NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: Midway Man Sentenced for Engaging in Sexual Relationship with Inmate

    Source: US FBI

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kerontrez Lamar Kenon, 23, of Midway, Florida, was sentenced to one year in prison after previously pleading guilty to engaging in a sexual relationship with a ward. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    According to court records, Kenon was employed as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee during June and July 2023, when he engaged in sexual intercourse with a female inmate who was under his custodial authority. Kenon also brought the inmate cigarettes and food, against regulations, and helped the inmate set up a CashApp so that other inmates could pay her for cigarettes. At the time that the inmate reported the incident, Kenon was no longer employed by FCI Tallahassee. Kenon’s prison sentence will be followed by five years’ supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “A correctional officer’s abuse of his position is intolerable.  My office will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who violates their oath through the abuse of inmates entrusted to their care and custody.”

    “No inmate should ever experience sexual abuse or mistreatment of any kind by those responsible for their safety and custody. The Office of the Inspector General is committed to holding violators accountable and seeking justice for these victims of exploitation,” said Eric Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region.

    “The FBI will stop at nothing to seek justice for victims of crime, including inmates who suffer abuse while housed in corrections facilities,” Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case is even more egregious, having been committed by someone who was in a position of authority. Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly in coordination with our law enforcement partners to identify those who violate their oath to protect and serve.”

    The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Charged with Murder on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    The FBI, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the homicide of an adult male from Vernal, Utah. The incident happened in the Whiterocks community, on the Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation on June 26, 2025.

    Leroy Casper Poowegup Reed, an enrolled member of the Ute Indian Tribe, was taken into tribal custody. A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Reed, who is charged by criminal complaint with murder in the second-degree while within Indian Country.

    According to the complaint, a deceased individual was found in a running vehicle with an arrow impaled in his neck. Further investigation by the BIA and Uintah County Sheriff’s Office led to Reed, who was arrested at his residence in the Whiterocks community.

    A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Files Amendments to Dangerous Republican Budget Megabill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced his amendments to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ budget megabill in an attempt to thwart the legislation’s most catastrophic impacts. The partisan proposal—which Republicans are ramming through Congress using a legislative process that enables them to expedite it and pass it with a fewer number of votes than most Senate legislation—would slash critical funding for programs that Virginians rely on to disproportionately give tax cuts to the wealthy.

    “We should be focused on growing and supporting the middle-class, not passing Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ Hurt People, Kill Jobs, and Spike the Debt to Reward the Rich Act,” said Kaine. “I’m filing amendments to protect Americans from some of the worst of the worst from this Administration and its partisan megabill—from safeguarding our rural hospitals and preventing Americans from losing their health insurance, to keeping families from going hungry, standing up for our veterans, and preventing energy cost increases. I’m also filing amendments to address ways this bill is uniquely bad for Virginia, including to restore funding the Richmond Water Treatment Plant desperately needs and to address the proposed transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from Chantilly to Houston at enormous expense to the American taxpayer. The fact that these amendments are necessary in the first place goes to show that Republicans will stop at nothing to give the wealthiest a massive tax break.”

    Kaine filed a series of amendments, including:

    • To rename the legislation the “Hurt People, Kill Jobs, and Spike the Debt to Reward the Rich Act.”
    • To protect Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from cuts by reversing tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and large corporations.
    • To protect Virginia’s rural hospitals by mitigating changes to the Medicaid provider tax program.
    • To crack down on the Trump Administration’s mass firing of veterans from the federal workforce, by prohibiting firings of federal employee veterans without submitting a report to Congress.
    • To protect Virginians’ health care coverage by eliminating the estate tax cut for multi-millionaires.
    • To provide small businesses, farmers, and low- and moderate-income families with relief from Trump’s senseless trade wars.
    • To prevent the weakening and destruction of unions representing federal workers.
    • To require agencies to cease illegal mass firings and illegal withholdings of appropriated funding.
    • To prevent utility bill increases by blocking Republicans’ effort to create a new tax on wind and solar power and undo energy efficiency tax credits Kaine helped create through the Inflation Reduction Act.
    • To include Kaine’s bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants—need-based education grants for lower-income individuals—to pay for shorter-term job training programs for the first time.
    • To restore funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency. BRIC grants were canceled by the Trump Administration for projects across Virginia, including a $12 million grant for the Richmond Water Treatment Plant and a $24 million grant to enhance the Lake Meade Dam in Portsmouth.
    • To prevent the transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia—where it is available for viewing to the public free of charge—to Houston, Texas. The transfer would cost hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars and force Americans to pay an admission fee to view the shuttle.
    • To align a portion of munitions procurement spending to the European Deterrence Initiative to support European partners’ capacity to provide their own national security.
    • To prevent Republicans from hiding the true cost of their bill and violating long-standing Senate rules.

    Full text of Kaine’s amendments is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Baldwin Blasts Republicans’ Disastrous Budget Bill that Slashes Medicaid & SNAP, Rigs Tax Code for the Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    Baldwin: “This bill will make it harder for working families to have the opportunity to get ahead. Harder for parents to get their kids health care. Harder for families to put food on the table.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the Republicans’ budget bill, which terminates health care for 17 million of Americans, cuts food assistance programs, and increases costs for Wisconsin families – all to make room in the budget to give corporations and the wealthy unfair tax breaks.

    Over the past several months, Senator Baldwin traveled across Wisconsin talking to constituents deeply concerned about the impact the Republicans’ budget bill would have on their families and communities. Because of this bill, over 250,000 Wisconsinites will be kicked off their healthcare, and 90,000 Wisconsinites will lose some or all of their food assistance, while the top 0.1 percent of earners will receive a tax cut of more than $250,000 every year.

    A video of the speech can be is available for download here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Asks Defense Contractors to Explain Lobbying for Tax Breaks in “Big, Beautiful Bill” at Expense of American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 30, 2025

    Massively profitable contractors are pushing for retroactive tax break for investments already made as Congressional Republicans slash health care and food assistance for working families

    Text of Letter to Northrop Grumman (PDF) | Text of Letter to Lockheed Martin (PDF)

    Text of Letter to RTX Corporation (PDF) | Text of Letter to General Dynamics (PDF) 

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance and Senate Armed Services Committees, wrote to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, and General Dynamics, pressing them to explain their lobbying for retroactive tax breaks in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” at the expense of working families—while already raking in huge profits. 

    In President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Congressional Republicans changed the Research and Experimentation (R&E) deduction so that companies could no longer deduct the full cost of R&E expenses the year they are made. Instead, starting in 2022, companies had to write off these expenses  over five or fifteen years.  

    Now, these wealthy companies are lobbying to bring full expensing back into the tax code, and Congressional Republicans are delivering. Alongside deep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that will cause 16 million Americans to lose their health care coverage, the Republican tax bill passed by the House of Representatives last month includes a return to same-year R&E expensing. The Senate’s proposed text of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” goes even further and includes allows R&E expensing all the way back to 2022.

    “These retroactive benefits cannot incentivize investments that have already been made – they are simply a handout to corporations for past investments. This outrageous [handout] is an insult to the millions of Americans facing threats of losing their healthcare coverage to fund tax giveaways to wealthy corporations in the Republican tax bill,” Senator Warren continued. 

    Big corporations claim that the current deduction schedule “significantly limits businesses’ ability” to invest in R&E. However, tax experts have relieved that “[t]here is no evidence that spreading out the cost of (R&E) deductions have any effect on corporations’ decision to invest in research.” 

    In fact, Lockheed Martin’s 2021 assessment of the expiration of R&E expensing determined that the financial impact on the company would “be immaterial by 2027.”

    “[G]iant, wealthy corporations do not need even larger tax breaks, especially if they come at the expense of middle-class families,” wrote Senator Warren. 

    If R&E expensing is restored, these defense contractors are set to be gifted billions in deductions (nearly $1 billion for Northrop Grumman and $500 million for Lockheed Martin) for past years’ R&E investments, all at the expense of Americans’ health care, education, food assistance, and more. 

    Senator Warren asked the companies to provide clarity on how much they would save on their taxes in 2025 if this tax break is approved and how it would affect their outlook for stock buybacks and executive compensation by July 6, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Baldwin Blasts Republicans’ Disastrous Budget Bill that Slashes Medicaid & SNAP, Rigs Tax Code for the Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    Baldwin: “This bill will make it harder for working families to have the opportunity to get ahead. Harder for parents to get their kids health care. Harder for families to put food on the table.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the Republicans’ budget bill, which terminates health care for 17 million of Americans, cuts food assistance programs, and increases costs for Wisconsin families – all to make room in the budget to give corporations and the wealthy unfair tax breaks.

    Over the past several months, Senator Baldwin traveled across Wisconsin talking to constituents deeply concerned about the impact the Republicans’ budget bill would have on their families and communities. Because of this bill, over 250,000 Wisconsinites will be kicked off their healthcare, and 90,000 Wisconsinites will lose some or all of their food assistance, while the top 0.1 percent of earners will receive a tax cut of more than $250,000 every year.

    A video of the speech can be is available for download here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Asks Congressional Tax Committee to Investigate True Size of Retroactive Tax Breaks for Billionaire Corporations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 30, 2025

    “Congressional Republicans should not gut health care and food assistance for American families to pay for tax breaks for billionaire corporations, especially when those tax breaks have no conceivable purpose besides enriching President Trump’s wealthy friends.” 

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), a nonpartisan Congressional committee dedicated to analyzing tax legislation, asking the committee to provide information on the revenue impact of giving billionaire corporations retroactive tax breaks. 

    The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, amidst a slew of giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, ended corporations’ ability to immediately expense research and experimentation (R&E) costs starting in 2022. Since then, companies have been required to spread out their R&E deductions over a 5-year or 15-year window, increasing their overall tax liability.

    Now, as Congressional Republicans try to pass their “Big, Beautiful Bill” to give trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and giant corporations, they have proposed restoring R&E expensing and making this tax break retroactive back to 2022. 

    “[I]t is impossible to incentivize investment decisions already made in the past. Instead, these retroactive tax cuts are likely to represent a huge, one-time cash infusion for corporations that can be used for higher executive pay or shareholder handouts in the form of buybacks and dividends,” said Senator Warren. 

    Senator Warren asked JCT to provide a breakdown, for each year from 2025 to 2034, of the revenue generated by denying corporations this retroactive tax break. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Microsoft Flight Simulator: City Update 11 spotlights US Northeast states

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft Flight Simulator: City Update 11 spotlights US Northeast states

    Plymouth: The Mayflower Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620, making it one of the most important historical sites in the United States. Called “America’s Hometown,” Plymouth is located 40 miles south of Boston and is the oldest settlement in New England.

