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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Strategies to attract US researchers to the EU – E-001337/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission aims to make the EU the most attractive and secure place for both EU and non-EU scientific talent, especially amid today’s uncertainties. Europe is already a safe haven for scientists, and this role must be protected by enshrining the freedom of scientific research in EU law.

    The Commission will put forward a new EUR 500 million package for 2025 -2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘Choose Europe’ pilot,[1] which will support early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer contracts, and a seven-year ‘super grant’ under the European Research Council.

    The EU is also making it easier for researchers to relocate and integrate. The ‘Students and Researchers’ Directive[2] provides a framework[3] for researchers to enter and reside in the EU, and the upcoming visa strategy aims to build on this by further easing migration procedures.

    EURAXESS[4] offers information and personalised assistance, helping researchers connect with institutions and regional innovation ecosystems.

    The European Research Area Act, expected in 2026, will aim to introduce measures strengthening the freedom of scientific research, research careers, mobility and coordination across Member States.

    The Commission supports European regions through initiatives like Regional Innovation Valleys to boost local innovation, particularly in digital and healthcare sectors.

    This is complemented by tools such as the Artificial Intelligence factories[5], the European Institute of Innovation and Technology[6], Digital Innovation Hubs[7] and Startup Europe[8].

    These efforts are further supported by EU Cohesion Policy, which helps regions leverage funding to support innovation and digitalisation.

    • [1] In addition to the ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe.
    • [2] Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast).
    • [3] This framework includes, amongst others, equal treatment rights with EU citizens in many areas, possibility to bring their families to the EU, intra-EU mobility rights, right to stay for up to nine months after the end of the research to look for a job, possibility to teach while conducting research, etc.
    • [4] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/.
    • [5] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/ai-factories.
    • [6] https://www.eit.europa.eu/.
    • [7] https://european-digital-innovation-hubs.ec.europa.eu/home.
    • [8] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/startup-europe.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EMA’s role in COVID-19 vaccine approval procedures, inspections and good clinical practice checks – P-001695/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The highest standards in the evaluation of COVID-19 vaccines were applied by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). As for every other product it evaluates, EMA’s human medicines committee[1] (CHMP) considered the need for good clinical practice (GCP) inspections.

    Studies supporting the authorisation of a medicine must comply with GCP. Regulators can request and conduct inspections to verify compliance with the standards.

    Criteria used to select a GCP inspection is published[2]. When a GCP inspection is requested by the CHMP, EMA makes a call for available EU national GCP inspection resources.

    The Member States have the final say on whether to send inspectors for an EMA-coordinated inspection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the restrictions to travel with a view to protect public health, regulators assessed the need for inspections and decided on a case-by-case basis the most appropriate and viable approach to take.

    The European Public Assessment Reports for Vaxzevria[3] and Comirnaty[4] are publicly available.

    The first cases of myocarditis that occurred in Israel in 2021 following vaccination with Comirnaty triggered a formal review by EMA[5].

    The outcome was that the risk for myocarditis and pericarditis was overall ‘very rare’ (up to one in 10 000 vaccinated people may be affected) with the highest risk in younger males[6].

    The product information of Comirnaty and Spikevax was revised adding myocarditis and pericarditis as new side effects with a warning to raise awareness.

    • [1] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/committees/committee-medicinal-products-human-use-chmp.
    • [2] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/points-consider-assessors-inspectors-european-medicines-agency-inspection-coordinators-identification-triggers-selection-applications-routine-cause-inspections-their-investigation-scope-such_en.pdf.
    • [3] Vaxzevria (previously COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca), INN-COVID-19-Vaccine-(ChAdOx1-S-[recombinant]) https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/assessment-report/vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-epar-public-assessment-report_en.pdf.
    • [4] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/assessment-report/comirnaty-epar-public-assessment-report_en.pdf.
    • [5] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/report/report-pharmacovigilance-tasks-eu-member-states-and-european-medicines-agency-ema-2019-2022_en.pdf.
    • [6] Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) 29 November — 2 December 2021 https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/meeting-highlights-pharmacovigilance-risk-assessment-committee-prac-29-november-2-december-2021.
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Liability exemptions in EU vaccine contracts – E-001495/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The (Advanced) Purchase Agreements for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to the Member States were concluded in full transparency with the Member States. Negotiations were carried out by a Joint Negotiation Team that consisted of representatives of the Commission and of several Member States.

    This team reported regularly to a Vaccines Steering Board co-chaired by the Commission and a Participating Member State, which provided guidance throughout the process.

    The Commission has provided information to the Parliament on a continuous basis, in line with its Treaty obligations and the framework Agreement on relations between the two institutions[1].

    All mRNA vaccines that receive a marketing authorisation are based on a thorough review by the European Medicine Agency (EMA), of clinical evidence confirming a favourable benefit-risk profile.

    Adapted versions are also approved based on data showing their ability to induce an immune response that can predict clinical efficacy and safety.

    T he safety profile of all medicinal products authorised in the EU, including mRNA vaccines, is subject to continuous monitoring. There is a robust pharmacovigilance system established in the EU to detect, assess, and address potential side effects[2].

    The Commission and Member States considered early introduction of the vaccine to be in the interest of public health. Member States were therefore willing to reduce manufacturers’ risks linked to liability for adverse effects[3].

    A citizen who has suffered adverse effects from one of the COVID-19 vaccines purchased under the contracts can claim damages against the manufacturer of the vaccine[4].

    • [1] The Commission has pro-actively published redacted versions of the contracts concluded with the vaccine producers on its website.
    • [2] https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/pharmacovigilance-overview.
    • [3] This was intended as a risk sharing principle in the vaccine strategy.
    • [4] If the claim is successful, the Member State that administered the vaccine can, under certain conditions, be responsible for compensating the injured party and paying the vaccine manufacturer’s legal costs (indemnification).
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Ongoing delays to the introduction of the entry/exit system (EES) – E-001070/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The start date for the Entry/Exit System (EES ) operations has been revised due to several reasons, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, technical complexities of the EES design and specific implementation difficulties at central and national levels . In October 2024, the Justice and Home Affairs Council agreed that a progressive launch of the EES would be the best way forward. Subsequently, the Commission adopted on 4 December 2024 a proposal for a regulation on a temporary derogation from certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as regards a progressive start of operations of the EES[1]. Co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on the proposal on 19 May 2025. According to the revised interoperability roadmap, endorsed by the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 5 March 2025, the EES entry into operation is foreseen in October 2025.

    2. The EES procurement was carried out by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice ( eu-LISA). The Commission has asked the Agency to provide the information requested by the Honourable Member.

    3. As regards the costs for the development of the EES, the Commission has asked the eu-LISA to provide the information requested by the Honourable Member.

    The Commission will send the Agency’s reply to the Honourable Member as soon as possible .

    • [1] COM(2024) 567 final.
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Shortages of health workers in France and the EU – E-001540/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is currently implementing an Action Plan on labour and skills shortages of 20 March 2024[1]. The action plan sets out 87 actions or commitments that the EU, Member States and social partners will or should take to tackle these shortages.

    It contains a call to Member States to develop policies to attract and retain nurses through improving working conditions and mentoring young professionals, with the support of the EU4Health Programme .

    The collection of data for a survey on the health professionals’ mental health was carried out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with EU4Health funding, and its results are planned to be published in October 2025. The WHO will then develop a set of proposed policy actions to protect the mental health of the health workforce, planned for publication before the end of 2025[2].

    The Commission’s Expert Group on Health Systems Performance Assessment[3] is mapping various approaches to ensuring safe staffing levels in healthcare.

    The Commission also helps Member States, including France, in seizing opportunities from the digitalisation of health systems. Among others, the European Health Data Space initiative[4] aims to establish a common framework for the use and exchange of electronic health data.

    T hrough the European Semester, t he Commission provides country-specific policy advice to support health system reforms , including those related to the health workforce. Substantial EU funding[5] is available to support skills development programmes[6] and planning and forecasting tools[7].

    I n the context of the Union of Skills[8] and its Skills Portability Initiative, the Commission will explore common rules for recognising the qualifications of third-country nationals, and thus facilitate the integration of non-EU workers into the EU labour markets, including in the healthcare sector.

    The forthcoming Quality Jobs Roadmap will support progress on the various dimensions of job quality in the evolving world of work.

    • [1]  Commission Communication on Labour and skills shortages in the EU: an action plan, COM(2024) 131 final (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0131).
    • [2]  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/european-health-union/comprehensive-approach-mental-health_en.
    • [3]  https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-systems-performance-assessment_en.
    • [4]  https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space-regulation-ehds_en.
    • [5]  https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2024-eu4health-work-programme_en.
    • [6]  Erasmus+ programme funded actions: AMR EDUCare https://www.amreducare.eu/, ‘BeWell’ https://bewell-project.eu/, DDS-MAP https://ddsmap.easpd.eu/, DigiCanTrain https://digicantrain.turkuamk.fi/contact-us/, e-Hospital4Future https://eh4future.eu/, EHMA https://hpass.healthworkforce.eu/EU4Health training https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2022-eu4health-work-programme_en; GESEA Educational Programme https://gesea.eu/ and TRANSiTION https://ehma.org/projects/transition/.
    • [7]  EU4Health Programme funded Joint Action Heroes: https://www.agenas.gov.it/ricerca-e-sviluppo/ricerca-internazionale/personale-sanitario-ri/heroes-health-workforce-to-meet-health-challenges.
    • [8]  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5c5c5399-fa8a-11ef-b7db-01aa75ed71a1.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Employment of people on the autism spectrum in the EU – E-000626/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Staff Regulations[1] prohibit discrimination based on any ground and promote equal opportunities. In the new mandate, the Commission will continue to improve recruitment and talent management to attract and retain a skilled, diverse, versatile, and motivated workforce[2].

