict specifications required for construction materials, such as the size of the particles, the mineral composition and the durability.

    Second, they come with a stigma. Tailings often contain hazardous substances liberated during mining. This makes governments and consumers understandably cautious about using mining waste in homes and our built environment.

    Neither of these problems is insurmountable. In our research, we propose a new solution: manufacture sand directly from ore.

    Converting rock into metal is a complex, multi-step process which differs by type of metal and by type of ore. After crushing, the minerals in the ore are typically separated using flotation, where the metal-containing sulphide minerals attach to tiny bubbles that float up through the slurry of rock and water.

    At this stage, leftover ore is normally separated out to be disposed of as waste. But if we continue to process the ore, such as by spinning it in a cyclone, impurities can be removed and the right particle size and shape can be achieved to meet the specifications for sand.

    We have dubbed this “ore-sand”, to distinguish it from tailings. It’s not made from waste tailings – it’s a deliberate product of the ore.

    Turning ore into metal requires intensive crushing and grinding. These methods could also make sand.
    Aussie Family Living/Shutterstock

    More from ore

    This isn’t just theory. At the iron ore mine Brucutu in Brazil, the mining company Vale is already producing one million tonnes of ore-sand annually. The sand is used in road construction, brickmaking and concrete.

    The move came from tragedy. In 2015 and 2019, the dams constructed to store tailings at two of Vale’s iron ore mines collapsed, triggering deadly mudflows. Hundreds of people died – many of them company employees – and the environmental consequences are ongoing.

    In response, the company funded researchers (such as our group) to find ways to reduce reliance on tailings dams in favour of better alternatives.

    Following our work with Vale we investigated the possibility of making ore-sand from other types of mineral ores, such as copper and gold. We have run successful trials at Newmont’s Cadia copper-gold mine in Australia. Here, using innovative methods we have produced a coarser ore-sand which doesn’t require as much blending with other sand.

    Ore-sand processing makes the most sense for mines located close to cities. This is for two reasons: to avoid the risk of tailings dams to people living nearby, and to reduce the transport costs of moving sand long distances.

    Our earlier research showed almost half the world’s sand consumption happens within 100 kilometres of a mine which could produce ore-sand as well as metals. Since metal mining already requires intensive crushing and grinding, we found ore-sand can be produced with lower energy consumption and carbon emissions than the extraction of conventional sands.

    The challenge of scale

    For any new idea or industry, the hardest part is to go from early trials to widespread adoption. It won’t be easy to make ore-sand a reality.

    Inertia is one reason. Mining companies have well-established processes. It takes time and work to introduce new methods.

    Industry buy-in and collaboration, supportive government policies and market acceptance will be needed. Major sand buyers such as the construction industry need to be able to test and trust the product.

    The upside is real, though. Ore-sand offers us a rare chance to tackle two hard environmental problems at once, by slashing the staggering volume of mining waste and reducing the need for potentially dangerous tailings dams, and offering a better alternative to destructive sand extraction.

    Daniel Franks would like to acknowledge funding and collaboration support from the Queensland Government, Australian Economic Accelerator, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, Newcrest Mining, Newmont, Vale, The University of Geneva, The University of Exeter, The Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and The University of Queensland. Daniel Franks is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT240100383) funded by the Australian Government.

    – ref. Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis – https://theconversation.com/nose-to-tail-mining-how-making-sand-from-ore-could-solve-a-looming-crisis-250284

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoes tests in Beijing

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

    Prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoes tests in Beijing

    Updated: February 26, 2025 07:25 Xinhua
    This photo shows a prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoing tests in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. Prototypes of the CR450 bullet train, with a test speed of up to 450 kilometers per hour and an operational speed of 400 kilometers per hour, were debuted in Beijing recently, highlighting China’s cutting-edge advancements in rail technology and contributions to the global rail industry. The CR450 is significantly faster than the CR400 Fuxing high-speed trains currently in service, which operate at speeds of 350 kilometers per hour. The China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) currently is arranging a series of line tests for the prototypes and optimize technical indicators to ensure the CR450 enters commercial service as soon as possible. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows a prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoing tests in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows a noise sensor in a prototype of CR450 bullet train in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff workers place a temperature sensor in a prototype of CR450 bullet train in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows a prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoing tests in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff worker conducts experiment in a prototype of CR450 bullet train in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows multifunctional storage area in a prototype of CR450 bullet train in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff worker conducts experiment in a prototype of CR450 bullet train in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows a prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoing tests in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows a prototype of CR450 bullet train undergoing tests in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Jintang undersea tunnel under construction in Zhejiang, E China

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

    Jintang undersea tunnel under construction in Zhejiang, E China

    Updated: February 26, 2025 07:32 Xinhua
    Technicians from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. conduct remote construction management through the intelligent project monitoring and management platform of the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. The 16.18-km Jintang undersea tunnel under construction connects the Jintang islet of Zhoushan and the coastal area of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province and is an important facility for a high-speed railway line connecting cities of Ningbo and Zhoushan in the province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A technician from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. inspects the operation of the “Yongzhou” shield tunneling machine in the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A technician from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. debugs a crane inside the “Yongzhou” shield tunneling machine in the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. works in the “Yongzhou” shield tunneling machine in the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A technician from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. inspects the operation of the “Yongzhou” shield tunneling machine in the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker from China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. works in the “Yongzhou” shield tunneling machine in the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2025 shows the construction site of the Jintang undersea tunnel of Ningbo-Zhoushan Railway in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hospices receive multi-million pound boost to improve facilities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Hospices receive multi-million pound boost to improve facilities

    The government has confirmed the release of £25 million for upgrades and refurbishments today for hospices across England,

    • An additional £75 million will be available from April as part of the largest investment in hospices in a generation.
    • The funding will modernise facilities, improve IT systems and ensure patients receive the highest quality care.   

    Families across England will start to see improved end-of-life care as the government brings in major upgrades to hospice services nationwide. 

    New investments in hospices will make sure people receive compassionate care in comfortable, dignified surroundings during their most vulnerable moments by creating outdoor gardens where memories can be shared and upgrading patient rooms, so they feel more like home.

    Every change is focused on supporting families when they need it most.

    The improvements will help ensure that during life’s most challenging moments, patients and their loved ones receive the highest quality care in the most appropriate and comfortable settings.

    Hospices will begin receiving £25 million for facility upgrades and refurbishments from today as part of the biggest investment into hospices in a generation.

    The cash will be distributed immediately for the 2024/25 financial year, with a further £75 million to follow from April. More than 170 hospices across the country will receive funding, including those run by Marie Curie and Sue Ryder, as well as independent hospices like Zoe’s Place in Liverpool. 

    This cash forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Change, improving care in the community where people need it most.

    Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:  

    This is the largest investment in a generation to help transform hospice facilities across England. From upgrading patient rooms to improving gardens and outdoor spaces, this funding will make a real difference to people at the end of their lives. 

    Hospices provide invaluable care and support when people need it most and this funding boost will ensure they are able to continue delivering exceptional care in better, modernised facilities.

    The immediate cash injection, allocated through Hospice UK from the department, will enable hospices to purchase essential new medical equipment, undertake building refurbishments, improve technology, upgrade facilities for patients and families and implement energy efficiency measures.  

    The larger £75 million investment will support more substantial capital projects, including major building works and facility modernisation, throughout the next financial year.  

    Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said:

    The announcement before Christmas of £100m of additional funding for hospices in England was a significant boost, and today’s news of the allocation of the first £25m of this funding will be a huge relief for our members.

    Several years of rapidly rising costs have curtailed the extent to which hospices have been able to invest in their infrastructure for the longer term. This additional support will enable them to do so – and relieve the immediate pressures on hospice finances.

    The hospice sector is ready to support the government’s ambition to shift more care into the community. This couldn’t be more important for people approaching the end of life, when it’s vital to have the right care, in the right place.

    The greater stability provided by the government’s funding injection this year and next gives us a golden opportunity to now reform the palliative and end of life care system, so it’s fit for the future.

    Nick Carroll, Chief Executive of children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives, said:

    We’re really pleased that the Department of Health and Social Care has moved quickly to finalise the details of this much-needed funding and ensure it is ready for distribution. 

    We know that children’s hospices across England face an increasingly challenging funding landscape, with costs continuing to rise significantly. This investment will help children’s hospices continue to deliver essential care for seriously ill children and their families across England.

    A key focus of the investment will be digital transformation, enabling hospices to modernise their IT systems and improve data sharing between healthcare providers. The funding will also support the development of outreach services, allowing hospices to extend their care beyond their physical buildings. This includes investing in mobile equipment and technology that will help support people who wish to receive end-of-life care in their own homes.  

    Creating more welcoming spaces for families is another priority, with funding allocated for the renovation of family rooms and outdoor areas. These improvements will provide peaceful, comfortable spaces where families can spend precious time with their loved ones during difficult periods.  

    The funding forms part of the government’s commitment to improving end-of-life care services across England, so hospices can continue providing exceptional care in the best possible environments.  

    It also supports the government’s ambitions in the 10 Year Health Plan to shift healthcare out of hospitals into the community and from analogue to digital, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting.  

    NOTES TO EDITORS:  

    • Hospice UK is managing the distribution without charging administration fees.
    BREAKDOWN OF FUNDING
    Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust 302,003
    Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service 47,956
    Arthur Rank Hospice Charity 235,374
    Ashgate Hospicecare 211,820
    Barnsley Hospice 80,039
    Bassetlaw Hospice 7,274
    Beaumond House Community Hospice 32,852
    Birmingham – adjusted for 12 months 345,224
    Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice 73,256
    Blythe House Hospice 39,958
    Bolton Hospice 107,466
    Bury Hospice 61,674
    Butterfly Hospice 12,215
    Butterwick Hospice Limited 60,656
    Campden Home Nursing 23,060
    Children’s Hospice South West 275,928
    Claire House Children’s Hospice 172,160
    Community Hospice for Greenwich & Bexley 231,143
    Compton Hospice 217,778
    Cornwall Hospice Care 161,125
    Demelza Hospice Care for Children – Demelza Kent 242,135
    Derian House Children’s Hospice 115,875
    Dorothy House Hospice Care 297,862
    Douglas Macmillan Hospice 328,758
    Dove Cottage Day Hospice 9,309
    Dove House Hospice 111,822
    Dr Kershaw’s Hospice 92,588
    Earl Mountbatten Hospice 332,433
    East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices 222,453
    East Cheshire Hospice 130,738
    East Lancashire Hospice 85,513
    Eden Valley Hospice 92,849
    Ellenor 137,518
    Farleigh Hospice 268,268
    Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice 75,232
    Francis House Children’s Hospice 152,127
    Garden House Hospice 124,170
    Great Oaks, Dean Forest Hospice 25,137
    Halton Haven Hospice 55,394
    Harlington Hospice Association 116,191
    Hartlepool & District Hospice 60,881
    Haven House Children’s Hospice 88,446
    Havens Hospices 261,310
    Heart of Kent Hospice 97,348
    Helen & Douglas House 136,890
    Hope House Children’s Hospices (Hope House) 144,966
    Hospice at Home West Cumbria 33,871
    Hospice at Home, Carlisle and North Lakeland 31,287
    Hospice Care for Burnley & Pendle 95,256
    Hospice in the Weald 199,653
    Hospice of St Francis (Berkhamsted) 121,619
    Hospice of the Good Shepherd 81,185
    HospiceCare North Northumberland 18,653
    Hospiscare (Exeter) 180,911
    Isabel Hospice 120,401
    Jessie May 22,929
    John Eastwood Hospice 12,573
    Julia’s House Ltd. 131,315
    Kate’s Home Nursing 8,843
    Katharine House Hospice (Banbury) 35,454
    Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 97,658
    Keech Hospice Care 189,753
    Kemp Hospice Trust 21,942
    Kirkwood Hospice 160,020
    Lakelands Hospice 9,251
    Lawrence Home Nursing 9,586
    Lewis-Manning Hospice 49,050
    Lindsey Lodge Hospice 78,577
    Longfield 50,229
    LOROS Leicestershire & Rutland Hospice 302,751
    Marie Curie unadjusted 1,250,000
    Martin House Children’s Hospice 148,596
    Mary Ann Evans Hospice 37,177
    Mary Stevens Hospice 83,256
    Naomi House & Jacksplace Children’s Hospice 122,736
    Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice 114,605
    North Devon Hospice 104,128
    North London Hospice 283,640
    Nottinghamshire Hospice 72,123
    Oakhaven Hospice 157,402
    Overgate Hospice 85,938
    Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice 280,455
    Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent, Canterbury 290,911
    Primrose Hospice 29,035
    Princess Alice Hospice 264,319
    Priscilla Bacon 3,958
    Prospect Hospice 127,153
    Queenscourt Hospice 137,157
    Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People 145,128
    Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care 278,579
    Richard House Children’s Hospice 85,846
    Rosemary Foundation – Hospice at Home 17,247
    Rossendale Hospice 25,229
    Rotherham Hospice 121,115
    Rowcroft – The Torbay & South Devon Hospice 158,301
    Royal Trinity Hospice 318,609
    Saint Catherine’s Hospice (Scaraborough) 104,720
    Saint Francis Hospice 191,131
    Saint Michael’s Hospice (Harrogate) 140,243
    Severn Hospice 229,964
    Shipston Home Nursing 10,206
    Shooting Star CHASE 169,787
    Sidmouth Hospice at Home 16,934
    Sobell House Hospice 78,633
    South Bucks Hospice 19,251
    Springhill Hospice 111,983
    St Andrew’s Hospice (Grimsby) 92,589
    St Ann’s Hospice (Cheadle, Cheshire) 228,447
    St Barnabas Hospices (Sussex) 368,232
    St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice 236,601
    St Catherine’s Hospice (Crawley) 203,142
    St Catherine’s Hospice (Lancashire) 166,720
    St Christopher’s Hospice 526,754
    St Clare Hospice (West Essex) 144,945
    St Cuthbert’s Hospice 68,486
    St Elizabeth Hospice 239,262
    St Gemma’s Hospice 225,450
    St Giles Hospice 213,793
    St Helena Hospice 237,083
    St John’s Hospice, Lancaster 126,624
    St Johns, London 147,500
    St Joseph’s Hospice Association 66,973
    St Joseph’s Hospice, HACKNEY 313,531
    St Leonard’s Hospice 144,606
    St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice 84,318
    St Luke’s Hospice (Basildon) 256,843
    St Luke’s Hospice (Harrow & Brent) 129,220
    St Luke’s Hospice (Sheffield) 223,481
    St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth 176,616
    St Margaret’s Hospice – SOMERSET 204,046
    St Mary’s Hospice 86,382
    St Michael’s Hospice (Hereford) 166,755
    St Michael’s Hospice (North Hampshire) Basingstoke 86,086
    St Michael’s hospice, Hastings 146,943
    St Nicholas Hospice Care 97,852
    St Oswald’s Hospice 252,524
    St Peter & St James Hospice & Continuing Care Centre 78,032
    St Peter’s Hospice (BRISTOL) 251,252
    St Raphael’s Hospice 131,769
    St Richard’s Hospice (WORCESTER) 172,108
    St Rocco’s Hospice 88,421
    St Teresa’s Hospice 76,912
    St Wilfrid’s Hospice (EASTBOURNE) 179,191
    St Wilfrid’s Hospice (SOUTH COAST) – Chichester 141,670
    Sue Ryder unadjusted 1,250,000
    Teesside Hospice Care Foundation 74,899
    Thames Hospice 224,843
    The Martlets Hospice 253,129
    The Myton Hospices 223,905
    The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House 81,531
    The Prince of Wales Hospice 70,669
    The Rowans Hospice 171,289
    The Shakespeare Hospice 32,216
    Treetops Hospice Care 65,496
    Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services 205,071
    Tynedale Hospice at Home 16,145
    Wakefield Hospice 78,381
    Weldmar Hospicecare Trust 177,100
    Weston Hospicecare 71,633
    Wigan & Leigh Hospice 123,224
    Willen Hospice 143,687
    Willow Burn Hospice 24,014
    Willow Wood Hospice 60,478
    Willowbrook Hospice 99,908
    Wirral Hospice St John’s 131,516
    Woking Hospice 160,768
    Woodlands Hospice 20,172
    Zoe’s Place – Baby Hospice 75,336
       
       

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the Seventh Carbon Budget, published by the Climate Change Committee. 

    Prof John Barrett, Professor in Energy and Climate Policy and Director of the Climate Evidence Unit at the University of Leeds, said:

    “This is a very welcome report with a robust analysis that lets the Government, industry and citizens know that the pathway to net zero is possible and very much needed. However, it does place enormous responsibility on some key technologies and their rapid roll out to achieve these goals. As the UK Government digests the findings, we would suggest greater consideration of the “social” transformation that examines how we travel and what we buy.”

    “While the report acknowledges some upfront costs, it confirms that acting now will reduce expenses in the long run, with cost savings emerging by the late 2030s and beyond.”

    “The key takeaway from today’s report is clear: the transition to net zero is not only possible but highly beneficial. Independent academic analyses consistently supports this conclusion, showing that it will strengthen the economy, deliver widespread co-benefits, and position the UK as a leader in global climate action.”

     

    Dr Sean Beevers, Reader in Atmospheric Modelling, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, said:

    “A National Institute for Health and Care Research project examined the effects of net zero policies on air quality, active travel, health, and associated economic benefits in the UK.

    “Our cost benefit analysis showed that net zero transport and building policies deliver substantial co-benefits, including improved indoor and outdoor air quality, better health, increase active travel, lessening inequalities and with long-term economic gains. We estimated an overall monetised air quality and active travel benefit of £46.4 billion by 2060 and £153 billion by 2154.

     “Net zero policy analyses should include benefits from the air pollution reductions and physical activity increases. These benefits apply to current and future generations and failure to act will lead to worse health outcomes and higher costs for attaining net zero.”

    Dr Edward Gryspeerdt, Research Fellow at the Department of Physics, Imperial College London, said:

    “The CCC’s advice highlights that aviation will become the highest emitting sector in the UK by 2040. Clean alternatives, such as low-carbon fuel and technology for low emission flights are currently limited and a range of measures will be needed to meet net-zero – there is no silver bullet.

    “The government has described ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ as a ‘game changer.’ However, to have a significant impact on the climate impact of flying, they will need to be produced at a huge scale. It is not yet clear how this will be achieved. To reach net zero, the CCC also note that a switch from flying to other modes of transport will be required, especially for flights with an easy rail alternative. 

    “These measures alone won’t solve the problem. The CCC’s report highlights that a significant amount of carbon capture will be needed, highlighting the simple fact that the technological solutions to eliminate the climate impact of flying don’t yet exist. Any expansion of the UK’s aviation infrastructure will have to be coupled with improved sustainable transport options.”

     

    Dr Caterina Brandmayr, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said:

    “Today’s advice marks an important milestone in charting the UK’s path to net zero. Public opinion surveys continue to show that climate change remains a key issue of concern for a large majority of people in the UK.

     “To put us firmly on track to deliver the deep emission cuts needed from 2038 to 2042, the UK government needs to strengthen its action in the near term, giving confidence to businesses and households to invest in clean alternatives in sectors like housing, transport and energy. 

    “There is strong public support for the benefits that emission reduction interventions can bring, such as warmer homes, energy security and cleaner air. 

    “Effectively communicating these benefits, while ensuring fairness and choice in policy design, will be key to sustaining public support for the transition and driving change in harder to decarbonise sectors, such as aviation and land use.”

    Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, Imperial College London, said

    “People shouldn’t forget why we need these targets – we’re already feeling the pain at 1.3°C of warming and things will keep getting worse until emissions are reduced to net zero. 

    “Here in the UK, we’ll experience even wetter winters that could wipe out crops, threaten our food security and turn sports pitches into miserable bogs. In summer, more frequent heatwaves will contribute to thousands of premature deaths, could put additional strain on the NHS, and reduce economic productivity. Overseas, extreme weather could disrupt supply chains we depend on and could contribute to worsening political instability and conflict. 

    “Arguments that climate action is too costly are dangerous, short-sighted and disproportionately harm poorer people. If governments don’t cut emissions, both now and in the future, our children will live in an increasingly hostile climate and even more inequal society. 

    “The UK needs to push ahead and lead the way in emission reductions for a safer, healthier future.”

    Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The government’s climate advisors make clear that tackling climate change requires significant action from all sections of society in the coming years. A third of emission reductions will come from household behaviour change alone. Low-carbon choices include switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps, eating more plant-based foods, and shifting to cleaner forms of transport. Many of these changes offer wider benefits, like improved health and lower bills. The report also highlights the need for government to reduce the barriers for the public to make these changes and to engage the public more actively in the net zero transition. The citizens panel that fed into these recommendations highlight that measures need to be fair and reduce the cost of low-carbon options.”

    Dr Christina Demski, Deputy Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The latest CCC progress report makes it clear that decisive action is needed now to ensure we meet the net zero target, and that action to reduce emissions also has other benefits like economic security, better health and reducing fuel poverty. While the UK is on track to reduce emissions substantially from energy supply, the report clearly shows that action is also needed in sectors like transport, buildings and agriculture, and that this requires widespread uptake of essential low-carbon technologies like EVs and heat pumps.

    “We have long called for a comprehensive engagement strategy, so it is great to see this included as one of the key recommendations, especially the recommendation to go beyond one-way communication strategies.”

    Dr Sam Hampton, Research Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget provides a comprehensive account of the changes required across UK society to address the increasingly alarming impacts of climate change. As we have largely exhausted the low-hanging fruit of decarbonising our electricity supply, the focus in the 2030s and 2040s must shift towards demand-side changes. This includes changes in how we eat and travel, as well as the technologies we adopt. The report highlights key solutions including the adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps, as well as the need for innovation to rid fossil fuels from industry. Another important takeaway is that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is not a viable solution to decarbonising air travel. This comes just weeks after government expressed its support for airport expansion, and highlights the need for more radical solutions to limit flying, especially amongst the rich.”

     

     

    The Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget was published at 00:01 UK Time Wednesday 26 February 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Prof John Barrett: Deputy Director for Policy, Priestly Centre for Climate Futures, University of Leeds, Theme Leader for the UKRI Energy Research Demand Centre

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ARENA invests in cleaner, greener Australian skies

    Source: Australian Renewable Energy Agency

    The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is today supporting cleaner Australian skies, with up to $10.4 million in funding for two projects from its Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Funding Initiative.

    ARENA is providing $8 million in funding to Licella and $2.4 million to Viva Energy for separate studies to develop renewable fuel alternatives for Australia’s airline industry.

    ARENA CEO Darren Miller said these projects represent an important step towards developing a pipeline of projects that could support the reduction of aviation sector emissions.

    “Aviation is a challenging industry from an emissions reduction perspective with domestic flights currently accounting for approximately 2 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Miller said.

    “With Australians being among the most prolific flyers in the world, decarbonising this high emissions industry will be vital for us to achieve our net zero targets.”

    “These two projects are an important step towards developing opportunities to cut emissions from Australian skies and ARENA will be working to ensure the lessons from these projects help inform the broader development of a sustainable aviation fuels industry in Australia.”

    The two projects include:

    • $8 million to Australian technology and project developer Licella for the $26.1 million ‘Project Swift – SAF from Sugarcane Residues Feasibility Study’ to complete Feasibility and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies assessing the viability of establishing a biorefinery facility in Bundaberg, Queensland utilising Licella’s patented Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) hydrothermal liquefaction technology to convert sugar mill residues to renewable fuels. The proposed facility would be capable of producing approximately 60 ML per annum of low carbon liquid fuels (LCLFs), of which around 40 ML per annum will be SAF.
    • $2.4 million to Viva Energy for the $4.9 million ‘SAF infrastructure Solutions for the Future project’ to recondition an existing tank at its Pinkenba Terminal to enable blended SAF supply into Brisbane Airport for commercial use. Viva will also work with industry partners to develop a book and claim system so that customers can recognise the carbon reduction benefits of the SAF supplied.The Project will conclude with Viva Energy supplying SAF into the Brisbane Joint User Hydrant Installation and demonstrate the storage and use of SAF within the existing airport. Following the project, the system will be able to supply volumes of SAF to meet customer demand.

    Viva Energy Chief Strategy Officer Lachlan Pfeiffer said the funding from ARENA is a crucial milestone in the company’s journey to supply sustainable fuel to Australia’s aviation industry.

    “By enhancing our SAF infrastructure, we are not only supporting the aviation industry’s transition to lower carbon emissions but also positioning Viva Energy as a leader in renewable energy solutions,” he said.

    “Viva Energy is well placed to import and supply SAF. Viva Energy is a trusted partner to many aviation customers and our strength lies in deep relationships and a nationwide supply chain backed by the international capability of Vitol.”

    Licella CEO Alan Nicholl said that ARENA’s funding will support the roll out in Australia of its commercial-ready Cat-HTR™ platform through the development of a SAF-focused biorefinery targeting agricultural residues in regional Queensland.

    “We are delighted to receive ARENA’s support as we move forward with the feasibility studies for our Queensland project”, Mr Nicholl said.

    Licella Executive Chairman Dr Len Humphreys highlighted the opportunity to scale this new SAF pathway.

    “Through our global partnership with Shell, we are advancing an integrated biomass-to-advanced biofuels commercial solution, one which is targeting high volumes of low-cost, low-carbon SAF”.

    ARENA has announced total funding of $33.5 million across five projects under the SAF Funding Initiative launched in 2023 to support the development of domestic SAF production to support aviation decarbonisation, with more investments to be announced beyond the previously allocated $30 million.

    The SAF funding initiative builds on the findings of ARENA’s 2021 Bioenergy Roadmap, which identified SAF produced from biomass as one of the few opportunities to reduce emissions in the aviation sector in the short to medium term. The CSIRO SAF Roadmap identified that Australia has sufficient biomass feedstocks to supply more than half of domestic jet fuel demand, demonstrating the potential impact of supporting these early projects investigating domestic SAF production capability.

    Low Carbon Liquid Fuels has been identified as a priority sector as part of the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia Plan. ARENA has been nominated as the delivery agency for the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund.

     

    ARENA media contact:

    media@arena.gov.au

    Download this media release (PDF 143KB)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Plumbers warned to get up to speed on supervision requirements or face fines

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 26 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Building, Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education

    Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong has welcomed Building Commission NSW warning plumbers across the state to get up to speed on their supervision requirements or face fines in an upcoming targeted compliance campaign.

    Only plumbers with a NSW Government-issued contractor licence or supervisor certificate can do plumbing work without immediate supervision* to ensure work is carried out to required standards.

    To hammer home these requirements to industry, from June this year Building Commission NSW will conduct targeted compliance activities at sites across the state.

    If workers without the right licence are found to be unsupervised, Building Commission NSW can issue fines of up to $1,500 per breach.

    In the event Building Commission NSW finds repeated instances of workers being inappropriately supervised it can also suspend or cancel licences.

    Since September 2024 Building Commission NSW has detected 17 instances of incorrectly supervised plumbing work, sparking concerns plumbers are not taking their obligations seriously.

    In a recent compliance visit to an apartment building site in Port Macquarie, Building Commission NSW found five apprentices working unsupervised, resulting in the licensed plumber being fined $1,500.

    Ahead of the compliance blitz, Building Commission NSW is rolling out a wide-ranging awareness campaign to ensure plumbers around the state know how to stick to the rules.

    The awareness campaign will include direct emails to plumbers across the state, the distribution of newsletters, and engagement with peak bodies, industry and training organisations.

    To further educate plumbers on the supervision requirements, TAFE NSW and Building Commission NSW have also launched a new Plumbing, Drainage and Gasfitting Regulation short course.

    Developed in consultation with industry and subject matter experts, the new online short course also provides regulatory knowledge and best practice skills required by plumbing professionals.

    TAFE NSW students undertaking their Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services can enroll in the course fully discounted until 1st October 2025.

    For more information on the course, please visit the Plumbing, drainage and gasfitting regulation in NSW course webpage.

    For more information on plumbing supervision requirements, please visit the Plumbing, drainage and gasfitting work webpage.

    *Building Commission NSW views ‘immediate supervision’ as the relevant licence holder:

    • Always being physically present and with clear line of sight of the work being carried out by the person they are supervising.
    • Being readily available to provide specific instructions and guidance to enable the work to be undertaken correctly by the individual performing it.
    • Directly overseeing and reviewing the work.
    • Ensuring the completed work is compliant and meets all regulatory requirements.

    Quotes to be attributed to Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong:

    “The Minns Labor Government aims to keep every part of the building industry in check through a strong regulatory presence, while also supporting the workforce to comply with its obligations.

    “Building Commission NSW inspections have revealed a concerning lack of awareness about plumbing supervision requirements or even some plumbers deliberately cutting corners. 

    “The point of these requirements is to make sure young apprentices work in a safe environment supported by more experienced workers who will ensure work is done to the required standards while also passing on skills to the next generation of plumbers.

    “We want to give fair warning to the plumbing industry in NSW to pull itself into line and brush up on their supervision requirements.

    “But when the inspectors’ boots hit the ground later this year, plumbers should expect the full weight of the regulator will be put behind the penalties they issue.”

    Quotes to be attributed to Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan:

    “The Plumbing, Drainage and Gasfitting Regulation Microskill course is the latest in a range of courses developed in consultation with industry and subject matter experts aimed at providing the regulatory knowledge and best practice skills required by plumbing professionals to meet the state’s high standards of construction.

    “The course provides engaging, flexible, and industry-responsive learning where students can progress at their own pace and have access to the course for up to six months from the day of enrolment.

    “By offering this Microskill fully discounted to Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services students, TAFE NSW and Building Commission NSW are helping graduates build the right skills from day one.”

    Quotes to be attributed to NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard:

    “Building Commission NSW is seeing a serious lack of awareness about plumbing supervision requirements, with inspectors consistently finding apprentices left on site unsupervised.

    “What licenced plumbers need to remember, is that even if one of their workers has finished their studies at TAFE NSW, if they don’t have the right NSW Government licence they need to be supervised.

    “These supervision requirements are in place to ensure the quality of plumbing work is maintained across NSW, protecting homeowners from expensive repairs down the track.

    “In June our specialist trade inspectors will be out in force to ensure the industry is complying with the requirements, but in the meantime, plumbers are urged to get up to speed.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Arrested on Federal Complaints Alleging They Knowingly Received More Than $13 Million in Scam Victims’ Money

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – Three individuals, including two Chinese nationals, were arrested today on federal criminal complaints alleging they set up shell companies that laundered more than $13 million stolen from victims of investment scams known as “pig butchering.”

    The following defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana:

    • Mingzhi Li, 24, a.k.a. “Zheng Lin,” of Downtown Los Angeles;
    • Zeyue Jia, 23, a.k.a. “Jiao Jiao Liu,” also of Downtown Los Angeles; and
    • Jun Shi, 55, of San Gabriel.

    The defendants are charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

    Li and Jia are both Chinese citizens who entered the United States on student visas that have since expired; it is believed that they do not have lawful status in the United States.

    A federal magistrate judge ordered Li and Jia jailed without bond. Shi was ordered released on $20,000 bond. The defendants’ arraignments are scheduled for March 17 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

    According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Shi established both Magic Location Trading LLC and Stone Water Trading LLC on December 7, 2022. Both companies listed the same address in downtown Los Angeles as being their base of operations.

    Magic Location and Stone Water allegedly operated as money service businesses that were formed for the purpose of remitting funds on behalf of third-party customers to other entities. The defendants and the companies did so without registering with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) or the State of California, as required under federal law.

    Shi and Li, using the alias “Zheng Lin,” opened U.S.-based bank accounts Magic Location, while Jia, using the alias “Jiao Jiao Liu,” opened U.S.-based bank accounts for Stone Water. Those accounts received funds from investment fraud victims. In total, law enforcement identified 242 wire transfers to Stone Water that were received from individuals – including identified crime victims – totaling approximately $7,618,982, and 60 wire transfers to Magic Trading totaling approximately $5,405,514, according to the complaint.

    The defendants allegedly then transferred those funds to overseas bank accounts and other domestic businesses, transferred money to individuals, and used the ill-gotten gains for personal expenses.

    The victims in this matter were attempting to fund what they believed to be investment accounts that they purportedly maintained on digital platforms such as websites or mobile applications. The victims’ investments including commodities such as gold contracts or virtual currency such as Bitcoin.

    “Pig butchering” fraud schemes (a term derived from a foreign-language phrase used to describe these crimes) consist of scammers encountering victims on dating services or social media, or through unsolicited messages or calls, often masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment.

    Victims are then directed to other members of the scheme operating fraudulent investment platforms and applications, where victims are persuaded to transfer money for the purpose of financial investments. Once funds are sent to scammer-controlled accounts, the purported investment platform often falsely shows significant gains on the purported investment, and the victims are thus induced to send more money for additional investments.

    Ultimately, the victims are unable recover their money, often resulting in significant losses for the victims.

    For example, one victim – a 72-year-old Minnesota man – exchanged messages with a Chinese woman on the WhatsApp messaging application. She convinced him to invest in a digital platform called “Enkuu,” according to the complaints. In August 2023, the victim wired $75,000 to Stone Water and, the following month, wired $250,000 to Magic Trading for the purpose of investing in “Enkuu.” He later was unable to withdraw any of his money from “Enkuu.”

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The FBI is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin N. Spencer of the Orange County Office and Angela C. Makabali of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Newport News drug trafficker sentenced to over six years in prison for cocaine and firearm charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, on July 12, 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) observed Torrean Dontae Whitlow, 34, with the extended magazine of a firearm protruding from his waistband. Whitlow was convicted in 2008 for arson of an occupied dwelling and in 2013 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Whitlow cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. The agents also observed Whitlow conducting suspected narcotics transactions with four people in a ten-minute span in a parking lot in Hampton.

    The ATF agents notified officers with the Hampton Police Department, who then also observed Whitlow conduct several suspected narcotic transactions with the extended firearm magazine visible. After Whitlow departed the parking lot in a taxi, officers placed Whitlow under arrest. When the officers searched the taxi, they located a handgun with a 32-round magazine.

    Following Whitlow’s arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle from which Whitlow had been observed conducting narcotics transactions and located, among other things, two scales and plastic baggies containing cocaine and methamphetamine.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Alyson C. Yates and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcus Johnson and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-91.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plan to increase digital skills to deliver growth and opportunity for all

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Plan to increase digital skills to deliver growth and opportunity for all

    Government sets out first steps to break down barriers to digital inclusion affecting 1 in 4 Britons to help put more money into people’s pockets.

    Digital Inclusion Action Plan. We’re making sure everyone can be included in our digital world.

    • Tech Secretary: Improving digital skills essential to economic growth and success of Plan for Change 
    • Government sets out first steps to break down barriers to digital inclusion affecting 1 in 4 Britons to help put more money into people’s pockets 
    • Comes as Ministers secure backing of business, with Google vowing to deliver intensive digital skills training to support adults with low digital skills

    Millions of people in Britain are set to gain greater digital skills, as ministers tackle the scourge of digital exclusion currently holding too many people back from boosting their employability and accessing vital services.

    With daily tasks like speaking to a GP, applying for jobs, or renting and buying a house becoming increasingly digitalised, improved digital skills and access to technology hold the key to many of the government’s commitments in the Plan for Change. Businesses are also set to gain from greater skills, with too many employers currently struggling to recruit candidates with the digital skills required to help them grow their business and ultimately boost economic growth.  

    Research shows that people who are digitally excluded can face higher costs for things like home insurance, train travel and food – with people paying up to 25% more than consumers who are online.   

    The Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has set out today (26th February) urgent actions to begin fixing digital exclusion, publishing a new Digital Inclusion Action Plan that will help people in Britain reap the benefits of the online world.  

    This includes funding for local initiatives targeted to the most digitally-excluded groups, including the elderly and low-income households and partnering with inclusion charity Digital Poverty Alliance to provide laptops to people who are digitally excluded. 

    Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: 

    The technological revolution we are living in is not only transforming everyone’s lives, but is advancing at breakneck speed, and will not slow down any time soon. 

    Leaving people behind in the process could threaten our mission to maximise technology for economic growth and better public services, which is central to our Plan for Change. 

    Only by making technology a widely accessible force for good can we make it a positive catalyst for societal change – whether that means helping a sick patient speak to a GP remotely or giving a young person the devices they need to apply for online jobs or renting a flat.  

    Charities, local and combined authorities will have access to funding for digital inclusion programmes, boosting communities’ digital access, skills and confidence in the online world. This new funding will empower Mayors and other local leaders to develop local solutions for the most digitally excluded groups in their areas, recognising the challenges they face will be different across the country. 

    It also includes pledges by key technology companies to help the government achieve its mission of breaking down the digital divide. Google and BT have pledged to deliver digital skills training to thousands in the UK while Vodafone has committed to help one million people by donating connectivity and technology, affordable services, and upskilling communities.   

    Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said: 

    Digital services are a key part of everyday life. Banking, parking your car, searching for the best value insurance, these are all part of modern life. But digital innovation cannot be a privilege of the wealthy or the young. 

    From boosting digital skills to improving access to laptops, today we are setting out clear actions to give everyone across the UK the skills, confidence, and opportunity to make the most of the digital world and thrive in our modern society.

    Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said:

    There is still too much digital exclusion in the UK.  Technology should be accessible to all, and I welcome the recognition of Mayoral Combined Authorities as leaders in driving locally-led solutions. In Greater Manchester, we aim to empower every resident with the essential skills and tools to thrive in a digital world.

    Through a deeper collaboration with the government, we will unlock the potential of technology, building a fairer, more prosperous future for all, ensuring no one gets left behind.

    Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: 

    Digital inclusion is not just about providing access to technology; it’s about unlocking opportunities for everyone. In the Liverpool City Region, we’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of ensuring that nobody is left behind in the digital age. 

    With this new`government initiative, we are taking a giant step forward in closing the digital divide, giving individuals the tools they need to succeed and thrive, whether that’s through education, employment, or improving their everyday lives.

    Figures show that many in Britain risk being left behind if no action is taken, with 1.6 million people in the UK currently living offline, meaning they lack the devices, connection or skills to get online, and around a quarter of the UK population struggle to use online services. 

    Widespread access to technology will boost economic growth and raise living standards in every part of Britain, equipping people with better skills to enter a competitive workforce and giving investors the confidence that the British public will exploit tech innovation.

    Notes to editors

    Industry pledges

    Google

    Google will develop a new partnership with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to deliver intensive digital skills training to support adults with low digital skills, helping them succeed in the modern work environment.

    CityFibre

    CityFibre has committed to installing 170 connections to 170 premises in Norfolk, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Kent, East and West Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas by 2030. As part of this, these premises — including residential and community hubs — will be given their first 6-month broadband package for free.

    Virgin Media O2

    Virgin Media O2 has already connected over 350,000 digitally excluded people. It is committing to increasing this to 1 million people by the end of 2025, through expanded provision of data and devices to those that need it.

    Vodafone

    Vodafone will help 1 million people cross the digital divide in 2025 through donating connectivity and technology, affordable services, and upskilling communities. This includes a commitment to maintain their social tariff product offerings. To support closing the digital infrastructure divide, Vodafone will continue to invest in rolling out their network to the whole of the UK.

    WightFibre

    WightFibre commits to providing free or discounted broadband to community groups and charities, including community centres, digital hubs and village halls, on the Isle of Wight. These community organisations will promote that they have free Wi-Fi available on-site for public use.

    Good Things Foundation, Vodafone and Deloitte

    Good Things Foundation, Vodafone, and Deloitte are working together with the government to lead the development of a charter for responsible device donation. This will establish common principles for businesses and organisations to commit to: increasing the number of devices donated to digitally excluded people; reducing electronic waste; and promoting circularity.

    BT

    Connectivity:

    • BT has already connected over 300,000 digitally excluded households through its social tariffs, which also include a lower £15 tariff for ‘zero income’ households, and will continue to offer these tariffs to millions of people on Universal Credit who are eligible for them.

    Community WiFi:

    • BT Group has the country’s largest public WiFi network, with some 5.5 million EE and BT hub locations (in households and commercial premises) available for eligible customers to connect to. BT and EE have agreed to pilot 2 new approaches to extend the use of this network to a much larger number of digitally excluded households:

      1. by providing log-ins for free WiFi to eligible families through charity and public sector partnerships
      2. by providing community WiFi services, free at the point of use, at a much larger number of libraries and community centres, including working with government to identify and prioritise connections to 500 community hubs in deprived areas

    • To succeed, this initiative will need support from local partners, which the pilot phase of the project will seek to ensure.

    Skills:

    • BT commits to providing digital training to thousands of older people and children in 2025, through their partnership with AbilityNet and their Work Ready programme.
    • BT commits to providing 500 adults with disabilities with digital devices, data and support in 2025, through their partnership with Keyring.

    Openreach

    • Openreach is building ultrafast ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband to 25 million premises by December 2026 and ultimately aiming to reach as many as 30 million by 2030 if the right investment conditions exist.  

    • As we build, we’ll work with the government to upgrade connectivity to at least 500 community hubs in deprived areas, helping people across the country to get online, with the majority delivered by the end of 2026. We’ll also work with our communications provider customers to offer the services these sites need, as soon as our network’s been built.

    Sky

    Through Sky Up — Sky’s social impact programme — Sky will commit to supporting 70 Sky Up Hubs across the UK help people bridge the digital divide by providing reliable internet connections, tech equipment and digital training in partnership with local charities in 2025.

    Three

    • To support those facing digital exclusion, Three will donate over 2 million GB of data to an estimated 80,000 people by 2026.
    • To help bridge the digital divide, Three’s Discovery digital-skills training programme seeks to reach over 270,000 people by 2030.
    • Through the Reconnected scheme, Three aims to save around 30,000 unused devices to help disadvantaged people get connected.

    Supportive quotes:

    Helen Milner OBE, Group Chief Executive, Good Things Foundation, said:

    For the first time ever, digital inclusion is firmly on the national agenda. It’s fantastic to see recognition from the heart of government that urgent and joined-up action is needed to enable millions of people to overcome barriers to good work, good health and realising their full potential. As the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation is delighted to see recognition of the vital role hyper local community organisations and civil society has played in fixing the digital divide, and a clear vision for how the national and devolved government can amplify and build on that. This is a major milestone in our push for an inclusive and prosperous society where no-one is left behind.

    Debbie Weinstein, President of Google EMEA and Interim Head of Google UK, said:

    It’s essential that we bridge the digital divide and equip everyone with the skills they need to harness the opportunities of the online world. We’re excited to be a part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – building on our legacy of training over 1 million Brits in digital skills. Ensuring that everyone benefits from helpful, productivity boosting AI-powered technologies is key to growth and to what we do.

    Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

    Vodafone has long been an advocate of greater digital inclusion across society. During our time working in this space, we have learnt that the scale of our progress is directly linked to the success of our partnerships. Which is why we are delighted to be joining forces with Good Things Foundation, Deloitte and the UK government.

    Through the Digital Inclusion Action plan, we are establishing a common set of principles for businesses and organisations to commit to when it comes to responsible device donation. Not only will this help increase the number of devices donated to those who are digitally excluded, but it will also help reduce electronic waste and promote circularity. All while laddering up to Vodafone’s pledge to help 1 million people cross the digital divide by 2025, as part of a wider 4 million target through our everyone.connected programme.

    Councillor Abi Brown OBE, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said:

    Councils are critical to tackling digital inclusion, providing strategic leadership of local support, and running council-led initiatives, such as digital skills improvement support and refurbishing old equipment to donate or lend to residents who rely on devices.

    Our world is increasingly digital by default, with banking, democratic functions, job applications, benefits and other public services being moved online. Digital skills, equipment and reliable connectivity, as well as the confidence to be online, are crucial to enable people to fully participate in society and engage in education and employment.

    Given their role as local leaders, councils want to go much further, building on their work with local voluntary and community sector organisations to reach socially excluded groups.

    The Digital Inclusion Action Plan recognises that local authorities are key to the delivery of digital inclusion ambitions, and we look forward to helping government empower all areas to support all those who are underserved by the move to a modern digital society.

    Elizabeth Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Poverty Alliance, said:

    The Digital Poverty Alliance is delighted to be playing a practical role by distributing government devices to those in need – and more widely we’re pleased to see so many key aspects of digital inclusion tackled in a comprehensive way in this Action Plan. Leadership from government, combined with tangible support for charities and local authorities and firm commitments from industry, sets a firm basis towards tackling an issue that prevents millions of people from accessing key services online and achieving their potential. Our work together on this pilot programme will provide real help right now and demonstrate the huge impact that device redistribution schemes have on families and households.

    Antony Walker, Deputy CEO, techUK said:

    Everyone, regardless of their background, should have access to the digital skills they need to be empowered not just at work but also in their day-to-day life. In the digital age we live in today, it is imperative that everyone is at ease using digital technologies.

    The UK tech sector stands behind the government’s mission to close the digital divide. Many of our members are already tackling digital exclusion head on and this Action Plan will support their efforts and enable businesses to do even more.

    Liz Williams MBE, Chief Executive, FutureDotNow, said:

    Today 21 million adults of working age don’t have the full suite of digital essentials. Leading businesses are already working with FutureDotNow, coalescing around the Workforce Digital Skills Charter to ensure everyone has the essential digital capability for work today and our rapidly evolving digital future. This clear direction from government will help accelerate progress as we work to close the workforce essential digital skills gap.

    Nicola Green, Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: 

    We welcome the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan and its leadership to drive digital inclusion across the UK.

    I’m proud that Virgin Media O2 is recognised in the Action Plan, having already connected more than 350,000 digitally excluded people through our pioneering programmes, such as the National Databank and Community Calling, which have provided devices, data, and digital skills to help people access essential online services – from applying for work, booking medical appointments, accessing training courses and keeping in touch with loved ones.

    We look forward to working with government to further tackle digital exclusion so more people can access the internet and transform their lives.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 300

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Urge Federal Courts to Affirm That Congress Holds the Power to Crack Down on Money Laundering

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 25, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined his colleagues in filing amicus briefs that called on two federal courts to affirm that Congress holds the power to crack down on anonymous money laundering under the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. 
    The four-year-old law is considered the most important anti-money laundering law passed in two decades. It ensures law enforcement and national security officials are able to learn the true identities of people who own or control U.S. corporations and other legal entities used as shell companies to conceal illegal activities. By identifying these under-the-radar financial criminals, the federal government can better combat terrorist financing, money laundering, sanctions evasion, proliferation financing, tax evasion, and other illicit finance carried out through shell companies. In addition to holding U.S. corporations accountable, the law plays an essential role in protecting U.S. national security and public safety. 
    “Anonymous shell corporations harm the United States’ national security, foreign affairs, foreign and interstate commerce, and tax interests. Such shell companies often operate in multiple layers to hide their true owners and violations of key sanctions, money-laundering, and tax laws. Allowing illicit money to be hidden through corporate forms also undermines public safety and law enforcement efficacy on a national and international scale,” wrote the lawmakers in their amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th and 5th Circuits.
    In their amicus briefs, the lawmakers argued that Congress has robust powers under Article I to legislate on national security, tax, foreign affairs, and interstate and foreign commerce matters – all of which fall under the law. As a result of enacting the law, Congress has been able to engage in careful oversight, including through testimonies, reports, and committee hearings, over anonymous actors who have used shell companies to exploit the American financial system and launder their unlawful gains. 
    In addition to Wyden, the amicus briefs were led by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Representative Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
    The lawmakers filed briefs in Texas Top Cop Shop v. Bondi, a case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, and Community Associations Institute v. Treasury, a case for the 4th Circuit. In January 2025, the members filed a similar amicus brief in Firestone v. Yellen, a case for the 9th Circuit. In April 2024, the lawmakers filed their first amicus brief in National Small Business United v. Yellen, a case for the 11th Circuit.
    Wyden is a longtime champion of holding corporations accountable. In 2017, Wyden introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent individuals in Congress from using anonymous shell corporations to engage in illicit activities. In 2019, Wyden reintroduced legislation to combat money laundering by requiring corporations to disclose their beneficial owners. In 2024, Wyden launched an investigation into the Geneva-based multinational bank Pictet for potential ongoing tax evasion by a U.S. citizen under criminal investigation. 
    The text of the 4th Circuit brief is here.
    The text of the 5th Circuit Brief is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: It’s Past Time to Pay Retirees the Social Security Benefits They Already Earned

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is once again urging the Trump Administration to quickly implement of the Social Security Fairness Act, which will ensure retired teachers, police, firefighters, and other public service workers and their spouses get the full Social Security benefits they earned.
    More than 8,600 Rhode Islanders and a total of 3.2 million Americans stand to benefit from the change, thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act, which Senator Reed cosponsored and former President Biden signed into law on January 5.
    The new law repealed the Windfall Elimination Penalty (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which prevented 3 million government retirees who earned pensions from those careers from collecting their full benefits earned while working outside of government.
    “The Trump Administration needs to get into gear and implement the law.  Thousands of Rhode Island retirees who served as teachers, police officers, and more have waited long enough to get the benefits they rightfully earned. Instead of focusing on firing people from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Trump Administration should spend more time and energy getting these checks out the door,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who is working to ensure the SSA has enough employees to provide first-rate, personalized customer service to retirees who need assistance.
    Senator Reed estimates the average monthly benefit increase is about $360, but many recipients could see monthly raises of $1,000 or more this year.  The law is retroactive to January 1, 2024.  As a result, many people will eventually receive a significant lump sum for back payments as well as a monthly raise.
    Retired public employees who may be eligible can visit SSA’s Social Security Fairness Act website to learn more.
    Since the law was signed, there have been multiple and bipartisan efforts to encourage the Trump Administration to start paying Social Security recipients what they are owed.
    All Social Security recipients will see a 2.5 percent increase in their benefits this year.  The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) took effect in January, raising the average monthly retirement benefit from $1,927 to $1,976.
    Earlier this month, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration resigned after clashing with billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, after Musk’s personnel attempted to access sensitive government records that included people’s personal information.
    Musk and Trump continue to actively mislead about Social Security. Musk amplified a chart showing 9 million people age 130 and over in the system and suggested “there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security” adding, “This might be the biggest fraud in the history of humanity.”
    While there are millions of people in Social Security with no death records because they lived and died before the system was fully automated, there are only 44,000 people with birth dates in 1920 or earlier who are actually getting payments from Social Security.
    A July 2024 report from Social Security’s inspector general states that from fiscal years 2015 through 2022, the agency made less than 1 percent in improper payments. Most of the erroneous payments were overpayments to living people and some of it was clawed back. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Import Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs from Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Last week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) helped introduce the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering costs, increasing access for consumers and creating more competition in the pharmaceutical market. 

    “I’ve heard from far too many Granite Staters that are forced to ration life-saving medications because they’re too expensive. It’s unacceptable—high prices should never be a barrier to getting the health care you or your family needs,” said Senator Shaheen. “Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and allowing those same drugs to be imported at lower prices from pharmacies in Canada is a no-brainer that will increase competition and help lower costs. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this bipartisan effort.” 

    In addition to Shaheen, Klobuchar and Grassley, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). 

    Shaheen has spearheaded efforts to combat rising drug prices and make essential medications more affordable, including by supporting key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that provide Medicare the ability to directly negotiate the prices of certain high-cost drugs with pharmaceutical manufacturers. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has consistently pressed to hold insulin manufacturers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers accountable for the skyrocketing cost of life-saving insulin. Her bipartisan legislation with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the INSULIN Act, which would comprehensively address the skyrocketing costs of insulin and remove barriers to care making it more accessible to millions of Americans. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Bolster Air Traffic Control Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    **Bipartisan legislation would strengthen enhanced AT-CTI program, improve ATC recruitment, training and retention**

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) today introduced the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Workforce Development Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to address ATC staffing shortages, improve working conditions for controllers and ensure the safe transportation of people and goods within U.S. airspace. The new legislation builds upon several years of work between Senators Shaheen and Hoeven to support the ATC workforce and address understaffing. Earlier this month, in light of the recent tragic aviation collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), the pair of Senators called on the FAA to urgently work with Congress to address staffing shortages. 

    “Increasingly frequent near-misses and close calls over the last several years—coupled with recent aviation tragedies like the one last month in D.C.—are sobering reminders that we must do more to keep our skies safe,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to expand the air traffic controller workforce pipeline, enhance training facilities and equipment, improve recruitment and retention efforts and more. I hope this bill moves quickly so we can address the shortage of air traffic controllers and strengthen aviation safety.” 

    Among other priorities, the ATC Workforce Development Act would:  

    • Expand the ATC workforce training pipeline by codifying and strengthening the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.  
    • The bill authorizes $20 million per year for grants to AT-CTI schools to invest in curriculum, high-fidelity simulators, faculty and classroom supplies. 
    • The legislation also removes disincentives that discourage retired air traffic controllers from working as instructors at AT-CTI schools. 
    • Currently, four schools have been approved to offer the Enhanced AT-CTI program, under which graduates who successfully pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) are immediately eligible for hire by the FAA and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility. 
    • Authorize the procurement and placement of Tower Simulator Systems at ATC facilities nationwide, supporting more efficient certification of ATC trainees.  
    • Require the FAA to develop Air Traffic Controller recruitment and retention incentive programs. 
    • Support the development of mental health services equipped to address the particular stressors faced by the ATC workforce.  

    The legislation is supported by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airlines for America (A4A), and Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA). 

    A summary of the legislation can be found here and the full bill text can be found here. 

    Shaheen and Hoeven have long partnered on strengthening the ATC workforce. Last year, they worked together to include provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that require the FAA to use a more accurate staffing model developed by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO). The pair also authored the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Reform Act, which was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and required the FAA to prioritize the hiring of veterans and graduates of FAA Certified Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools as Air Traffic Controllers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Protects American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, legislation that would strengthen U.S. trade remedy laws and ensure they remain effective tools to fight against unfair trade practices and protect American businesses.
    This legislation would improve the U.S. trade remedy system and respond to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, leveling the playing field for American manufacturing. It also responds to China’s unfair trade practices, specifically its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which provides subsidies to China-based or China-operated companies doing business in countries outside of China. 
    “China has been bending the rules for decades,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We have to fight back. Alabama’s manufacturers work hard, and as long as the playing field is level, they can outcompete anyone in the world. This bill is one step toward ensuring that the rules are enforced and China has to play fair.”
    “Our bill will protect American jobs and combat China’s unfair trade practices,” said Sen. Young. “China has distorted the free market by dumping undervalued products and subsidizing industries, actions designed to harm American businesses and workers. This legislation will help level the playing field to ensure the United States can outcompete the Chinese Communist Party.”
    U.S. Sens. Tuberville and Young were joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jon Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in introducing the legislation.
    U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Terri Sewell (D-AL-7) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    The legislation is endorsed by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Steel Manufacturers Association, and the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.
    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress. 
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.
    BACKGROUND:
    The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would revise the U.S. antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws to ensure international trade regulations and requirements do not unfairly favor international competitors, especially in the steel industry. The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would update U.S. trade remedy laws to establish the new concept of “successive investigations,” which would improve the U.S. trade remedy system’s efforts to curb circumvention efforts from bad actors designed to undercut our domestic industries and increase market share. 
    American companies are on the receiving end of China’s increasingly predatory economic behavior. In recent years, China’s unfair trade practices have culminated in grave economic consequences that affect American workers. For example, Chinese-supported companies move portions of production to other countries to circumvent American duties, a practice known as “country hopping.” China’s BRI also unfairly subsidizes products made in other countries, rather than just in China. In addition to competing with these unfair trade practices, American companies have to contend with long lead times before the Department of Commerce initiates a new anti-circumvention inquiry.
    Around half of the unfair trade cases are in the steel industry. However, these unfair trade cases also affect industries that make engines, furniture, hardwood plywood, pipes and tubes, wood moldings, magnesium, paper, shrimp, carrier bags, kitchen cabinets, quartz countertops, tires, and many others.
    The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act pushes back against China’s anti-free market practices by providing the Department of Commerce with more tools to stop circumvention tactics. These tools include:
    Establishing the concept of “successive investigations” under AD and CVD laws. The new AD/CVD investigations would improve the effectiveness of the trade remedy law to combat repeat offenders by making it easier for petitioners to bring new cases when production moves to another country             
    Expediting timelines for successive investigations and creating new factors for the International Trade Commission to consider about the relationship between recently completed trade cases and successive trade cases for the same imported product
    Providing the Department of Commerce the authority to apply CVD law to subsidies provided by a government to a company operating in a different country
    Imposing statutory requirements for anti-circumvention inquiries to clarify the process and timeline
    Specifying deadlines for preliminary and final determinations
    Thanks to the state’s rich natural resources and abundance of mineral deposits, Alabama has a proud history as a metals and manufacturing leader. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, there are more than 1,100 metal manufacturing companies in the state, including national and global leaders in steel, pipelines, composites, and specialty metals. Those companies employ more than 45,000 Alabamians and export nearly $1.4 billion worth of metal manufactured goods per year. Today, Alabama is home to three of the top seven largest pipe manufacturing companies in the nation.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville on X: Trump and DOGE are Making the Federal Government Efficient Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed on X praising the progress President Trump and DOGE have made during Trump’s first month in office to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and save taxpayers’ money.

    Read excerpts from the piece below or here.

    Trump and DOGE are Making the Federal Government Efficient Again

    “Tax season is upon us, and Americans are once again reminded of how much of their hard-earned paychecks is taken by the federal government. Most Americans use this time to reevaluate their spending habits and consider ways to be more fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, the U.S. government doesn’t do the same. The United States is $36 trillion in debt and we are spending nearly $2 trillion more each year than we bring in. If the United States were a business, we’d be dead broke.

    Thankfully, President Trump is back in the White House and is working around the clock to audit the federal government. On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), advised by Elon Musk, to take a businesslike approach to auditing waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. A majority of Americans support the President’s efforts to cut wasteful spending, and they support the work the DOGE is doing. President Trump is making the Federal Government Efficient Again. 

    Thanks to President Trump, the D.C. gravy train is being cut off. So far, Elon Musk and his team have saved American taxpayers a staggering $55 billion. Some of the taxpayer-funded programs that DOGE has uncovered are truly astounding. For example, DOGE found that $59 million was sent by FEMA to house illegal immigrants in fancy New York hotels. It was also discovered that taxpayers were on the hook for a $ 168,000 Anthony Fauci exhibit at the National Institutes of Health Museum, which has thankfully been canceled. DOGE also found $9 million in payments to fund woke programs at the Department of Agriculture, including contracts for “Central American gender assessment consultant services” and “Brazilian forest and gender consultants” – whatever that is.

    In addition to cutting waste, DOGE is also restoring accountability and transparency. Under the Biden administration, the Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit. That’s ridiculous. If a business tried this in the real world, they’d go bankrupt. American taxpayers spend nearly a trillion dollars annually on the U.S. military. The least we can do is provide an accurate accounting of how their money is being spent. To clean this up, President Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to start cutting the Pentagon budget by 8% in each of the next five years. By restoring fiscal sanity to our armed forces, we will ensure we have the long-term resources to continue defending our interests and national security. […]

    Just this weekend, DOGE sent an email to all federal government employees asking for them to submit five things they have accomplished this week. Predictably, the media is throwing a fit about this. When I was a football coach, we had performance reviews where we would discuss an employee’s performance and if they weren’t performing at a certain standard, they would be fired. But apparently, that isn’t allowed in the government.

    DOGE has also shone a light on the corrupt relationship between the bureaucrats and the Mainstream Media. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that more than $8 million taxpayer dollars were used for Politico subscriptions. This doesn’t include other outlets taxpayers have been funding like the New York Times, Associated Press, and Reuters. It is completely inappropriate for taxpayers to be forced to fund the Corporate Media. If American taxpayers want to support these publications, they can subscribe themselves. But most do not, which is perhaps why many of these publications are failing.

    Thanks to President Trump, Americans are finally witnessing a government that is by the people and for the people. The fake news media and the D.C. Swamp are in DEFCON level 1 over DOGE, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. We should be thanking President Trump and the entire DOGE team for the incredible service they are doing for our country. In fact, as a proud member of the Senate DOGE Caucus, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress does our part to follow the President’s lead to rightsize the government and cut waste, fraud, and abuse. President Trump promised to fight every day for the American worker – and the hardworking men and women in this country deserve to know that their tax dollars are not being used to fund gender transition surgeries in Africa. Together, we will restore accountability and transparency in Washington and unleash the Golden Age of America.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland Council AI initiative to boost customer experience

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland Council is set to trial AI technology that will help Aucklanders quickly access the council support they need, underpinned by Google Cloud technology.

    ‘Ask Auckland Council’ is a new digital assistant which will help Aucklanders access the information and support they’re looking for across the council’s digital platforms, in a way that suits them.

    The pilot, funded by Google Cloud and delivered in partnership with Deloitte, will be trialled and tested as part of a new phase of innovation the council is leading through its new Group Shared Services division.

    Presented at February’s Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee chaired by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, the new technology is expected to deliver a greater experience for all Aucklanders.

    “It’s incredibly positive to see Auckland Council leading the way with new technology and innovation that holds great potential to deliver better service for all Aucklanders, at no cost to the ratepayer,” says Cr Simpson. 

    “The scale of this makes it one of the largest applications of this technology in New Zealand and, in future, could be leveraged by other councils too.

    “It holds great potential for our multicultural city to improve their council experience 24/7. The State of the City Report signalled Auckland’s need to continue to invest in technology adoption and this is one example where we are leading innovation that benefits our communities.”

    Digital assistant to help find information

    Auckland Council receives over 1.5 million calls every year and holds region-wide services and information across multiple digital platforms, making it at times difficult for Aucklanders to find the information they are after, quickly and efficiently.

    Ask Auckland Council will enable Aucklanders to go to one place where the digital assistant will find what they are looking for, across all council organisations. This reduces the effort factor significantly.

    “We are thrilled to work alongside Auckland Council and Deloitte to help make information about public services more accessible for Aucklanders,” says Paul Dearlove, head of Google Cloud, New Zealand.

    “By harnessing the power of Google Cloud’s AI platform, we are helping empower Aucklanders to easily find the information they are after, and creating a more seamless and intuitive experience across Auckland Council’s digital platforms.” 

    Trialing to enhance technology

    Auckland Council group shared services director Richard Jarrett said the technology is a prototype that will be tested and carefully trialled so it can be further enhanced, based on customer experience.

    “It’s great to see Google and Deloitte come onboard to help us prototype this initiative and work together to achieve this important milestone. We are very grateful for the support they’ve provided, says Mr Jarrett.

    “Shifting from prototype to testing with Aucklanders is the next planned phase. We think providing a single channel that is user-friendly and navigates our multiple websites will benefit Aucklanders, particularly when looking for information or help. I look forward to seeing this technology progress through into full development.”

    While English will be the first language, the vision is for the tool to be voice and text interactive across a number of languages, rolled out based on prioritising New Zealand’s three official languages.

    “Over time, we will introduce additional languages, so it becomes a multilingual digital assistant that enables our customers to provide us with feedback, access the right information and connect with the right council service,” says Mr Jarrett.

    “The acceleration of technology offers us an opportunity to experiment with what might be possible to help Aucklanders and visitors to our city to navigate the range of services and attractions we offer.”

    Ask Auckland Council is expected to launch later this year.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss Trump’s Peace Negotiations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine: “President [Emmanuel] Macron flew here yesterday. You’re going to see [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer from the [United Kingdom] here later this week. [President Volodymyr] Zelensky is trying to get to the United States. I think we’re on the precipice of a deal, and Scott Bessent said yesterday, our Treasury Secretary, that he feels we’re on the one-yard line. So, I think we’re about to get there. President Trump wants to see an end to the carnage; he’s certainly changed the dynamic and the conversation around all of this, from [Former President] Joe Biden’s blank check, ‘as long as it takes’, to bring an end to this now, and I think it’s coming […] I think what President Trump, again, is doing is he is shifting the conversation completely. He’s trying to get to a deal with Russia. He’s not just continuing the Joe Biden process of sticking a stick in Russia’s eye. You see the European leaders that want to just continue down this path. What President Trump wants to do is bring an end to this now, and he’s trying to bring resolution to this. I think what we’re seeing is a shifting [of] sands. Again, you see these European leaders coming to the United States—again, I feel we’re at the precipice of a deal—President Trump is trying to make something happen here, not just go back to talking points that haven’t worked in the past.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s strong negotiating position against Putin: “What I would say is that President [Trump] is actually trying to shift the conversation. President Trump has not lifted any sanctions on Putin. In fact, he’s talking about getting back in the energy business, putting Keystone Pipeline back in. It was Joe Biden that killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and okayed [the] Nord Stream 2 [Pipeline], which funded Russia’s war efforts. So, I think what you’re seeing is still plenty of pressure on Vladimir Putin, but President Trump, again, is shifting the dialogue right now trying to get to a deal.”
    Hagerty on economic opportunities in a deal that could benefit the U.S.: “It’s a situation where I think President Trump is trying to think about this differently. He’s talking about economic development. He’s talking about getting our interests to align more economically. There are critical minerals in Russia, critical minerals in Ukraine. All of this could benefit the United States. China’s licking its chops right now. I think President Trump sees that as well and wants to make certain that the United States taxpayer benefits from what comes out of this, as opposed to the [Chinese Communist Party].”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Trump’s Nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    Michael Kratsios will advance U.S. technological dominance and national security
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today appeared before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to introduce Michael Kratsios, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Remarks as prepared for delivery:
    Today, I am privileged to introduce Michael Kratsios, President Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    The OSTP Director advises the President on key “industries of the future,” including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and more. Indeed, Michael and I worked closely together on 5G and our telecommunications infrastructure when I served in my previous role as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
    Now, more than ever, emerging technologies present us with immense opportunities to maintain America’s global dominance. At such a critical time, we cannot afford to make policy errors here in Washington.
    That’s exactly why we need a leader of Michael’s caliber serving in this vital role.
    While AI has rapidly ascended to become one America’s most important policy priorities, Michael had the foresight to see this technology’s potential nearly a decade ago. And he has been working tirelessly on the issue ever since.
    His impressive record of public service in the field of science and technology policy include his past service as Chief Technology Officer of the United States and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. In these roles and others, he coordinated public-private partnerships and served as the architect of national strategies on AI and quantum technologies.
    After leaving public service, he served as Managing Director of Scale AI, helping it become one of the most valuable and well respected privately held AI companies in the world.
    Michael’s research outside of the government provided the first quantifiable evidence of how banned Chinese technologies were still procured by state and local governments across the country. He also brought to light the significant risks posed by PRC-manufactured ship-to-shore cranes in American ports.
    America must remain the world leader in scientific and technological innovation. Our national security, our liberty, and our prosperity depend on it. Michael understands this mission, and that’s why I wholeheartedly support his nomination. Thanks to my colleagues here today for giving Michael your careful consideration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Scott Reintroduce Legislation Addressing Sickle Cell Disease

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) reintroduced the bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act. The legislation would allow State Medicaid programs to provide comprehensive and coordinated care to patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) through a health home model.  
    Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that disproportionately impacts people of African descent. Among the most notable symptoms of SCD is debilitating pain, but those with SCD also experience complications like stroke, acute chest syndrome, and organ damage. Furthermore, individuals with SCD have a significantly lower life expectancy than the overall population.
    While there have been some advancements in the treatment of SCD, many with the disease are not receiving the level of care needed to adequately manage SCD. The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act directs CMS to establish a SCD Health Home to improve access to comprehensive, high-quality, outpatient care, which will be available to Medicaid beneficiaries with SCD in states that submit a state plan amendment (SPA). Further, this program shows promise in saving money, as it aims to reduce patients’ reliance on costly emergency room care.
    “Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in our country, and is a disease that primarily affects those of African ancestry,” said Senator Booker. “Despite the prevalence and the severe health consequences of the disease, Americans battling sickle cell continue to face barriers to accessing the care they need. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support this bipartisan legislation to increase access to comprehensive, high-quality care and invest in quality treatments for patients fighting SCD.”
    “Nearly 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease—many of whom are left without access to consistent care,” said Senator Scott. “I am glad to work on this bipartisan legislation to help treat this disease that affects thousands of Americans from minority communities. Creating access to high-quality comprehensive care to avoid costly emergency room visits continues to be a top priority of mine for folks facing diseases like SCD.”
    Throughout his time in the Senate, Booker has raised awareness for sickle cell disease and advocated for equitable funding, increased attention, and better access to treatments and care for people with SCD. The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act builds upon this work, including his bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act that he introduced with Senator Scott and which passed and was signed into law in 2018.
    The legislation is endorsed by: Sickle Cell Disease Partnership; American Society of Hematology; Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Burglar not up to par

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police scored a hole in one following a series of burglaries in Waiuku over recent months.

    The Pukekohe Tactical Crime Unit have been investigating a number of burglaries at a Waiuku golf club since November 2024.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor says the clubrooms had been the target of each burglary.

    “A number of items including tills and alcohol were allegedly taken during the offending,” he says.

    “Since these reports, CCTV footage and forensics enquiries have been carried out in the investigation.”

    It has led to the arrest of a 37-year-old man, who faces three burglary charges.

    The man is expected in the Pukekohe District Court today.

    “Our enquiries are ongoing into these matters and we cannot rule out further charges at this stage,” Detective Senior Sergeant Taylor says.

    “I know these burglaries have been subject of discussion amongst the community, and we will continue to hold those to account where there is sufficient evidence.”

    Any suspicious behaviour should be promptly reported to the Police.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eighteen Members of Poinsett County Drug-Trafficking Organization In Custody Following Arrest Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

          MARKED TREE—Eighteen defendants accused of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in northeast Arkansas are in custody after federal and state authorities made several arrests in Poinsett County this morning as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. Jonathan Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced today’s arrests.

          The large-scale drug operation in northeast Arkansas is, according to a federal indictment, headed by Jack Brown, 58, of Marked Tree, Reginald Hendrix, 53, of Trumann, and Dewayne Morris, 36, Trumann. A team of law enforcement agencies in the area coordinated to arrest 17 individuals this morning. Another defendant was already in state custody. Today’s arrests are in conjunction with the unsealing of the indictment of 21 individuals who were charged by a federal grand jury on February 6, 2025. Twenty of the 21 defendants are charged together in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Three additional coconspirators who live outside the area have been indicted but have not yet been arrested.

          The arrests stem from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, or OCDETF, investigation that began in July 2023. Most the defendants listed in the indictment are from the small Arkansas towns of Trumann and Marked Tree. The indictment marks the first large-scale federal investigation into that section of the state. The investigation, which was headed by the FBI, involved numerous controlled purchases of methamphetamine from members of the conspiracy. Additionally, throughout the investigation law enforcement agents intercepted numerous phone calls in which the conspiracy members discussed trafficking what was in total multiple pounds of methamphetamine.

          “The arrests of these defendants continue to show the commitment of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on making our communities better,” stated United States Attorney Ross. “Through the collaborative efforts of these law enforcement agencies, we were able to make a significant impact in getting these violent drug traffickers out of the community.”

          “Ridding Arkansas communities of dangerous narcotics and violent criminals is a top priority for law enforcement across the state,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “Today’s arrests demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to fostering safer communities for the citizens of Arkansas, and we will continue to collaborate with our federal, state, and local partners on this shared goal.”

          This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

          Those arrested today will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Jerome T. Kearney on Thursday, February 27. Today’s arrests are the result of a joint investigation between the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; ICE; Arkansas State Police; the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office; Trumann Police Department; Jonesboro Police Department; Craighead County Sheriff’s Office; Marion Police Department; West Memphis Police Department; Blytheville Police Department; the Arkansas Second Judicial Drug Task Force; and the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Eldridge.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat drug trafficker sentenced to a decade in prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old Baytown resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    David Lee Garza pleaded guilty May 31, 2024.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Garza to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered Garza’s extensive criminal history including a prior conviction for aggravated assault with the use of a firearm and a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine.

    “Methamphetamine has devastated cities and towns across the country, and drug dealers that seek to profit off that destruction deserve to be held accountable,” said Ganjei. “Those that traffic this drug in our communities can expect a significant sentence, particularly those who are repeat offenders.” 

    In January 2024, law enforcement discovered Garza was coordinating the transportation of kilogram quantities of meth from the Rio Grande Valley to the Houston area.

    On Jan. 25, 2024, Garza drove from the Houston area to a storage unit in McAllen where he retrieved multiple items. As he left the area, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle and found him in possession of six kilograms of meth. The drugs had a purity level of 99%.

    The investigation revealed he had been storing drugs in the local storage unit until they were ready for transport.

    Garza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PNG govt’s latest ID plan unlikely to be achieved, says academic

    RNZ Pacific

    The Papua New Guinea government wants to have everyone on their National Identity (NID) card system by the country’s 50th anniversary on 16 September 2025.

    While the government has been struggling to set up the NID programme for more than 10 years, in January the Prime Minister, James Marape, announced they aimed to have 100 percent of Papua New Guineans signed up by September 16.

    However, an academic with the University of PNG, working in conjunction with the Australian National University, Andrew Anton Mako, said there was no chance the government could achieve this goal.

    Anton Mako spoke with RNZ Pacific senior journalist Don Wiseman:

    ANDREW ANTON MAKO: The NID programme was established in November 2014, so it’s 10 years now. I wouldn’t know the mechanics of the delay, why it has taken this long for the project to not deliver on the outcomes, but I can say a lot of money has been invested into the programme.

    By the end of this year, the national government would have spent about 500 million kina (over NZ$211 million). That’s a lot of money to be spent on a particular project, and then it would have only registered about 30 to 40 percent of the total population. So there’s a serious issue there. The project has failed to deliver.

    DON WISEMAN: Come back to that in a moment. But why does the government think that a national ID card is so important?

    AAM: It’s got some usefulness to achieve. If it was well established and well implemented, it would address a number of issues. For example, on doing business and a form of identity that will help people to do business, to apply for jobs in Papua New Guinea or elsewhere, and all that. I believe it has got merit towards it, but I think just that it has not been implemented properly.

    DW: Does the population like the idea?

    AAM: I think generally when it started, people were on board. But when it got delayed, you see a lot of people venting frustration on the NID Facebook page. I think [it’s] popularity has actually fallen over the years.

    DW: It’s money that could go into a whole lot of other, perhaps, more important things?

    AAM: Exactly, there’s pressing issues for the country, in terms of law and order, health and education. Those important sectors have actually fallen over the years. So that 500 million kina would have been better spent.

    DW: So now the government wants the entire country within this system by September 16, and they’re not going to get anywhere near it. They must have realised they wouldn’t get anywhere near it when the Prime Minister made that statement. Surely?

    AAM: It’s not possible. The numbers do not add up. They’ve spent more than 460 million kina over the last 10 years or so, and they’ve only registered 36 percent of the total — 3.3 million people. And then of the 3.3 million people, they’ve only issued an ID card to about 30 to 40 perCent of them . . .

    DW: 30 to 40 percent of those who have already signed up. So it’s what, 10 percent of the country?

    AAM: That’s right, about 1.2 million people have been issued an ID card, including a duplicate card. It is not possible to register the entire country, the rest of the country, in just six, seven or eight months.

    DW: It’s not the first time that the government has come out with what is effectively like a wish list without fully backing it, financially?

    AAM: That’s right. The ambitions that the government and the Prime Minister, their intentions are good, but there is no effective strategy how to get there.

    The resources that are needed to be allocated. It’s just not possible to realise the the end results. For example, the Prime Minister and his government promised that by this year, we would stop importing rice. That was a promise that was made in 2019, so the thing is that the government has not clearly laid out a plan as to how the country will realise that outcome by this year.

    If you are going to promise something, then you have to deliver on it. You have to deliver on the ambitions. Then you have to set up a proper game plan and proper indicators and things like this.

    I think that’s the issue, that you have promised something [and] you must deliver. But you must chart out a proper pathway to deliver that.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Noting Ukraine’s People Have Endured Three Years of Relentless Death, Destruction, Displacement, Senior Official Tells Security Council ‘It Is High Time for Peace’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    ‘We Cannot Have the Aggressor Impose a Deal on the Victim,’ Stresses Special Envoy

    “It is high time for peace in Ukraine,” a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as Member States echoed that call and outlined contrasting visions of ending the three-year conflict.

    “For three long years, the people of Ukraine have endured relentless death, destruction and displacement,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, adding that the resolution the Council adopted earlier on 24 February urges a swift end to the conflict.  The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified that, since 24 February 2022, at least 12,654 Ukrainian civilians — including 673 children — have been killed and 29,392 — including 1,865 children — have been injured.

    The war has created the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War, she observed, adding that over 10 million Ukrainians remain uprooted — 3.6 million displaced within Ukraine and 6.9 million seeking refuge abroad.  Furthermore, the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure impacts millions. For three consecutive winters, repeated strikes on the energy grid have left communities without power, heating or other essential services.  At least 790 attacks have damaged or destroyed medical facilities, putting the lives of countless patients at risk.  In 2024 alone, attacks on medical facilities tripled compared to 2023.  The education system has also been decimated, preventing 600,000 children from attending in-person classes.

    Over the past three years, the conflict has expanded into parts of the Russian Federation, she said, pointing to reports of increased civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions due to alleged Ukrainian attacks.  The war’s impact is also felt globally, destabilizing economies, disrupting food security and threatening international peace.  The further internationalization of the conflict is deeply alarming, particularly with the reported deployment of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea into the conflict zone.  Moreover, she cautioned that the risk of a nuclear incident remains “unacceptably high”.

    Detailing the systematic and widespread use of torture — including sexual violence — by Russian Federation authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war, as documented by OHCHR, she said 95 per cent of them and three quarters of Ukrainian civilian detainees interviewed have suffered torture or ill-treatment in captivity. Additionally, at least 71 Ukrainian prisoners were executed since February 2022, with an alarming spike in executions since August 2024.  Meanwhile, about half of the 469 Russian Federation’s prisoners of war interviewed by OHCHR described torture and ill-treatment, and 26 of those interviewed reported having been subjected to sexual violence.  The human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has also verified the execution of 26 Russian Federation prisoners of war.  “These crimes must not go unpunished,” she asserted, underscoring that “accountability is not optional — it is an obligation under international law”.

    “We recognize it will be challenging to get an agreement, but the time for Moscow to make difficult choices and end fighting is now,” stated the representative of the United States, underscoring her country’s commitment to ending the war.  Washington, D.C., has been in close contact with Ukrainian counterparts throughout the conflict and will continue to do so.  It has also opened a direct dialogue with the Russian Federation in the past week. Following discussions in Riyadh, the United States and the Russian Federation have committed to negotiating towards an end of the conflict, which is enduring and acceptable to all engaged parties.  She called on all Member States to push for a durable peace “to bring stability to Europe and deter further aggression”.

    The Russian Federation’s delegate noted significant dissonance in European support for Ukraine, with ministers reading out “cookie-cutter statements”.  Calling the meeting an “open attempt to thwart the positive progress that has been made which will soon help result” in a lasting settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, he emphasized that the “Kyiv regime and its European sponsors are interested not in peace, but in pursuing war until the last Ukrainian”.  Welcoming the new positive policy of the Administration of United States President Donald J. Trump, he pointed to emerging details about what “took place and continues to take place under the [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy regime” despite Moscow’s persistent efforts to prevent this.

    Condemning Ukraine’s “anti-Russian project”, financed from the beginning by the West, he noted that, from 2021 to 2024, the United States Agency for International Development spent $30.6 billion in Ukraine, without which Ukrainian gross domestic product (GDP) “independently did not exist”.  He stated that up to 90 per cent of Ukrainian media outlets were financed by the Agency, with payments for public opinion leaders to appear on social networks, compelling “everybody to believe in the universal popularity of the erstwhile comic”, which “turned out to be a lie”, but was shaping Ukraine’s political landscape.  He noted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, upon election, immediately abandoned his promises regarding the East and for the defence of the Russian language.

    Meanwhile, Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said the Council resolution just adopted “lacks the qualification” of the war as an aggression of one Member State against another.  Despite the disparity in military strength — with over 600,000 Russian Federation troops deployed on Ukraine’s territory today — Ukraine’s defence forces continue to stand firm.

    “We gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in the hope of making the world a safer place,” she said, citing the Budapest Memorandum as “a deal without viable security guarantees”.  Meanwhile, Moscow has significantly expanded Soviet-era stockpiles, and today, it is capable of striking Ukrainian front-line positions and residential areas, with thousands of guided aerial bombs every month.  In 2024 alone, its aviation launched 40,000 such bombs.  Moreover, the Russian Federation engaged Tehran and Pyongyang in its war of aggression.

    Nonetheless, she said the Russian Federation has failed to break Ukraine on the battlefield.  “There is nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and there is nothing about Europe without Europe,” she asserted.  And while Ukraine wants peace “more than anyone”, that doesn’t mean just any peace, she emphasized, calling for clear security guarantees.  She added that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union are indispensable elements of regional security, and “Ukraine is eager to be part of them”.

    Many speakers highlighted the devastating and long-lasting consequences of Moscow’s aggression on food security, the environment and nuclear security, calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace — not an agreement imposed under duress on the victim.

    “We cannot have the aggressor impose a deal on the victim, an aggressor who continues to intensify its attacks on civilian population and infrastructure,” underscored Erica Schouten, the representative of the Netherlands and Special Envoy for Ukraine.  She called for “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and for Europe — whose security is directly impacted — to be involved, too.  This war must end, not just for the sake of Ukraine and Europe but for the sake of the world, she stressed.

    In the same vein, France’s delegate stressed that Europe — whose security is at stake — must participate in any negotiations and affirmed that any resolution to the conflict without Ukraine will be a dead letter and “lay the groundwork for future wars”.  He recalled that the Russian Federation alone decided on 24 February 2022 to bring war back to European soil — carrying out deliberate strikes against the Ukrainian civilian population and energy infrastructure, using sexual violence as a weapon of war and forcing deportations of Ukrainian children.

    A war Russian Federation President Vladimir V. Putin said would take three days is now three years on, concurred his counterpart from the United Kingdom.  Ukraine is more than ready for the war to end, but its voice must be at the heart of any talks towards a peace that “shows aggression does not pay, and ends forever Putin’s imperialist ambitions”, she stressed.  By contrast, President Putin “only wants capitulation”.  The strength and courage shown by Ukraine must be underpinned by robust security agreements from the outset, she stated, adding that President Putin has repeatedly demonstrated that he will break a weak deal and has long denied Ukraine’s right to exist as a free State.

    Georgios Gerapetritis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, affirmed that his Government’s stance on Ukraine “has been crystal clear from the very beginning of the war, which now enters its fourth year”. All Member States must work towards an end to the suffering and destruction in Ukraine; however, it is incumbent to explicitly refer to international law and the Charter of the United Nations in the resolution.  He stated it was not easy to understand why amendments proposed by European Council members were not upheld — including that the Council would employ a swift end to the conflict, urging a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

    Radosław Sikorski, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, also speaking for the High Representative of the European Union, urged Moscow to “stop the killing and leave territories it illegally occupies”. Calling on Member States to never forget the crimes committed by Russian Federation troops in Bucha, Mariupol and many other places across Ukraine, he also acknowledged the far-reaching repercussions beyond Ukraine.

    “We will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk or any other region of Ukraine,” echoed Baiba Braže, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, also speaking for Estonia and Lithuania.  Underlining that borders must not be altered by force, she recalled that, three years ago, the International Court of Justice ordered the Russian Federation to stop its military activities in Ukraine.  “Three years on, Ukraine has stopped a nuclear-armed State of 140 million from realizing its imperialist goals,” she added.

    Pasi Rajala, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Finland, also speaking for Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, demanded the immediate return of thousands of children who have been unlawfully deported or transferred by the Russian Federation, which violates the laws of war at every turn.  Hailing the General Assembly’s decision earlier today to support just and fair peace in Ukraine, he affirmed that Ukrainians want peace and love freedom, and the Council must advance these goals.  Any solution for lasting peace will necessitate a strong European involvement as Member States have “a collective interest to prevent a resurgence of violence and destruction”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (Trade Expansion Act), it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Policy.  Copper is a critical material essential to the national security, economic strength, and industrial resilience of the United States.  Copper, scrap copper, and copper’s derivative products play a vital role in defense applications, infrastructure, and emerging technologies, including clean energy, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics.  The United States faces significant vulnerabilities in the copper supply chain, with increasing reliance on foreign sources for mined, smelted, and refined copper.

    The United States has ample copper reserves, yet our smelting and refining capacity lags significantly behind global competitors.  A single foreign producer dominates global copper smelting and refining, controlling over 50 percent of global smelting capacity and holding four of the top five largest refining facilities.  This dominance, coupled with global overcapacity and a single producer’s control of world supply chains, poses a direct threat to United States national security and economic stability.

    It is the policy of the United States to ensure a reliable, secure, and resilient domestic copper supply chain.  The United States’ increasing dependence on foreign sources of copper, particularly from a concentrated number of supplier nations, along with the risk of foreign market manipulation, necessitate action under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to determine whether imports of copper, scrap copper, and copper’s derivative products threaten to impair national security.

    Sec. 2.  Investigation Into the National Security Impact of Copper Imports.  (a)  The Secretary of Commerce shall initiate an investigation under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to determine the effects on national security of imports of copper in all forms, including but not limited to:

    (i)    raw mined copper;

    (ii)   copper concentrates;

    (iii)  refined copper;

    (iv)   copper alloys;

    (v)    scrap copper; and

    (vi)   derivative products.

    (b)  In conducting the investigation described in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall assess the factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), labeled “Domestic production for national defense; impact of foreign competition on economic welfare of domestic industries,” as well as other relevant factors, including:

    (i)     the current and projected demand for copper in United States defense, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors;

    (ii)    the extent to which domestic production, smelting, refining, and recycling can meet demand;

    (iii)   the role of foreign supply chains, particularly from major exporters, in meeting United States demand;

    (iv)    the concentration of United States copper imports from a small number of suppliers and the associated risks;

    (v)     the impact of foreign government subsidies, overcapacity, and predatory trade practices on United States industry competitiveness;

    (vi)    the economic impact of artificially suppressed copper prices due to dumping and state-sponsored overproduction;

    (vii)   the potential for export restrictions by foreign nations, including the ability of foreign nations to weaponize their control over refined copper supplies;

    (viii)  the feasibility of increasing domestic copper mining, smelting, and refining capacity to reduce import reliance; and

    (ix)    the impact of current trade policies on domestic copper production and whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary to protect national security.

    Sec. 3.  Required Actions.  (a)  The Secretary of Commerce shall consult with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies as determined by the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate the national security risks associated with copper import dependency.

    (b)  Within 270 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit a report to the President that includes:

    (i)    findings on whether United States dependence on copper imports threatens national security;

    (ii)   recommendations on actions to mitigate such threats, including potential tariffs, export controls, or incentives to increase domestic production; and

    (iii)  policy recommendations for strengthening the United States copper supply chain through strategic investments, permitting reforms, and enhanced recycling initiatives.

    Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,

        February 25, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –