NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Air quality advisory for the Portland metro area due to smog [Aviso sobre la calidad del aire]

    Source: US State of Oregon

    ortland, Ore. – Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Monday, June 9 for the Portland metro area due to elevated levels of ozone pollution, or smog. DEQ expects the air quality advisory due to smog for the Portland metro area to last until 10 p.m. Monday, June 9.

    ** Información en español aquí **

    DEQ expects ozone pollution to reach levels that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, pregnant people, older adults and people with heart disease or respiratory conditions. Health officials recommend sensitive groups limit outdoor activity when pollution levels are high.

    DEQ urges residents to protect their health and limit activities that cause pollution during this time. Recommendations include:
    • Limit driving by using public transit, carpooling or other alternative transportation.
    • Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
    • Refuel vehicles during cooler evening hours.
    • Postpone yard work that uses gas-powered equipment.
    • Postpone painting and aerosol spray projects.

    Smog irritates the eyes, nose and lungs, and contributes to breathing problems. Consult your health care provider if these symptoms worsen.
    Ozone forms when hot temperatures and low winds combine with pollution from cars, gas-powered engines and chemicals in paints and aerosols. These air pollutants react with sunlight and heat to produce ozone and haze.
    Ozone pollution increases throughout the day with exposure to sunlight, so pollution levels tend to be highest during afternoons and early evenings. Air quality monitors may show good air quality in the morning, then quickly jump to unhealthy levels later in the day.
    Check current air quality conditions and advisories on DEQ’s Air Quality Index or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on a smartphone.

    Media contacts:
    • Oregon DEQ: Chris Varley, Public Affairs Specialist, chris.varley.@deq.oregon.gov, 503-933-0514
    • Local and Tribal contacts

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Raises Concerns on Genetic Data Privacy at Senate Judiciary Hearing On 23andMe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL QUESTIONS HERE
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, raised concerns about what will happen to the genetic data collected by 23andMe following the company’s bankruptcy during a hearing titled “23 and You: The Privacy and National Security Implications of the 23andMe Bankruptcy.” 
     “It is my belief that the privacy policies [of 23andMe] aren’t meeting the privacy needs of consumers during bankruptcy. That’s why I’ve worked with Senator Cornyn. I appreciate his leadership, and Grassley to give consumers control over their genetic data with our bill, Don’t Sell My DNA Act,” said Klobuchar.
    Testifying at the hearing was Joe Selsavage, Interim CEO at 23andMe; I. Glenn Cohen, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Brook Gotberg, Professor of Law, BYU Law; Adam Klein, Director, Strauss Center for International Security and Law.  
    A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s questions is available below. Video is available HERE.
    Klobuchar: Thank you. I think I’ll start by following up with Senator Blackburn’s good questions. And by the way, thank you, Mr. Klein, for mentioning the need for a general privacy bill, which we badly need.
    So, on this deletion issue, it’s my understanding that 1.3 million consumers asked 23andMe to delete their genetic data. Many faced technical issues. So, how long is the backlog right now, and what are you doing to make sure all the requests are fulfilled?
    Joseph Selsavage: Senator, the good news is that today, there is no backlog, that we are current on all of the deletion requests. What did occur, you know, is when we filed for bankruptcy. And you know, many state attorneys general requested, or suggested, to consumers that they delete their data at 23andMe. We did receive a significant amount of deletion requests. We quickly added additional staff, and you know, basically were able to reduce that backlog. 
    Klobuchar: Will you commit to ensuring that consumers will retain their right to have their genetic data deleted after the bankruptcy sale is completed, by making deletion rights a condition of the sale?
    Selsavage: Both of the bidders, and you know, the bankruptcy sale of 23andMe, both Regeneron and TTAM Research Institute, have agreed to adopt the policies of 23andMe, the privacy policy.
    Klobuchar: So the answer is yes?
    Selsavage: So, you know the answer is yes. 
    Klobuchar: Okay, during the bankruptcy process, how has 23andMe insured consumers could decide how information is used and for what purposes? That’s what your, that’s what your website has promised consumers.
    Selsavage: Our consumers consent, not only to a terms of service, a privacy policy, there are also separate consents for our customers to, if they so choose, to engage in research at 23andMe. And yet, and then a separate consent to allow us to engage with research with third parties. And you know, we make sure that customers have the right to actually opt in. We don’t default those. Customers are actually clicking ‘yes’ to indicate that they want to conduct or enable their data to be used for research purposes. Many customers understand these are important for understanding disease and genetic conditions, and life-saving medical treatments. 
    Klobuchar: Thank you. Professor Cohen, it’s my belief that the privacy policies aren’t meeting the privacy needs of consumers during bankruptcy. That’s why I’ve worked with Senator Cornyn. I appreciate his leadership, and Grassley to give consumers control over their genetic data with our bill, Don’t Sell My DNA Act. Why is it so important that we require consent from the consumer before their genetic data is sold to another company with which they have no prior relationship? 
    Professor I. Glenn Cohen: People are engaged in a trust relationship. You know, if my father gave me access to his medical records and said, “Son, I want you to look at this and be careful with this.” And I went ahead and said, “Let me give it to somebody else” without asking my dad, you’d look askance at what I was doing. The same thing is happening here. They’re essentially transferring data and transferring a trust relationship to a new entity, and people have the right to know who they’re dealing with and a right to consent to it.
    Klobuchar: Do you believe that the right to control one’s personal genetic information should take precedence over maximizing returns for creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding? 
    Cohen: Well, I think that it would be nice for the creditors to get paid. Senator, in this instance, I think this information is so sensitive and so important, it’s really important to protect people’s information. 
    Klobuchar: Okay, thank you. And Professor Gotberg, do you believe that the current Consumer Privacy Ombudsman system in bankruptcy proceedings is sufficient to protect consumers’ most sensitive information?
    Professor Brook Gotberg: So, the Consumer Privacy Ombudsman is appointed to help the court in weighing the costs and the benefits of any particular sale of assets. If you permit personal consumer data to be sold outside of bankruptcy, it’s permissible inside of bankruptcy as well. And so the Consumer Privacy Ombudsman is just trying to weigh what would be the negative effects of that sale. Without an understanding of the price of privacy, so to speak, that’s a very hard balancing act to perform. To my knowledge, there’s been no final litigation to determine what the damages would be for an individual to have their privacy violated in that way. So it makes it really hard for the Consumer Privacy Ombudsman to have an effective role there. 
    Klobuchar: Okay, and sort of to end where I began with Mr. Klein’s point. Why is it so important that Congress enact a comprehensive privacy law? 
    By the way, the same companies that were lobbying against one, because I’m also on the Commerce Committee, say, 10 years ago, now want one because of the patchwork of laws that we now have in our states. Which is very predictable, which I hope people will realize that we should need some AI rules of the road in place and tech rules of the law in place. And it’s just the worst that people just think they can lobby against things, and then all of a sudden they’re like, “oh no.” So, tell me why we need a privacy law and how that would have helped here.
    Gotberg: So, a greater predictability for companies when they’re entering into agreements with consumers would be, is always beneficial. So if companies know what the legal limitations are, then they can take that into account, and creditors can take that into account whether an asset will be available before lending to the, to the debtor. So it’s important to have that law in place inside and outside bankruptcy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Public country-by-country (CBC) reporting

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    WARNING!

    Public CBC reporting and country-by-country (CBC) reporting are different measures. For information about CBC reporting, go to Country-by-country reporting

    What is Public CBC reporting

    Public country-by-country (CBC) reporting is a regime (the regime) that requires certain large multinational enterprises to publish selected tax information to the public. This information must be reported either on a CBC basis or on an aggregated basis. Under the regime, the parent entity generally has the reporting obligation, rather than the Australian subsidiary (Public CBC reporting parent).

    The regime applies for reporting periods starting from 1 July 2024. For a Public CBC reporting parent with a reporting period end of 30 June, this will be from 1 July 2024. Reports are due within 12 months of the end of the reporting period.

    If a Public CBC reporting parent has a reporting period that does not end on 30 June, the regime will first apply from the start of the relevant period that occurs after 1 July 2024. For example, if a Public CBC reporting parent’s reporting period is from 1 April to 31 March, the regime will first apply for its reporting period starting 1 April 2025, with the first report due before 31 March 2027.

    The Public CBC reporting parent publishes their Public CBC report by providing selected tax information to the ATO in the approved form. We then facilitate the publication of the information on an Australian Government website.

    Public CBC reporting provides information to the public and enables better assessment of whether an entity’s economic presence in a jurisdiction aligns with the amount of tax they pay in that jurisdiction.

    Public CBC reporting requires disclosures about:

    • the revenues, profits and income taxes of the global group
    • the activities of the global group
    • an entity’s international related party dealings.

    Note: Public CBC reporting and country-by-country (CbC) reporting are different measures. For information about CBC reporting, go to Country-by-country reporting.

    Who is required to report

    An entity must report for a reporting period if all of the following apply:

    • it is a CBC reporting parent for the preceding period
    • it is an entity of the type specified
    • it satisfies the requirements for that reporting period.

    An entity is of the specified type if it is any one of the following:

    • constitutional corporation
    • trust, provided each of the trustees is a constitutional corporation
    • partnership, provided each of the partners is a constitutional corporation.

    ‘Constitutional corporation’ means a foreign corporation (one not formed within Australia), or a trading or financial corporation formed within the limits of the Commonwealth.

    An entity satisfies the requirements for a reporting period if all of the following apply:

    • it was a CBC reporting parent for a period that includes the whole or a part of the preceding reporting period
    • it was a member of a CBC reporting group at any time during the reporting period
    • at any point during the reporting period, it, or a member of its CBC reporting group, was an Australian resident or a foreign resident operating an Australian permanent establishment
    • $10 million or more of its aggregated turnover for the reporting period was Australian-sourced
    • it was not an exempt entity or included in a class of exempt entities.

    An entity is a CBC reporting parent for a reporting period if all of the following apply:

    • it is not an individual
    • if it is a member of a CBC reporting group at the end of the period; it is not controlled by any other member of the CBC reporting group at the end of the period
    • its annual global income for the period is $1 billion or more.

    Registration by Public CBC reporting parents

    Registration by Public CBC reporting parents allows for more efficient processing and helps to simplify the process of:

    • giving the Public CBC report to the ATO
    • requesting an extension of time to provide the Public CBC report
    • requesting an exemption from reporting obligations for a reporting period.

    The registration process doesn’t differentiate between resident and non-resident Public CBC reporting parents. A non-resident Public CBC reporting parent without an ATO reference number (ARN) will be automatically issued with an ARN as part of this registration process.

    Registration is also beneficial as it enables a Public CBC reporting parent entity to provide authorisation for representatives to act on its behalf. This includes having representatives satisfy its obligations, such as lodging the Public CBC report or applying for a Public CBC reporting exemption. Representatives can include:

    • designated officers or employees of the CBC reporting parent
    • an authorised representative of the Australian subsidiary
    • an adviser
    • other nominated person.

    The Public CBC registration form is in a fillable portable document format (PDF), and lodgment is via email. Upon lodgment, we will send an email acknowledging receipt.

    To get the form, see Public country-by-country (CBC) registration form (NAT 75645). You can also read the Instructions to complete Public country-by-country registration.

    Public CBC reporting obligations

    The reporting obligation is on the Public CBC reporting parent (whether located overseas or in Australia) to report selected tax information to us.

    An Australian subsidiary of a foreign entity generally does not have any reporting obligation of its own for a reporting period. An exception to that general principle is if a foreign entity does not include the Australian subsidiary in its group’s consolidated accounts, and the Australia subsidiary qualifies as a Public CBC parent entity in its own right.

    The Public CBC reporting parent entity must give the Public CBC report electronically in the approved form to the ATO within 12 months after the end of the relevant reporting period.

    An update to correct any material errors must be given to us within 28 days of the Public CBC reporting parent identifying or otherwise becoming aware of that error.

    Penalties apply for non-compliance.

    What is jurisdictional reporting

    For Australia and specified jurisdictions determined by the Minister, particular information must be published on a CBC basis.

    For operations in other jurisdictions, the Public CBC reporting parent has the choice to publish information on either a CBC basis or an aggregated basis.

    Specified jurisdictions list

    The Minister’s determination of jurisdictions for Public CBC reporting is provided by legislative instrument. The specified jurisdictions are outlined in the Taxation Administration (Country by Country Reporting Jurisdictions) Determination 2024External Link.

    Specified jurisdictions

    Specified jurisdictions that have a comprehensive international tax agreement with Australia:

    • Singapore
    • Switzerland.

    Other specified jurisdictions

    Other specified jurisdictions:

    • Andorra
    • Anguilla
    • Antigua and Barbuda
    • Aruba
    • Barbados
    • Bahamas
    • Bahrain
    • Belize
    • Bermuda
    • British Virgin Islands
    • Cayman Islands
    • Cook Islands
    • Curacao
    • Dominica
    • Gibraltar
    • Grenada
    • Guernsey
    • Hong Kong
    • Isle of Man
    • Jersey
    • Liberia
    • Mauritius
    • Monaco
    • Montserrat
    • Nauru
    • Niue
    • Panama
    • Republic of the Marshall Islands
    • Saint Kitts and Nevis
    • Saint Lucia
    • Saint Maarten (Dutch Part)
    • Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Samoa
    • San Marino
    • Seychelles
    • Turks and Caicos Islands
    • US Virgin Islands
    • Vanuatu.

    Public CBC information to be reported

    The Public CBC reporting parent is required to publish the following information:

    • its own legal name
    • the names of each entity in the CBC reporting group
    • a description of the CBC reporting group’s approach to tax
    • information about Australia and specified jurisdictions, on a CBC basis
    • information about its other jurisdictions, either on a CBC or aggregated basis.

    Information required to be reported

    If the Public CBC reporting parent chooses to report on a CBC basis for all jurisdictions in which the group operates, it doesn’t need to publish any information on an aggregated basis.

    However, if the Public CBC reporting parent only publishes information on a CBC basis for Australia and the specified jurisdictions, it must publish information for all other jurisdictions on an aggregated basis.

    Australia and specified jurisdictions

    The Public CBC reporting parent is required to report the following information for Australia and specified jurisdictions:

    • name of the jurisdiction
    • description of main business activities
    • number of employees (on a full-time equivalent basis) at the end of the reporting period
    • revenue from unrelated parties
    • revenue from related parties that are not tax residents of the jurisdiction
    • profit or loss before income tax
    • book value at the end of the reporting period of tangible assets, other than cash and cash equivalents
    • income tax paid (on a cash basis)
    • income tax accrued (current year)
    • reasons for the difference between income tax accrued (current year) and the amount of income tax due if the income tax rate applicable to the jurisdiction were applied to profit and loss before income tax
    • currency used in calculating and presenting the above information.

    Other jurisdictions (aggregated information)

    The Public CBC reporting parent is required to report the following information on an aggregated basis for all other jurisdictions in which the group operates:

    • description of main business activities in those jurisdictions
    • number of employees (on a full-time equivalent basis) at the end of the reporting period
    • revenue from unrelated parties
    • revenue from related parties that are not tax residents of the jurisdiction in which that revenue is being derived
    • profit or loss before income tax
    • book value at the end of the reporting period of tangible assets, other than cash and cash equivalents
    • income tax paid (on a cash basis)
    • income tax accrued (current year)
    • the currency used in calculating and presenting the above information.

    Guidance

    The information required to be reported has been adopted from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 207: Tax 2019 (GRI 207) reporting standard. The GRI 207 may be used as a source of guidance in interpretating the publishing requirements. Greater detail on the interpretation of terms is contained in the BEPS Action 13 Guidance and OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

    For further detail, see:

    Publishing the information

    The Public CBC reporting parent is required to publish the information on an Australian Government website by giving the information in the approved form to the ATO. The approved form is in XML Schema format, and lodgment is via email. Upon lodgment, we will send an email acknowledging receipt.

    Instructions on the approved form are currently under development and will be available in the second half of 2025.

    The ATO’s role

    We will facilitate the publication of the reported information as soon as practicable on the Australian Government website.

    The first publication is expected to be released in late 2026.

    Extension of time to provide the Public CBC report

    The Public CBC report is due within 12 months after the end of the relevant reporting period. For example, for the reporting period ending 30 June 2025, the Public CBC report is due by 30 June 2026.

    A Public CBC reporting parent may apply to the ATO for an extension of time to provide the Public CBC report. The Public CBC reporting parent can submit their request for deferral to us via email.

    Correcting errors

    If a Public CBC reporting parent becomes aware of a material error in any of the published information, they must rectify the error by providing the corrected information to the ATO. The entity must provide the corrected Public CBC report in its entirety to us by email.

    A correction of a material error is required within 28 days after the entity becomes aware of the error. For example, we will consider an entity aware of a material error once its accountant or tax manager realises the error and prepares an amendment to the entity’s income tax return, necessitating an amendment to its Public CBC report.

    For a non-material error, the entity may choose to rectify the error by providing the corrected Public CBC report in its entirety to us by email.

    If a material or non-material error is rectified by the Public CBC reporting parent, we will publish the corrected information on the Australian Government website as soon as practicable. 

    Penalties apply for non-compliance.

    Exemptions to Public CBC reporting

    The purpose of the Public CBC reporting regime is to enhance tax transparency. However, a Public CBC reporting parent may seek an exemption from reporting obligations from the ATO. We have the discretion, for a single reporting period, to grant an entity a:

    • full exemption
    • partial exemption specifying that it is exempt from publishing information of a particular kind.

    Guidance on how we will administer the exemption will be made available in mid-2025. For updates, see [4148] Public country-by-country reporting transparency measure and exemption discretions.

    Government-related entities

    Government-related entities may be relieved from the Public CBC reporting regime.

    The following are government-related entities:

    • a department of the State of the Commonwealth
    • a Department of the Australian Parliament established under the Parliamentary Services Act 1999
    • an executive agency or statutory agency, within the meaning of the Public Service Act 1999
    • department of state of a state or territory
    • an organisation that satisfies all of the following
      • is either established by the Commonwealth, a state or territory (whether under a law or not) to carry on an enterprise or established for a public purpose by an Australian law
      • can be separately identified by reference to the nature of the activities carried on through the organisation or the location of the organisation
    • a local government body established by or under a state or territory law.

    A government-related entity that is a CBC reporting entity can be relieved from the regime for one or more reporting periods by written notice from the ATO.

    We will provide further guidance for government-related entities in late 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Consultation paper – ATO Vulnerability Framework

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Provide your feedback

    We are seeking your feedback on the draft ATO Vulnerability Framework (the Framework).

    If you are experiencing vulnerability and need support now, visit our Personal crisis support page for more information.

    To submit your feedback:

    ATO Vulnerability Framework

    Use the links below to view the draft Framework:

    Easy Read version

    Why your feedback matters

    Your feedback will help ensure the Framework is inclusive, practical, and meaningful in real-world situations. Public consultation will help us to:

    • understand different experiences and perspectives, including lived experience
    • identify any gaps or unclear areas
    • build trust by ensuring transparency and community input
    • strengthen the clarity, relevance and accessibility of the Framework.

    We welcome feedback from individuals, advocates, professionals, and organisations that support people who may be affected by vulnerability in any form.

    We encourage you to share this consultation with others, particularly those with lived experience of vulnerability or those who work with, or support people experiencing vulnerability.

    What is the ATO Vulnerability Framework?

    We have developed the Framework so we can better support people experiencing vulnerability when they interact with the tax system. The Framework sets out our commitment to supporting people experiencing vulnerability while carrying out our role of collecting tax to help fund essential services for the Australian community.

    The Framework is founded on the commitments made in Our Charter and outlines 6 guiding principles, 4 core focus areas, and a clear approach to how we engage with the community. These elements are designed to help shape the way we develop policies, processes and staff capability, supporting more inclusive and consistent interactions with the community.

    The Framework provides transparency about our role and what we can and can’t do. While we may not be able to change a tax or superannuation obligation under the law, we can:

    • listen and act with empathy
    • communicate clearly
    • act with compassion
    • connect people with the right support.

    The Framework does not set out specific actions or implementation plans. Instead, it guides our approach for designing and delivering services in the future. It is a key part of our broader commitment to improve how we support people experiencing vulnerability, not just in principle, but in practice. We are also implementing practical initiatives that reflect the Framework’s values and will help bring them to life.

    Consultation questions

    You are not required to answer the consultation questions in your submission, but they are provided to help guide your feedback. You can choose to respond to any or all of them.

    1. How clearly does the Framework explain our commitment to supporting people experiencing vulnerability? What aspects are most clear or meaningful to you? Are there areas that could be improved?
    2. Is the language in the Framework clear, respectful, and easy to understand? Let us know if there are words or sections that could be clearer.
    3. How well does the Framework explain what vulnerability means and how it may affect people’s experience with the ATO? Do you think the definition of vulnerability is clear and inclusive? What, if anything, should be added or clarified?
    4. How clearly does the Framework explain our role, in supporting people experiencing vulnerability, including what we can and can’t do? Is there anything about our role that could be explained more clearly?
    5. Do the guiding principles, for example, empathy, fairness, and inclusion, feel appropriate and meaningful? What do these principles mean to you in the context of people experiencing vulnerability engaging with the ATO?
    6. Is there anything missing that would make the Framework more useful or complete?
    7. Would you use the Framework for yourself or in your work, or share it with others? If so, how might you use it? For example, as a taxpayer, practitioner, or advocate.
    8. Is there anything else you would like us to consider before the Framework is finalised?

    What happens next?

    After the consultation closes, we will:

    • review feedback received
    • incorporate relevant insights into a final version of the Framework
    • publish the Framework based on this consultation
    • where appropriate, we will send you a summary of how your feedback was considered
    • consider additional ideas for future planning and implementation.

    We thank you for taking the time to share your insights and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and transparent approach to supporting people experiencing vulnerability.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: WANTED: FBI Reward for Information Leading to Arrest of Elpidio Reyna for Allegedly Throwing Rocks and Improvised Explosives at Federal Law Enforcement

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

     “If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” – Secretary Noem

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Elpidio Reyna. He is wanted for allegedly throwing rocks and explosives at federal officers in their vehicles during the riots in Los Angeles (LA), California (CA).

    Reyna, a United States (U.S.) citizen from Compton, CA, is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.

    Reyna’s criminal history includes arrests for felony burglary, felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, felony using or selling marijuana to a minor, DUI, and multiple counts of driving with a suspended license.

    “Elpidio Reyna threatened the lives of federal law enforcement by throwing rocks and explosives at their vehicles,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Our message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    If you see Reyna or have any information that could help lead to his arrest, call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit http://tips.fbi.gov.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: After weeks of confusion and chaos, Tasmania heads back to the polls on July 19

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania

    The Tasmanian government has called a state election for July 19, the fourth in a little over seven years.

    Following days of high drama, Governor Barbara Baker finally granted Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s election request, saying there was no other course of action to break the deadlock gripping Tasmanian politics:

    I make this grant because I am satisfied there is no real possibility that an alternative government can be formed.

    The ballot will be the second state election in just 16 months.

    So how did we get here? And what happens next?

    Dark political mofo

    The Dark Mofo festival kicked off last week, bringing to Hobart its usual mix of weird, dark, and violent modern art. But in the halls of Tasmanian parliament, a similarly macabre and vicious spectacle was playing out.

    I have written a more detailed analysis of events previously, but here’s the quick version.

    On June 3, the Labor opposition moved a motion of no confidence in Rockliff. After two days of acrimonious parliamentary debate, the motion passed on the casting vote of the speaker.

    An election looked inevitable because Rockliff refused to step aside and Opposition Leader Dean Winter ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to govern in minority.

    Parliament returned briefly to pass emergency supply bills, which were needed after the no confidence motion derailed the recent state budget.

    Shortly afterwards, Rockliff asked the governor to dissolve parliament and call an election. This request has now been granted after a few days of deliberation.

    How did it come to this?

    It’s been a rocky road for the Liberal government since the
    last state election in March 2024. Holding only 14 of the House of Assembly’s 35 seats, it has governed in minority thanks to confidence and supply deals with five crossbenchers.

    This tenuous arrangement was under constant pressure. Labor and the crossbench installed Michelle O’Byrne as speaker, and in the second half of 2024 passed three pieces of legislation against the government’s will.

    In August 2024, the implosion of the Jacqui Lambie Network and the forced resignation of Michael Ferguson as deputy premier and treasurer added further complications.

    Against this backdrop, the government has faced a rapidly
    deteriorating fiscal situation    . This is partly the legacy of the COVID pandemic, compounded by recent global uncertainty. However, as economist Saul Eslake notes, the roots of the problem can be found in the policy choices made by previous state Liberal governments.

    Policy setbacks

    Even considering the challenging context, the government has
    done itself few favours. The ongoing project to replace the ageing Spirit of Tasmania ferries has been mired in cost blowouts and poor planning.

    An abrupt about-face on nation-leading gambling reforms, tentative explorations of privatising state assets – since abandoned – and radical changes to the planning system also caused concern.

    And of course, there is the saga over the highly contentious $945 million stadium to support a Tassie team in the AFL.

    Most importantly, though, there has been little progress on the deep structural reforms needed to address the state’s poor health and education outcomes, housing crisis, cost-of-living challenges, and worsening budget situation.

    On the positive side, the government points to achievements recruiting much-needed frontline healthcare workers, increasing the supply of social and affordable housing, and a historically low unemployment rate.

    What happens now?

    The campaign will be a political version of a classic children’s party game: pin the blame on the party.

    Liberal and Labor will both claim the early election is the fault of the other, while the debate over the stadium will likely continue to distract from Tasmania’s other, far more important challenges.

    The election result is hard to predict. In the past, Tasmanians
    have punished minority governments at elections, and in the latest available polling, support for the Liberal Party was at a 16-year low of 29%.

    But the circumstances of this election mean we can’t rely too much on previous trends. The drop in Liberal support is partly driven by northern Tasmanians’ dislike of the Hobart stadium. However, that won’t necessarily help Labor, because they also remain committed to the project.

    Labor will be energised by the federal party’s recent victory. But the most recent polling shows the state branch is barely more popular than the Liberals. Winter lags Rockliff as preferred premier 44%-32%, with a high “never heard of” rating of 24%.

    The Greens could benefit from being the only notable party opposed to the stadium, but will be fighting relentless Labor and Liberal warnings about the perils of forming another minority government.

    None of this points to the July 19 election producing a stable majority government. In fact, there is a strong likelihood the Tasmanian electorate – grumpy about being forced to the polls in mid-winter – will punish both major parties.

    This could result in an even larger and more diverse crossbench, requiring deft and collaborative negotiations to stitch together the numbers to form government.

    While the theatre of the campaign plays out, the ambitious structural reforms that Tasmania desperately needs seem further away than ever.

    The drama is worthy of Dark Mofo, but Tasmanians are already tired of the performance.

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

    – ref. After weeks of confusion and chaos, Tasmania heads back to the polls on July 19 – https://theconversation.com/after-weeks-of-confusion-and-chaos-tasmania-heads-back-to-the-polls-on-july-19-258597

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia, Ukraine confirm swap of bodies of fallen soldiers

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

    Russia has transferred 1,212 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said Wednesday.

    Medinsky said on Telegram that 27 bodies of Russian soldiers were returned, adding that the work will continue over the next few days.

    Both sides will also begin exchanging seriously wounded prisoners from Thursday, he said.

    The repatriation of the deceased was made possible with the help of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other agencies, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Wednesday in a statement.

    The agency also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its support in facilitating the return of the bodies.

    The return is part of a deal made during the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye’s Istanbul on June 2.

    During their last round of talks, Russia and Ukraine agreed on an “all-for-all” exchange involving seriously ill and wounded prisoners, as well as soldiers under the age of 25, according to Medinsky.

    Under the agreement, the first stage of the prisoner swap was carried out on Monday. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Shaheen, Castor, Evans Intro Bill to Reverse Trump’s Cuts to Key ACA Program That Helps More Americans Sign Up for Health Insurance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans work to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) introduced legislation today in the Senate and House to restore a key program of the health care law that helps American families navigate the ACA marketplace and connect them with high quality, affordable health care plans. The Expand Navigators’ Resources for Outreach, Learning, and Longevity (ENROLL) Act would ensure the Navigator program, which was established under the ACA to help Americans navigate, shop, and enroll in affordable health care plans, will continue despite the Trump Administration cutting funding by 90 percent in February.

    “We have seen this movie before: when he doesn’t get his way to fully repeal it, Donald Trump tries every which way to chip away at the Affordable Care Act and kick Wisconsin families off their health care, and sadly, it works. At a time when Wisconsinites are worried their care is on the chopping block under Republicans’ plan to give tax breaks to the wealthy, the Trump Administration is also gutting a key program that helps our neighbors find health care coverage that they can afford,” said Senator Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s Navigator has connected thousands of families with good health care coverage, ensuring more Wisconsinites can access the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. We should be investing in bringing the cost of care down for Wisconsinites, not jacking up costs and eliminating proven resources that connect more families with affordable insurance.”

    “We’ve seen this before: When the first Trump administration slashed funding for the navigator program, ACA health care enrollment shrank by more than 2.5 million – and when that funding was restored, enrollment rose and reached historic levels. Despite the hard facts that it helps everyday Americans access critical health care, the administration is gutting the navigator program again and leaving Granite Staters in rural and underserved areas behind,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our ENROLL Act is urgently needed to restore this funding so Granite Staters—and all Americans—have access to the help they need to make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage.”

    “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage. In fact, over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Robust outreach and assistance by navigators is vital to families so they can evaluate options and choose a health plan that is right for them. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has slashed navigator support and complicated the lives of families who need advice on lifesaving health coverage,” said Representative Castor. “President Trump and Congressional Republicans appear dead set on making Affordable Care Act coverage more expensive, driving up premiums and putting hardworking families at risk. I am proud to work with Senator Baldwin to protect American’s health, well-being and pocketbooks by ensuring navigators stay on the job.”

    “The Affordable Care Act Navigators program provides free, objective, expert advice and information to Americans in red, purple and blue states alike to help them find affordable health coverage that meets their needs. A similar cut to the program in President Trump’s first term resulted in more people being uninsured, and letting his new cut stand is likely to raise costs for working-class Americans at a time when the cost of living is already high,” said Representative Evans. “One of the ways the Navigators program has helped American families is by helping hundreds of thousands of eligible consumers in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. President Trump recently promised not to touch Medicaid, and keeping people who qualify for Medicaid from getting covered breaks that promise, as far as I’m concerned.”

    In 2017 and 2018, the first Trump Administration cut funding for the Navigator program by 84 percent, contributing to 2.5 million fewer people accessing healthcare through the ACA Marketplace over the course of the first Trump Administration. Navigator funding was restored in 2021, and enrollment reached historic levels for the 2025 plan year. In February 2025, the Trump Administration slashed nearly 90 percent of funding for the Navigator program, threatening to leave millions of Americans without critical assistance to access health insurance.

    In 2024, Covering Wisconsin (CWI), Wisconsin’s only federal navigator program, helped process nearly 100,000 applications for ACA Marketplace and Medicaid coverage, answering questions about coverage, and navigating the marketplace to ensure families get quality care and a price they can afford. From 2019 to 2024, CWI has seen a 163% increase in Marketplace and Medicaid enrollments completed directly by CWI Navigators. As of August 25, 2025, CWI anticipates their funding will be reduced by 90 percent. This is especially harmful to Wisconsinites in rural communities who already lack access to in-person assistance for shopping and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance coverage.

    The ENROLL Act would:

    • Ensure that Navigators have the resources they need to assist Americans in finding affordable health care coverage and restore funding for the program to $100 million annually;
    • Promote efforts to ensure that Navigators provide public education and assistance that helps consumers, including those who may need extra help signing up, find coverage, rather than prioritizing application numbers;
    • Clarify that Navigator responsibilities include enrolling consumers in Medicaid and CHIP coverage;
    • Promote efforts to provide Americans with information on comprehensive health insurance that protects individuals with pre-existing conditions.

    In addition to Senators Baldwin and Shaheen, the ENROLL Act is also co-sponsored in the Senate by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Angus King (I-ME).

    The ENROLL Act is supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of Teachers, American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Community Catalyst, Epilepsy Foundation, MomsRising, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, National Health Council, National Immigration Law Center, National Kidney Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation, and Young Invincibles.

    “Marketplace navigators are a crucial resource for the more than 24 million people who access their health coverage through the ACA Marketplace and anyone who has questions about their coverage options. Appropriately funding health care navigators is essential for making sure consumers—especially those with complex medical conditions like cancer—can get access to the most appropriate health insurance coverage that will meet their needs. We commend Senator Baldwin, Senator Shaheen, and Representative Castor for acting to reverse the significant and damaging funding cuts that were enacted earlier this year and urge the Senate and House to pass this legislation quickly,” said Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

    “At a time when health care is under relentless attack, advancing the ENROLL Act is a clear signal that there are leaders in Congress committed to putting people over profit. The current administration has gutted funding for Navigators, trusted community members who guide people through the daunting, complex process of enrolling in coverage. Restoring that funding is essential to ensuring everyone, especially those facing the greatest barriers, can enroll in the most affordable, comprehensive options for their families. We thank Senator Baldwin and Representative Castor for their leadership and for standing with communities who depend on this trusted, unbiased help,” said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy at Community Catalyst.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full bill text of this legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Michigan Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by March Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA –The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for Michigan small businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by the severe winter storms occurring March 28-30. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on June 5.

    The declaration covers the counties of Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Otsego and Presque Isle.

    Small businesses and private nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”

    SBA’s EIDL program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.62% for PNPs, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Beginning Thursday, June 12, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Cheboygan County to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

    The DLOC hours of operation are listed below:

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) 
    Cheboygan County

    Indian River Chamber of Commerce

    3435 S Straits Hwy.

    Indian River, MI 49749

    Opening:  Thursday, June 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    Hours: Monday – Friday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    Saturday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    Closed: Sunday

    Permanently Closing: July 10 at 4 p.m.

    Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Aug. 8, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Mar. 9, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Cantwell & Gallego, Reps. Salinas & Ansari Lead Bicameral Legislation to Permanently Preserve Last Remaining Wild Forest Lands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    06.11.25
    Sens. Cantwell & Gallego, Reps. Salinas & Ansari Lead Bicameral Legislation to Permanently Preserve Last Remaining Wild Forest Lands
    Bill would codify Roadless Rule, which protects almost 60 million acres of America’s remaining pristine National Forest Lands
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), along with Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and many other members of Congress from both chambers, announced a renewed push to enshrine the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Rule protections into law. For nearly a quarter century, the Roadless Rule has shielded 58.5 million acres of the most pristine and treasured areas within the National Forest System from roadbuilding and logging. The Roadless Area Conservation Act would codify the 2001 Roadless Rule, which was developed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) during the Clinton Administration and finalized after several years of deliberation and 600 public meetings in local communities nationwide.
    “Mounting climate impacts have increased the need to protect America’s last remaining wild forestlands, which reduce wildland fire risk and store huge amounts of carbon,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Roadless areas provide Washingtonians with unmatched outdoor recreation opportunities, clean drinking water for our communities, and habitat for numerous endangered species. We need to redouble our efforts to permanently preserve the benefits these public lands provide our nation and future generations.”
    “For decades, the Roadless Rule has been protecting over 1 million acres of forest in Arizona – providing clean air and water, supporting areas of cultural and spiritual significance to many tribes, and bolstering our vital tourism economy,” said Sen. Gallego. “But unless we codify those protections into law, they will always be at risk. That’s exactly what this legislation does, and I’m proud to reintroduce it.”
    “On day one, Donald Trump announced his intention to roll back bedrock environmental protections that are critical to the responsible stewardship of America’s natural resources,” said Rep. Salinas. “The Roadless Area Conservation Act will ensure that longstanding, commonsense rules remain in place to protect untouched national forests without jeopardizing wildfire prevention and response.”
    “In the Southwest, we know how important our wild forestlands are. They are a habitat for wildlife, they bolster clean air and water for our dry, arid climate, and provide spaces where families can connect and make lasting memories. The Roadless Area Conservation Act is a vital step in combating climate change and preserving public land for our communities,” said Rep. Ansari.
    The Roadless Rule enjoys strong public support, as evidenced by the overwhelming majority of 2.5 million comments submitted on the Roadless Forest Protection Rule —more than 95%—were in support of protecting roadless areas. A March 2019 poll by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that three out of four respondents said they supported keeping roadless forest protections, while only 16% opposed it. That level of support changed little between respondents living in rural or non-rural areas and across party affiliation and political views. 
    For more than two decades, the Roadless Rule has prevailed over numerous court challenges and administrative and legislative attacks. The first Trump administration weakened the rule, and in October 2020 the administration removed roadless protections for over 9 million acres of pristine forest lands in the Tongass National Forest, threatening old-growth forest and southeast Alaska’s robust tourism and fishing economies. Under the Biden administration, the protections in the Tongass were restored but then removed again by the second Trump administration.  In April, the Trump administration enacted a sweeping rollback of environmental protections across nearly 60% of U.S. national forests, including about 26 million acres of previously protected Roadless areas. This policy shift was formalized through an emergency directive by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, following a presidential executive order aimed at expediting logging projects by streamlining permitting, removing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, and exempting affected forests from administrative objection processes that previously allowed for challenges by environmental groups, tribes, and local government.
    By codifying the rule into law—including in the Tongass—the Roadless Area Conservation Act would uphold recreational access to public lands, preserve the habitats of 1,600 at-risk species, reduce the risk of wildfires, aid in the fight against climate change by preserving vast carbon sinks, and safeguard watersheds that provide clean drinking water for more than 60 million Americans in 39 states and more than 350 communities across the United States. The legislation would maintain the flexibility engrained in the Roadless Rule which allows for continued forest management and the construction of roads as needed to address fires, floods, or other catastrophic events, and other circumstances like the need to build new road connections between remote communities.
    The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 would:
    Protect, in perpetuity, 58.5 million acres of roadless national forest in 39 states;
    Ensure the more than 240 million people living within 100 miles of a national forest or national grassland retain access to opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and backcountry skiing;
    Safeguard watersheds in national forests and roadless areas that provide clean drinking water for over 60 million Americans;
    Save taxpayers millions of dollars by limiting costly new road building, allow the Forest Service to focus on maintaining its existing 371,581-mile network of National Forest System roads, and reduce its multi-billion dollar backlog of deferred maintenance on its existing road system;
    Maintain exemptions for hydropower development, public safety, and firefighting needs;
    Uphold the 9th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals decisions, as well as a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in support of the Roadless Rule.
    Additional cosponsors of the Roadless Area Conservation Act include U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA); Cory Booker (D-NJ); Tina Smith (D-MN); Ron Wyden (D-OR); Dick Durbin (D-IL); Bernie Sanders (D-VT); Peter Welch (D-VT); Jeff Merkley (D-OR); Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), as well as U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D, VA-08); Julia Brownley (D, CA-26); Sean Casten (D, IL-06); Judy Chu (D, CA-28); Angie Craig (D, MN-02); Sharice Davids (D, KS-03); Diana DeGette (D, CO-01); Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01); Jared Huffman (D, CA-02); Sara Jacobs (D,CA-51); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D, IL-08); Zoe Lofgren (D, CA-18); Kevin Mullin (D, CA-15); Joe Neguse (D, CO-02); Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC); Jimmy Panetta (D, CA-19); Chellie Pingree (D, ME-01); Mike Quigley (D, IL-05); Adam Smith (D, WA-09); Melanie Stansbury (D, NM-01); and Jill Tokuda (D, HI-02).
    The measure is also supported by a wide range of stakeholders.
    “The Roadless Rule is the most significant forest conservation measure of the last two decades — period,” said Alex Craven, Forest Campaign Manager at Sierra Club. “That significance has also made it a constant target by logging and development interests. Codifying this crucial rule would ensure it can continue to protect nearly 60 million acres of national forests for generations to come.” 
    “Our nation’s public forests are the places we camp, fish, hunt and play, as well as abundant sources of clear air and water, and the Roadless Rule has been critical for keeping them as such,” said Michelle Gullett, Senior Government Relations Representative at The Wilderness Society. “The Roadless Area Conservation Act couldn’t be reintroduced at a better time, signaling that we must keep our roadless areas intact, despite the Trump administration’s efforts to hand public lands over to private industry. Congress should pass this bill and send the message that our public forests must be managed sustainably and on behalf of us all.” 
    “National forests are bastions of biodiversity, cultural institutions of Indigenous communities, the centerpieces of vibrant outdoor economies, and some of our best natural solutions for tackling climate change,” said Earthjustice Senior Legislative Representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley. “As the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans seek to open more national forest land to costly and reckless logging and weaken forest protections, permanently codifying the Roadless Rule gives us the chance to fight back. We thank the Senate and House sponsors for recognizing that our forests are worth more standing.”
    “We’re thrilled to see the Roadless Area Conservation Act reintroduced at a time when Alaska’s public lands are once again in the crosshairs of administrative rollbacks,” said Alex Cohen, Government Affairs Director at Alaska Wilderness League. “This bill is a powerful move to protect our national forests—especially the Tongass National Forest—by making the Roadless Rule permanent. With Senators Maria Cantwell and Ruben Gallego leading the charge with Representatives Yassamin Ansari and Andrea Salinas in the House, this bill offers real hope for long-overdue, lasting protections for Alaska’s forests and the communities that depend on them.” 
    “If you care about clean drinking water, controlling climate change, preserving wildlife, or just enjoying natural beauty, you care a lot about national forest wildlands. This bill would secure 60 million acres of those public resources forever, ending years of political football and needless uncertainty over their fate,” said Garett Rose, senior attorney for the Nature program at NRDC.
    Sen. Cantwell has been the lead Senate champion of the Roadless Rule since it was overturned by the Bush Administration in 2001. Sen. Cantwell has repeatedly introduced legislation to codify the Roadless Rule into law, including as early as 2001. Sen. Cantwell was also a vociferous and persistent critic of the Trump administration’s elimination of roadless protections for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.
    Sen. Gallego has long championed the Roadless Rule, leading the effort in the House. He is proud to continue this work in the Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Traffic disruption, Tamahere

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Motorists heading to Fieldays in Waikato are advised of even more potential traffic disruption.

    A truck hit an overbridge on Airport Road in Tamahere, near the roundabout, about 10:15am.

    While the truck has been removed, traffic management is in place while contractors assess the site.

    Motorists are asked to have patience.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New and improved radiology services for Auckland City Hospital

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding for the first stage of a major project to upgrade and expand interventional radiology services at Auckland City Hospital.

    “This project will significantly improve access to radiology services for patients across Auckland and beyond,” Mr Brown says.

    “A $41.2 million investment will fund the initial phase of the project – including construction of a fourth interventional neuroradiology operating theatre equipped with state-of-the-art imaging technology and enhanced support services.

    “Investing in modern health infrastructure is a priority for this Government to ensure New Zealanders can access timely, high-quality care when they need it.

    “The existing interventional radiology facility is outdated and no longer suitable for the advanced imaging equipment clinicians need. Redesigning the space will enable the use of modern technology and support more sophisticated models of care that meet the increasing complexity of patient needs over the coming decade.”

    The expansion, expected to be operational by early 2027, will significantly boost capacity for emergency stroke interventions and complex neuroradiology procedures – including specialist treatments for children from across the country.

    Stage 1 will also deliver:
     

    • A replacement fluoroscopy room
    • An interventional ultrasound room
    • A new biplane imaging machine
    • An expanded short-stay ward

    The funding will also support development of a second business case to fully complete a new, purpose-built interventional radiology suite – strengthening services not only for Auckland, but for patients nationwide who require advanced interventional care.

    “This project will help reduce wait times for interventional radiology procedures, which play a critical role in diagnosing and treating life-threatening conditions and guiding decisions for further specialist care.

    “Better access to interventional radiology means faster diagnoses, less invasive treatments, and improved outcomes for patients,” Mr Brown says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government backs voluntary nature credits

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is supporting the expansion of a voluntary credits nature market through the running of pilot projects across New Zealand. Establishing a market that is durable, measurable and transparent will help farmers, landowners, iwi, and conservation groups unlock new income streams for looking after nature on their land, Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard announced today at Fieldays.

    “We want to connect those caring for the land with investors who support conservation. Nature credit markets help fund trusted environmental projects that actively protect and restore ecosystems.”

    Mr Hoggard said international and domestic investors—including corporates, banks, and philanthropists—are seeking high-quality nature and carbon credits that meet global standards. The development of a nature credit market is important to investors and New Zealand’s reputation.

    “New Zealand companies spent millions on carbon and nature credits mainly offshore last year. With the right framework, we can keep more of that investment at home.”

    The Government moved quickly to repeal the previous Government’s direction to Councils to identify and map Significant Natural Areas (SNA) by suspending parts of the National Policy Statement – Indigenous Biodiversity.

    “Farmers and other private landowners are doing their part to protect native biodiversity and want to do more. Supporting voluntary natural credits markets is a chance for the Government to show them the carrot, not just the stick.

    Privately funded pilot projects are underway to test how nature credit markets can work in the New Zealand context. As part of these pilots, we will test the role for Government which may include setting principles, and a framework for standards, to build market confidence and ensure quality.”

    Further details on the Government’s role and the design of the expanded market will be announced in the coming months.

    Information about voluntary nature credits market pilots

    The pilots represent different land conditions, locations, types of market participants, and activities.  They will help the Government understand how to meet the high standards of international markets, the role of Government, and what works best in New Zealand. This real-life experience will provide valuable insights as we move to the next stage of market design.

    1. Te Toa Whenua Northland, led by Reconnecting Northland. Transitioning around 100 ha from exotic forestry to native including pest control on iwi-owned land.
    2. Waituna Nature Credits Prototype Southland, led by Whakamana te Waituna Charitable Trust (Awarua Rūnunga, Ngai Tahu, Fonterra, Southland District Council, Environment Southland, and Department of Conservation). Restoring 400 ha of farmland at lagoon margins to lowland forest & wetlands (RAMSAR protected site).
    3. Waimanu Forest Gisborne Led by Aratu Forests. Converting a commercial forestry block to 50 ha of natives for biodiversity uplift and increased recreational and educational values. Scope to expand to up to 5,000 ha.
    4. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari insights Waikato, led by Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Observing the current process of issuing credits for conservation and protection activities within the 3,360 ha inland ecological sanctuary.
    5. Existing Biodiversity Credits Market (BCM) project standard insights Led by Ekos. Offering market insights from an existing BCM provider. Includes understanding the journey of Reconnecting Northland’s proof-of-concept project through this process.
    6. Adapted nature credits international standards Led by Boffa Miskell. Testing at-place an additional NZ BCM project standard that is adapting UK methodology to NZ environments as a competitor to domestic or international project standard/certification providers.
    7. Voluntary carbon market standard with biodiversity safeguards insights Led by AsureQuality. Testing its carbon project standard, which requires native revegetation, designed to be more applicable and affordable for the New Zealand context.
    8. Nature positive credit programme pilot Led by Silver Fern Farms. Testing a processor-led programme for market attraction, and potentially third-party investment, in on-farm nature restoration and enhancement activities that support commercial ‘nature positive’ claims.
    9. Nature-based markets pilots for rural landowners Led by Pāmu Farms. Exploring pathways to make nature-based markets accessible to a range of New Zealand farmers and landholders.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allianz’ proposed acquisition of RAA Insurance not opposed

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC will not oppose Allianz Australia Insurance Limited’s proposed acquisition of the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia’s personal insurance business (RAAI).

    Allianz and RAAI both supply home and contents insurance and motor insurance products in South Australia.

    “Our investigation focused on the closeness of competition between RAAI and Allianz and the extent to which other insurers are competing effectively to supply insurance to South Australians,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams said.

    “We also considered how competitive RAAI is now and is likely to be in the future without being acquired by Allianz. The likely impact of the acquisition on insurance prices, coverage and service offerings were all carefully considered.”

    The ACCC found that other suppliers will continue to compete with, and constrain, a merged Allianz and RAAI after the acquisition, making the transaction unlikely to substantially lessen competition.

    “As well as being the two largest insurers in Australia, Suncorp and IAG also have a significant presence in South Australia. As such, both are likely to compete effectively against Allianz in South Australia even after it has purchased RAAI,” Dr Williams said.

    “Mid-tier insurers Auto & General (Budget Direct) and Youi are also growing their market share nationally and will continue to compete on price in South Australia.”

    “While RAAI has a strong brand reputation associated with its motoring club and membership offering, we found that competition in relation to price and coverage in South Australia is being driven predominantly by other insurers, including Suncorp through its AAMI brand, IAG, Auto & General and Youi,” Dr Williams said.

    The ACCC also considered how the growing challenges facing the insurance industry are affecting RAAI, with a particular focus on the increasing numbers of extreme weather events and rising reinsurance and regulatory costs.

    The ACCC’s investigation found evidence that RAAI is facing specific challenges meaning that it is likely to be less competitive than it has been in recent years.

    The ACCC also considered the impact of the proposed acquisition on markets for the acquisition of smash repair services, windscreen repair and replacement services, and building repair services in South Australia.

    The ACCC found that the proposed acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in these markets as Allianz is unlikely to have the ability to diminish prices or supply terms 2 after the acquisition due to its position in the market relative to other insurers and acquirers of these services.

    The ACCC will also shortly be considering IAG’s proposed acquisition of RAC Insurance from RAC WA. This decision in relation to Allianz and RAAI should not be treated as being indicative of the ACCC’s decision for that transaction. The competitive dynamics and issues in each transaction are unique and the ACCC is considering each transaction individually.

    Further information can be found on the ACCC’s public register: Allianz Australia Limited – RAA Insurance Holdings Limited.

    Background

    Allianz Group is a global insurance service provider that offers a range of insurance products to customers in Australia. Allianz distributes personal insurance products (including home and contents insurance and motor insurance) directly to customers under the Allianz and TIO brands.

    Allianz also underwrites insurance products and distributes it through agreements with third party brands, including Westpac, BankSA, St George Bank, HSBC, NAB, Aussie, Newcastle Permanent, RAMS, and Catholic Church Insurance.

    The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) is a South Australian based, member-owned organisation that offers roadside assistance products, personal insurance products, and other ancillary services to its members.

    RAAI is a subsidiary of RAA and underwrites home and contents insurance and motor insurance products and distributes them directly through the RAA network via call centres, physical branches (all of which are in South Australia), and the RAA website.

    RAAI’s insurance products are only available in South Australia. The proposed acquisition does not include RAA’s membership-based business, which includes its roadside assistance business.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Spars with Interior Secretary Over Harmful, Arbitrary Budget Cuts to National Parks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the National Parks Subcommittee, demanded answers from Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum as to why the National Park Service’s (NPS) budget is being cut by $1.2 billion. During the exchange, Senator King pressed Secretary Burgum to justify the cuts and made clear that arbitrary budget decisions will have devastating consequences for national parks across the country — not just to operations, but to the visitor experience at locations nationwide.

    The hearing comes as the Trump Administration has implemented drastic cuts to federal land agencies such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service at the request of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These actions, alongside aggressive pushes to privatize federally managed lands and reshape environmental policy, pose serious threats to public land protections. The cuts to the National Park Service, as of late, are now facing bipartisan pushback in Congress.

    “The 1.2 billion dollars you are cutting from the National Park Service is devastating to the National Park Service. It doesn’t amount to anything in terms of our federal budget. I did a calculation, if our federal budget was the height of this room, what you are cutting from the National Park Service is the combined height of two credit cards. In other words, to save virtually no money from the federal budget, we’re devastating one of America’s treasures. And that’s what I don’t understand. You yourself a few minutes ago said you don’t have the data; you don’t have the visitation data. This is ready, fire, aim. How about waiting a year, developing the data, finding out what it is because you can’t convince me that a detailed analysis of the National Park Service took place in the last couple of months to justify this pitiful submission to this committee. So, I’m anxious to hear. We all know the term bang for the buck, this is damage for the buck. This is huge damage to the Park Service for a very minimal return in terms of reduction to the deficit, reduction of our federal budget. Why in the world, given your commitment to the national parks, the new Teddy Roosevelt Park in your state, why did you let them do this,” asked Senator King.”

    Secretary Burgum replied, “Senator, I want to — first, I appreciate the chart you are holding up behind there. I believe that number, if I can see it correctly, probably is the full-time staffing as opposed to the summer and seasonal. I think we actually have — it is a mix. I think that line I’m trying to see —”

    “You allowed more seasonals for this year, but I understand only half of them have been hired and are in the summer right now,” said Senator King.

    “More than half have been hired but again this is a mix. Again, I just got back from a trip to Alaska. I was at Kenai Fjords. This is a beautiful and amazing park. The road gets plowed in May; it snows over in November. This is a classic case where we need a lot of staffing. cruise ships are stopping in Seward and hundreds of thousands of villagers coming over a three- or four-month period and in the wintertime, the visitor centers aren’t even open. So, we have to figure out a way to be able to do flex staffing. It is not as simple as the raw number. The one number I was able —,” responded Secretary Burgum.

    Senator King finished, “There may be details in here but is pretty unmistakable the trend on this chart. I don’t understand — you are saving a very small amount of money, and you are gutting — I looked it up last night–the National Park Service is the most popular federal agency. The most popular federal agency. Why in the world would you target this agency particularly when you yourself in your testimony said I don’t have the data? This is ready, fire, aim. Get the data. Understand the details of the budget. Give us something like this, and then we can decide what the plan should be to echo the Vice Chair, what is the plan for doing this in a thoughtful way, not an arbitrary way of all probationary employees and that kind of thing?”

    As a lifelong advocate for conservation and Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator King is among the Senate’s most prominent voices advocating for conservation. Senator King helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation that included the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF). Because of his work, in 2020, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation (NPF) “Hero” Award. Since the creation of the LRF, Senator King has pushed park leaders to discuss funding maintenance efforts, maintaining a sufficient NPS workforce, and managing growing park visitation. Recently, Senator King pressed a Department of the Interior

    Senator King’s work on this legislation is the culmination of more than four decades of work on land conservation efforts in Maine, including helping to establish the Land for Maine’s Future program in 1987 and supporting extensive conservation projects during his time as Governor. Under King’s leadership in his eight years as Maine governor, he put more Maine land under conservation than in the state’s 175 year history.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Jayco in Court over ‘off road’ caravan advertisements

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Jayco Corporation Pty Ltd (Jayco), Australia’s largest caravan and recreational vehicle manufacturer, for making allegedly misleading representations when advertising certain models of its RVs in ‘off road’ conditions.

    The ACCC alleges that since January 2020, Jayco engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and made false or misleading representations to consumers by representing that its Outback, All Terrain and CrossTrak RVs were designed for use off-road and/or on four-wheel drive (4WD) only tracks when, in fact, they are not.

    “We allege Jayco misled consumers by advertising the RVs in terrain in which they were not designed to be used and were not covered by its warranty,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.

    “When a product is depicted in advertisements in a particular setting, or claims are made about it, consumers have a right to expect such images and words reflect the intended use of the product.”

    The ACCC alleges Jayco’s advertising depicted the RVs in various off-road conditions, including on unsealed or rocky roads with significant rutting or undulations, sand or beaches, water crossings, 4WD only tracks or specified locations that are only accessible by 4WD only tracks.

    In fact, the ACCC alleges the RVs were not designed for use off-road, on 4WD only tracks, or in the off-road conditions shown in its advertisements. In particular, as described in Jayco’s warranty, the RVs were not designed for use or towing on 4WD only tracks, terrain with hard impacts, heavy landings or rutted roads or tracks.

    The ACCC also alleges that Jayco did not disclose, or adequately disclose, in its promotional materials that the relevant RVs were not designed for use off-road and/or on 4WD only tracks, and that the warranty for the relevant RVs would not cover such use.

    Separately, the ACCC alleges Jayco made misrepresentations that its ‘All Terrain’ RVs were designed for use on all types of terrain, when in fact the All Terrain RV was not designed for use on terrain with hard impacts, heavy landings, rutted roads, tight undulating tracks or roads or 4WD only tracks, and therefore was not designed for use on all types of terrain.

    The ACCC’s case concerns Jayco’s promotion of its RVs on its own website, social media profiles, brochures, and point of sale advertising, including at 4WD and trade shows.

    Example of Jayco advertising – Instagram post depicting an Outback RV being towed by a 4WD vehicle through “Kinkuna National Park”, which is only accessible by 4WD vehicles

    Jayco Facebook post and embedded video, depicting a CrossTrak RV being towed behind a 4WD vehicle through a range of off-road conditions including water crossings.

    In addition to the images described above, Jayco also used references to “4WD” or “off-road” in its advertisements, as well as statements such as:

    • “purpose-built off-road hybrid RV”;
    • “built with off-road travel at the forefront”;
    • “can tackle just about any terrain”;
    • “designed specifically for off-road adventures”;
    • “our toughest off-roader, purpose-built to tackle the tough Australian terrain”;
    • “purposely made to take the road less travelled”; and
    • “All Terrain”.

    “We are concerned that consumers were deprived of the ability to make informed purchasing decisions which might have led them to buy a different RV that was more suitable for their needs,” Mr Keogh said.

    “RVs are a significant purchase for consumers, and as a result of Jayco’s ads, consumers may have paid a premium over and above the cost of other standard model RVs based on the alleged misrepresentation that they could be used ‘off road’.”

    The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, injunctions, compliance and publication orders, and costs.

    Background

    Jayco is the largest manufacturer of RVs in Australia and sells its vehicles through 29 dealerships across Australia. It promotes and supplies numerous RVs to Australian consumers and typically groups them in ranges. During the relevant period, these included Jayco’s ‘Outback’ and ‘Adventure’ ranges.

    The Adventure range included the CrossTrak and All Terrain models, and the Outback range comprised standard model RVs that had been modified with an “Outback upgrade” Jayco promotes the upgrade as providing higher ground clearance, added strength, and upgraded suspension and wheels. The Outback upgrade is an additional cost above a standard model RV.

    The Outback, CrossTrak and All Terrain RVs ranged in price from approximately $19,000 to $113,000 during the relevant period, depending on the model and options.

    In May 2021, Jayco was ordered to pay a $75,000 penalty for making a false or misleading representation to a consumer about their consumer guarantee rights, after the Court dismissed other allegations in a case brought by the ACCC in November 2017.

    In July 2022, following a survey of consumers and suppliers, the ACCC published the New caravan retailing report, which highlighted some areas of concern the ACCC had identified in the caravans industry.