    As part of its Human Resources Strategy[3], the Commission is working on attracting and catering for the needs of diverse staff, including people with disabilities, and aims for a discrimination free and accessible workplace. The Diversity and inclusion in the workplace action plan 2023-2024[4] includes more targeted actions in this area.

    The European Personnel Selection Office and the Commission provide support to candidates with medical conditions and offer reasonable accommodation[5].

    Fostering access to quality and sustainable jobs is one of the priorities of the strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities[6]. The Commission cooperates with stakeholders focusing on specific disabilities, and financially supports organisations such as Autism Europe.

    The Commission also takes into account the European Parliament Resolution of 4 October 2023 on harmonising the rights of autistic persons[7] in its action.

    • [1]  OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1.
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/58e66b7e-850f-439f-b448-652cc4f6743e_en?filename=mission-letter-serafin.pdf.
    • [3]  C(2022) 2229 final, 5.4.2022.
    • [4] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/196676b9-9b29-4034-84ca-d75d3cd5912c_en?filename=fact-sheet-diversity-inclusion-in-workplace-action-plan-2023-2024_en_0.pdf.
    • [5]  C(2004)1318, 07.04.2004; https://eu-careers.europa.eu/en/selection-procedure/equal-opportunities-diversity-inclusion.
    • [6] COM/2021/101 final, 3.3.2021.
    • [7] P9_TA(2023)0343.
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Systematic analysis of innovative cancer treatment options and patient survival – E-001448/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The Commission is fully committed to improving health outcomes for cancer patients through innovative therapies[1]. Under the EU4Health programme, the Joint Action on Personalised Cancer Medicine[2] will address the effectiveness of therapies. The European Cancer Information System[3] provides relevant data.

    2. For primary use, the European Health Data Space will ensure citizens’ right to access and control their health data in an electronic format, and for secondary use, it will facilitate the access for research, innovation and policy making, contributing to optimise treatment and improve delivery of care.

    3. The Horizon Europe[4] Cancer Mission[5] supports pragmatic clinical trials to test the effectiveness of therapies, including on surgery-centred technologies[6]. The Euratom Research and Training Programme[7] addresses research in the medical applications of ionising radiation, notably novel uses of radionuclides for the screening and treatment of cancer.

    • [1] For example, through Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation (EU) 2021/2282, applicable since January 2025, which includes assessment of new cancer treatments, and the CAN.HEAL project developed common protocols to assess effectiveness of new cancer technologies.
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/eu4h-2024-pj-03-4.
    • [3] ECIS https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/; ECIS provides comparable statistical indicators and trends of cancer incidence, prevalence, mortality, and survival to monitor outcomes.
    • [4] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en.
    • [5] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/eu-mission-cancer_en.
    • [6] E.g. HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03, HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-04; https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/reference-documents;programCode=HORIZON?programmePeriod=2021-2027&frameworkProgramme=43108390.
    • [7] Council Regulation (Euratom) 2021/765 of 10 May 2021 establishing the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the period 2021-2025 complementing Horizon Europe — the framework Programme for Research and Innovation and repealing Regulation (Euratom) 2018/1563 (OJ 167I, 12.5.2021, p. 81, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/765/oj).
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla – E-001794/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU is very concerned about reports of a drone attack on a ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists heading for Gaza. The EU discourages flotillas as a means for aid delivery.

    They risk the safety of their participants and carry the potential for escalation. However, nothing justifies attacking participants of flotillas with drones.

    Humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza to help people in desperate need. The EU repeats its call on Israel to allow unimpeded humanitarian aid to flow at scale into and throughout the strip.

    The High Representative/Vice-President has been engaged on this issue, including through calls with Israeli Foreign Minister and with international partners including the United Nations (UN).

    The High Representative/Vice-President expressed deep concern at the humanitarian blockade, which has lasted more than two months, and at the intensified Israeli ground operation in Gaza[1].

    The EU has consistently reiterated that in exercising its right to defend itself, Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, in all circumstances.

    The EU firmly condemns any attack on humanitarian aid workers and calls for accountability. The EU reiterates the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers, at all times, as well as civilian infrastructures, including medical facilities, schools and UN premises.

    • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/statement_25_1155;
      https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-donor-statement-humanitarian-aid-gaza%C2%A0_en.
    Last updated: 23 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Participation in early childhood education and care – 23-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has made increasing participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) a key priority, since there are clear benefits from attending quality ECEC, particularly for children who may face additional needs or difficulties. This infographic is based on the Eurydice report 2025, of key data on ECEC in Europe. The data show some progress in expanding access to ECEC services, especially for younger children. However, in most Member States there is still an ‘ECEC gap’, a time without childcare leave for parents or a guaranteed place in ECEC.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Planning summer travels? The CBSA gives tips for a smooth trip into Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 23, 2025
    Ottawa, Ontario

    The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reminds travellers to plan ahead when crossing the border this summer.

    Every day, the CBSA works hard to protect Canadians, support the economy and ensure the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across the border. In 2024, we welcomed over 93.4 million travellers, stopped over 34,400 kg of illegal drugs from entering our communities and kept more than 17,200 weapons and 930 firearms off our streets.

    The CBSA plans and prepares for long weekends and summer travel. We monitor traveller volumes and prioritize efficient processing of travellers at land ports of entry and at international airports, without compromising safety and security. If you encounter wait times at the border, it is likely because we are working behind the scenes to conduct examinations, seize drugs, firearms or stolen vehicles, or prevent high-risk individuals from entering Canada.

    Here are some travel tips to help you plan for your trip:

    • Have your travel documents  readily available to present to an officer. This will speed up processing times at the border.
    • Be prepared to declare. Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada. If you arrive by land, you are responsible for everything inside your vehicle.
      • Goods purchased abroad: If you are a resident of Canada, personal exemptions allow you to bring goods, including alcohol and tobacco up to a certain value, back to Canada without paying regular duty and taxes. Make sure you know the value of goods you are bringing back in Canadian dollars and have your receipts available for the officer.
      • Surtaxes on certain U.S. goods. If you’ve purchased goods in the U.S. and are bringing them into Canada, you may have to pay a 25% surtax in addition to regular duties and taxes. For residents of Canada, this surtax applies only to goods exceeding your personal exemptions limit. Consult the lists of products surtaxed: complete lists of goods subject to the surtax. Visit the CBSA website for more details on how these surtaxes apply at the border. 
    • Flying into Canada? Use Advance Declaration and make your customs declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival into Canada at participating airports.
    • Driving into Canada? Check border wait times to plan your route.
      • Early mornings are the best time to cross the border to avoid wait times.
      • The Monday of holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest.
      • Consider an alternative port of entry with shorter wait times or less traffic.
      • Check the port of entry’s hours of operation on the official CBSA Directory of Offices and Services.
      • If you are using a GPS application (such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze) to direct you to a port of entry, consider checking different navigation options (such as fastest and shortest routes) to determine the preferred route of travel.
    • Entering Canada by boat? If you are planning to travel in or near Canadian waters, or enter Canada by boat, you should review Reporting requirements for private boat operators before making travel plans. All travellers entering Canada by boat must report to the CBSA without delay.
    • When travelling with children who are not your own or for whom you don’t have full legal custody, we recommend you have a consent letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing you to travel with the child. We are always watching for missing children, and in the absence of the letter, officers may ask additional questions.
    • Bringing fireworks into Canada? Consult Importing, exporting and transporting fireworks to ensure that the ones you are bringing in are authorized.
    • If you are planning on camping in Canada, note that bringing in firewood from outside of Canada is not permitted as invasive insects and diseases may be present within the wood. Help protect our forests; buy local and burn local.
    • Know before you go: review the restricted and prohibited goods to avoid the possibility of penalties, including fines, seizure or prosecution. Make sure you have the information you need before attempting to bring items into Canada.
    • Leave behind: firearms, weapons, narcotics, and cannabis.

    We encourage you to read and follow all of our travel tips before arriving at the border.

    Not sure? Ask a CBSA officer. The best way to save time is to be open and honest with the border services officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask!

    For more information, visit the CBSA website or call us at 1-800-461-9999.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MTA to Purchase More Than 300 Modern Commuter Railcars

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Finance Committee approved the purchase of M-9A Passenger Railcars today, June 23. This order includes 316 M-9A cars — 160 cars will be allocated to the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) fleet and 156 for Metro-North Railroad.

    “New Yorkers deserve a fast, reliable and comfortable transit system. We are delivering that today through the purchase of modern railcars for the LIRR and Metro-North fleets,” Governor Hochul said. “The commuter rails are a lifeline for riders in one of the world’s largest and busiest transit systems — this is how we continue to achieve record on-time performance”

    MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “We’re looking to buy almost 2,000 rail cars as part of the new Capital Plan — $10.9 billion worth — and this 300+ order gets us off to a strong start. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her work to secure the funding that made it possible.”

    MTA Chief of Rolling Stock Program Tim Mulligan said, “The MTA is the biggest railcar purchaser in North America, and we are using innovative methods to bring down costs and delivery time. By building on the reliable design of previous cars, we were able to work with the contractor to get things done better, faster, and cheaper.”

    Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free said, “Thanks to record on-time performance and increased service with the opening of Grand Central Madison, LIRR ridership continues to explode. Our customers deserve modern railcars which will result in even more reliable service and improve the customer experience for years to come.”

    Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek said, I’m excited for our customers to experience even more reliable service when the M-9A railcars join our fleet. We are committed to providing the best customer experience every day on every ride on Metro-North.”

    Pilot cars will be delivered by Alstom Transportation in 2029 and first enter LIRR passenger service in 2030. All cars will be delivered by 2032. The M-9A cars are needed to replace Metro-North’s M-3 cars that are beyond their service life, and allowing the LIRR to retire its M-3 cars whose service has been extended to support service with the opening of Grand Central Madison. These railcars will operate in LIRR electric territories and on the Metro-North Hudson and Harlem lines.

    This approval builds on the MTA’s ongoing efforts to modernize its entire fleet of rolling stock. The M-9A cars feature glass windows, USB charging ports and accessibility improvements, including automatic doors for bathrooms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Update on Public Safety Efforts Amidst Ongoing Conflict

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul updated New Yorkers on ongoing public safety efforts amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Before I take questions about our energy announcement today, I want to address the conflict in the Middle East, and I know it’s a great time of uncertainty and fear in so many communities across the State of New York. And just to reaffirm, as we monitor this by the second, there are no credible threats against New York at this time.

    Just a short time ago, I convened over 100 religious and community leaders on a call to be able to let them know all the steps we’ve taken since I first became aware of the situation and immediately convened my top security team: counterintelligence, State Police, all of our partners and Homeland Security to talk about what we can do.

    Now, we also put all of our State agencies on high alert: talking about the Thruway Authority, the DOT, the subway system downstate New York — the MTA, all of our trains, our airports, water systems, utilities, NYPA. So all these are actually vulnerabilities, but it’s not something that hasn’t been contemplated. We tabletop exercises. We drill. We have highly professional individuals who are stepping up to do what they’ve been trained to do, and that is to protect our homeland and to protect the people of the State of New York.

    Also, I want to make sure we know we’re protecting all the bridges and tunnels, passenger lines and preparing for attacks on cyber infrastructure. These enormous facilities are run on technology. Cyber attacks can be crippling. We’ve had counties, hospitals under the State of New York that were attacked with ransomware threats. There’s no easy way out of those. So that’s why as the Governor, I’ve invested millions of dollars to give money to different counties so they can harden their assets and make sure that they can protect critical data that’s used to deliver services to New Yorkers.

    And also, there’s a lot of people feeling scared. They have family members in the Middle East. Religious groups, whether it’s the Jewish or Muslim communities, we have the largest groups in the State of New York of anywhere in the country, and we’re going to continue letting them know we’ll defend and fight against hate crimes. Our State Police Hate Crimes Task Force is on high alert, ready to assist anyone who needs help. So we’ll be increasing our patrols and already have at houses of worship as well.

    Lastly, I want to say this is an opportunity for New Yorkers to come together, put aside political differences and all the hatred that’s spewing online. Knowing that we have vulnerable assets. We are a vulnerable place. We are a place that has been attacked before. We are the financial capital of the world, the head of the cultural center for our country and indeed the world as well, and a place again that has withstood attacks in the past. So, as we remain on high alert, I want New Yorkers to remain on high alert, and get back to that tried and true phrase, “If you see something, say something.”

    There have been a number of attacks that have been thwarted because of vigilant individuals — our civilians who’ve stepped up and reported what they’ve seen, and we need them activated and engaged right now. But we will get through this time, and let us not forget the brave men and women of our [armed] services who are putting themselves in harm’s way every single day, and pray for them and a speedy de-escalation of this conflict and ultimately peace in the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Veterans Museum opens “Hoofing It” military footwear seasonal exhibit

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Wyoming National Guard

    By Joseph Coslett

    Casper, WY – The Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum or WVMM is excited to open a new seasonal exhibit for the summer, “Hoofing It” explores marching and military footwear from the 1890s to the present day in Casper, Wyoming, June 12, 2025.

    Museum staff drew on photographs, objects and footwear from several collections for the exhibit. “Hoofing It” is open to the public in the museum’s Kading Gallery throughout the summer.

    “Militaries around the globe have used marching for millennia. It is an effective way to move troops quickly, especially before the introduction of motorized vehicles,” said John Woodward, Wyoming Veterans Military Museum director. “It remains a common part of military life today. Military footwear is also a common part of military life. It has evolved to meet the needs of different combat environments and improvements in materials.”

    “Hoofing It” is part of the Veterans’ Museum’s seasonal exhibit series. These exhibits explore various military history and veteran topics. They enable staff to share a greater portion of the museum’s collection with the public. “Hoofing It” is open to the public for the next several months. Admission is always free to the Veterans Museum.

     About the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum:

    Founded in 1998, the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum preserves Wyoming military and veterans’ history. It shares the service and accomplishments of Wyomingites who have served in the United States Armed Forces from the Spanish-American War to the present day. It also preserves the service of the World War II-era Casper Army Air Base. The WVMM is part of the Wyoming Military Department.

    Contact:John Woodward, Director, john.woodward@wyo.govWyoming Veterans Memorial Museum, 3740 Jourgensen Ave. Casper, WY 82601 (307) 472-1857

    The Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum opens a new seasonal exhibit for the summer. “Hoofing It” explores marching and military footwear from the 1890s to the present day. Museum staff drew on photographs, objects, and footwear from several collections for the exhibit. “Hoofing It” is open to the public in the museum’s Kading Gallery throughout the summer. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by John Woodward)
    The Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum opens a new seasonal exhibit for the summer. “Hoofing It” explores marching and military footwear from the 1890s to the present day. Museum staff drew on photographs, objects, and footwear from several collections for the exhibit. “Hoofing It” is open to the public in the museum’s Kading Gallery throughout the summer. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by John Woodward)
    The Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum opens a new seasonal exhibit for the summer. “Hoofing It” explores marching and military footwear from the 1890s to the present day. Museum staff drew on photographs, objects, and footwear from several collections for the exhibit. “Hoofing It” is open to the public in the museum’s Kading Gallery throughout the summer. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by John Woodward)
    The Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum opens a new seasonal exhibit for the summer. “Hoofing It” explores marching and military footwear from the 1890s to the present day. Museum staff drew on photographs, objects, and footwear from several collections for the exhibit. “Hoofing It” is open to the public in the museum’s Kading Gallery throughout the summer. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by John Woodward)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming National Guard Dedicates New Field Maintenance Shop in Sheridan

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    SHERIDAN, Wyo. – The Wyoming Army National Guard will host a building dedication ceremony for its new Field Maintenance Shop in Sheridan on Tuesday, June 24, at 11 a.m. at 3239 Coffeen Ave.

    The ceremony will be attended by senior leaders, including Maj. Gen. Gregory Porter, Wyoming’s Adjutant General; Mr. Douglas Shope, Deputy Director, State of Wyoming; Col. James Ezell, U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer; and Lt. Col. William Lindmier, Deputy Construction and Facility Management Officer.

    The new 27,185-square-foot facility, constructed on over five acres, supports both organizational and support-level maintenance for the Wyoming Army National Guard’s combat and tactical vehicle fleet. The shop includes five service bays: A warm-up and inspection bay, a heated wash bay, a welding bay, and two standard maintenance bays.

    The $17.9 million project was managed by the Wyoming Construction and Facilities Management Office. Key contributors included Mr. Brett Bautz, P.E., Design and Project Management Section Chief; Mr. Paul Newman, Project Inspector with Design Build Solutions, LLC; design-builder Hensel Phelps; Jacobs Engineering as the architect-of-record; and Design Build Solutions as the project consultant.

    The event will be emceed by Col. James Ezell and includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. followed by self-guided tours until 1:30 p.m. Doors open to the public at 10:30 a.m.

    Media Contact:
    Wyoming Military Department Public Affairs
    wyoguard@gmail.mil or Joseph.a.coslett.civ@army.mil
     307-772-5040

    Sheridan Mayor Rich Bridger speaks at a ground breaking ceremony in Sheridan, Wyo., on May 2, 2023. The ceremony marks the construction of a new vehicle maintenance shop that will be housed right next to the existing armory. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Kristina Kranz)
    Distinguished guests, military officials, and community leaders attend a ground breaking ceremony in Sheridan, Wyo. on May 2, 2023. The ceremony marks the construction of a new vehicle maintenance shop that will be housed right next to the existing armory. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Kristina Kranz)
    Sheridan community leaders and officials from the Wyoming Army National Guard pose for the symbolic groundbreaking of a new facility in Sheridan Wyo., on May 2, 2023. The ceremony marks the construction of a new vehicle maintenance shop that will be housed right next to the existing armory. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Kristina Kranz)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Nonprofit Founder and Accountant Charged with Stealing Over $100M from Special Needs Victims

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    An indictment was unsealed today charging two Florida men in connection with a fraudulent scheme to steal over $100 million from a nonprofit organization that managed funds for people with special needs and disabilities.

    “As alleged, for over 15 years, the defendants conspired to use the funds of special needs clients as a personal piggy bank, stealing $100 million dollars meant for the most vulnerable members of our society to enrich themselves,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s charges reflect the Criminal Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting sophisticated fraudsters who abuse the trust of their victims. Thanks to the relentless efforts of our multiagency partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue accountability for perpetrators who exploit Americans out of greed.”

    “Protecting the most vulnerable members of our society is a priority of the U. S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “The fraud alleged in this nationwide scheme is unfathomable. Due to the diligence and interagency collaboration by our dedicated law enforcement partners, these crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The subjects charged are accused of creating a slush fund to divert millions of dollars away from a nonprofit organization helping people with special needs,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Not only were the organization’s resources drained, but the accused subjects betrayed the trust of the community and ultimately bankrupted a lifeline for vulnerable families. The FBI will not tolerate the exploitation of charitable missions for personal enrichment.”

    “The scale and audacity of the alleged fraud in this case are deeply troubling,” said Criminal Investigation Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS. “Stealing funds intended to protect and support people with special needs is as cruel as it is criminal. IRS-CI special agents are dedicated to uncovering complex financial schemes, especially those that prey on the most vulnerable in our society.”

    “The defendant disrupted access to critical services for individuals with disabilities and defrauded federal health care programs with the sole purpose of financing a life of extravagance,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold those who’s illicit actions seek to assail enrollees and the nation’s federal health care programs fully accountable.”

    According to court documents, Leo John Govoni, 67, of Clearwater, Florida, co-founded the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT) in or around 2000 and John Leo Witeck, 60, of Tampa, Florida, worked at CSNT as an accountant. CSNT allegedly was a nonprofit that managed money for people with disabilities and other special needs, including those who received court awards, settlements, and other payments. CSNT grew to be one of the largest administrators of special needs trusts in the country, with beneficiaries located in almost every state. As of February 2024, the indictment alleges, CSNT managed over 2,100 special needs trusts containing approximately $200 million.

    As alleged in the indictment, from June 2009 through May 2025, Govoni, Witeck, and their co-conspirators solicited, stole, and misappropriated CSNT client-beneficiary funds — which they treated as a slush fund to enrich themselves and others — and concealed their illegal activities through complex financial transactions and deceit, including sending fraudulent account statements with false balances to disabled victims. Govoni allegedly used stolen money to purchase real estate, travel via private jet, fund a brewery, make deposits into his personal bank accounts, and pay personal debts. In 2024, CSNT filed for bankruptcy and disclosed that more than $100 million in client-beneficiary funds were missing from its trust accounts. Govoni is alleged to have made false declarations to the bankruptcy court related to the CSNT bankruptcy proceedings.

    Separately, Govoni is also alleged to have committed bank fraud related to a $3 million mortgage refinance loan and to have laundered $205,054 of the proceeds to pay off a home equity line of credit on his residence.

    Govoni and Witeck were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Govoni was additionally charged with bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and false bankruptcy declarations.

    If convicted, both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy charges. If convicted, Govoni faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, 10 years in prison on the illegal monetary transactions charge, and five years in prison on the false bankruptcy declaration charge.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, HHS-OIG, and SSA-OIG are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Michael Gordon for the Middle District of Florida are handling the prosecution.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Defendants Indicted in Connection with Drug Trafficking Conspiracies and One Defendant Indicted for Unlawful Reentry Into the United States

    Source: US FBI

    CONCORD – Eight defendants have been indicted in connection with drug trafficking organizations operating out of Massachusetts and distributing illegal narcotics in Manchester. One defendant was also in the United States following a previous deportation, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    On June 18, 2025, law enforcement arrested six of these defendants each on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, and one defendant was also charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

    The following defendants have been indicted and arrested in connection with these charges:

    1. Ariel Lara Aguasviva, age 35, of South Attleboro, MA; and is in federal custody.
    2. Victor Manuel Mejia Guzman, age 49, of Methuen, MA; and is in federal custody.
    3. Jarlin Soto Jimenez, age 29, of Lynn, MA; and is in federal custody.
    4. Robert Alexis Pena Lara, age 25, of Providence, RI; and is in federal custody.
    5. Edwin Manuel Mejia Mejia, age 43, of Dorchester, MA; and is in federal custody.
    6. Carlo De Los Santos Ruiz, age 28, of Dorchester, MA; and is in federal custody. 

    According to the charging documents, between November 20, 2023 and May 7, 2025, the defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl.

    Additionally, according to the charging documents, Victor Manuel Mejia Guzman, a Dominican Republic national unlawfully residing in Methuen, was previously deported on November 19, 2007. Mejia-Guzman was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation.  DEA New England, HSI New England, and the Boston, Attleboro, Methuen, Lynn, and Providence Police Departments provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Shannon and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.

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

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

     

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thirteen Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine as well as Illegal Possession of Machine Guns

    Source: US FBI

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ten Mexican nationals, one Guatemalan national, and two United States citizens have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine as well as numerous counts of distribution of those controlled substances, illegal possession of machine guns, alien in possession of firearms, felon in possession of firearms, and illegal reentry of removed aliens.

    The investigation began in January of 2024 and continued through June of 2025, during which time investigators seized approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, and 11 firearms, three of which had been equipped with machine gun conversion devices and functioned as fully automatic weapons.

    A law enforcement operation conducted on June 18, 2025, resulted in nine arrests. Three defendants were already in custody, and one defendant remains at large. More than a dozen law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation which also resulted in the seizure of nine additional firearms.

    Uriel Lopez-Farias, 31, a Mexican national; Jesus Adrian Meza-Meza, 42, a Mexican national; Walter Fernandez, 34, of Kansas City, Mo.; Carlos R. Lepe-Virgen, 52, a Mexico national; Pedro Ivan Roldan-Minjares, 44, a Mexican national; Joel Armando Guillen-Rodriguez, 31, a Mexican national; Jose Rodriguez-Vasquez, 44, a Mexican national; Jose Aroldo Troches-Reyes, 33, a Guatemalan national; Adalberto Meza-Meza, 37, a Mexican national; Maximiliano Oliva-Verdin, 30, a Mexican national; Osvaldo Chiapas-Aguilar, 38, a Mexican national; Jesus Alvarez-Giron, 23, a Mexican national; and Kenneth Baez, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged in a forty-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 11, 2025.  The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today following the initial appearances of those in custody.

    Lopez-Farias is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, alien in possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a machine gun, distribution and attempted distribution of cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    J. Meza-Meza is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, alien in possession of a firearm and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Fernandez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Lepe-Virgen is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Roldan-Minjares is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Guillen-Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Rodriguez-Vasquez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Troches-Reyes is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and attempted distribution of cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    A. Meza-Meza is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Oliva-Verdin is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Chiapas-Aguilar is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Alvarez-Giron is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.

    Baez is charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and felon in possession of a firearm. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for this charge.

    The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. Baker and Heather Siegele.  It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Jackson County Drug Task Force in conjunction with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

    Wednesday’s law enforcement operation included the FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service, Jackson County (MO) Drug Task Force, Johnson County (KS) Drug Task Force, Kansas City Missouri Police Department, Kansas City Kansas Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Lee’s Summit Police Department, Sugar Creek Police Department, Wyandotte County (KS) Sheriff’s Department, St. Joseph (MO) Police Department, Buchanan County (MO) Drug Strike Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Kansas.

    The investigation and arrest operation were part of the Kansas City Regional Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) which is dedicated to identifying and prosecuting criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    Operation Take Back America

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chesterfield Doctor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Healthcare Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Friday sentenced a doctor who committed healthcare fraud to five years in prison and ordered him to repay $2.87 million.

    Dr. Stanley L. Librach, now 64, of Chesterfield, pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy, one count of illegally prescribing controlled substances, one count of paying illegal kickbacks for referrals and one count of health care fraud. He admitted participating in healthcare fraud schemes involving both kickbacks and the illegal prescribing of controlled substances.

    In one scheme, Dr. Librach, Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, and chiropractor Jerry Dale Leech agreed to send urine samples for testing to Central Diagnostic Laboratory (CDL) in exchange for illegal kickbacks that went to business entities owned by Leech and Denis J. Mikhlin. CDL then sought reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid for the testing. Dr. Librach also sent urine samples directly from his own separate private practice clinic to CDL. In exchange, Dr. Ali paid the wages of Dr. Librach’s employees.

    In another scheme, Dr. Librach, Dr. Ali and Leech wrote prescriptions for the powerful pain medication oxycodone and other controlled substances when there was no legitimate medical purpose and while acting outside the usual course of professional conduct. Drs. Librach and Ali had not examined the patients at the pain clinics with which they were associated. They did not determine that the patients whose names appeared on prescriptions had a medical need for the controlled substances. Instead, they spent several hours one day a week pre-signing prescriptions that would be used for patients at upcoming visits. The doctors did not examine or evaluate the patients and rarely looked at patient charts before signing prescriptions. The doctors signed prescriptions for patients whose test results indicated that they were selling or otherwise diverting the controlled substances and did not address that obvious drug diversion. The conspirators knew that pharmacies would seek reimbursement for the medications from Medicare and Medicaid.

    “This provider was involved in multiple elaborate healthcare fraud schemes that involved accepting kickbacks and illegally prescribing dangerous and addictive opioids for financial gain,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG remains committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect patients and protect the integrity of federal healthcare programs.”

    Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis heads the Drug Enforcement Administration division that leads DEA investigations in Kansas and Missouri. “Because opioids are highly addictive, doctors have a duty to ensure they are prescribing controlled medications according to law to protect their patients’ health and safety,” said Davis.

    Eleven defendants were indicted in 2020, including three doctors, their staff and purported patients. A twelfth was added in 2022. All have pleaded guilty.

    Dr. Ali, 54, of Creve Coeur, pleaded guilty in May of 2024 to charges similar to the ones to which Dr. Librach pleaded. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Leech, 52, of Creve Coeur, pleaded guilty in 2021 to one count of conspiracy, one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, one count of paying illegal kickbacks for referrals and one count of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Mikhlin, 46, of Chesterfield, was sentenced in 2021 to nine years in prison and ordered to repay $181,265.

    The HHS-OIG, the DEA, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Sestric, Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Nonprofit Founder and Accountant Charged with Stealing Over $100M from Special Needs Victims

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    An indictment was unsealed today charging two Florida men in connection with a fraudulent scheme to steal over $100 million from a nonprofit organization that managed funds for people with special needs and disabilities.

    “As alleged, for over 15 years, the defendants conspired to use the funds of special needs clients as a personal piggy bank, stealing $100 million dollars meant for the most vulnerable members of our society to enrich themselves,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s charges reflect the Criminal Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting sophisticated fraudsters who abuse the trust of their victims. Thanks to the relentless efforts of our multiagency partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue accountability for perpetrators who exploit Americans out of greed.”

    “Protecting the most vulnerable members of our society is a priority of the U. S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “The fraud alleged in this nationwide scheme is unfathomable. Due to the diligence and interagency collaboration by our dedicated law enforcement partners, these crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The subjects charged are accused of creating a slush fund to divert millions of dollars away from a nonprofit organization helping people with special needs,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Not only were the organization’s resources drained, but the accused subjects betrayed the trust of the community and ultimately bankrupted a lifeline for vulnerable families. The FBI will not tolerate the exploitation of charitable missions for personal enrichment.”

    “The scale and audacity of the alleged fraud in this case are deeply troubling,” said Criminal Investigation Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS. “Stealing funds intended to protect and support people with special needs is as cruel as it is criminal. IRS-CI special agents are dedicated to uncovering complex financial schemes, especially those that prey on the most vulnerable in our society.”

    “The defendant disrupted access to critical services for individuals with disabilities and defrauded federal health care programs with the sole purpose of financing a life of extravagance,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold those who’s illicit actions seek to assail enrollees and the nation’s federal health care programs fully accountable.”

    According to court documents, Leo John Govoni, 67, of Clearwater, Florida, co-founded the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT) in or around 2000 and John Leo Witeck, 60, of Tampa, Florida, worked at CSNT as an accountant. CSNT allegedly was a nonprofit that managed money for people with disabilities and other special needs, including those who received court awards, settlements, and other payments. CSNT grew to be one of the largest administrators of special needs trusts in the country, with beneficiaries located in almost every state. As of February 2024, the indictment alleges, CSNT managed over 2,100 special needs trusts containing approximately $200 million.

    As alleged in the indictment, from June 2009 through May 2025, Govoni, Witeck, and their co-conspirators solicited, stole, and misappropriated CSNT client-beneficiary funds — which they treated as a slush fund to enrich themselves and others — and concealed their illegal activities through complex financial transactions and deceit, including sending fraudulent account statements with false balances to disabled victims. Govoni allegedly used stolen money to purchase real estate, travel via private jet, fund a brewery, make deposits into his personal bank accounts, and pay personal debts. In 2024, CSNT filed for bankruptcy and disclosed that more than $100 million in client-beneficiary funds were missing from its trust accounts. Govoni is alleged to have made false declarations to the bankruptcy court related to the CSNT bankruptcy proceedings.

    Separately, Govoni is also alleged to have committed bank fraud related to a $3 million mortgage refinance loan and to have laundered $205,054 of the proceeds to pay off a home equity line of credit on his residence.

    Govoni and Witeck were both charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Govoni was additionally charged with bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and false bankruptcy declarations.

    If convicted, both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy charges. If convicted, Govoni faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, 10 years in prison on the illegal monetary transactions charge, and five years in prison on the false bankruptcy declaration charge.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, HHS-OIG, and SSA-OIG are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Michael Gordon for the Middle District of Florida are handling the prosecution.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Learning Refuge: How women-led community efforts help refugees resettle in Cyprus

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Suzan Ilcan, Professor of Sociology & University Research Chair, University of Waterloo

    A grassroots organization in Paphos, Cyprus, is bringing women together to address the needs of refugees in the city. (Shutterstock)

    Since 2015, the Republic of Cyprus (ROC) has seen a steady rise in migrant arrivals and asylum applications, primarily from people from Middle Eastern and African countries like Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

    But many asylum-seekers face significant challenges. Refugees formally in the asylum system are often denied residency permits, which means they face persistent insecurity, poverty and isolation

    These conditions are compounded by restrictive and limited services for asylum-seekers. This deepens the precarity and exclusion refugees face within a political and economic system that treats them more like economic burdens than as human beings with rights who need help.

    In response to these institutional failures, citizens, volunteers and refugees themselves have begun to build grassroots networks of care and solidarity in the ROC and beyond to support refugee communities.

    In 2022 and 2023, we conducted interviews with women volunteers and refugees affiliated with The Learning Refuge, a civil society organization in the city of Paphos in southwest Cyprus that cultivates dialogue and collaboration among these two diverse groups.

    Women-led initiatives

    Many displaced people first arrive on the island of Cyprus through the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). However, the absence of a functioning asylum system or international legal protections leaves them in limbo.

    With no viable path to status in the TRNC, most cross the Green Line that bifurcates Cyprus into the ROC, where European Union asylum frameworks exist but remain limited in practice.

    Women-led community-building is often a response to the negative effects of inadequate state support and humanitarian aid for refugees. In Cyprus, this situation leaves many refugees without access to sufficient food, satisfactory health care, accommodation, employment, clothing and language training. In this current environment, refugees are increasingly experiencing insecure and fragile situations, especially women.

    In Cyprus, ss in many other countries, a variety of community-building efforts are important responses to limited or restricted state support and humanitarian aid for refugees.

    Women-led efforts offer opportunities to deliver educational activities and establish networks, and to help improve the welfare and social protection of refugee women, however imperfectly.

    These and other similar efforts highlight how women refugees and volunteers can mobilize to foster dialogue and collaboration.

    The Learning Refuge

    Founded in 2015, The Learning Refuge began as community meetings in a city park. The organization then used space from a nearby music venue to conduct support activities, and later, established itself in a dedicated building.

    Organizations like The Learning Refuge emerged to address the limited state support and humanitarian assistance services available to refugees.

    The Learning Refuge cultivates dialogue and collaboration among a diverse group of community volunteers.
    (Suzan Ilcan)

    As Syrian families began arriving in Paphos in 2015, local mothers started working with Syrian children, assisting them with homework, providing skills-training opportunities and language classes.

    The Learning Refuge cultivates dialogue and collaboration among a diverse group of community volunteers, including schoolteachers, artists, musicians, local residents, refugees and other migrants.

    With the aid of 20 volunteers, the loosely organized groups provide women refugees with material support and resources to enhance collective activities, including art and music projects, while also engaging in educational and friendship activities.

    While modest in scale, the organization has formed partnerships with local and international organizations, including Caritas Cyprus, UNHCR-Cyprus and the Cyprus Refugee Council to extend its outreach to various refugee groups.

    The organization has also launched creative initiatives aimed at cultivating additional inclusive civic spaces. One such effort, “Moms and Babies Day,” was developed in response to the rising number of single mothers from Africa arriving on the island. These women often face poverty and isolation, and struggle with language barriers.

    These efforts highlight how grassroots responses — especially those led by women — can offer partial but vital educational and emotional support to refugees struggling to find their footing in a new country.

    Negotiated belonging

    Through participation in The Learning Refuge, refugee women in Paphos engage in a dynamic process of negotiated belonging, navigating challenges like language barriers, gendered isolation, domestic violence and poverty while contributing to broader community-building efforts.

    For example, Maryam, a Syrian woman and mother of three, told us how The Learning Refuge helped her children establish friendships and learn Greek. She also highlighted that it helped her form close ties with volunteers and other Syrian women living in Cyprus, and find paid work in the city.

    The volunteers and women refugees participating in The Learning Refuge’s activities emphasized not only their capacity to develop new forms of belonging and solidarity; they also help reshape communal knowledge and generate supportive spaces for women from various backgrounds.

    Our research shows that women-led community-building is an effective, though short-term, response to insufficient state support and humanitarian aid systems that leave many refugees in precarious situations.

    In varying degrees, these efforts offer women and their families spaces to learn and cultivate new relationships, and foster collective projects and better visions of resettlement and refuge.

    Suzan Ilcan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada.

    Seçil Daǧtaș receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. The Learning Refuge: How women-led community efforts help refugees resettle in Cyprus – https://theconversation.com/the-learning-refuge-how-women-led-community-efforts-help-refugees-resettle-in-cyprus-252682

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Alberta youth have the right to school library books that reflect their lives, including sexuality

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jamie Anderson, PhD Candidate, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary

    Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has expressed fondness for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, most recently wagering a a friendly public bet on the NHL hockey playoffs. In 2023, she said she wanted Albertans to enjoy some of the same freedoms available to citizens in certain American states, including Florida.

    Her government’s latest proposal aims to take more than a page from DeSantis’s playbook, setting its sights on how Florida has targeted school library books, effectively purging and banning many.

    Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides recently announced the province will move ahead to develop provincial standards “to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.” This followed a public engagement survey related to what he said were concerns about “sexually explicit” books in Edmonton and Calgary schools.

    The province says the survey results show “strong support” for a school library policy, even while the majority of respondents don’t want the government setting standards for school library books.

    This marks the Alberta government’s latest effort to restrict the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth.

    New proposed school library standards

    Like Florida’s statute on K-12 instructional materials, Alberta’s proposal centres on age-appropriateness and increasing parental choice in learning materials.

    Despite claiming a need for new standards, Nicolaides has acknowledged there are already mechanisms in place in Alberta’s school jurisdictions for parents to challenge materials. Many school boards already have policies governing school library materials.

    Additionally, librarians are trained professionals who follow established practices around organizing materials that reflect developmental appropriateness.

    Florida school book purges

    Florida’s statute, framed by DeSantis as empowering parents to object to obscene material, has targeted 2,700 books. More than 700 were removed from libraries in 2023-24.



    Read more:
    Ron DeSantis shows how ‘ugly freedoms’ are being used to fuel authoritarianism

    Confusion and a climate of fear caused by the bill has led Florida teachers and librarians to self-censor. Florida’s Department of Education urged districts to “err on the side of caution” to avoid potential felony charges.

    Such fear and surveillance lead to unnecessary restrictions on students’ rights.

    Targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ books

    Nicolaides has emphasized that developing the new standards in Alberta is not a question of “banning certain books,” and has acknowledged he does not have that authority.

    However, as PEN Canada notes, the implications of the proposed policies raise alarm bells, with the government’s actions “paving the way to a new era of government-sponsored book banning.” Singling out books has the same effect as a ban, according to the CEO of the St. Albert Public Library.

    By labelling four books as inappropriate — three of which include 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and themes — Nicolaides suggests these books don’t belong in K-12 schools. One of the books, the graphic novel Flamer, has won several awards, including the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult Literature in 2021.

    PEN America interview with Mike Curato, author of ‘Flamer.’

    The education minister refuted the idea that singling out the books is anti-queer or anti-trans, and did so in an inflammatory manner, characterizing concern as being about protecting children from seeing porn, child molestation and other sexual content.

    Nicolaides also said the proposed policy is focused on sexual content, so themes and depictions of graphic violence are “probably not” an issue.

    Rolling back trans, queer rights

    Alberta has already rolled back the rights of trans and non-binary children and youth to use different pronouns, access gender-affirming care and participate in sports.

    Queer and trans identities are also absent from all subjects in the K-12 program of studies, including recently updated K-6 curriculum. New sexual health resource guidelines prohibit the use of learning materials that primarily and explicitly address sexual orientation or gender identity unless they have been vetted and approved by Alberta Education (except for use in religion classes).

    Survey amplifies moral panic

    Through specific communication tactics, the minister’s public engagement works to exacerbate moral panics about sexuality as a threat to childhood innocence. This influences broader messages about 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion.

    The government-created survey shared illustrations and text excerpts on their own, without context or consideration of their narrative purpose in each book. Although the excerpts flagged by the minister make up between 0.1 to two per cent of the total page count in each book, the books as a whole are labelled “extremely graphic.”

    In a media appearance, Nicolaides stated the books in question were available to “elementary-aged” students. This is misleading because K-9 schools include junior high students.

    In a social media post, the minister’s press secretary said “these problematic books were found in and around books like Goldilocks,” suggesting targeted books are alongside children’s storybooks. But the image he shared showed Flamer near the graphic novel Goldilocks: Wanted Dead or Alive, aimed at middle-grade readers aged nine to 12 years old.

    Survey respondents

    The survey reported 77,395 responses by demographics, including parents, teachers, school administrators, librarians and other interested Albertans.

    Forty-nine per cent of parents of school-aged children were not at all or not very supportive of the creation of government guidelines, compared to 44 per cent of the same demographic who were somewhat or very supportive (eight per cent were unsure). Across each other demographic, most respondents expressed that they didn’t support the creation of new government standards. But the ministry plans to move ahead anyway.

    Socially conservative lobby

    The Investigative Journalism Foundation reports two conservative activist groups have taken credit for giving the Alberta government names of books believed to be inappropriate.

    Parental rights groups and far-right activists have long asserted that 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in schools “indoctrinates” and sexualizes children.

    We’re concerned the Alberta government may be reinforcing this message to manufacture a greater public consensus in support of wider policies against 2SLGBTQIA+ rights.

    Since at least 2023, United Conservative Party (UCP) members have embraced socially conservative “parental rights” rhetoric and supported motions for purging school libraries and mandating parent approval of changes to kids’ names and pronouns.

    Traditionalist ‘parental rights’

    Far-right activist groups like Take Back Alberta have shaped the UCP government’s policies alongside special interest groups like Action4Canada and Parents for Choice in Education.

    A common thread among such groups is parental authority over one’s own children framed in traditionalist or hetero-normative terms. Significant mobilizing has happened against the inclusion of sexual orientations and gender identities in school curricula, trans-inclusive health care, drag shows, conversion therapy bans and more.



    Read more:
    Pride, pages and performance: Why drag story time matters more than ever

    Queer and trans identities are viewed as a social contagion threatening to change anyone exposed to them, and efforts for inclusion are labelled “gender ideology.”

    These misconceptions, combined with political and religious biases, frame queerness and transness as “adult topics” that will confuse or harm children. However, research confirms ignoring these topics is of far greater concern when children may already experience discrimination about their gender expression by the age of five.

    Earlier learning about diverse forms of gender expression and relationships can reduce victimization, and prevent young children from becoming perpetrators of, or bystanders to, anti-2SLGBTQIA+ harassment and violence.



    Read more:
    ‘Parental rights’ lobby puts trans and queer kids at risk

    The United Nations recognizes that governments need to resist political pressure “based on child protection arguments to block access to information on [2SLGBTQIA+] issues, or to provide negatively biased information.”

    Access to self-selected literature is important for all students, and can be a lifeline for 2SLGBTQIA+ students who don’t see themselves in the curriculum.

    If Alberta Education will not prepare students for the world they live in — where we queer and trans people exist, flourish and are loved — then students should be able to seek out stories that reflect that world. It’s a matter of protecting their freedom of expression.

    Jamie Anderson has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Calgary.

    Tonya D. Callaghan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Killam Trusts.

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

    – ref. Alberta youth have the right to school library books that reflect their lives, including sexuality – https://theconversation.com/alberta-youth-have-the-right-to-school-library-books-that-reflect-their-lives-including-sexuality-258265

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands Transparency Around Immigration Proceedings for Unaccompanied Minors

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    REP. DAN GOLDMAN DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY AROUND IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS 

     

    Trump’s March Attempt to Terminate Federally Funded Legal Aid for Unaccompanied Migrant Children Has Thrown System into Disarray 

     

    Juvenile Dockets Safeguard Unaccompanied Children from Trafficking, Exploitation, and Abuse 

     

    Read Letter Here 

    Washington D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) led 77 of his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee to direct the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to submit a report to Congress detailing the status of unaccompanied children’s immigration proceedings. The letter also asks the Committee to include language in its FY2026 report encouraging EOIR to continue using specialized juvenile dockets to improve fairness, efficiency, and child protection in immigration court proceedings. 

    “The immigration courts have a critical role to play in administering justice efficiently while maintaining standards that ensure due process, which can be especially difficult in proceedings where children are the sole or principal respondent.  Utilization of specialized juvenile dockets with robust anti-trafficking safeguards and child-appropriate accommodations can both help protect children from dangers and achieve much needed efficiency benefits for the backlogged immigration courts, all while improving due process in children’s cases,” the Members wrote. 

    Children as young as two are often left to navigate America’s complex and unforgiving immigration system entirely on their own, exposing them to serious risks of abuse, human trafficking, and long-term harm. Earlier this year, Donald Trump terminated the federal contract that provided critical legal assistance to these unaccompanied migrant children, stripping away one of their few remaining protections for over 26,000 unaccompanied migrants. The Members asked for the following language to be included in the FY26 federal budget: 

    “The Committee encourages EOIR to continue using specialized juvenile dockets across the immigration courts to improve the fairness and efficiency of immigration adjudications involving unaccompanied children, better protect those children against trafficking and exploitation, and connect children with legal assistance. The Committee directs EOIR to submit a report to the Committee, within 180 days of enactment of this act, detailing the status of unaccompanied children’s immigration proceedings.”  

    Congressman Dan Goldman has consistently fought to ensure unaccompanied minors receive support and proper legal representation when navigating the U.S. immigration system.  

    Congressman Goldman was instrumental in prompting the Biden Administration’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to release new guidance for children’s immigration proceedings. This guidance established specialized children’s dockets in every immigration court, overseen by dedicated judges. 
    The Biden Administration’s Executive Order followed the introduction of Congressman Goldman’s Children’s Court Act, which intended to reduce the immigration court backlog and strengthen due process rights for children. 

    In March 2025, President Trump terminated federal funding for legal services that protected and provided legal aid to over 26,000 unaccompanied migrant children. 

    Read the letter here or below:  

    Dear Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Meng:  

    As your committee considers appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, we urge you to direct the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to submit a report to Congress detailing the status of unaccompanied children’s immigration proceedings.  

    The immigration courts have a critical role to play in administering justice efficiently while maintaining standards that ensure due process, which can be especially difficult in proceedings where children are the sole or principal respondent. The immigration courts are also an important element of creating a system that ensures unaccompanied children are protected from dangers like human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. Utilization of specialized juvenile dockets with robust anti-trafficking safeguards and child-appropriate accommodations can both help protect children from dangers and achieve much needed efficiency benefits for the backlogged immigration courts, all while improving due process in children’s cases.   

    In December 2023, EOIR clarified in the Director’s Memorandum on Children’s Cases in Immigration Court that each immigration court would have a specialized juvenile docket for cases where the sole or principal respondent was under 21 years old. These dockets would be held separately from adult cases and would be overseen by judges who receive specialized training. The Memorandum also outlined certain procedures and practices that immigration judges should follow to create a system where children could better comprehend their proceedings; where indicators of trafficking would be identified; and through which the courts could work towards streamlining benefits.   

    Unfortunately, EOIR rescinded the Director’s Memorandum this year and reinstated 2017 guidance that offers fewer trafficking safeguards, efficiency benefits, and pragmatic processes. This change threatens to create unnecessary delays which further exacerbate the severe immigration court backlog. It also diminishes critical safeguards designed to ensure that children can seek relief for which they may be eligible and that they comply with their immigration responsibilities, including updating their address with government agencies.   

    Given the important role of Congress in overseeing the immigration courts’ handling of juvenile proceedings, we ask the Committee to include the following language in its report:  

    The Committee encourages EOIR to continue using specialized juvenile dockets across the immigration courts to improve the fairness and efficiency of immigration adjudications involving unaccompanied children, better protect those children against trafficking and exploitation, and connect children with legal assistance. The Committee directs EOIR to submit a report to the Committee, within 180 days of enactment of this act, detailing the status of unaccompanied children’s immigration proceedings. This report shall address: the name and number of immigration courts implementing juvenile dockets; training that has been provided to juvenile docket judges; any restrictions imposed on judges’ ability to use docket management tools for children’s proceedings; methods that courts are using to facilitate legal representation for children; and other relevant matters, as appropriate.  

    We appreciate your consideration of this important issue.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Delivers Speech on Dangers of Unregulated AI During CODEL to Europe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 20, 2025

    PARIS—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) delivered a major speech on the threats posed to the U.S. economy and spiritual health of Americans by unregulated artificial intelligence technology at the Paris Institute of Political Studies during a congressional delegation to Paris, France and Bucharest, Romania.

    Murphy acknowledged the potential benefits of this transformational technology: “It will likely turn out to be one of the most socially and economically disruptive technologies ever. It’s probably going to be bigger than the printing press or advanced medicine or the internet. And there’s also no doubt that it has enormous practical upsides. Medical advances will come more quickly. Production will be cheaper. Administration will become more efficient. Complex societal problems will be solved more easily.”

    But Murphy warned the Trump administration is downplaying the potential risks of unregulated AI technology, evidenced by a speech given earlier this year by Vice President J.D. Vance: “The current U.S. administration is right now fully captured by the AI industry, and they are focused only on driving up the industry’s profits at the expense of the American worker and the American family. The vice president said at that summit that the White House refuses to view AI as a purely disruptive technology that will inevitably automate away our labor force. But this is exactly what unregulated, unchecked AI will do. The vice president claimed that the White House wanted the AI driven internet to be a safe place, but refused to endorse a single rule or a single idea that would keep it safe, apparently believing the industry whitewash that they will just self-regulate and prioritize family and citizen safety above profits, something the tech industry has never done.”

    He argued the industry leaders lobbying against AI regulation are prioritizing profit over the common good: “The leaders of these companies, brimming with dangerous hubris, rapacious in their desire to build wealth and power, and far too comfortable in shrugging off the destructive power of their product… They’re in a race to deploy and commercialize and profit, and they are paying mere lip service to the ways in which AI and AGI could destroy the already fraying fabric of our country…If we don’t decide collectively as a transatlantic community to protect ourselves from the most transformational technology of our lifetime. And as I said, perhaps in the history of the world, we won’t have democracies to be able to protect the values that we care so deeply about. We won’t be able to debate domestic and foreign policy.”

    He pushed back on those who argue regulating AI in the U.S. will give China a strategic advantage in developing the technology: “Frankly, China is likely rooting for us to use American and European citizens as guinea pigs for the AI revolution because they aren’t doing that. China’s attempts at regulation have been lighter than the EU, but it’s just not true that China believes that the way to beat the United States towards AI prominence is by not regulating the industry. China would love for the United States economy to collapse, because we are less thoughtful than Beijing in controlling the job loss they would love for unchecked fake video and audio to turn our culture into chaos. They would love for our young people to become even further lost and isolated as robot friends replace real friends and real interaction. Regulating AI isn’t a gift to China – it’s a way to make sure that we manage the growth of AI in a way that makes sure that we beat the Chinese in this race.”

    ##

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Upcoming Presentations by Staff of CBO’s Health Analysis Division

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    This summer, several of my colleagues in the Congressional Budget Office’s Health Analysis Division will present their work in three sessions at the 14th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon) in Nashville, Tennessee. The presentations are part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to engage with the broader research community. Those efforts include calls for research, such as the agency’s recent blog post on nutritional standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; public posting of code; and updates on ongoing work. By engaging with researchers outside the agency, CBO improves the quality of its analysis and makes its methods and findings more transparent and available. We look forward to discussion and feedback on the following topics of this summer’s presentations:

    Spotlight Session: Putting Research to Work: How CBO Uses Research to Inform Policymakers

    Presenters
    Noelia Duchovny (CBO), Sean Lyons (CBO), Jared Maeda (CBO), J. Michael McWilliams (Harvard Medical School), Mark Shepard (Harvard University), and Bryan Tysinger (USC Schaeffer Center)

    Moderator
    Tamara Hayford (CBO)

    Session
    Spotlight Session: Putting Research to Work: How CBO Uses Research to Inform Policymakers

    Description
    CBO uses published research and discussions with experts to inform the agency’s analytical work, including estimates of the budgetary effects of proposed legislation. In addition, CBO actively engages with the research community to develop the agency’s evidence base and analytical methods. For example, CBO has published four blog posts in the past two years calling for new research on topics in the health space ranging from how health care providers respond to cost shocks to take-up rates and costs of treatment for complications from hepatitis C. Because CBO is often tasked with projecting the impact of new programs or policies on the federal budget, descriptive data and research on the impact of policy, health, and pricing shocks on health care service use and spending are particularly valuable to the agency. In this session, CBO’s Health Analysis Division highlights three examples of research that have been particularly helpful. The session will include short presentations by study authors, discussions of how the work was used and what made it helpful by CBO analysts, and a Q&A at the end for session attendees to learn about CBO’s work and what makes research particularly useful and informative.

    Tracking the Incidence of Medicare Advantage Payments

    Presenter
    Eric Schulman

    Session
    Poster Reception

    Authors
    Jared Maeda (CBO) and Eric Schulman (CBO)

    Abstract
    This paper investigates how nominal payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have changed over time and how those changes have shaped economic outcomes for plans and beneficiaries. The question is policy-relevant because of differences in the relationships between benchmarks, enrollment, and benefit generosity under the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act (BIPA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which potentially contributed to inaccurate forecasts of the ACA’s impact. A potential reason for the difference between projected and actual outcomes is that regulatory rulemaking shaped actual payment amounts in unexpected ways. For example, although the ACA lowered MA benchmarks, total payments increased because of simultaneous growth in risk adjustment payments, complicating efforts to measure the economic incidence of the ACA (that is, which parties ultimately benefited from or bore the burden of payment changes). Our project examines the extent to which local-level, rule-based changes in payments affected who benefited or bore the burden of the ACA payment changes, compared with changes to plans and beneficiary behavior.

    Initial descriptive statistics suggest that BIPA’s payment floors functioned as a progressive subsidy that primarily benefited rural, low-spending counties, whereas the ACA payment cuts were proportional to spending and concentrated in high-spending urban areas. That geographic pattern suggests that local market conditions—such as insurer competition, beneficiary health profiles, and physician practices—may significantly shape the incidence of payment reforms. Our descriptive findings so far highlight the need to further investigate how local market characteristics interact with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (CMS’s) rulemaking around plan finances to determine which parties benefit from or bear the burden of payment changes. As a next step, we intend to decompose the variation in plan payments, premiums, and benefits into components explained by observable factors (such as benchmarks, risk scores, quality bonuses, and rule-based elements in the CMS bidding tool) and unobservable factors (such as behavioral responses) to better understand the economic incidence of the ACA.

    Substitution Between Medicare Advantage and Medigap

    Presenter
    Daria Pelech

    Session
    Enrollment Decision-Making in Medicare Advantage

    Authors
    Daria Pelech (CBO) and Margaret Kallus (UC Berkeley Economics)

    Abstract
    Though Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) covers many benefits, the program’s cost-sharing structure can expose beneficiaries to substantial financial risk. To protect against that risk, most beneficiaries obtain additional coverage. Historically, many beneficiaries have purchased supplemental Medigap policies—private insurance plans that “wrap around” Medicare FFS and cover Medicare FFS deductibles, copayments, and coinsurances. Increasingly, however, Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, in which a private insurer covers enrollees’ Medicare benefits and often restructures their cost-sharing to reduce enrollees’ financial risk. As of 2024, just over half of all Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in MA, up from less than a third a decade earlier. Because Medigap and MA fill some of the same financial needs for many beneficiaries—defraying the cost of the traditional Medicare benefit—the premiums and availability of Medigap policies likely influence beneficiaries’ choices between Medicare FFS and MA. In the past decade, Medigap premiums have grown with inflation while MA premiums have largely stayed flat. The diverging affordability between those options might explain some of the increase in MA enrollment over the past 20 years.

    This paper combines detailed data on Medigap premiums and Medicare enrollment to estimate the effect of Medigap premiums on MA enrollment. Specifically, we estimate how variation in Medigap premiums affects the probability that beneficiaries who are newly enrolling in Medicare choose MA. We also estimate the probability that MA enrollees leave their plans following a health shock or an increase in MA premiums. Using brokerage data on Medigap premiums, we estimate the average and minimum premiums each individual might face on the basis of their age, gender, zip code, and eligibility for an open-enrollment period. We combine that with a 10-year panel of individual Medicare enrollment data identifying beneficiaries who are new to Medicare or who disenroll from their MA plans. For enrollees who are new to Medicare, we estimate their probability of enrolling in MA on the basis of Medigap premiums and characteristics of the MA market in their area. For individuals who are enrolled in MA, we match Medicare enrollment data to external data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services using MA plan identifiers to identify which plans have experienced changes in premiums or benefits (which might induce a beneficiary to shop for a new plan) and which plans have been canceled (which requires a beneficiary to select a new plan). We also use individual-level beneficiary risk scores to identify beneficiaries who experience large health shocks, to compare their probability of leaving MA with that of other beneficiaries.

    The results of this study will help us better understand Medigap’s role in the increase in MA enrollment, which in turn will help improve future projections of MA enrollment growth. The results will also inform estimates of policies that might change Medigap or MA availability—such as guaranteed open-enrollment periods for those who leave their MA plans or changes in payments to MA plans.

    Chapin White is CBO’s Director of Health Analysis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Anchor Unlocks Industry-First Auto-Billing for Any Time Tracking Software

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anchor, the free-to-use autonomous billing and collection platform for accounting and professional-service businesses, today introduced a first-to-market deep integration to QuickBooks Online (QBO) that turns tracked hours from any time-tracking tool connected to QBO into payments, pre-approved by the client.

    When used with Anchor’s Pre-approved hourly services, every hourly engagement carries a cap the client has already approved. In one click, time entries from QuickBooks Time, Big Time, Toggl, Harvest, or any other tracker that syncs with QBO flow into a matching invoice in Anchor, where they can be reviewed and adjusted before the invoice is issued and the payment is processed automatically.

    “Our customers wanted a faster path from time tracking to payment, and this industry-first release delivers it,” said Rom Lakritz, Co-founder and CEO of Anchor. “No other solution offers this capability within one unified billing hub, giving accountants unmatched speed and certainty for their cash flow in the most simple and automatic way.”

    Key benefits

    Automatic sync – Instantly pulls every billable entry from any time tracker connected through QBO Time Activities straight into the correct invoice in Anchor.

    Works with any tracker – if it syncs to QBO, it syncs to Anchor; support for non-QBO trackers is coming soon.

    One-click billing – Tracked time from any QBO-synced tracker is checked against the pre-approved hourly cap, appears on the invoice with its notes, duration, and service name, can be edited in Anchor for last-minute tweaks, then is sent and paid in seconds with no back-and-forth.

    Zero manual entry – Streamlines billable hours directly into invoices, eliminating copy-paste workflows and spreadsheet rework while cutting time spent and error risk.

    Map once, bill forever – Anchor links each client and service to its QBO counterpart so every hour lands in the right place.

    Data integrity maintained – Edits in Anchor never touch the original record in QBO, and invoiced entries are auto-marked as converted to prevent double billing. Each QBO entry keeps its notes, duration, and service name.

    “Firms can keep tracking time in whatever tool they love, open Anchor, and watch the invoice write itself,” added Tal Ben Bassat, COO of Anchor. “Firms no longer need to juggle spreadsheets or copy-paste timesheets, it’s true hands-free billing, from proposal to payment, with zero extra clicks. This launch is part of a much larger effort to let them get paid in any way they can imagine.”

    Availability and pricing

    The new feature is live for all Anchor customers today, joining the Pre-approved Hourly Cap and hundreds of other features. Anchor remains free to use, with no subscription or credit card fees, and the same flat $5 fee per transaction we’ve maintained for the past four years. Users can activate the integration in seconds under Integration Settings.

    Ready to get paid faster – no matter how you track time? Sign up at www.sayanchor.com to start billing automatically. Follow Anchor on Facebook or LinkedIn for product updates.

    QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks Time are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. Any other brand names or product names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holders.

    About Anchor

    Anchor is reinventing financial workflows for accounting and professional service businesses by simplifying proposals, agreements, invoicing, and payments. By replacing rigid document-based workflows with interactive agreements, Anchor helps firms eliminate revenue loss, improve cash flow, and grow profits. Trusted by thousands of firms, Anchor collects its five-dollar flat fee only when customers are paid. Learn more at www.sayanchor.com.

    Media Contact
    Company Name: Anchor
    Contact Person: Elad Shmilovich
    Email: elad.sh@sayanchor.com
    Country: United States
    Website: https://www.sayanchor.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RockED and WrenchWay Partner to Transform Technician Training Nationwide

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RockED, the premier people development platform for the automotive industry, has joined forces with WrenchWay, the leading platform connecting technicians, shops, and schools. Together, they aim to revolutionize technician training by expanding access to essential onboarding and soft-skills education for over 3,100 automotive schools across the U.S.

    This strategic partnership launches with a focus on technician onboarding and plans to evolve into leadership and soft-skills training—emphasizing communication, professionalism, and customer interaction. The collaboration addresses a critical industry gap: technicians often lack the behavioral skills needed for long-term success, not just technical knowledge.

    “Our research shows that techs want more than just how-to—they want guidance on how to grow professionally,” said Chris Craig, RockED’s Fixed Ops Content Owner and a trusted voice in the technician community. “This partnership gives them that path from Day One.” Craig’s research and influence shaped RockED’s “Attitude, Behavior, and Knowledge” technician development model.

    By leveraging WrenchWay’s extensive network of schools and industry connections, this initiative creates scalable, easy-to-implement training programs that reach technicians early in their careers. The first Technician Onboarding Certification will be offered at no cost to schools.

    “Partnering with RockED enables us to not just promote technician careers—but elevate them,” said Mark Wilson, CEO of WrenchWay. “Together, we’re equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in a fast-changing industry.”

    RockED’s mobile-first microlearning platform is already delivering results, with previous launches driving increases in technician productivity and sales performance through gamified, bite-sized learning. This new collaboration expands that impact to the next generation of technicians.

    According to RockED’s latest industry insights, the technician shortage is not just a hiring problem—it’s a readiness problem. This partnership closes that gap, preparing future techs for successful, rewarding careers.

    About RockED
    RockED is the premier people development platform for the automotive industry supporting the entire employee lifecycle from pre-hire and onboarding to upskilling and career transitions. With microlearning content, gamified delivery, and real-time feedback, RockED is educating the automotive workforce and solving the industry’s greatest business challenges.

    RockED: Develop people. Drive performance.

    About WrenchWay
    WrenchWay is an online community dedicated to promoting and improving careers in the automotive and diesel industry. We highlight the best shops to work at, connect shops with schools, and give technicians and industry professionals a voice.

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Stephanie Woelfel
    Head of Marketing RockED
    stephanie.woelfel@rocked.us 
    239.287.7862

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel further tightens grip on the West Bank amid Iran escalation

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Jerusalem – As international focus shifts to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Israeli forces have ramped up their activities in the West Bank, Palestine. Increased military operations in Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarem governorates, along with additional troop deployments, have led to heightened restrictions on Palestinians. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) warns that these actions exacerbate the already dire situation for Palestinians in the West Bank, who face significant barriers to accessing healthcare and essential services, especially since October 2023. MSF urges an immediate halt to measures that contribute to forced displacement and a system of annexation, including prolonged military presence, movement restrictions, demolitions, excessive use of force, and denial of basic services. 

    “On 13 June the Israeli forces raided my village in Tulkarem,” says Karim,* an MSF staff member in the West Bank. “They took over two residential buildings and turned them into military barracks, displacing the people who were living there. Since then, they have been patrolling the village regularly, conducting investigations, interrogations, arrests, searches, and detentions.” 

    “Over the past week, West Bank communities have seen their lives further controlled by an occupying power while the world looks away,” says Simona Onidi, project coordinator Jenin and Tulkarem. “This cannot continue.” 

    On 13 June, the day the escalations started, the Israeli authorities blocked all major Israeli checkpoints and road gates entrances to Hebron for four days. This forced people seeking medical care to cross between areas on foot, pushing critically ill people to walk long distances, taking the risk of being shot at, or being prevented from crossing at all.  

    “On 14 June, I tried to take my brother from Bethlehem to a medical appointment in Hebron – a trip that should take 25 minutes,” says Oday Al-Shobaki, MSF communications officer in the West Bank. “But due to the new Israeli restrictions, all main entrances and exits were closed. It took us three hours, and in the end, despite being very ill, he had to walk through a closed checkpoint on foot, like many others, which is not safe.” 

    MSF has suspended mobile clinics in Hebron and Nablus that provide mental health, sexual reproductive care, and basic healthcare due to these checkpoint closures and security concerns from the intensified military operations. In Jenin and Tulkarem, mobile clinics had to adapt working hours, running on some days, not others, because of Israeli forces’ presence in nearby villages. This has forced patients to rely on phone consultations.  

    Military operations and violent raids by the Israeli army have been going on for years in the West Bank. 2022 saw a then-record number of Palestinian deaths due to violence by Israeli forces or settlers. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have increased the number of coercive measures and use of extreme physical violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including severe movement restrictions, military raids, and systemic barriers to essential services.  

    In January 2025, the Israeli forces began the ‘Iron Wall’ military operation in northern West Bank, which is still ongoing. Violently emptying well-established camps and preventing anyone from returning, more than 42,000 people have been forcibly displaced and left without stable homes, and with limited access to food, water, and medical care. 

    “This latest wave of restrictions and violence over the last week, seems to be an opportunity for Israeli forces to entrench control, deepen the fragmentation of Palestinian communities, and further the system that the International Court of Justice has described as amounting to racial segregation and apartheid,” says Onidi. “We urge third states to move beyond words of condemnation and put real pressure on Israeli authorities to end excessive force and lift movement restrictions blocking access to essential services and humanitarian aid, and scaling up support for displaced and isolated communities across the West Bank.” 
     

    *name changed to protect our colleague’s identity.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cliff Bentz Statement on Recent Bombing of Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.– On June 22nd, using B2 bombers, 30 tomahawk missiles, and six 30,000 pound “Bunker Busting” bombs, the United States attacked three nuclear sites in Iran. The reason for the attack was to prevent Iran, a country hostile to the United States, Israel, and peace in the Middle East, from using the enriched uranium it had produced at those sites to construct an atomic bomb.

    Said Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02): “I support President Trump’s decision to use our military to damage and hopefully destroy Iran’s immediate capability to produce nuclear weapons. To quote my fellow Congressman Dan Crenshaw, ‘The regime that’s spent decades chanting “death to America” just got the message: you don’t threaten the United States or our allies without consequences.’ 

    Unless Iran immediately surrenders which is highly unlikely, this is not the end of this crisis. Therefore, every American must be vigilant and report to authorities any activity that even hints at terrorist activity. I thank the incredibly brave men and women that carried out this mission, and I pray for those currently stationed in the middle east protecting us from those who may at any time retaliate.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cliff Bentz Statement on Recent Bombing of Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.– On June 22nd, using B2 bombers, 30 tomahawk missiles, and six 30,000 pound “Bunker Busting” bombs, the United States attacked three nuclear sites in Iran. The reason for the attack was to prevent Iran, a country hostile to the United States, Israel, and peace in the Middle East, from using the enriched uranium it had produced at those sites to construct an atomic bomb.

    Said Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02): “I support President Trump’s decision to use our military to damage and hopefully destroy Iran’s immediate capability to produce nuclear weapons. To quote my fellow Congressman Dan Crenshaw, ‘The regime that’s spent decades chanting “death to America” just got the message: you don’t threaten the United States or our allies without consequences.’ 

    Unless Iran immediately surrenders which is highly unlikely, this is not the end of this crisis. Therefore, every American must be vigilant and report to authorities any activity that even hints at terrorist activity. I thank the incredibly brave men and women that carried out this mission, and I pray for those currently stationed in the middle east protecting us from those who may at any time retaliate.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Reliable quantum computing requires progress across the full stack, from error correction to hardware. With new 4D codes reducing error rates 1,000x, and our co-designed quantum system with Atom Computing, we’re bringing utility-scale quantum closer than ever. Read more about the latest quantum advances we announced today.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Reliable quantum computing requires progress across the full stack, from error correction to hardware. With new 4D codes reducing error rates 1,000x, and our co-designed quantum system with Atom Computing, we’re bringing utility-scale quantum closer than ever. Read more about the latest quantum advances we announced today.

    Reliable quantum computing requires progress across the full stack, from error correction to hardware. With new 4D codes reducing error rates 1,000x, and our co-designed quantum system with Atom Computing, we’re bringing utility-scale quantum closer than ever. Read more about the latest quantum advances we announced today: https://lnkd.in/gGiG8QT6

    MIL OSI Global Banks –