    New Jersey

    Northeastern New Jersey: Cities include Newark, Hackensack, and Paterson, all of which are members of the greater New York metropolitan area. Newark, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is renowned for its contribution to the industrial development of the country and as a modern transportation hub. Hackensack is known for its historical importance during the American Revolution where George Washington established a headquarters. Paterson became a key location in the Industrial Revolution due to the energy supplied by the Great Falls of the Passaic River, around which the city was initially constructed.

    Central Jersey: This AOI focuses on cities in the eastern portion of Central Jersey, including Elizabeth, New Brunswick, and Edison. Elizabeth was the first capital of New Jersey and is one of the state’s oldest cities. New Brunswick played an important role in the American Revolution and is an important university center. Edison (originally called Raritan Township) was named after famed American inventor Thomas Edison who established his research laboratory in the area and created several important innovations, including the incandescent light bulb and the phonograph.

    New York

    Brooklyn: Located on the western end of Long Island, Brooklyn is the most populous of the five boroughs of New York City. It lies just south of the borough of Queens and is connected to the borough of Manhattan by one tunnel and three bridges that span the East River. Brooklyn offers some of the most stunning views in all of New York City, notably of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River, and lower Manhattan.

    Manhattan: Manhattan is one of the most renowned urban centers in the world. The smallest borough by area of the five boroughs that compose New York City, Manhattan is often cited as the capital of several global industries, including finance, media, and entertainment. Known for its iconic architecture, Manhattan is home to the tallest building in both the United States and the Western Hemisphere, One World Trade Center (1,776 feet tall), and the second tallest in the Nation and the Western Hemisphere, Central Park Tower (1,550 feet tall).

    Long Island’s East End: One of the most beautiful areas in the northeastern United States, Long Island’s East End is renowned for its pastoral landscapes, historic villages, colonial architecture, and maritime vistas. The update includes Southampton, one of the core towns of the well-known Hamptons resort area, and Montauk, the easternmost point in New York State and home to the spectacular Montauk Point Lighthouse.

    Rhode Island

    The update’s Rhode Island AOI covers all major cities in the state, including Providence, Cranston, and Warwick. Providence, established in 1636, is the capital and most populous city in the state. Providence, along with the cities of Cranston and Warwick to its south, are located along the mouth of the Providence River at the northern extremity of Narragansett Bay, which opens to the Atlantic Ocean.

    City Update 11: Northeastern United States is available FREE to all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Ensure that you have the latest simulator version installed (1.38.2.0 for MSFS2020 / 1.3.23.0 for MSFS2024 / 1.3.25.0 for MSFS2024 on Windows PC – Steam as of 06/27/2025), download City Update 11, and take to the skies above the Northeastern United States!

    Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial on Twitter. 

     

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Copilot Vision on mobile now available

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Copilot Vision on mobile now available

    Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more. Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use

    Welcome to Microsoft’s Copilot Release Notes. Here we’ll provide regular updates on what’s happening with Copilot, from new features to firmware updates and more.

    Copilot Vision on mobile now available for free in the US

    Copilot Vision is now available to try for free in the US on iOS and Android devices. Vision will also be rolling out to all users worldwide in the coming weeks. With Copilot Vision, you can use your phone’s camera to show Copilot what you’re seeing—and get real-time help, guidance, or conversation, just like you would with a friend. 

    Whether you’re: 

    • Exploring a new city 
    • Rearranging your living room decor 
    • Navigating a confusing airport terminal 
    • Trying to identify a strange object 
    • Or just asking, “Does this setup look right?” 

    Please note that you must be signed in to Copilot with a Microsoft account (MSA) to use the Vision features on your Copilot mobile app.  

    Copilot Vision on Windows is here 

    We’re also excited to share that Copilot Vision on Windows is now available in the US and coming to more non-European countries by mid-July. When enabled, Copilot can see what you see on your screen and offer helpful, voice-guided support—whether you’re working across apps, browsing the web, or navigating a tricky task. 

    Need help finding an app? Want tips while editing a photo? Trying to understand a form or complete a task in a new tool? Copilot Vision can follow along, offer insights, and even highlight exactly where to click with Highlights, all while you stay in control. 

    Copilot Vision is fully opt-in and only activates when you choose to turn it on. You can start or stop sharing at any time with a single click.  

    Learn more in the official blog post.

    Deep Research now in the Copilot app on Windows 

    Copilot Pro users can now access Deep Research directly from the Copilot app on Windows, the mobile app, and on Copilot.com. This powerful feature helps you tackle complex, multi-step research tasks by finding, analyzing, and synthesizing information from across the web, potentially saving you hours of work in the process. 

    Copilot Actions expands to more countries 

    Copilot Actions, our new feature that lets Copilot complete web tasks on your behalf (like booking hotels, placing shopping orders, or making dinner reservations), is now available to Copilot Pro users in the US, along with the following additional countries: 

    • Australia  
    • Canada  
    • Great Britain  
    • India  
    • New Zealand  
    • South Africa  

    Copilot Actions is available on Copilot.com on Windows and Mac. To get started, Pro users can open the dropdown menu in the Copilot composer and select Actions. Visit Copilot.com/Labs to learn more. 

    Cryptocurrency Finance Cards are now live 

    We’ve expanded our Copilot Cards collection with a new category: Cryptocurrency. These interactive cards are now fully rolled out across Copilot.com and bring real-time insights to your crypto-related questions. Here’s what’s new: 

    • Interactive Charts: Real-time 24-hour data, just like our current finance cards. 
    • Detailed Dashboards: View performance summaries, related news, and other trending cryptocurrencies. 
    • Expanded Support: Now covers over 100 of the most popular global cryptocurrencies. 
    • Local Currency Support: Ask for prices in your local currency such as “Bitcoin in CAD” or “Solana in INR.” 

    This update builds on the cards we recently introduced for Sports, Videos, Weather, and Stocks, giving you quick, visual answers across a growing range of topics. Crypto cards are available on web, with mobile and Windows support rolling out in the coming weeks. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Excited to share two advances that bring us closer to real-world impact in healthcare AI: …Together, these advances offer a blueprint for how AI can help deliver precision and efficiency in healthcare, and we’re looking forward to working with healthcare partners and the entire ecosystem on these advances making a difference.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Excited to share two advances that bring us closer to real-world impact in healthcare AI: …Together, these advances offer a blueprint for how AI can help deliver precision and efficiency in healthcare, and we’re looking forward to working with healthcare partners and the entire ecosystem on these advances making a difference.

    Excited to share two advances that bring us closer to real-world impact in healthcare AI: SDBench introduces a new benchmark that transforms 304 NEJM cases into interactive diagnostic simulations. AI must ask questions, order tests, and weigh costs, mirroring the complexity of real clinical decision-making. MAI-DxO is a model-agnostic orchestrator that simulates a panel of virtual physicians. It achieves 85.5% diagnostic accuracy—four times that of experienced doctors—while cutting diagnostic costs. Together, these advances offer a blueprint for how AI can help deliver precision and efficiency in healthcare, and we’re looking forward to working with healthcare partners and the entire ecosystem on these advances making a difference. https://lnkd.in/gd5nd4qF

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Entrepreneur Aims to Revolutionize Men’s Health Care

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When former President Joe Biden revealed in May that he had been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of prostate cancer, the news rattled UConn’s Reza Amin ’18 Ph.D., ’19 MS.

    Amin is the CEO and Founder of Bastion Health, the first and largest virtual urology group in the country. Bastion, a UConn startup, addresses men’s health care through at-home diagnostics, specialist-led care, and elimination of impediments to medical attention.

    Detecting prostate cancer in its most treatable stage is more than a professional interest for Amin. He lost his grandfather to the disease and wants to spare others from that heartbreak.

    “Prostate cancer is a cruel disease because it can often be asymptomatic and, without testing, men don’t know they have it,’’ he says. “The good news is that if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, the survival rate is close to 100 percent. Diagnosed later, it falls to about 40 percent.

    “Our work at Bastion is about changing that equation—by offering early, accessible, and private care for our male patients,’’ he says. Bastion also addresses prostate, hormonal, and reproductive issues, as well as cancer prevention.

    “Improving men’s access to care is at the heart of what we do. We’re building a future where men don’t delay care because of stigma, access issues, or inconvenience,’’ he says. “When care is confidential, virtual, and designed around them, men are more willing to use it.’’

    Men’s Health a Growing Concern

    Bastion Health is based at the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) in Farmington, which unites research, facilities, and business support for high-impact startups.

    The company, created in 2020, contracts with large employers who offer the medical service to their employees. Some 120,000 men—in all 50 states— have access to Bastion’s services. The company is growing quickly and is set to expand, adding multiple Fortune 500 employers to its ranks next year.

    The statistics about men’s health are concerning. About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In the last seven years or so, there has been a spike in men being diagnosed with late-stage disease.

    Reza Amin (courtesy of Bastion Health)

    Bastion offers at-home testing, supported by a team of more than 60 board-certified urologists, who deliver comprehensive virtual care and guide patients every step of the way, offering fast referrals when in-person support is needed.

    New patients begin with an app-based intake, followed by a nurse practitioner visit and at-home diagnostic kits delivered to their door. The tests cover blood, urine, semen, and stool. Samples are processed by certified labs, and results are reviewed by board-certified urologists to initiate treatment.

    “The clinical accuracy matches traditional in-office care, but with greater convenience, faster follow-through, and a better patient experience,’’ Amin says.  The normalization of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated Bastion’s growth, making virtual specialty care not just viable—but preferred, he added.

    The traditional health care system hasn’t evolved with men’s needs, and as a result, many men bypass it, Amin says. Long waits in a doctor’s office, missed time at work, embarrassing test requirements, and difficulty scheduling follow-up appointments result in men avoiding life-enhancing or life-saving care.

    “Men deserve care that’s private, seamless, and designed for them, especially when it comes to issues ‘under the belt,’” Amin says. “We’re a team of technologists, physicians, nurses, and health professionals building the future of men’s health. With AI-powered telehealth, nationwide urologist access, and integrated at-home testing, we’re redefining specialty care—delivered from home, anywhere in the country. We are always keeping the patient in mind in whatever we do.”

    The medical service not only improves outcomes and prevents late-stage diagnoses, but also reduces health care spending for employers and payers.

    “Not only are we saving lives, but we are also saving companies a great deal of money. Every cancer patient who is diagnosed early saves employers and payers $300,000. That’s just huge,” Amin says. “In many cases that savings alone covers the cost of the program for the entire employee population.’’

    From Avid Researcher to Business Entrepreneur

    Amin’s business idea began 10 years ago when he was completing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, with a focus on medical diagnostic system design, at UConn. He published his first paper on at-home testing and how it can help with cancer detection.

    “It started as an idea on paper, but it pieced things together,’’ he says. As the idea took root, Amin realized he wanted to create something more impactful than a testing company. He wanted to transform access to care.

    “We dove into everything—regulations, diagnostics, emerging tech,” he says. “Today, we’re an AI-powered virtual care platform integrating at-home testing and automated clinical workflows. With help from AI, we streamline medical documentation, enhance clinical decision-making, and engage patients more effectively, improving the experience for both patients and providers. It’s about reducing friction, increasing satisfaction, and delivering high-quality care at scale.”

    The year after completing his Ph.D., Amin added a master’s degree in global entrepreneurship from UConn to his resume. He is also the co-founder of Encapsulate, a precision personalized cancer therapy program.

    Urologists Often Difficult to Find

    Because urology practices are most frequently located in cities, some 62% of United States counties don’t have a single urologist, Amin says. That makes it difficult for many men, even those who are health-conscious, to get an appointment and schedule follow-ups if a problem is detected.

    At Bastion, the team tries to make accessing care as seamless as possible. A dedicated care coordinator alerts men to appointments, testing, and medication refills. If follow-up care is needed, the patient is quickly referred to a health care system that can address even complex treatment.

    If men are comfortable receiving care at home, let’s bring it to them there. We are leading the market but not abandoning high-quality service. &#8212 Reza Amin, Bastion Health

    Through Bastion’s focus on patient satisfaction, Amin and his team reviewed and adopted technologies designed with the male patient experience in mind—making it easy to collect blood, urine, semen, and stool from home.

    “We strive to be tech-savvy and futuristic thinking,” he says. “If men are comfortable receiving care at home, let’s bring it to them there. We are leading the market but not abandoning high-quality service.”

    UConn Instrumental in Bastion’s Success

    Bastion Health has also benefitted from numerous UConn entrepreneurship programs through the School of Business, College of Engineering, the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. As an entrepreneur, Amin says, he ran into many people who discouraged his efforts. The support from UConn offset the challenges.

    “Our company is a UConn spinoff. We’re Huskies through and through. We’ve had great support, lab and office space, and we utilize talent from UConn,” Amin says.

    Amin has also competed in prestigious entrepreneurship competitions, including Connect Next, Mayo Clinic Incubator, Mass Challenge, and Plug & Play.

    Bastion has been recognized in Forbes twice and as a Top 100 Healthcare Tech Company by Healthcare Tech Report Nation. He was also chosen as a “40 Under Forty” award recipient by the Hartford Business Journal.

    “In growing this business, I realized that talent is key. I wanted to spend enough time to find the right people. Technology and funding are important, but it is talent that brings the ideas, builds the culture, and shares the vision that creates value,’’ he says. “Our partnerships and alignment are very important.’’

    ‘It Impacts Everyone and Everything’

    Although Amin is focused on caring for men’s health, he recognizes the work he does has a profound ripple effect.

    “Whether you’re addressing men’s health, women’s health, or children’s health, it is all family health,” he says. “Everyone wants a healthy family and if any one member has a problem, it impacts everyone and everything, from fear and disruption to employment and income concerns.”

    “Losing lives to conditions that are treatable, when solutions exist and can’t be accessed, is failure,” he says. “We hope to save many families from going through the terrible experience of advanced prostate cancer.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: First-Ever Master Plan for Aging Final Report Released

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today released the Final Report for New York’s first-ever Master Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA Final Report contains more than 100 proposals directed towards all levels of government, the social sector and private enterprise, all with the aim of helping individuals age with dignity, independence and the support they need and deserve to thrive.

    “Every New Yorker should be able to age with dignity and independence,” Governor Hochul said. “The Master Plan for Aging builds on our ongoing efforts to empower older adults and advance New York’s status as an age-friendly state. I thank the hundreds of stakeholders, state agency staff and partners who worked to develop these proposals and look forward to reviewing the report.”

    The report’s release was accompanied by a newly unveiled MPA website featuring the complete report and a sortable library of its 100-plus proposals, available in multiple languages at https://planforaging.ny.gov/.

    The MPA advances goals outlined in the Governor’s 2022 State of the State Address and Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Executive Budget. It was formally established by Executive Order No. 23, signed in November 2022.

    The Master Plan for Aging, led by the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the New York State Department of State is the product of a collaborative effort with dozens of stakeholders inside and outside of government.

    New York has the fourth-largest population of older adults in the U.S., with 3.2 million individuals – about 16 percent of the population – over age 65. The state’s population of those over the age of 60 is projected to grow to 5.3 million by 2030, with those over 80 years of age exceeding 1.2 million – growing faster than any other age group in some areas of the state. By 2030, older adults will make up 25 to 30 percent of the population in most New York counties.

    New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The Master Plan for Aging was created by New Yorkers, for New Yorkers, so we can age successfully and independently—on our terms—right here in New York.”

    New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said, “The final Master Plan for Aging is a true triumph of collective problem-solving. Under the vision of Governor Hochul, the MPA has brought together hundreds of the brightest and most accomplished minds from diverse fields and sectors – all contributing their talent to create this historic roadmap for an age-friendly New York. The Master Plan for Aging outlines over 100 proposals, each holding the promise to make a real difference in the lives of individuals as they age. Just as importantly, this document assesses the potential challenges, opportunities and pathways for action on each proposal, making it both visionary and practical. I applaud Governor Hochul, our state agency partners, the stakeholders and the public for their contributions to this historic outcome for older adults in New York State.”

    New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to the lives of older New Yorkers is on full display with this comprehensive Master Plan for Aging, which will guide aging policy in the state well into the future. The way we plan and develop our communities has a tremendous impact on the health, safety and quality of life of older New Yorkers. The Department of State was proud to have played a pivotal role in the development of the Master Plan for Aging, with our partners at Department of Health and State Office for the Aging. We stand ready to support the next phase of plan implementation through our planning and development programs, like the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, NY Forward and Smart Growth, which create livable communities for people of all ages and abilities.”

    Hundreds of stakeholders participated in a process of MPA workgroups to develop the MPA Final Report proposals. Organized into eight subcommittees and over 34 workgroups, the stakeholders coalesced around nine overarching pillars, which were:

    • Affordability of Basic Necessities
    • Informal Caregiver and Workforce Support and Modernization of Community-Based Aging Network Service
    • Modernization and Financial Sustainability of Healthcare, Residential Facilities and Community-Based Aging Network Service Providers
    • Prevention, Wellness Promotion and Access
    • Housing Access and Community Development
    • Access to Services in and Engagement with Historically Underserved Communities
    • Social Engagement of Older Adults
    • Combatting Elder Abuse, Ageism, Ableism and Stigma
    • Technology Access and Development

    The MPA builds upon New York’s status as a nation-leader in aging policy, as evidenced by New York’s designation as the first Age-Friendly State in the nation by AARP. This designation recognizes the State’s commitment to addressing “the environmental, economic and social factors that affect the health and well-being of older adults.”

    The 100-plus proposals presented in the MPA Final Report explore multiple approaches that address the built environment and infrastructure, transportation and transit, financing of care and services, recruitment and retention of the long term care workforce, licensing and training, pilot initiatives that can bring together providers and community services, innovations in care and service delivery, public-private partnerships, and many more.

    The MPA process is already having an impact. The FY 2026 Enacted State Budget includes $45 million in additional funds to expand community-based aging services offered through Area Agencies on Aging — a critical priority identified by the MPA. This funding will help to reduce waiting lists for services such as home-delivered meals, assistance from personal care aides for activities of daily living, transportation assistance, home adaptations, case management to assist with person-centered resources, and other community-based supports. Going forward, the MPA provides a range of strategies for state agencies, the Legislature, stakeholders and partners to consider as New York pursues policies, programs and collaborations that will benefit older adults and their families.

    The MPA Final Report builds on the MPA Preliminary Report issued in August of 2023 and Interim Report issued in October of 2024.

    The MPA Council, which is made up of New York State executive agencies, will continue to engage stakeholders from groups and communities across the State and coordinate efforts across state agencies to ensure that policy and programs supporting New York’s aging population are moving forward.

    The Master Plan for Aging Final Report can be found here.

    New York State Department of Health First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eugene Heslin said, “The Master Plan for Aging Process brought together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss the factors that impact aging in our communities. The result is a compendium of suggested strategies to help focus state agencies, the legislature and private partners supporting New Yorkers as they age.”

    State Senator Cordell Cleare said, “The planning process that gave rise to the MPA was truly a grassroots effort and labor of love by those who have dedicated their professional lives to empowering, protecting and prioritizing Older New Yorkers. I look forward to digging into the granular details–but more importantly, I welcome the opportunity to turn this plan into a comprehensive package of legislative solutions backed by permanent and recurring funding.”

    Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright said, “Governor Hochul’s Final Report for the Master Plan for Aging serves as a critical blueprint for advancing affordability, expanding pathways to aging in place and elevating the system of care and quality of life for older New Yorkers. As Chair of Aging and Assembly Member of the largest cohort of older adults in Manhattan, I’m proud to partner with the Governor, Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, Senate Aging Chair Cleare, legislative colleagues, advocates and stakeholders toward ensuring that aging New Yorkers have the equitable and affordable city and state that they deserve, that they have earned.”

    MPA Coalition co-chairs Nora O’Brien-Suric and Bob Blancato said, “We commend Governor Hochul on the release of an historic and holistic Master Plan for Aging. The MPA Coalition is proud to be the largest stakeholder group advocating for the MPA. We now will shift our focus to helping ensure the priority recommendations in the plan are implemented in a timely manner.”

    AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said, “The Master Plan for Aging has created a valuable opportunity for stakeholders across New York to assess our current systems and propose policies that better support aging New Yorkers now and in the future. Governor Hochul is already making meaningful progress with the historic investment in aging services in the final state budget this year. The real challenge lies ahead as we work together to implement these proposals and turn this visionary plan into reality.”

    Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) Executive Director Rebecca Preve said, “As a key MPA stakeholder, the Association on Aging in New York contributed at multiple levels in the development of this pioneering roadmap of proposals to support older adults and create opportunities for successful aging in New York State. This process has already yielded game-changing outcomes, including additional funds in this year’s state budget for Area Agencies on Aging to meet locally determined needs for services. We look forward to supporting the MPA’s progress in partnership with stakeholders across sectors.”

    Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc. President and CEO Ann Marie Cook said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for her Executive Order to create a New York State Master Plan for Aging and for her steadfast support of older New Yorkers. The process involved thousands of people – everyone from older adults, to aging service professionals, to family caregivers. The plan creates a critical roadmap to ensure that aging New Yorkers are able to live and thrive in our state. I am proud to have participated in this process and look forward to doing everything I can to implement this historic plan.”

    ARCHANGELS CEO and Co-founder Alexandra Drane said, “All of us do it, whether we realize it or not: we care. In fact, over 40% of us across our nation are showing up in foundational ways for family, friends, neighbors. The intensity of that care is real – and it manifests in all aspects of our health and productivity. New York’s Master Plan for Aging marks a powerful shift: it recognizes this population as the economic backbone of New York State and elevates this often-invisible work as essential infrastructure. Through public-private partnerships like Any Care Counts-NY and the bold, cross-sector ideas in this truly comprehensive plan, New York is turning good intentions into real-world support and impact for caregivers and the people, businesses, and communities who rely on them. ARCHANGELS is honored to continue our long-term partnership with New York in this transformative work – because supporting caregivers isn’t just good policy, it’s smart economics, and it gets to the very heart of an age-friendly New York.”

    ArchCare CEO Scott La Rue said, “Being a stakeholder in the development of the NYS Master Plan for Aging was a truly positive experience. The process was remarkably inclusive, offering multiple avenues for New Yorkers and their representatives to provide invaluable input. This forward-thinking document will undoubtedly guide the state effectively as its population of older adults continues to grow.”

    VNS Health President and CEO Dan Savitt said, “Governor Hochul’s Master Plan for Aging is an essential step forward for New York, responding with deep clarity and vision to the demographic, economic, and health care realities of our time. As the state’s largest home- and community-based care provider, VNS Health is proud to have contributed to the Governor’s bold plan and will work collaboratively with the Administration to harness technology, strengthen partnerships, and expand access to care so that all older New Yorkers are able to age with the dignity, independence and support they deserve.”

    LeadingAge New York President and CEO Sebrina Barrett said, “As the only statewide organization dedicated to the entire continuum of care for older New Yorkers, LeadingAge New York supports the MPA’s comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of older adults. With a growing population of older adults and a shrinking number of working-age caregivers, we need to act swiftly and decisively to ensure access to appropriate services and the necessary workforce to provide them. We welcome the report’s attention to innovative solutions, such as housing with services, and its proposals to address provider regulations and payment rules that limit access and fragment care. We are excited to continue the productive inter-agency and multi-stakeholder collaboration that has arisen from the MPA process, as we work to promote a high-quality continuum of care for older New Yorkers today and in the future.”

    John A. Hartford Foundation President Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN said, “Every New Yorker deserves to age with the support and care they need to maintain their health and well-being, and this statewide plan for aging moves us in the right direction. We applaud everyone involved in the creation of this robust blueprint for action and look forward to working with partners to prioritize and implement the proposed recommendations so that our state’s health systems and all sectors become age-friendly.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming Air National Guard celebrates historic Recruiting and Retention Flight

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    It’s official. The Wyoming Air National Guard formally recognized their recruiting and retention unit as a flight during an Activation and Assumption of Command Ceremony last week.

    When U.S. Air Force Capt. Nicole Zoellner raised her hand in salute during the ceremony, she also became one of the first commanders in the country to lead recruiting and retention as an official unit.

    The activation of a new flight marks an important milestone by establishing a unit designed to support the mission of the United States Air Force and the Wyoming Air National Guard.

    The term “flight” dates to World War One and was originally used to designate a group of aircraft. Today, the term can be used for any kind of group with a distinct mission.

    And the Recruiting and Retention Flight at the Wyoming Air National Guard have a big one.

    The number one priority for leadership at the Wyoming Air National Guard is bringing in the next generation of talent. This is no small feat, especially when one considers that Wyoming is the least populated state in the country, with the lowest population density as well.

    In fact, the state has more antelopes than people.

    But the number of enlistments for the Wyoming Air National Guard continues to increase in large part thanks to the grit, drive, and determination of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Flight. Last year, they ranked in the top 15 recruiting and retention units nationwide in total accessions.

    During the Activation and Assumption of Command Ceremony last week, Brigadier General Barry Deibert presented the official activation orders. The audience rose for the publishing of the order. Military members stood at attention. The guidon posted the flag unwaveringly.

    “By order of the Adjutant General and the Governor of Wyoming, effective 17 May, 2025, Recruiting and Retention Flight, Joint Force Headquarters, is hereby activated to support the mission of the 153rd Airlift Wing, United States Air Force,” Deibert said.

    With the activation of the flight, it was time to recognize its leadership.

    Zoellner faced Deibert and saluted.

    “Sir, I assume command,” she said.

    With the passing of the orders, the Recruiting and Retention Flight at the Wyoming Air National Guard will gain additional resources to achieve their mission. The flight will now have a defined chain of command, additional manning, and new opportunities for the recruiters to advance in their career field.

    Also, they will now be known as talent management craftsmen.

    “This is such an exciting time for the flight to be moving forward,” Zoellner said. “Recruiting and retention has always been given the expectation to push and do more, but now they are given the resources to make that happen.”

    They’re tasked to reach 102% manning for the 153rd Airlift Wing in 2028.

    “Our recruiters let interested people know that by joining the Wyoming Air Guard they can be the heroes of their own story, and we are here to be their guide,” Zoellner said. “You need tuition assistance for school? You want to be a part of something bigger than yourself? We have a solution, but it’s your story.”

    The Recruiting and Retention Flight of the Wyoming Air National Guard are on the frontline of the future, taking on the mission of attracting the next generation of the best and brightest.

    Photo by Tech. Sgt. Lee Murphy
    Photo by Tech. Sgt. Lee Murphy

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ashton Thomas Private Wealth Recognizes InvestmentNews 2025 DEI Trailblazer of the Year Cary Carbonaro

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ashton Thomas Private Wealth (“Ashton Thomas” or the “Company”), an Arax Investment Partners firm, is proud to celebrate Managing Wealth Advisor and Women & Wealth Ambassador Cary Carbonaro, who was named InvestmentNews’ 2025 DEI Trailblazer of the Year.

    This honor recognizes an outstanding trailblazer in the wealth management and financial planning industry who has shown a meaningful commitment and impact on diversity in financial services. Ms. Carbonaro was honored for dedicating her career to supporting female clients and advisors, both with Ashton Thomas and across the broader industry.

    “We’re very proud of Cary,” said Aaron Brodt, Chief Executive Officer of Ashton Thomas. “This national recognition is a testament to the work she has done at Ashton Thomas to foster financial empowerment, share knowledge and uplift women in the financial services industry. Advisors like Cary make our network strong, helping us to effectively serve a diverse range of clients across the country. We appreciate her contributions and look forward to continuing our work together.”

    The annual InvestmentNews Awards recognize top-performing advisors who demonstrate leadership, innovation and transformative results for clients. Final winners were announced on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the InvestmentNews Awards dinner in New York City. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth was honored as an Excellence Awardee in the RIA Firm of the Year category. Lance Knight, Partner, Senior Director and Head of Business Development at Ashton Thomas was honored as an Excellence Awardee in the Excellence in Philanthropy and Community Service category for his work with St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Nevada.

    About Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
    Ashton Thomas is a diversified financial services firm committed to a culture of excellence, integrity, and respect in every aspect of its business. Through its various entities listed below, Ashton Thomas serves foundations, businesses, and affluent individuals and families by providing a range of services which include fee-based financial planning and investment portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, securities brokerage, life and health insurance, and income tax preparation. The firm also strives to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and thought leadership within the financial services industry.

    Ashton Thomas Private Wealth, LLC, (“ATPW”), founded in 2010, is an SEC-registered investment adviser which provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Securities, LLC, (“ATS”) is a dually registered entity. ATS registered with FINRA as a broker-dealer in 1984 and provides securities brokerage services. ATS became an SEC-registered investment adviser in 2008 and provides fee-based financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting, and fund manager selection services. Ashton Thomas Insurance Agency, LLC, (“ATIA”) provides life and health insurance brokerage services. ATIA also provides income tax services through its DBA, Ashton Thomas Tax Advisory. Representatives of the entities listed may only conduct business for which they are licensed, if required, and with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered and/or licensed.

    About Arax Investment Partners
    Arax Investment Partners is a rapidly growing boutique wealth management platform making strategic control investments in leading RIAs and elite advisor teams. Founded and led by CEO Haig Ariyan — a seasoned industry executive with a distinguished track record of building and scaling wealth management businesses — Arax empowers its partners to be entrepreneurial and focus on delivering exceptional client service. Firms benefit from a management team with deep M&A expertise, capital sourcing capabilities, and the backing of RedBird Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.araxpartners.com.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications
    Arax@gagnierfc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s Joint Press Encounter with the President of Spain [scroll down for all-English and all-Spanish]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Querido Pedro Sánchez, Presidente del Gobierno de España quiero agradecerte y agradecer al Gobierno y al pueblo de España por la magnífica organización de esta Conferencia y por la extraordinaria hospitalidad que estamos recibiendo.
     
    España es un pilar del multilateralismo, un socio firme de las Naciones Unidas y un defensor del desarrollo – como demuestra, una vez más, al acoger esta importante conferencia.
     
    España es también una voz líder mundial por la paz – y comprende los profundos vínculos entre el desarrollo y la paz.
     
    At a time of profound global turmoil, we must keep working for peace, for peace in the Middle East.
     
    For an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access as a first step to achieve the two-State solution.
     
    For the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to hold.
     
    For a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions. 
     
    For an end to the horror and bloodshed in Sudan.
     
    We know that sustainable peace requires sustainable development.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen of the media.
     
    As I said in opening the Conference this morning, development is not just about numbers on a page.
     
    It’s about food, health care and education.
     
    It’s about jobs and social protection.
     
    It’s about infrastructure like water systems, internet access and climate-resilient buildings.
     
    It’s about providing equal opportunity for girls and women which moves all societies ahead.
     
    It’s about easing human suffering, and driving progress across every community, large and small.
     
    Development is about people.
     
    And we have collectively made great strides in development in recent decades.
     
    But progress doesn’t happen on its own. 
     
    It takes support and investment.
     
    As we meet, the world is falling behind in its commitments to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
     
    Achieving them will take an investment of more than $4 trillion a year.
     
    And meanwhile, global growth is slowing, trade barriers are rising, and aid budgets are falling.
     
    Developing countries are drowning in debt service payments, which have skyrocketed to $1.4 trillion every year.
     
    And the great enabler of development — international cooperation — is being chipped away by geopolitical mistrust and division.
     
    Now, this Conference is about rebuilding that trust with concrete commitments.
     
    With the adoption of the Sevilla Commitment document, countries are proving their dedication to getting the engine of development revving again:
     
    Through new domestic and global commitments that can channel public and private finance to the areas of greatest need…
     
    By overhauling the world’s approach to debt to make borrowing work in service of sustainable development…
     
    And by reforming the global financial architecture to reflect today’s realities and the urgent needs of developing countries, that must have a much stronger voice and participation in the institutions of this financial architecture.
     
    The Sevilla Platform of Action being launched later today will help us move from words to action.
     
    It contains dozens of new practical initiatives to accelerate funding for development around the world.
     
    This includes the commitment to establish a borrowers forum for countries to learn from one another and coordinate their approaches in debt management and restructuring.
     
    This is one of 11 immediately actionable proposals to help resolve the debt crisis, backed by my group of experts on debt that will be publishing their report.
     
    I look forward to working closely with Member States — including the G20 — to bring this forum to life.
     
    Por encima de todo, Sevilla va de soluciones.
     
    Y de encontrar esas soluciones en un momento de dificultades y división para la familia humana.
     
    Espero que nuestros esfuerzos colectivos aquí en Sevilla puedan inspirar y motivar a los países del mundo a trabajar unidos para resolver otros desafíos globales.
     
    Y una vez más, quiero agradecer al Presidente del Gobierno y al pueblo español por dar la bienvenida al mundo aquí en Sevilla. 
     
    Muchas gracias.

    ****
    [all-English]

    Prime Minister Sánchez, my thanks to you and the government and people of Spain for your tremendous hospitality.

    Dear Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain, I would like to thank you and the Government and people of Spain for the magnificent organization of this Conference and for the extraordinary hospitality we are receiving.

    Spain is a pillar of multilateralism, a steadfast partner of the United Nations, and a champion of development as we see once again in your hosting of this major conference. 

    Spain is also a leading global voice for peace — and understands the deep linkages between development and peace.

    At a time of profound global turmoil, we must keep working for peace, for peace in the Middle East.

    For an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access as a first step to achieve the two-State solution.

    For the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to hold.

    For a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions. 

    For an end to the horror and bloodshed in Sudan.

    We know that sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media.

    As I said in opening the Conference this morning, development is not just about numbers on a page.

    It’s about food, health care and education.

    It’s about jobs and social protection.

    It’s about infrastructure like water systems, internet access and climate-resilient buildings.

    It’s about providing equal opportunity for girls and women which moves all societies ahead.

    It’s about easing human suffering, and driving progress across every community, large and small.

    Development is about people.

    And we have collectively made great strides in development in recent decades.

    But progress doesn’t happen on its own. 

    It takes support and investment.

    As we meet, the world is falling behind in its commitments to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Achieving them will take an investment of more than $4 trillion a year.

    Meanwhile, global growth is slowing, trade barriers are rising, and aid budgets are falling.

    Developing countries are drowning in debt service payments, which have skyrocketed to $1.4 trillion every year.

    And the great enabler of development — international cooperation — is being chipped away by geopolitical mistrust and division.

    This Conference is about rebuilding that trust with concrete commitments.

    With the adoption of the Sevilla Commitment document, countries are proving their dedication to getting the engine of development revving again:

    Through new domestic and global commitments that can channel public and private finance to the areas of greatest need…

    By overhauling the world’s approach to debt to make borrowing work in service of sustainable development…

    And by reforming the global financial architecture to reflect today’s realities and the urgent needs of developing countries, that must have a much stronger voice and participation in the institutions of this financial architecture.

    The Sevilla Platform of Action being launched later today will help us move from words to action.

    It contains dozens of new practical initiatives to accelerate funding for development around the world.

    This includes the commitment to establish a borrowers forum for countries to learn from one another and coordinate their approaches in debt management and restructuring.

    This is one of 11 immediately actionable proposals to help resolve the debt crisis, backed by my group of experts on debt that will be publishing their report.

    I look forward to working closely with Member States — including the G20 — to bring this forum to life.

    Above all, Sevilla is about solutions.

    And finding these solutions at a divided and difficult moment for the human family.

    It is my hope that our collective efforts here in Sevilla can inspire and motivate the countries of the world to work as one to solve other global challenges.

    Once again, I’d like to thank Prime Minister Sánchez and the people of Spain for welcoming the world to Sevilla. 

    Thank you.

    *****
    [all-Spanish]

    Querido Pedro Sánchez, Presidente del Gobierno de España quiero agradecerte y agradecer al Gobierno y al pueblo de España por la magnífica organización de esta Conferencia y por la extraordinaria hospitalidad que estamos recibiendo.

    España es un pilar del multilateralismo, un socio firme de las Naciones Unidas y un defensor del desarrollo – como lo demuestra, una vez más, al acoger esta importante conferencia.

    España es también una voz líder mundial por la paz – y comprende los profundos vínculos entre el desarrollo y la paz.

    En estos momentos de profunda agitación mundial, debemos seguir trabajando por la paz, por la paz en Oriente Medio.

    Por un alto el fuego inmediato en Gaza, la liberación inmediata de todos los rehenes y un acceso humanitario sin trabas – como primer paso para lograr la solución de dos Estados.

    Por el mantenimiento del alto el fuego entre Irán e Israel.

    Por una paz justa y duradera en Ucrania, basada en la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, el derecho internacional y las resoluciones de la ONU. 

    Por el fin del horror y el derramamiento de sangre en Sudán.

    Sabemos que una paz sostenible requiere un desarrollo sostenible.

    Señoras y señores de los medios,

    Como he dicho esta mañana al inaugurar la Conferencia, el desarrollo no es solo números en un papel.

    El desarrollo tiene que ver con la alimentación, la atención sanitaria y la educación.

    Con los empleos y la protección social.

    Con las infraestructuras, como los sistemas de abastecimiento de agua, el acceso a Internet y los edificios resistentes al clima.

    Se trata de ofrecer igualdad de oportunidades a las niñas y las mujeres, que tan a menudo son las primeras a quienes se deja atrás.

    Se trata de aliviar el sufrimiento humano e impulsar el progreso en todas las comunidades, tanto grandes como pequeñas.

    El desarrollo se trata de las personas.

    Y colectivamente hemos hecho grandes progresos en materia de desarrollo en las últimas décadas.

    Pero los progresos no se producen por sí solos. 

    Se necesita apoyo e inversión.

    Mientras nos reunimos, el mundo se está quedando a la zaga en sus compromisos de impulsar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.

    Para alcanzarlos, hará falta una inversión de más de 4 billones de dólares al año.

    Y mientras tanto, el crecimiento mundial se ralentiza, las barreras comerciales aumentan, y disminuyen los presupuestos para ayuda.

    Los países en desarrollo están ahogados por los pagos de servicio de la deuda, que se han disparado hasta los 1,4 billones de dólares anuales.

    Y la desconfianza y la división geopolíticas están minando el gran motor del desarrollo, que es la cooperación internacional.

    Esta Conferencia trata de reconstruir esa confianza con compromisos concretos.

    Con la adopción del documento del Compromiso de Sevilla, los países están demostrando que quieren volver a acelerar el motor del desarrollo:

    Con nuevos compromisos nacionales y globales que dirijan la financiación pública y privada a las esferas donde es más necesaria…

    Revisando el enfoque global de la deuda para hacer que el endeudamiento esté al servicio del desarrollo sostenible…

    Y reformando la arquitectura financiera mundial para que refleje las realidades actuales y las necesidades urgentes de los países en desarrollo que deben tener una voz y una participación mucho más fuertes en las instituciones de esta arquitectura financiera.

    La Plataforma de Acción de Sevilla, que se pondrá en marcha hoy, nos ayudará a pasar de las palabras a los hechos.

    Contiene docenas de nuevas iniciativas prácticas para acelerar la financiación del desarrollo en todo el mundo.

    Este incluye el compromiso de establecer un foro de prestatarios para que los países aprendan unos de otros y coordinen sus planteamientos en la gestión de la deuda y la reestructuración.

    Esta es una de las 11 propuestas de acción inmediata para ayudar a resolver la crisis de la deuda, respaldadas por mi grupo de expertos en deuda que publicará su informe.

    Espero trabajar en estrecha colaboración con los Estados miembros -incluido el G20 – para dar vida a este foro.

    Por encima de todo, Sevilla va de soluciones.

    Y de encontrar esas soluciones en un momento de dificultades y división para la familia humana.

    Espero que nuestros esfuerzos colectivos aquí en Sevilla puedan inspirar y motivar a los países del mundo a trabajar unidos para resolver otros desafíos globales.

    Y una vez más, quiero agradecer al Presidente del Gobierno y al pueblo español por dar la bienvenida al mundo aquí en Sevilla. 

    Muchas gracias.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Mobilize Resources, Fix Global Debt System, Increase Developing World’s Role in Global Financial Institutions, Secretary-General Urges as Sevilla Conference Opens

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the opening of the fourth Financing for Development Conference, in Sevilla, Spain, today:

    I thank the Government and people of Spain for welcoming us to Sevilla for this important conference.

    For decades, the mission of sustainable development has united countries large and small, developed and developing. Together, we achieved progress:  reducing global poverty and hunger; saving lives with stronger healthcare systems; getting more children into school; expanding opportunities for women and girls; and strengthening social safety nets.

    But, today, development and its great enabler — international cooperation — are facing massive headwinds. We are living in a world where trust is fraying and multilateralism is strained.  A world with a slowing economy, rising trade tensions and decimated aid budgets.  A world shaken by inequalities, climate chaos and raging conflicts.

    The link between peace and development is clear.  Nine of the 10 countries with the lowest Human Development Indicators are currently in a state of conflict.

    Financing is the engine of development. And right now, this engine is sputtering.  As we meet, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — our global promise to transform our world for a better, fairer future — is in danger.  Two thirds of the Sustainable Development Goals targets are lagging.  Achieving them requires an investment of more than $4 trillion a year.

    But, this is not just a crisis of numbers.  It’s a crisis of people.  Of families going hungry.  Of children going unvaccinated.  Of girls forced to drop out of school.

    We are here in Sevilla to change course; to repair and rev up the engine of development to accelerate investment at the scale and speed required; and to restore a measure of fairness and justice for all.

    The Sevilla Commitment document is a global promise to fix how the world supports countries as they climb the development ladder.  I see three areas of action.

    First — we must get resources flowing.  Fast.  Countries must lead by mobilizing domestic resources and investing in areas of greatest impact:  schools, healthcare, social protection, decent work and renewable energy.

    Unlocking these investments requires strengthening tax systems, and tackling illicit financial flows and tax evasion.  And helping developing countries dedicate a greater share of their tax revenues to the systems people need.

    The Sevilla Commitment’s call on developed countries to double their aid dedicated to domestic resource mobilization to support this.  Multilateral and national development banks must unite to finance major investments.

    This includes tripling the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks — and rechanneling special drawing rights that can unlock lending capacity and help developing countries boost investment.

    We also need innovative funding solutions to unlock private capital.  Solutions that mitigate currency risks; that combine public and private finance more effectively, and ensure the risks and rewards of development projects are shared by both the public and private sectors; And that ensure financial regulations assess risk appropriately and support investments in frontier markets.

    Second — we must fix the global debt system which is unsustainable, unfair and unaffordable.  With annual debt service at $1.4 trillion, countries need — and deserve — a system that lowers borrowing costs, enables fair and timely debt-restructuring, and prevents debt crises in the first place.

    The Sevilla Commitment lays the groundwork, with other aspects, by also creating a single debt registry for transparency, and promoting responsible lending and borrowing; by lowering the cost of capital through debt swaps and debt management support; and through debt-service pauses in times of emergency 

    And third — we must increase the participation of developing countries in the institutions of the global financial architecture.  The present major shareholders have a role to play recognizing the importance of correcting injustices and adapting to a changing world.

    A new borrowers forum will give voice to borrowers for fairer debt resolution and can foster transparency, shared learning and coordinated debt action.  And we need a fairer global tax system shaped by all, not just a few.

    This conference is not about charity. It’s about restoring justice and lives of dignity.  This conference is not about money.  It’s about investing in the future we want to build, together.  Thank you all for being part of this important and ambitious effort.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada:

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Google Translate Disclaimer

    A number of pages on the Government of Saskatchewan’s website have been professionally translated in French. These translations are identified by a yellow box in the right or left rail that resembles the link below. The home page for French-language content on this site can be found at:

    Renseignements en Français

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces New Auto Industry Supplier Will Create 125 Jobs in Rutherford County

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces New Auto Industry Supplier Will Create 125 Jobs in Rutherford County

    Governor Stein Announces New Auto Industry Supplier Will Create 125 Jobs in Rutherford County
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Governor Josh Stein announced today that TMG & Haartz Solutions LLC, a new joint venture to supply synthetic leather materials for automotive interiors, will create 125 jobs over the next five years in Rutherford County. The company will invest $51 million in Bostic to establish an industrial facility to supply original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Mercedes Benz, Volvo, BMW, GM, Toyota, and Ford.

    “North Carolina’s robust network of suppliers to the automotive industry grows stronger today with TMG Haartz Solutions’ decision to locate in our state,” said Governor Josh Stein.  “Manufacturing companies understand that North Carolina’s workforce training programs can help supply the skilled craftspeople they need.”

    TMG Haartz Solutions is a new joint venture formed by two family-owned companies, each with long histories of serving the automotive industry. The Haartz Corporation, formed in 1907 with headquarters in Acton, Massachusetts, is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible toppings and interior surface materials. TMG Automotive (TMG), a business unit of the TMG Group with headquarters in Portugal, is a world leader in automotive interior surface materials, notably synthetic leathers.

    The new company, TMG Haartz Solutions, will focus on the localized supply of highly engineered synthetic leather materials for automotive interior trim components such as seat covers, instrument panels, door pillars, and shift gear boots. The company’s mission aims to drive the next generation of automotive design by crafting precision materials that reflect the company’s global expertise, commitment to local stewardship, and dedication to a lighter environmental footprint. The company’s project in Rutherford County will establish an industrial manufacturing center in Bostic at a site previously used for the Milliken Golden Valley plant.

    “Our journey began with a commitment to craftsmanship and innovation, values passed down through generations of the Gonçalves family,” said Isabel Furtado, Board Member at TMG Group & Board Member and CEO at TMG Automotive. “From our roots in Portugal to this new chapter in the United States, we have always believed in building relationships based on trust, respect, and shared purpose. The relationship between Gonçalves and Haartz families is more than a business alliance—it is a story of mutual respect, shared values, and a common vision for the future of mobility.”  

    “Collaboration is one of our core values at Haartz, and our relationship with the Gonçalves family and TMG Automotive is a shining example of how shared values, mutual respect, and family heritage can transcend business,” said Eric Haartz, CEO at The Haartz Corporation.  “What began as a business relationship has grown into a deep bond between our families — one that continues to inspire innovation and lasting impact. We are honored to take this next step together, bringing our combined strengths to an exciting new chapter in the United States.”  

    “North Carolina is the number one manufacturing state in the Southeastern United States, and our leadership has been noticed by companies around the world,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “From our world-class transportation networks to our concentration of workers with manufacturing experience, we can offer companies like TMG Haartz Solutions the right ingredients for success.” 

    Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $64,218, compared with an average wage in Rutherford County of $46,673.

    The company’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $352.59 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,463,000, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation targets.

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 125 per cent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $2.25 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company. 

    “I’m pleased to see two family-owned companies with great reputations begin their next phase of growth together right here in North Carolina and Rutherford County,” said Senator Tim Moffitt.  “We are a family-friendly region and our community will rally around and support this company as it begins to put down roots in our area.”  

    “It takes a lot of work behind the scenes by many community and economic development groups to bring a great company like TMG Haartz Solutions to our region,” said Representative Paul Scott. “We welcome these new jobs and this confident investment in the people of Rutherford County.”  

    Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the Commerce Department’s Division of Workforce Solutions, Isothermal Community College, Rutherford County, and Rutherford County Economic Development.

    With this announcement, since January 1st, Governor Stein has announced business expansions or new projects that will make more than $16.3 billion of new capital investment in North Carolina and create more than 18,000 new good-paying jobs. 

    Jun 30, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Highlights Ongoing Efforts to Expand Access to Good Jobs with Good Wages

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Highlights Ongoing Efforts to Expand Access to Good Jobs with Good Wages

    Governor Stein Highlights Ongoing Efforts to Expand Access to Good Jobs with Good Wages
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today at Central Piedmont Community College, Governor Josh Stein’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships announced its first report, outlining its goals to expand access to good jobs with good wages that will support a family. 

    “You shouldn’t have to get a four-year degree to get a good job and support your family,” said Governor Stein. “That’s why I am committed to creating more good-paying jobs and pursuing the goals in this report so that our people have the skills and knowledge they need to build strong careers and bright futures in a changing economy.”

    “The Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships featured the expertise of representatives from everyone in our workforce system, from employers and labor to educators and state officials,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Meeting the goals adopted by the Council will be vital to continuing North Carolina’s economic success, because our talented people give us our competitive edge.”

    “Communities in every corner of the state, whether they are urban or rural, all need workers with the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Senator Eddie Settle. “The Council’s goals identify the top priorities for North Carolina to continue building an exceptional business climate, while allowing all workers to have opportunities for rewarding careers.”

    “Building upon North Carolina’s strong tradition of collaboration in workforce development, the Council has highlighted important ways that we can use education, training, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning partnerships to meet the needs of employers,” said Dr. Jeff Cox, president of the N.C. Community College System. “Our outstanding 58 community colleges look forward to playing a key role in meeting these goals.” 

    The 11 goals approved by the Council and submitted to Governor Stein are:

    1. Ensure 2 million North Carolinians aged 25-44 will have earned an industry-valued credential or degree.

    2. By graduation, ensure that every high school student has completed coursework that results in transferable credit or credentials/certifications in preparation for the postsecondary pathway of their choice. The coursework includes dual enrollment, Career & Technical Education (CTE) concentrator, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate, and work-based learning courses. 

    3. For graduating high school students, increase postsecondary enrollment, employment, or enlistment in the military within 12 months of high school graduation.

    4. Double the number of registered apprentices.

    5. Increase participation in work-based learning:

    • Double the number of work-based learning experiences through the NCWorks system with funding from Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I and the Native American Workforce Program.
    • Double the number of high school students participating in work-based learning.
    • Increase by 25% the number of community college students participating in work-based learning courses.
    • Increase by 25% work-based learning experiences including Correction Enterprises roles and work-release at state correctional facilities.
    • Increase by 15% work-based learning experiences for individuals with disabilities through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title IV funds.
    • Double the number of students participating in the state government internship program.

    6. Engage 50,000 employers to partner with the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships on achieving its goals.

    7. Establish and expand coordinated partnerships between education and workforce agencies and employers to increase alignment of resources to better address current and projected employer needs. Partnerships will result, on an annual basis, in the identification of local industry-valued training across the education continuum, shared planning for educational courses to meet these training needs, and increased use of available federal and state funds to support training in these programs.

    8. Create statewide sector-based workforce development strategies for at least 3 key industries, including, but not limited to, advanced manufacturing, education, and health care.

    9. Develop a plan to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills development into sector-based strategies and work-based learning in key industries to build a future-ready workforce.

    10. Reduce state government vacancy rate to 15%.

    11. Launch a coordinated statewide public outreach effort to broaden awareness and participation in workforce development programs by employers, learners, jobseekers, and incumbent workers, with an emphasis on reaching under-tapped talent pools like rural communities, veterans and their families, individuals with disabilities, and justice-involved people.

    Established through Executive Order No. 11 as an advisory body within the NCWorks Commission, the Council is co-chaired by N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, N.C. Senator Eddie Settle, and N.C. Community College System President Dr. Jeff Cox. The Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) provide administrative support for the Council’s work. The Council will continue to meet and will develop a second report, due in December 2025, detailing proposed strategies to attain each goal.

    Since January 1st, Governor Stein has announced business expansions or new projects that will make more than $16.3 billion of new capital investment in North Carolina and create more than 18,000 new good-paying jobs.

    Read the Council’s report here. 

    Jun 30, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Holds Virtual Educational Briefing on Federal SNAP and Medicaid Proposals

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Holds Virtual Educational Briefing on Federal SNAP and Medicaid Proposals

    NCDHHS Holds Virtual Educational Briefing on Federal SNAP and Medicaid Proposals
    jawerner

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services invites members of the media to a virtual educational briefing on Tuesday, July 1, at 10 a.m. to provide clarity on recent federal proposals that could significantly impact Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in North Carolina. The briefing will outline the major differences between the House and Senate budget proposals, including how each could affect access to health care and nutrition assistance for North Carolinians.

    This educational session is designed to support accurate and informed reporting as federal negotiations continue.

    What: Virtual Media Briefing on Federal Medicaid and SNAP Proposals

    Who:  Secretary Dev Sangvai
              Jonathan Kappler, NCDHHS Chief of Staff
              Karen Wade, NCDHHS Policy Director
              Jay Ludlam, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary of NC Medicaid

    When: Tuesday, July 1
                10 a.m.

    Where: Zoom. Please RSVP to news@dhhs.nc.gov if you can attend and to receive the link.

    Jun 30, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom urges safety this Fourth of July after 600,000 pounds of illegal explosives seized

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 30, 2025

    What you need to know: Californians are urged to practice common sense and safety when using fireworks to celebrate this Fourth of July. People who resort to using illegal fireworks will be held accountable.

    SACRAMENTO – With Fourth of July celebrations set to go off with a bang across the state this week, Governor Gavin Newsom and state fire officials are reminding all Californians that the state has no tolerance for illegal fireworks. Over 600,000 pounds of illegal fireworks have already been seized in 2025.

    The sale, transport, or use of fireworks without the “Office of the State Fire Marshal Safe and Sane” seal is illegal, as is possessing or using any fireworks in communities where they are not allowed. Violators face potential fines up to $50,000 as well as a year in jail.

    “We all must do our part to keep Fourth of July fun and safe. I ask all Californians to use common sense and practice safety when lighting fireworks to celebrate. Our message is clear: illegal fireworks won’t be tolerated, and you will be prosecuted. They run the risk of starting dangerous fires in the peak of our fire season.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Over the past several months, CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal’s specialized Arson and Bomb Investigators have been aiding local and federal illegal fireworks enforcement efforts. Last year, officials seized 288,000 pounds of illegal fireworks. The 10 year annual average is about 240,000 pounds seized per year.

    Since 2024, fireworks have caused over $35 million in property damage across California, sparking 1,230 fires. Illegal fireworks include:

    • Skyrockets
    • Bottle rockets
    • Roman candles
    • Aerial shells
    • Firecrackers
    • Sparklers
    • Other fireworks that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner

    “Already this year our Arson and Bomb Investigators, along with our partners, have successfully seized over 600,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from all over California,” said State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. “Our recent enforcement efforts clearly demonstrate our zero tolerance toward the use, transportation, and possession of illegal fireworks. Even ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks are banned in many communities and bring large fines for their illegal use.”

    For a fun and safe Fourth of July, know your local fireworks laws. Some California communities ban all fireworks, while others allow certain “Safe and Sane” fireworks.

    To learn more about fireworks safety and to view a full list of jurisdictions that allow the sale of Safe and Sane fireworks, go to ReadyforWildfire.org.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: New taxes on premium flyers and private jets: Greenpeace comment

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Barbados, France, Kenya, Spain, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Antigua & Barbuda supported by the European Commission, have announced they will form a ‘solidarity coalition on premium flyers’ to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development. Campaigners reacted to the announcement, which was made on the first day of the UN Financing for Development conference in Sevilla (FFD4).[1]

    Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said: “Flying is the most elite and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share. With the cost of climate impacts surging in countries least responsible for the crisis, bold, cooperative action that makes polluters pay is not just fair – it’s essential.”

    “The obvious next step is to hold oil and gas corporations to account. As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it’s no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.”  

    Greenpeace International maintains it is critical that the revenues raised from solidarity levies in Global North countries go towards the countries and communities most affected by the climate crisis, for example through helping to fill the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. 

    With demand for a climate damages tax on big polluters fast gaining momentum globally, Greenpeace urges all countries to join and implement the commitments of the new solidarity coalition on premium flyers by COP30. It also calls on all governments to adopt bold taxes and fines on greedy oil and gas corporations for the damages they have caused, without delay.[2][3][4][5][6] 

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) takes place from June 30 to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain, with participation of Heads of State and Government, relevant ministers, and other special representatives. Official website

    [2] Popularity of climate damages taxes on fossil fuel consumption and production. A global survey, commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, found that 3 out of 4 people agree that wealthier airline passengers (i.e. those who fly more often, use business and first-class and or/private jets) should pay additional tax due to their outsized individual impact on climate change. The same survey found that taxing oil, gas and coal corporations for their climate damages is even more popular. 81% of people support this, while 86% support channeling the revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis.

    [3] A call to action. The Polluters Pay Pact is a global alliance of more than 160,000 people on the frontlines of climate disasters, concerned citizens, first responders like firefighters, humanitarian groups and political leaders. It demands that governments around the world make oil, coal and gas corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause. 

    [4] 80% of the world’s population have never flown. A single transatlantic flight on a private jet can produce emissions equivalent to those generated by an average person over several years. Private jets are 10 times more carbon-intensive than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains. 

    [5] Recent Oxfam International research found that a polluter profits tax on 590 oil, gas and coal companies could raise up to US $400 billion in its first year. This compares to estimated loss and damage costs of $290-1045 trillion in the Global South annually by 2030. Further, Oxfam analysis found that the emissions of just 340 fossil fuel companies each year make up half of all global emissions – emissions of just one year are enough to cause 2.7 million heat-related deaths over the next century. 

    [6] Over 100 climate groups are backing a ‘Climate Damages Tax’ on fossil fuels extraction. This could be imposed by OECD countries, which if introduced at low initial rate of US$5 per tonne of CO2e increasing by US$5 per tonne each year could raise a total of US$ 900 billion by 2030 to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable with climate damages, and pay for damages caused by some of the worst extreme weather events last year. Greenpeace is calling on governments to introduce frequent flyer levies so that those who fly the most, pay the most, while preventing the expansion of the aviation industry. Private jets are an extravagant luxury which should be banned altogether.

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, +41-782530550, [email protected] 

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: New taxes on premium flyers and private jets: Greenpeace comment

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Barbados, France, Kenya, Spain, Benin, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Antigua & Barbuda supported by the European Commission, have announced they will form a ‘solidarity coalition on premium flyers’ to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development. Campaigners reacted to the announcement, which was made on the first day of the UN Financing for Development conference in Sevilla (FFD4).[1]

    Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said: “Flying is the most elite and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share. With the cost of climate impacts surging in countries least responsible for the crisis, bold, cooperative action that makes polluters pay is not just fair – it’s essential.”

    “The obvious next step is to hold oil and gas corporations to account. As fossil fuel barons rake in obscene profits, and people are battered with increasingly violent floods, storms and wildfires, it’s no surprise that 8 out of 10 people support making them pay. Members of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force and rich countries around the world should act upon this enormous public mandate: commit to higher taxes on fossil fuel profits and extraction by COP30, while ensuring that those being hit hardest by the climate crisis around the world benefit most from the revenues.”  

    Greenpeace International maintains it is critical that the revenues raised from solidarity levies in Global North countries go towards the countries and communities most affected by the climate crisis, for example through helping to fill the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. 

    With demand for a climate damages tax on big polluters fast gaining momentum globally, Greenpeace urges all countries to join and implement the commitments of the new solidarity coalition on premium flyers by COP30. It also calls on all governments to adopt bold taxes and fines on greedy oil and gas corporations for the damages they have caused, without delay.[2][3][4][5][6] 

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) takes place from June 30 to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain, with participation of Heads of State and Government, relevant ministers, and other special representatives. Official website

    [2] Popularity of climate damages taxes on fossil fuel consumption and production. A global survey, commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, found that 3 out of 4 people agree that wealthier airline passengers (i.e. those who fly more often, use business and first-class and or/private jets) should pay additional tax due to their outsized individual impact on climate change. The same survey found that taxing oil, gas and coal corporations for their climate damages is even more popular. 81% of people support this, while 86% support channeling the revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis.

    [3] A call to action. The Polluters Pay Pact is a global alliance of more than 160,000 people on the frontlines of climate disasters, concerned citizens, first responders like firefighters, humanitarian groups and political leaders. It demands that governments around the world make oil, coal and gas corporations pay their fair share for the damages they cause. 

    [4] 80% of the world’s population have never flown. A single transatlantic flight on a private jet can produce emissions equivalent to those generated by an average person over several years. Private jets are 10 times more carbon-intensive than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains. 

    [5] Recent Oxfam International research found that a polluter profits tax on 590 oil, gas and coal companies could raise up to US $400 billion in its first year. This compares to estimated loss and damage costs of $290-1045 trillion in the Global South annually by 2030. Further, Oxfam analysis found that the emissions of just 340 fossil fuel companies each year make up half of all global emissions – emissions of just one year are enough to cause 2.7 million heat-related deaths over the next century. 

    [6] Over 100 climate groups are backing a ‘Climate Damages Tax’ on fossil fuels extraction. This could be imposed by OECD countries, which if introduced at low initial rate of US$5 per tonne of CO2e increasing by US$5 per tonne each year could raise a total of US$ 900 billion by 2030 to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable with climate damages, and pay for damages caused by some of the worst extreme weather events last year. Greenpeace is calling on governments to introduce frequent flyer levies so that those who fly the most, pay the most, while preventing the expansion of the aviation industry. Private jets are an extravagant luxury which should be banned altogether.

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, +41-782530550, [email protected] 

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Plastics Recycling With Enzymes Takes a Leap Forward

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Key Process Improvements Save Energy and Cut Costs for Recycling Polyester With Enzymes

    NREL and collaborators made key improvements at each stage of an enzymatic recycling process—from the breakdown of plastics to the efficient recovery of building blocks for high-value materials—which resulted in an economically viable process for industry. Pictured from NREL (back row left to right): Manar Alherech, John E. McGeehan, Stephen H. Dempsey, Gregg T. Beckham; (front row left to right): Kelsey J. Ramirez, Natasha P. Murphy, Jason S. DesVeaux, Christine A. Singer, Hannah M. Alt, Elizabeth L. Bell. Photo by Josh Bauer, NREL

    A successful collaboration involving a trio of research institutions has yielded a road map toward an economically viable process for using enzymes to recycle plastics.

    The researchers, from NREL, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the University of Portsmouth in England, previously partnered on the biological engineering of improved PETase enzymes that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET). With its low manufacturing cost and excellent material properties, PET is used extensively in single-use packaging, soda bottles, and textiles.

    The new study combines the previous fundamental research with advanced chemical engineering, process development, and techno-economic analysis to lay the blueprints for enzyme-based PET recycling at industrial scale.

    While current methods exist for recycling PET, they are often incompatible with typical low-quality plastic waste. A potential solution lies with enzymes, which can selectively break down PET, even from contaminated and colored plastic waste streams. The researchers’ new design focuses on improvements at each stage of the process, from plastic deconstruction with enzymes, to efficient recovery of the resulting building blocks, or monomers. These monomers can be used to make new plastic or upcycled to generate higher value materials, saving energy and resources.

    The key to making such a process viable is to reduce the energy and cost requirements, which in turn yields a cheaper product. The team has achieved this by innovations that change the reaction conditions and separations technologies to reduce expensive acid and base additions by more than 99%, reduce annual running costs by 74%, and reduce energy use by 65%.

    “Despite the advantages of enzymatic recycling for complex plastic waste streams, the field has encountered multiple challenges for realistic implementation,” said Gregg Beckham, a senior research fellow at NREL and colead of the study. “Here we have taken a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates multiple innovations to realize an economically viable and scalable process.”

    The modeled cost of the resulting enzyme-recycled PET are now below those of U.S. domestic virgin PET ($1.51/kg vs. $1.87/kg), making this an attractive option for industry investment and scale-up.

    According to a 2022 NREL study, 86% of plastics were landfilled in the United States in 2019—materials with enough embodied energy to supply 5% of the power needs of the U.S. transportation sector. With global plastic production anticipated to increase between two and four times current levels by 2050, recovering and valorizing more postconsumer plastics is an opportunity to recapture that energy for domestic materials manufacturing.

    “We see a significant opportunity to design, test, and optimize new recycling technologies to efficiently valorize postconsumer plastics into feedstock for new materials,” said Natasha Murphy, a biochemist at NREL and co-first author of the new paper.

    The paper, “Process innovations to enable viable enzymatic poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling,” appears in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering. Other co-authors from NREL are Stephen Dempsey, Jason DesVeaux, Taylor Uekert, Swarnalatha Mailaram, Manar Alherech, Hannah Alt, Kelsey Ramirez, Brenna Norton-Baker, Elizabeth Bell, Christine Singer, and John McGeehan.

    McGeehan, who recently joined NREL from the University of Portsmouth, said, “I am delighted to be part of a team that is dedicated to translate fundamental science toward real-world application and look forward to working closely between NREL and our industry partners to accelerate the design and construction of the first U.S. enzymatic plastic recycling plant.”

    Research funds came from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and Bioenergy Technologies Office. This work was performed as part of the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLETM) consortium.

    Explore NREL bioenergy and bioeconomy research, including recyclable-by-design materials research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District of Arizona Charges 164 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from June 21, 2025, through June 27, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 164 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 84 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 71 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed cases against 9 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Jesus Alfred Salazar-Ruiz: On June 22, 2025, Border Patrol Agents attempted to conduct a stop on Jesus Alfred Salazar-Ruiz while he was driving. Salazar-Ruiz failed to yield and turned on to a dirt road, breaking through a chain gate in barbed wire fencing. Salazar-Ruiz drove at approximately 50 mph on the dirt road for several miles before coming to an abrupt stop. When agents approached the vehicle, it was empty. Agents searched the area and were able to locate Salazar-Ruiz, who still had the vehicle key in his possession. Agents were able to locate and apprehend three passengers from Salazar-Ruiz’s vehicle who were determined to be in the United States illegally. Salazar-Ruiz was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. [Case Number: 25-MJ-02859]

    United States v. Miguel Angel Mezo-Antele: On June 24, 2025, Border Patrol Agents stopped a vehicle on Interstate 40 in Yuma, Arizona. Miguel Angel Mezo-Antele, the driver of the vehicle and a citizen of Mexico, was transporting four passengers who were also citizens of Mexico. Mezo-Antele and the four passengers did not possess any documents allowing them to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States legally. Mezo-Antele was transporting the four passengers from New Mexico, through Arizona, to their ultimate destinations in California and Oregon. Mezo-Antele was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. [Case Number: 25‐MJ‐1696]

    United States v. Dalesio Hernandez-Bautista: On June 27, 2025, Dalesio Hernandez-Bautista, was charged by criminal complaint with Re-entry of a Removed Alien. Hernandez-Bautista had been previously removed from the United States in 2018 after being convicted of manslaughter, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Pinal County. Hernandez-Bautista was sentenced to five years in prison for the manslaughter. [Case Number: 25-MJ-53146]

    A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-105_June 27 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio Felon Indicted for Firearm Possession and Trafficking

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging a San Antonio man with three counts of firearm-related offenses.

    According to court documents, Alex Lee Vega, 27, allegedly conspired with another co-conspirator to transport a machinegun conversion device to another person on or about April 10. Additionally, Vega, who is a convicted felon, allegedly possessed two separate Glock pistols on or about April 11 and April 14.

    Vega is charged with one count of aiding and abetting trafficking in firearms and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. He made his initial court appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, Vega faces up to 15 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sade Bogart is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Firearms Possession Lands Lawton Man in Federal Prison for Seven Years Following Domestic Violence Conviction

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    OKLAHOMA CITY – RAYMOND IVAN MUNOZ, 22, of Lawton, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after conviction of a previous misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On September 4, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Munoz, charging him with being a drug user in possession of a firearm and, on a separate occasion, possession of firearms by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. According to public record, on February 14, 2023, officers with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Police Department encountered Munoz unconscious under the influence of drugs in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with an AK-47 loaded with an extended magazine resting between his legs. Later, on May 10, 2024, Lawton Police Department investigators observed one of Munoz’s social media posts in which he displayed a firearm while driving in a vehicle. Later that evening, officers observed Munoz, whom they knew to have a suspended license and active warrants, driving that vehicle in Lawton. When they attempted a traffic stop, Munoz initiated a pursuit in which his speeds exceeded 100 miles per hour, at times on the wrong side of the road and with his headlights off. He eventually reached his residence where he hid inside for approximately two hours before being arrested. Upon execution of a search warrant at the residence, detectives located two firearms hidden in a bathroom.

    Public record further reflects that Munoz was convicted of domestic assault and battery in Comanche County District Court case number CM-2020-810.

    On February 7, 2025, Munoz pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Indictment and admitted that he possessed firearms despite having previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

    At the sentencing hearing on June 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Munoz to serve 84 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court specifically noted the threat that Munoz poses to society and the necessity of a substantial sentence to protect the public.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Police Department, and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PENSACOLA MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING ILLEGAL NARCOTICS AND A FIREARM IN A HOME WITH YOUNG CHILDREN PRESENT

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher Michael Stanton, Jr., 29, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    According to court records, on August 7, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stanton’s residence on West Baars Street in Pensacola. In addition to Stanton and a female being present in the residence at the time of the search warrant, there were also three young children, all under the age of 10, present in the residence. Law enforcement located marijuana, cocaine, a loaded firearm, ammunition, loaded handgun magazines, and drug paraphernalia including a scale and cups with cocaine residue. Stanton was already a convicted felon.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The fact that the defendant had dangerous narcotics strewn about his home in the presence of young children is inexcusable.  My office is committed to the safety of our community, which includes keeping illegal narcotics off the streets and firearms out of the hands of convicted felons.”

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Files Amendments To Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill To Protect Rural Hospitals And Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 30, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Ahead of an upcoming vote-a-rama, where Senate Democrats will expose the truth about Republicans’ harmful scheme to cut health care and food assistance to provide billionaires with tax breaks, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) filed two motions to commit the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee and make revisions to protect against cuts to rural hospitals and medical research. Under the Senate Republican bill, $930 billion will be cut from Medicaid—in addition to more than $300 billion from the Affordable Care Act—resulting in rural and children’s hospital closures, shuttering of nursing homes, and 16 million Americans losing their health coverage.

    “Today, Senate Republicans will attempt to pass a reconciliation bill that will rip away health care from 16 million Americans to give tax breaks to billionaires,” said Durbin. “Under this bill, our rural hospitals will close, forcing people to drive hours to the next nearest hospital for critical care. If you are a patient with ALS, Alzheimer’s, or cancer, the hope you have for a cure will be ripped away because of Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’”

    “I hope Senate Republicans will take up my call to change the bill, but unfortunately their loyalty is to Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies—not Americans seeking critical health care,”Durbin concluded.

    Durbin’s motions to recommit to Committee include:

    • Eliminate provisions that cut Medicaid payments rural hospitals in Maine, Alaska, Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina, Louisiana, or West Virginia need to stay open; and would ensure big corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay a fair share in taxes.
    • Eliminate provisions that would reduce funding that supports biomedical research into cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, congenital heart defects, and other critical conditions.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Railways announces fare rationalisation for passenger trains from July 1

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Ministry of Railways on Monday announced rationalisation of basic fares for passenger train services, set to take effect from July 1. The move aims to streamline the fare structure across various categories and strengthen the financial viability of railway operations, while keeping affordability intact for large sections of passengers.

    According to the revised fare structure issued by the Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA), there will be no change in fares for suburban single journey tickets or season tickets, whether on suburban or non-suburban routes. However, minor fare adjustments have been introduced for non-AC and AC classes on non-suburban trains.

    For ordinary non-AC classes, including second class and sleeper class, fares have been marginally increased by 0.5 paisa per kilometre. In the case of second class, no increase will be applied for travel up to 500 kilometres. For journeys between 501 and 1500 kilometres, fares will increase by ₹5, while for 1501 to 2500 kilometres, the hike will be ₹10. Passengers travelling between 2501 and 3000 kilometres will see a ₹15 increase.

    In Mail and Express trains, non-AC classes such as second class, sleeper class, and first class will witness an increase of one paisa per kilometre. AC classes, including AC Chair Car, AC 3-Tier and 3-Economy, AC 2-Tier, and AC First/Executive/Anubhuti Class, will see an increase of two paisa per kilometre.

    The fare revisions are also applicable to premium and special train services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Mahamana, Gatimaan, Antyodaya, Jan Shatabdi, Yuva Express, and trains with AC Vistadome and Anubhuti coaches.

    There will be no change in ancillary charges such as reservation fees, superfast surcharges, or other applicable charges. GST will continue to be levied as per the prevailing rules, and fare rounding-off norms will remain unchanged.

    The revised fares will be applicable to all tickets booked on or after July 1. Tickets purchased before this date will remain valid at the existing fare, and no fare adjustment will be made retroactively. Indian Railways is currently updating its Passenger Reservation System (PRS), Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), and manual ticketing mechanisms to implement the new fare structure smoothly.

    The Ministry has also directed all Zonal Railways to ensure updated fare charts are displayed prominently at stations and that the fare revision is communicated clearly to the public to ensure hassle-free travel arrangements.