    Concise statement 

    This document contains the ACCC’s initiating court document in relation to this matter. We will not be uploading further documents in the event these initial documents are subsequently amended.

    Concise Statement ACCC vs Jayco ( PDF 8.27 MB )

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Greater Bendigo community thanked for shaping the proposed Council Plan 2025-2029 and Annual Budget

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Council extends its sincere thanks to the local community for their valuable input on two key milestone documents, the proposed Council Plan Mir wimbul  2025–2029 and the Budget 2025/2026.

    Shaped by community priorities through extensive public engagement, these documents will be considered for adoption at the next Council Meeting on Monday June 16, starting at 6pm.

    For the first time, the proposed Council Plan and Budget have been developed and planned together, ensuring a strong alignment between strategic goals and the resources required to achieve them.

    Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said this combined approach marked a significant step forward in addressing both current and future community needs.

    “Developing the proposed Council Plan and Budget at the same time has ensured that our strategic goals are directly supported by the projects and initiatives we’re funding,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “The proposed Council Plan sets our direction for the next four years and includes the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. We’re focused on creating a welcoming community and a healthy environment that supports people to thrive. It reinforces the City’s commitment to improving health outcomes in partnership with local health organisations.”

    The proposed Budget 2025/2026 outlines key priorities for the coming year, supported by an annual action plan to ensure efficient and sustainable delivery of services.

    Cr Metcalf acknowledged the extensive community engagement that helped to shape both documents.

    “These milestone plans would not have been possible without the input of hundreds of community members, partner organisations, and Traditional Owner organisations. Councillors sincerely thank everyone who contributed their time, ideas, and experiences.”

    The planning process included:

    • A wide number of community focus groups and meetings with Traditional Owner organisations, key partners, local groups, and businesses
    • Two community-wide surveys with over 500 responses
    • A 42-person deliberative community panel held over a weekend in March that was selected from over 200 registrants, representing diverse genders, abilities, and cultural backgrounds, including First Nations community members

    “The community deliberative panel met over three days to provide guidance to Councillors, helping shape ideas that reflect the community’s voice and the Council Plan’s vision. Based on this and earlier community feedback, people told us they want Greater Bendigo to be responsible, healthy, thriving and welcoming,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “Community members recognise that Greater Bendigo is experiencing both the benefits and challenges of growth. We’re working hard to advocate for more housing and better facilities to support our expanding population.

    “Top priorities identified through community engagement include roads, public and active transport, waste management, and parks and trails. The community understands the importance of creating healthy, liveable places and spaces.”

    In addition to the Council Plan and Budget, a proposed Rating and Revenue Plan 2025-2029 and proposed Financial Plan 2025-2035 will also be considered for adoption at the June 16 meeting.

    The Revenue and Rating Plan 2025/2029 explains how the City will raise funds to pay for services, facilities and infrastructure. This includes finding the most appropriate and affordable rates approach for Greater Bendigo’s residents and businesses. In response to the introduction of the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund in July, the City’s 2025/2026 Budget proposes to reduce the rate in the dollar for the farm rate and not increase waste charges for all ratepayers in the new financial year.

    The Financial Plan sets out how the City plans to fund the delivery of services to the community in an efficient and sustainable way. The City uses a financial model to forecast and monitor a 10-year financially sustainable projection of how it plans to fund the actions in the Council Plan. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Praises Pres. Trump’s Approval of International Bridge Project in Laredo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    Green Corridors’ Permit Approval Comes After Cornyn’s Letter
    U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today praised President Trump’s approval of Green Corridors’ permit application to construct and operate the Green Corridors International Bridge facility, an intelligent transportation systems (ITS) commercial international crossing between Laredo, Texas, and Colombia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, that will increase the freight capacity through the Port of Laredo:
    “I am glad President Trump has approved the construction of the Green Corridors International Bridge facility, which will enhance efficiency and security at the Port of Laredo, our nation’s top port of entry for international trade,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I look forward to seeing the improvements this project will help accomplish and thank the Trump administration for prioritizing this application, which I was proud to support.”
    Background:
    In April, Sen. Cornyn sent a letter to President Trump expressing his strong support for Green Corridors’ application for a presidential permit to construct and operate the Green Corridors International Bridge facility.
    The Senator’s letter can be found here. In addition, Sen. Cornyn continues to advocate for the expansion of the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge in Laredo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Demands FEMA Halt Biden-Era Flood Insurance Premiums

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Stop Funding Genital Mutilation Act, which would prohibit federal funding from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from going towards gender transition procedures at any age:
    “Texas taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for dangerous and often debilitating ‘gender transition’ procedures that are driven by radical ideology masquerading as health care,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to stop federal dollars from funding Democrats’ woke agenda and defend Texas values and Texas families.”
    “Before they can vote, drive, or get a tattoo, some children are pushed into irreversible gender-transition procedures with no proven long-term health benefit,” said Sen. Lankford. “These treatments can cause lasting harm, and taxpayers should not be forced to fund them.”
    Background:
     A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) review of gender dysphoria medical interventions “highlights a growing body of evidence pointing to significant risks—including irreversible harms such as infertility—while finding very weak evidence of benefit.”
    Nearly 30 states have laws or policies that limit access to gender transition procedures for minors, including Texas. Texas prohibits health care providers from prescribing, administering or dispensing hormone or puberty blocking medications or providing gender transition surgeries to minors. Other countries have begun putting limits on these procedures over concerns about the long-term effects. In 2024, NHS England began limiting access to puberty blockers as “routine treatment” for children under 18. Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have also limited access to these procedures for minors.
    The Stop Funding Genital Mutilation Act would prohibit CHIP and Medicaid federal funds from being used to provide gender transition procedures at any age. It makes exceptions for those needing puberty blocking drugs or medical procedures for medically necessary reasons, including medically verifiable sex development disorders or injury from previous gender transition procedures.
    The legislation builds on President Trump’s Executive Order, signed on January 28, 2025, which called for cutting federal funding for gender transition procedures for minors and directs federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid, to stop covering these services.
    The legislation aligns with language included in the House’s version of Pres. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and Sen. Cornyn will fight to include this priority in the Senate’s version.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Sudan – As a measles outbreak spreads in Darfur, children are in urgent need of immunisation – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF

    Port Sudan, Sudan, 12 June 2025 – For a year now, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams in Darfur have been witnessing outbreaks of measles in the four Darfur states we currently work in. While massive vaccination campaigns are finally ongoing in several locations across the region, MSF insists on the need to increase efforts to catch up on the immunisation of children who have never been vaccinated.

    The first surge of measles cases observed and treated by MSF were in June 2024 in Rokero, a city in the north of the Jebel Marra Mountains in Central Darfur, where MSF teams have been running the local Ministry of Health (MoH) hospital without interruption since 2020. At the start of 2025, cases were also reported in East Jebel Marra, South Darfur and in Forbrenga, West Darfur. More recently, new surges are also being observed in Zalengei, Sortony and in Tine, East Chad – all places where MSF runs activities.

    From June 2024 until the end of May 2025, more than 9,950 patients were treated for measles in health facilities run or supported by MSF in the region. Around 2,700 were complicated cases requiring hospitalisation, and 35 deaths were recorded. To manage the influx of patients, we had to expand our paediatric beds capacity in three hospitals.  

    One of the root causes of this situation is the region’s already low immunisation coverage. “In Forbrenga, 30% of the measles patients we are receiving are above the age of five years and only 5% of them are vaccinated. This suggests that the lack of vaccination dates back further than the recent conflict,” explains Sue Bucknell, MSF’s Deputy Head of mission in West Darfur.

    “The ongoing conflict is also contributing to this outbreak, constraining the capacities of medical actors to both prevent and respond to outbreaks of contagious diseases,” adds Dr Cecilia Greco, MSF Medical coordinator for Central Darfur. “Mass population displacement has made the illness spread even faster across the region, further complicating the situation.”  

    Since the war broke out, constant administrative impediments and regular blockades of key supply roads have caused vaccine shortages throughout Darfur. This led to disruption in routine immunisation programmes in several locations, sometimes for months. In Sortony, for example, an internally displaced people (IDP) camp of North Darfur hosting more than 55,000 people, vaccination totally stopped from May 2024 to February 2025.

    These constraints and shortages have also limited the medical actors’ capacity to roll out proper response campaigns. Last year, MSF carried out several vaccination campaigns such as in November 2024 in North Jebel Marra where 9,600 children were vaccinated. However, due to limited vaccine supplies, MSF teams were forced to reduce the target and to exclude children over five, despite clear needs. This inevitably reduced the long-term impact of these campaigns. In North Jebel Marra, while the vaccination campaign initially slowed the outbreak, cases began to rise sharply again from February.

    Although mass vaccination campaigns are now happening in different parts of Darfur, negotiations and procedures have been lengthy. After MSF first raised the alarm about the multiple surges it was witnessing, it took months before the Federal MoH in Port Sudan and UNICEF released the needed vaccines from their stocks: finally enabling mass vaccination campaigns to be launched in different areas of Darfur. Last week, 55,800 children from nine months to 15 years old were therefore vaccinated in Forbrenga as part of a campaign led by the MoH and supported by MSF. 93,000 more children are set to receive the vaccine in North Jebel Marra and Sortony by the end of this week, in a similar campaign.

    “Even if they represent a certain achievement, these campaigns should have happened much sooner. Many measles cases and their consequences could have been prevented” says Dr Greco. “And as much as they are needed, such reactive campaigns are only a band-aid to an open wound unless massive efforts are put in place on immunisation and prevention across Darfur, including its most remote areas.”  

    Bucknell highlights the threat of further outbreaks of disease unless such efforts are initiated. “Measles is not the only contagious illness currently present in Darfur with the potential to turn into outbreaks. Over the last 10 days, about 200 suspected cholera cases were brought to MSF-supported health facilities in two different Darfur states. This follows a significant cholera outbreak in Khartoum state and other parts of Sudan,” she says.

    “It is essential that federal and local health authorities, UN agencies and all medical actors on the ground collaborate not only to catch up on the vaccination of all the children left behind by immunisation programmes over the years, but also to enhance their ability to respond quickly and efficiently should any other outbreaks, like cholera, start spreading over Darfur. This includes the capacity to supply vaccines in and across Sudan, without facing the same impediments anymore,” concludes Dr Greco.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis Op-Ed: The Senate’s One Big, Beautiful Opportunity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) published an op-ed in The Hill outlining the Senate’s one big, beautiful opportunity to deliver tax relief and pass President Trump’s agenda. 
    Read the full op-ed HERE.
    Senator Tillis on Delivering President Trump’s Campaign Promises: 
    “President Trump ran — and won — on a bold promise: supercharge America’s economy and restore strength at home and abroad. Now the Senate is on the verge of helping him fulfill that commitment with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Getting the bill through the House was a Herculean effort in itself, given the Republicans’ thin majority. That required many compromises to be made. While there is a lot of good in the House version of the bill, some big improvements still need to be made. That is what the Senate is currently working on.”
    Senator Tillis on Democrats Opposition to the One Big, Beautiful Bill:
    “Don’t buy the spin of Democrats who oppose this bill and falsely give the impression that it’s just tax cuts for billionaires. Instead, look at the numbers. By voting against this bill, Democrats are voting to double the federal taxes on every married couple with two kids making $80,000 a year, from roughly $1,400 in taxes owed to more than $3,000. By voting against this bill, Democrats are voting to force single parents with two kids making $40,000 a year to go from getting a net tax credit to owing nearly $1,500 in taxes. By voting against this bill, Democrats are also betraying tens of millions of small businesses. They’ll be voting to triple the income tax bill for married small business owners with three kids and a net income of $180,000. They will also be voting against the most ambitious welfare reform in a generation.” 
    Senator Tillis on Improvements to the One, Big Beautiful Bill: 
    “Despite a lot of good, there are some big areas in need of improvement. First, the Senate needs to find additional spending cuts and savings. While the House version saves taxpayers $1.6 trillion in spending, we need to push further for fiscal restraint. This will be easier said than done, as the reconciliation process that allows Congress to pass major tax legislation with a simple majority vote has major restrictions on what and where the Senate can cut. A prime target is the House’s inexplicable decision to quadruple the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which wealthy taxpayers in high-tax blue states utilize. While I understand why lawmakers from California and New York want to increase the SALT deduction, it’s not the responsibility of federal taxpayers to subsidize state tax bills.  The SALT increase overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest of taxpayers and carries a significant price tag of $320 billion. The Senate needs to fix this and unlock additional cost savings to help working families, not coastal elites.” 
    Senator Tillis on the Senate’s Work Moving Forward: 
    “Moving forward, each Republican senator will have input, and each provision should be scrutinized. My simple request to all my Republican colleagues in both chambers is: do not let the perfect become the enemy of the good. We have narrow majorities in both the House and Senate and cannot waste the historic opportunity we have to deliver tax relief and pass Trump’s agenda. Whether it takes the next few weeks or the next few months, let’s do the hard work to find common ground, get the job done, and put the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Trump’s desk.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REMARKS: Ranking Member Coons calls out Secretary Hegseth for misplaced priorities, failure to submit budget in Defense Subcommittee hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a series of failures in his management of the military ranging from focusing on culture war issues instead of military readiness, to straining relations with crucial allies, to discussing classified military operations over unsecured messaging apps, to a refusal to strategically fund the department.
    “It pains me to point out the obvious at this budget hearing: that in the face of these threats, the Department of Defense is more internally divided and beset by challenges of its own making than at any point in my memory,” said Ranking Member Coons. “We cannot win the fight for the future without allies, nor deter China and Russia without a functional Department of Defense, and we on this committee simply cannot do our job without an adequate budget submission.”
    Ranking Member Coons’ comments came at a hearing to review the president’s Defense Department budget request for fiscal year 2026. Despite the president’s budget being announced in a press release nearly one month ago, the current request for the Defense Department still only consists of a one-page table. The department’s own website still shows an error page instead of a full budget, as Ranking Member Coons pointed out in the hearing. 
    “It should go without saying that the People’s Republic of China does not operate under a continuing resolution. The fiscal year 2026 request is no better.  If you go to [the] DOD fiscal year 2026 page right now, this is what you’ll see. This is what is currently publicly available, and the budget request was not much better,” said Ranking Member Coons. “More than a month after OMB’s press release, we are still waiting for real budget details. This is officially the latest budget submission of the modern era.”
    The lack of an actual budget request is just one of Secretary Hegseth’s repeated failures to ensure our military has the funds it needs during his first months in office. Secretary Hegseth failed to speak out against a continuing resolution (CR) for fiscal year 2025, resulting in the first year-long CR for the Department of Defense in our nation’s history that has undermined military operations, procurement, and readiness. Secretary Hegseth is currently advocating for increasing military spending through the Republican tax bill, rather than the normal appropriations process. Not only does linking military spending to a controversial, party-line bill needlessly politicize the process, any increase through reconciliation will be a one-time increase, making it harder for Defense Department leaders to plan for the future.
    Secretary Hegseth’s brief tenure has been filled with errors far beyond his failure to put future military spending on a consistent footing. In March, Ranking Member Coons called for Secretary Hegseth to resign over revelations that he shared critical information about military operations over an unsecure messaging app that could have endangered U.S. servicemembers if compromised. His department has chosen to spend $134 million illegally deploying Marines to Los Angeles, and as much as $45 million on a military parade in Washington that President Trump requested for his birthday at a time when the defense budget is already stretched. He has also spent much of his time on culture war issues – including personally directing the Navy to rename ships named after Thurgood Marshall and Harvey Milk – instead of addressing military threats in Eastern Europe and the Indo Pacific.
    A full video of his remarks can be found here.
    Senator Coons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you as well, Secretary Hegseth, Chairman Caine, Ms. McDonald, for joining us here today.
    We are confronting a world more dangerous today than at any time since the Cold War, and our nation needs and deserves a strong and coordinated response to deter the threats we face, to protect our freedoms, and keep our citizens safe. The last several administrations correctly prioritized China, the People’s Republic of China, as the pacing threat to our nation’s security. More recently, as the Chairman just said, and as I strongly agree, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly aligned in ways that are making each of them more threatening to our national security.
    This is happening right now in Ukraine. Russia’s aggression is buttressed by Iranian drones, North Korean soldiers and Chinese components, technology, and funding. Ukraine is, though, not just a preview of geopolitics, it’s also the future of warfare, and the pervasive electronic warfare and drone swarms we see on the front lines are lessons from which we must learn. We need to address the urgency of this moment, to unify our efforts, and focus our precious time and money on what’s important. Chairman McConnell and I are ready to do that with anyone interested in engaging in good faith, which is why it pains me to point out the obvious at this budget hearing: that in the face of these threats, the Department of Defense is more internally divided and beset by challenges of its own making than at any point in my memory.
    Let’s start with the budget. Our Department of Defense and our troops are currently operating under a full year continuing resolution for the very first time. The continuing resolution provides tens of billions of dollars less in purchasing power than under the previous administration. This does not deliver on ‘peace through strength.’ No one on this subcommittee wanted this outcome.  Mr. Secretary, we appealed to your office to timely and publicly oppose the CR as all previous secretaries had done, but you were silent. You never responded. That CR’s cuts are forcing DOD to halt training and shrink exercises, and it fundamentally undermines readiness. DOD has made the CR worse by paying for DHS border activities with DOD funds meant for military quality of life – money to repair buildings, to relocate military families, to keep the Navy’s fleet operationally ready. Shrinking budgets will not speed up our acquisition system, complete kill chains, or deepen our magazines. We are falling behind thanks to some poor choices. It should go without saying that the People’s Republic of China does not operate under a continuing resolution. The fiscal year 2026 request is no better. If you go to DOD fiscal year 2026 page right now, this is what you’ll see. [Holds up 404 Not Found Page.] This is what is currently publicly available, and the budget request was not much better.
    We were given this on Monday. [Holds up single page.] More than a month after OMB’s press release, we are still waiting for real budget details. This is officially the latest budget submission of the modern era. For anyone not versed in how this should go at this stage, we would have received at least this, if not reams more. [Holds up large stack of papers.] This committee – to do its job – wants to work with you on the details of exactly which programs and exactly which deployments and exactly which end strength you are requesting, so that in a timely way, we can complete our work and avoid another disastrous continuing resolution, but the department has been AWOL in the [FY] 26 debate, as it was in the [FY] 25 debate. Bills are already being written, and the department’s inability to explain its budget is slowly making it less relevant to what it receives in fiscal year 26 in our appropriations process.
    What’s clear is the base request is exactly the same funding level as the FY 25 CR that’s created problems. Mr. Secretary, you’re requesting an increase instead through budget reconciliation, a partisan gamble that I believe shows poor judgment about how to handle our nation’s security. DOD’s ability to take care of our warfighters should not be contingent on whether Congress can pass a bill that also explodes the national debt, gives billionaires tax cuts, cuts access to health care – in short, is controversial and uncertain. I think it sends a bad message to the U.S. defense industry about the uncertainty of appropriations for key systems at precisely the time we want certainty and we want more from them.  
    Who wins in all this? Not the American people; our adversaries.
    Mr. Secretary, I’m also concerned that far more of your time so far has been spent inside the building on culture wars, rather than outside the building deterring real ones. This administration began by firing a long list of qualified uniformed leaders without cause: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Vice Chief of the Air Force, the head of the National Security Agency, the U.S. military representative to NATO, the director of the Defense Health Agency, the head of the Coast Guard, and all of the Service Judge Advocates General; continues to push out tens of thousands of civilians who should instead be repairing our ships, testing equipment, providing healthcare. It’s rooting out fully qualified, combat proven service members solely because they are transgender to satisfy a petty animus, and it’s censoring service academy libraries so that no future leader of our military can read Maya Angelou or Janet Jacobs’ book on the Holocaust, even Jackie Robinson’s World War II service photo is not safe from culture warriors. In January of this year, any patriotic American who met the qualifications could serve our nation and the Marines at 29 Palms were training for the Indo-Pacific, not the streets of Los Angeles. We worried then about our enemies, rather than each other, and we should return to that model.
    We also, frankly, need to get back to partnering with and supporting our allies. This administration has publicly and repeatedly threatened to seize the territory of NATO allies and retake the Panama Canal. The president paused aid to Ukraine – both intelligence partnership and military support – in the middle of their just war against one of our primary global enemies. And at times, rather than help and partner with our allies, we have levied massive tariffs against our partners. The department’s fiscal year 26 request compounds these mistakes by explicitly eliminating assistance to Ukraine and slashing security cooperation with allies around the world, sending exactly the wrong signal. Our global network of strong allies is our asymmetric advantage. The administration’s budget request may try to abandon our allies, but this Congress should not. I’ll also cite a predecessor in your role, Secretary Mattis, who testified to Congress that we need to complement strong investments in defense with comparable investments in diplomacy and development. In fact, I think he once said famously, if we don’t spend adequately on diplomacy and development, I will need more bullets because we will be in more wars; yet, DOGE has shredded our development work, shredding trust as well with partners and allies.
    Last, I’m troubled by the chaos and poor judgment that have been on full display from the Pentagon front office. Mr. Secretary, you should not have shared operational details of U.S. military strikes on Signal with other executive branch officials or personal acquaintances. Mishandling important and sensitive military information in the middle of an operation by a secretary is unthinkable. You’ve also fired several top aides, and you’ve been unable to hire a new chief of staff for months.
    Mr. Secretary, this cannot continue. Your responsibilities to our troops and our nation are far too important. We cannot win the fight for the future without allies nor deter China and Russia without a functional Department of Defense, and we on this committee simply cannot do our job without an adequate budget submission. I welcome partnership on these important priorities, and I look forward to discussing why we haven’t been able to achieve that so far and where to go from here.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER SAYS: HANDS OFF UPSTATE NY’S JOB CORPS CENTERS; FOLLOWING TRUMP ORDER TO SHUT DOWN JOB CORPS, ELIMINATING 550+ UPSTATE NY JOBS & CUTTING JOB TRAINING FOR THOUSANDS OF NEW YORKERS, SENATOR…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Job Corps Provides Residential Workforce Training To Thousands of Students Across America & NY – Located In Albany, Sullivan, Orleans, Otsego & Chautauqua Counties – Helping Underserved Workers Get The Skills They Need To Start Careers In Healthcare, Construction, Tech, And Other Fields With Worker Shortages
    Schumer Says Rash, Potentially Illegal Move By Trump Admin Is Gut Punch To Upstate NY’s Worker-Starved Businesses From Albany To Western NY That Rely On Job Corps To Find Skilled Workers; Demands NY Republicans Stand Up To Trump And Join Him In Pushing To Reverse These Counterproductive Cuts That Hurt Small Businesses & Workers In Their Backyards
    Schumer: Eliminating Job Corps Hurts Workers, Businesses, And Upstate NY Economy
    With the Trump administration attempting to eliminate Job Corps, one of the nation’s largest workforce training programs with 5 centers across Upstate NY, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer demanded the Trump administration stop their cruel, potentially illegal, attempts to decimate Job Corps, eliminating over 550 jobs across Upstate NY and canceling training to help students across America, including thousands in New York, get the skills they need to enter in-demand careers. Schumer said Upstate NY’s Job Corps centers – in Albany, Sullivan, Orleans, Otsego, and Chautauqua Counties – are essential for local small businesses and other employers that rely on Job Corps for a pipeline of new skilled workers to fill jobs.
    Schumer said the Trump administration is not only attempting to shut down Job Corps centers by June 30th, but in the recently released Presidential “skinny” budget request, Trump said he wants to totally zero out funding for the program. Schumer is leading efforts in the Senate to oppose these destructive and potentially illegal actions like pausing existing funds for the Job Corps centers by the Trump Administration to end this valuable program to train Upstate NY workers, and is demanding the GOP, especially NY House Republicans, many of whom have districts that rely on Job Corps, to stand with their constituents in fighting to save Job Corps by pushing the Trump administration to reverse course on these damaging policies.  
    “Across Upstate NY the Trump administration’s cruel order to shut down Job Corps centers has caused students and teachers to scramble, and if this goes through, it will be our small businesses and local economies paying the price. Job Corps is one of the best bang for your buck programs we have, one of America’s largest workforce training programs with thousands upon thousands of success stories putting young people into good-paying careers and helping employers grow with new, skilled workers. Job Corps is where New Yorkers go to get the skills they need to start their career in healthcare, construction, and other in demand fields, but right now, Trump wants to close the doors and kick all these young workers out on the street,” said Senator Schumer. “It’s cruel, it’s outrageous, and potentially illegal to stop the flow of funding under existing contracts from a program that is authorized and funded by Congress. We must save Job Corps across Upstate NY. We want to help young people get jobs, to get the training they need for successful careers, and eliminating these centers will hurt those students as well as local employers like small businesses and hospitals in getting the skilled workers they need. The courts have already put a pause on Trump’s initial attempts to kill Job Corps, and I will vehemently oppose his attempts to defund this program in the Senate because the people are on our side in saving Job Corps.”
    Last month, Trump paused operations at Job Corps centers nationwide sparking widespread outcry. Schumer explained this would kick more than a thousand young New Yorkers out of training programs and potentially to the curb, create mass layoffs of hundreds of workers at Job Corps centers in every corner of the state and hurt local businesses and other employers in need of skilled workers. Since then, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the pause, but Job Corps employees and students are being left in the lurch and are being forced to scramble as they do not know what the future holds as a final ruling in the court case is pending and the Trump administration continues its attacks on the program. In addition, Trump’s FY2026 budget proposal would completely eliminate funding for Job Corps centers, effectively killing the program.
    The Trump administration’s destructive actions would close Job Corps centers in every corner of New York, which train thousands of young New Yorkers every year. Schumer specifically highlighted how:
    In the Capital Region, the Glenmont Job Corps Center provides training to hundreds of students every year in fields encompassing construction, solar, culinary, automotive, security, and healthcare. The center employs 125 workers in the local area and has an estimated local community impact of $24.6 million annually.
    In the Hudson Valley, the Delaware Job Corps Center provides training for hundreds of students in fields encompassing construction, security, healthcare, and culinary. The center employs 101 workers in the local area and has an estimated local community economic impact of $18.1 million annually. The center also provides construction for community-based projects throughout the region via work-based learning agreements.
    In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, the Iroquois Job Center provides training to over 200 students in fields such as brick masonry, carpentry, electrical work, commercial painting, and healthcare. The center employs approximately 104 staff and injects over $8.9 million in federal funding into the local economy every year.
    In the Southern Tier, the Oneonta Job Corps is currently providing training hundreds of students and employs approximately 130 staff dedicated to helping students succeed.  Attracting students from all across the country, the center prepares students for careers in auto trades, healthcare, and pre-apprenticeship union trades in electrical, tile, and cement masonry. Oneonta’s Smart Grid Advanced Training for Electrical program helps students develop the skills they need to work on overhead lines, underground residential distributions, and smart meter logic controllers. In partnership with Mohawk Valley Community College, the center is training the next generation of drone operators through their Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator program.
    In Western New York, the Cassadaga Job Corps provides training in fields such as healthcare, carpentry, and plumbing. The center employs approximately 100 workers in the local area.
    Schumer added, “Many of NY GOP districts rely on workers trained at Upstate NY’s Job Corps centers. That is why I’m calling on NY House Republicans to immediately reverse the proposed cuts in Trump’s budget request and push the Trump administration to stop its destructive pause of current funding to Job Corps that would devastate communities in their backyard.”
    For more than 60 years, Job Corps centers have helped millions of young people ages 16 to 24 finish high school, learn technical skills, and get jobs in in-demand fields such as healthcare and construction. Low-income and at-risk young people have received stable housing and health care while developing the skills they need to get good-paying jobs after graduation. Schumer is fighting to keep these centers open to preserve this pipeline for thousands of New Yorkers.
    Schumer recently sent a letter with 39 of his colleagues in the Senate calling on U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to protect Job Corps and demanding answers on these destructive efforts. A copy of the letter sent by Senator Schumer and his colleagues can be found HERE.
    “At Glenmont Job Corps, we see firsthand how powerful this program is. It gives young people the tools, support, and confidence they need to rewrite their stories and build a better future. These aren’t just students—they’re future workers, leaders, and contributors to our communities. If Job Corps is taken away, the loss won’t just be felt by the students—it’ll be felt in our neighborhoods, our workforce, and our local economy. We could see more young people left without direction, and that creates real challenges for everyone. This program works—and it’s worth fighting for. I’m incredibly grateful to Senator Schumer for standing with us and with every young person who deserves a chance to succeed,” said Tracy Battle, Center Director, Glenmont Job Corps.
    “For 60 years, the Iroquois Job Corps Center has trained hundreds of young adults annually to become the electricians, carpenters, medical assistants and more that our community needs,” said Lynne Johnson, Chairman of the Orleans County Legislature.  “The Center is also a vital employer, with 104 local workers, and has infused over 8.9 million-dollars in federal funding into our region’s economy. Stopping student enrollments and threatening to close the Iroquois Job Corps Center not only risks the futures of over 12,000 students but also the workforce that drives our region’s economic growth.  I’m proud to stand with Senator Schumer in calling for Job Corps student enrollments to resume immediately and keeping the Iroquois Job Corps Center open, so we can continue building a stronger, more prosperous community.”
    “I’ve worked at the Cassadaga Job Corps Center for 15 years. I’ve seen thousands of young people transform their lives here—earning diplomas, learning trades, and gaining real-world experience that benefits both them and our local community,” said Cassadaga Guardians of the Hill President Jake Brock. “Closing our center would take away critical opportunities from students and eliminate over 100 jobs in a rural area with few alternatives. We’re deeply grateful to Senator Schumer for his support in keeping Job Corps strong for future generations.”
    “The Delaware Valley Job Corps Center in Callicoon has been a valuable part of our community for nearly half a century, and any closure – even temporarily – will have devastating results in and around Sullivan County. Local young adults benefit from the skills training that the Center provides, and many of the over 100 employees live and shop in Sullivan County. We certainly will be harmed, economically and educationally, should that facility be shuttered,” said Sullivan County Manager Joshua A. Potosek.
    “The Delaware Valley Job Corps program has been a cornerstone of our community for nearly 50 years. By providing stable employment opportunities to local residents, it has made a meaningful contribution to the economic well-being of our region. Just as importantly, it has given our community the opportunity to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people, offering them the support, skills, and direction needed to build brighter futures. I am deeply concerned about the potential loss of these jobs and the far-reaching effects this would have on our local families and economy. The decision to shut down or scale back this program is short-sighted and overlooks the long-term value it provides—not only to the individuals it serves but to our entire community. I strongly urge that this decision be reversed and that full support be restored to the Delaware Valley Job Corps program,” said Sullivan County Legislator Catherine Scott.
    “The loss of the Oneonta Job Corps Academy would have a severe impact on our economy, our infrastructure, the capacity of our community services, and the quality of life in the City,” said Mark Drnek, Mayor of the City of Oneonta. “But beyond that, the closure of the Job Corps program, would be the retraction of a helping hand, and of the opportunity for hundreds of young men and women to pull themselves from poverty and place themselves on the very ladder of success that is the American Dream, in many cases providing precedent and role modeling to family, friends, and neighborhoods.”
    “Job corps gave me the opportunity to get my basic needs met (food, water, shelter and a stable environment), while giving me the opportunity to work on myself and the trajectory of my career. I would not be where I am today, without job corps,” said Cassadaga Job Corps Graduate Arlene Tariq.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S FAA NOMINEE REFUSING TO PROTECT THE 1,500-HOUR RULE & AVIATION SAFETY LAWS CREATED BY THE FAMILIES OF FLIGHT 3407

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Washington, D.C. – A longtime advocate for airline safety, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today released the following statement after Bryan Bedford, Trump’s nominee for the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, refused to commit to protecting the 1,500-hour rule and aviation safety reforms created by the Flight 3407 families at his Senate nomination hearing:
    “If safety is top priority, then it should be easy for Mr. Bedford to offer full-throated support for maintaining the 1500-hour rule, the gold standard of aviation safety created by the Flight 3407 families. Instead, he refused multiple times to commit to protect the 1,500 hour rule – enacted after the tragedy of Flight 3407 to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring ever again. Let me be clear: Reducing the number of hours pilots train in the air is dangerous and can cost lives,” said Senator Schumer. “When it comes to safety, I watch what FAA administrators do, not what they say. As an airline executive, Mr. Bedford has spent years attempting to undercut and circumvent the 1,500 hour rules, putting profit over safety. It is an insult to the memory of those we lost on Flight 3407 and the decades of work carried on by their families. Secretary Duffy must meet with the families immediately and commit clearly and unequivocally to the protection of the 1,500 hour rule and other air safety reforms the Flight 3407 families helped create. The safety of our skies depends on it.”
    Schumer has been a long-time, relentless advocate for air safety standards following the tragic crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407. In February 2009, the tragic crash of Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York claimed 50 lives and alerted the nation to the shortfalls in our aviation safety system, particularly at the regional airline level. In the wake of the tragedy, Schumer worked with the families who lost loved ones in the crash, to pass the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. This landmark aviation safety legislation addressed many of the factors contributing to the increasing safety gap between regional and mainline carriers by requiring the FAA to develop regulations to improve safety, including enhanced entry-level pilot training and qualification standards, pilot fatigue rules, airline pilot training and safety management programs, and the creation of an electronic Pilot Record Database.
    Notably, the legislation included a mandate that first officers – also known as co-pilots – hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which requires a pilot to log 1,500 hours of hand-on flying time in the air, and the advocacy of the families has led to many other laws including regulations to combat pilot fatigue, the establishment of the electronic Pilot Records Database, and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    ***Click here for photos.***

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

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

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

    [embedded content]

    Clean Power Plan

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

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

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

    MATS Amendments

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New parent visa delivers on ACT commitment

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa.

    “The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I’m proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents.

    “The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare.

    “Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders.

    “ACT’s 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa’s alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers.

    “ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world’s brightest while protecting local taxpayers.”

    The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT responds to legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions

    Source: ACT Party

    Responding to the introduction of legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions, ACT Rural Communities spokesperson Mark Cameron says:

    “The Government is moving to address legitimate concerns in rural communities. Forestry is swallowing up productive farmland because the current system is rigged against those who feed the world,” says Mr Cameron.

    “Red tape and distorted incentives make it more profitable to plant pine trees than to run a farm.

    “There is more the Government could do to address the root of the problem. It could start by letting Kiwis offset their emissions overseas. There’s no reason we should be covering our own productive land in carbon farms when planting is cheaper and more efficient in other parts of the world.

    “It’s also time for a wider conversation about whether New Zealand’s Paris climate commitments are worth the cost.

    “Right now, our only options to meet these targets are blanketing the countryside in trees, or driving up costs on fuel, electricity and everyday goods. Neither of those is acceptable. We need to ask whether the pain is worth it.

    “Kiwi farmers are the best in the world at what they do – the freer they are to compete and grow, the better. ACT will keep backing farmers and rural communities.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

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

    Source: ACT Party

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

    Good morning, everyone. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    All the best for a successful and enjoyable Fieldays. 

    Thank you.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –