NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New tools to fight retail crime welcomed

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is welcoming a report which shows facial recognition technology is an effective way of combatting retail crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

    “The Privacy Commission today announced it has found the live facial recognition technology model trialled by Foodstuffs North Island, is compliant with the Privacy Act.

    “It found the technology is effective at reducing harmful behaviour towards retailers, especially serious violent incidents.

    “This is great news for businesses that are considering using the technology as a means to protect their livelihoods.

    “The report notes that privacy concerns must be carefully safeguarded. 

    “I expect our Ministerial Advisory Group will continue to look at this technology as an option to be used more widely and engage with the sector on it.

    “I’ll be encouraging the MAG to take this report into serious consideration.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI’s Fugitive Task Force Returns Man Who Was Extradited From Mexico for 2013 Murder

    Source: US FBI

    A Mexican man wanted for a 2013 murder in Los Angeles was returned to the United States from Mexico over the weekend by members of the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force.

    The man, Luis Alberto Gutierrez Tejeda, 33, a Mexican national whose most recent U.S. address was in Sylmar, was arrested last year in Guadalajara, Mexico, by authorities there who were working with the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City and the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force in Los Angeles. Since his arrest, Tejeda has been incarcerated in Mexico awaiting formal extradition to the United States.

    Tejeda was wanted for a 2013 murder in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley during which the victim was shot while in his vehicle. Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) who are investigating the homicide, identified Tejeda as the shooter responsible.  Once it became known that Tejeda fled the United States, LAPD Detectives contacted the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force and requested assistance in locating and apprehending Tejeda.  The FBI obtained a federal warrant charging Tejeda with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

    Tejeda was taken into custody by Mexican authorities in October 2024. In May, the Fugitive Task Force received notification that the Mexican Attorney General would relinquish custody of Tejeda to American authorities on May 30, 2025. Tejada was escorted by task force members to Los Angeles on Friday and was turned over to the custody of the LAPD. The federal UFAP charge is expected to be dismissed.

    The FBI’s Fugitive Task Force in Los Angeles is a collaborative effort involving the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to apprehend fugitives, including those who’ve fled from Los Angeles and those who flee to Los Angeles from other jurisdictions. The task force works to locate and arrest individuals who are wanted for various crimes, including violent crimes, and often collaborates with Mexican authorities to return fugitives to the United States. Mexican authorities and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City provided considerable assistance, as did the Department of Justice – Office of International Affairs.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio delivers remarks at the American Compass Fifth Anniversary Gala – 8:00 PM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio delivers remarks at the American Compass Fifth Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCwq4Pa0G3M

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman Leads House Democrats in Demanding Federal Budget Fully Fund Public Broadcasting

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Funding Request Comes Amid Trump Administration’s Continued Attacks on Public Journalism 

     

    Goldman is Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Public Broadcasting Caucus 

     

    Read the Letter Here 

    Washington, D.C – Co-Chair of the Congressional Public Broadcasting Caucus Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), alongside Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA–07) led 103 of their House Democratic colleagues in writing to the House Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Aderholt and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro to request the federal government’s budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year fully fund public programming, including $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) two-year advance, level funding of $31 million for the Department of Education’s Ready To Learn grant program, and level funding of $60 million for public broadcasting Interconnection system. 

    The letter comes as the Trump administration continues to attack public journalism’s editorial independence and crack down on public broadcasting nationwide. This month, the administration issued an unlawful Executive Order directing CPB to cease all funding for NPR and PBS, which support local TV and radio news outlets across the country. Goldman’s letter highlights the critical role that CPB plays not only in ensuring all Americans have access to trusted and reliable news, but also emergency response tools for state and local municipalities and educational programming for kids of all ages. 

    “Without federal support for public broadcasting, many localities would struggle to receive timely, reliable local news and educational content, especially remote and rural communities that commercial newsrooms are increasingly less likely to invest in. In states such as Alaska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Texas, rural public radio stations are often the only weekly or daily news source in their communities. Even in places with other daily or weekly news sources, those outlets may not be directing resources toward original or locally based stories, leaving it to public stations to fill the gap,” the Members wrote. 

    CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99.7% percent of the American population, and its funding funds over 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, supporting approximately 20,000 local jobs. The members also emphasize the load-bearing role that the CPB-funded public broadcasting infrastructure plays in individual states’ emergency response.  

    “Between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, nearly 8,500 Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) were issued by federal, state, and local authorities and transmitted over the PBS Warning, Alert, and Response Network (PBS WARN) system. Additionally, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Radio Satellite System enable local public radio stations to issue text and image alerts and other information to mobile phones, “connected car” smart dashboards, HD radios, and online streams. In fact, NPR has been named as a resource in at least 20 states’ emergency plans,” the Members continued. 

    Founded in 1967 as a private, non-profit corporation, the CPB’s structure shields its content decisions from political influence and is compelled by law to uphold “strict adherence to objectivity and balance.” In addition to emergency response systems and local journalism, federal funding for CPB also enables public broadcasting to support educational content that parents nationwide rely on to help their children learn, averaging 16 million monthly users and more than 350 million monthly streams across digital platforms, allowing people at all income levels and from all parts of the country to access consistent, high-quality, educational content for free.  

    “We urge you to continue your support for our nation’s local public broadcasting stations with level funding of $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s two-year advance, level funding of $31 million for the Ready To Learn grant program, and level funding of $60 million for public broadcasting Interconnection,” the Members concluded. 

    Read the letter here or below: 

    Dear Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member DeLauro:  

    Thank you for the strong bipartisan support that the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee has provided to our local public broadcasting stations through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Ready To Learn program, and public media’s interconnection system. As you craft the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill, we request that you maintain this legacy and continue to support strong funding for these critical programs.  

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting  

    Objectivity and balance and diversity of thought in public broadcasting are essential to serving the public interest and preserving the public’s trust. That’s why in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, Congress authorized the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government, to steward the federal government’s investment in public media. This structure shields content decisions from political influence and the statute compels CPB to uphold “strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature.”   

    For more than 50 years, Congress has provided funding for the CPB with strong bipartisan support. Since 1976, Congress provides such funding as a two-year advance appropriation, serving as a firewall that protects public media’s independence from politically motivated interference. It makes possible the long-term planning required to ensure public media’s educational and public affairs programming meets the highest academic and journalistic standards and has become the bedrock for CPB’s longstanding public-private partnership in service to all Americans.   

    Federal funding for the CPB is the foundation of public media’s national-local, public-private partnership. Distributed according to a statutory formula, CPB’s administrative expenses are capped at 5% and approximately 70% of all CPB’s two-year advance are distributed to eligible public media stations. CPB funds more than 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, supporting approximately 20,000 local jobs, and representing the only locally licensed, controlled, and directed media in America. With CPB funding, public media reaches nearly 99.7% percent of the American population living in rural, small town, and urban communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four commonwealths and territories. Every $1 of federal funding contributing to that programming, generates $7 from local sources — a tremendous return on the taxpayer investment.   

    This federal funding is critical to the work of all local public broadcasting stations to provide essential services and programming to local communities; enable local journalism that address current issues in an objective, fair, and balanced manner; facilitate local public safety and emergency alert services, and support educational services to millions of students, teachers, parents and caregivers. Unlike commercial media, public media operates under a unique statutory mandate to serve the public interest, focusing on educational and cultural enrichment and public safety, not profit.   

    Without federal support for public broadcasting, many localities would struggle to receive timely, reliable local news and educational content, especially remote and rural communities that commercial newsrooms are increasingly less likely to invest in. In states such as Alaska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Texas, rural public radio stations are often the only weekly or daily news source in their communities. Even in places with other daily or weekly news sources, those outlets may not be directing resources toward original or locally based stories, leaving it to public stations to fill the gap.   

    We request level funding of $535 million for CPB’s two-year advance.  

    Public Safety

    Covering nearly 99 percent of the U.S. population, public broadcasting stations play an irreplaceable role as an emergency response tool that states and localities depend on.  

    Public television stations provide critical redundancy through the PBS Warning, Alert, and  Response Network (PBS WARN) which sends geo-targeted Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messages issued by more than 1,600 local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal authorities from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cellular carriers, all along public media infrastructure. Between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, nearly 8,500 WEAs were issued by federal, state, and local authorities and transmitted over the PBS WARN system. Additionally, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Radio Satellite System enable local public radio stations to issue text and image alerts and other information to mobile phones, “connected car” smart dashboards, HD radios, and online streams. In fact, NPR has been named as a resource in at least 20 states’ emergency plans, for example, in Florida, “The National Test will be relayed to the three Primary Entry Point stations in Florida: WOKV (690 AM) – Jacksonville, WFLF (540 AM) – Orlando, WAQI (710 AM) – Miami.” Natural disasters do not stay within the lines of human-drawn state borders – that is why it’s imperative that federal emergency communications coordinated through the CPB-funded PBS WARN and Public Radio Satellite System are able to get comprehensive information to those at risk in real time.   

    In addition to transmitting emergency alerts, public radio stations provide flexible, live coverage of emergencies and connect lifesaving information to first responders and residents during unfolding events. During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, even as many other news sources lost power and internet, Blue Ridge Public Radio remained online in the Asheville, North Carolina area and delivered hourly local updates and statements from public officials to the more than 500,000 people impacted by power outages in the region. In Florida, a network of 14 public media stations across the state began coverage of Hurricane Helene a week before its major landfall, granting residents direct access to real-time weather alerts and updates across all platforms and apps.  In Texas, Houston Public Media was able to utilize its over-the-air signal to connect first responders and residents in the Gulf Coast region with lifesaving information during the May Derecho and Hurricane Beryl last year.  

    Without public media, the federal and state governments would have to decide between funding replacement emergency alerting systems or forgo ensuring that all residents have access to life-saving information. For rural communities, large expanses and low population density would raise substantial financial barriers.  

    Education  

    Public broadcasting networks also support educational content that parents nationwide rely on to help their children learn, averaging 16 million monthly users and more than 350 million monthly streams across digital platforms. Public media is committed to providing education services to all Americans. Public broadcasting allows people at all income levels and from all parts of the country—rural and urban—to have access to consistent, high-quality, educational content for free.  

    Through a unique partnership among the U.S. Department of Education, CPB, and PBS, the Ready To Learn program funds the development of educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families. More than 100 studies have demonstrated that this program’s research-based content builds and improves the early literacy and math skills for children, ages two to eight. For the majority of American children (60% in 2020) who don’t have the means or opportunity to attend preschool, Ready To Learn content provides an essential “school readiness” experience.  

    We are requesting level funding of $31 million in FY 2026 to continue the impact of Ready to Learn created content and the scope of local station outreach to the kids, families, teachers, and schools that need it most.  

    Community Connection

    Local public broadcasting stations are some of the last locally controlled and locally operated media in the country, especially in more rural and remote areas. The local focus of the stations builds civic leadership, strengthens the fabric of our local communities, and ensures that invaluable culture and unique local voices are preserved for generations to come.   

    For example, West Virginia Public Broadcasting partners with educators and local libraries in Boone County to deliver high-quality early childhood education to area children, setting them up for future success. The station also produces its broadcast music program, Mountain Stage, showcasing local and regional music that is distributed by NPR for a national audience. Across the country, South Dakota Public Broadcasting is streaming state legislative meetings, making state government accessible to every South Dakotan. These services serve state interests, often saving states money by offering higher quality services at lower costs.  

    Interconnection  

    All of these services depend on public broadcasting’s interconnection system – the satellite and digital infrastructure and supporting operations that provide every local public media station across the country with access to programming from national, regional, and independent content providers and the capability to share their local content with others. This system ensures that cellular customers can receive geo-targeted emergency alerts and warnings, enabling public media to be the fail-safe for reliable public safety services, even when power grids and internet services are down.   

    Level funding of $60 million in FY 2026 for the interconnection system is essential to support its system-wide infrastructure while also efficiently address growing needs in the system, including: cybersecurity, content delivery networks, and data management, among others.  

    We urge you to continue your support for our nation’s local public broadcasting stations with level funding of $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s two-year advance, level funding of $31 million for the Ready To Learn grant program, and level funding of $60 million for public broadcasting Interconnection.  

    Thank you for your consideration and attention to this important request. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Arkansas Ranks #1 for Election Integrity 

    Source: US State of Arkansas

     Up from #8 in the Heritage Foundation’s nationwide ranking

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas now ranks #1 in the nation for election integrity according to the Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard. The State ranked #8 at the beginning of the year and rose in the ranks after a successful session in which Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders prioritized safe and secure elections for Arkansas voters.
     
    “My goal this session was simple: make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” said Governor Sanders. “I was proud to work with my friend, Secretary of State Cole Jester, to make Arkansas ballot boxes the safest and most secure in America and end petition fraud to protect our Constitution. Today’s announcement shows that all our hard work paid off.” 
     
    “As Secretary of State, I have said from day one we would have the most secure elections in the country. I’m proud of the work my team has completed implementing new procedures and technology. None of this would be possible without the great work of Governor Sanders and the men and women of the Arkansas legislature,” said Secretary of State Cole Jester.
     
    “Heritage has long been the gold standard for ranking states for election integrity and security,” said Senator Kim Hammer (District 16). “Legislators, Governor Sanders, and Secretary of State Cole Jester have worked together as a team, on behalf of Arkansans, to help achieve the number one ranking in election integrity and security in the nation! We must continue our work to protect our number one ranking from those who want to take us backwards. Arkansans can feel confident that our elections are secure. Let’s work together to maintain this ranking.”
     
    “Arkansas should never sacrifice election integrity for convenience,” said Senator John Payton (District 22). “We must fulfill our responsibility to get it right. I believe the commonsense changes made this year are true to these principles.”
     
    “Arkansas’ rise to #1 in the nation for election security is a significant achievement and a clear reflection of the strong conservative leadership and very intentional work done by the legislature,” said Senator Matt McKee (District 6). “The foundation of America’s constitutional republic relies on our ability to hold free and fair elections. While others work to undermine our republic, Arkansas has fought back to set a national example for how states can secure the electoral process and hold elections the people can trust.” 
     
    “There can be no doubt — we take election integrity seriously in Arkansas,” said Rep. David Ray (District 69). “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat, and this new ranking is a testament to the hard work that we’ve done the past few years to fortify our election laws.” 
      
    “The Presidential elections of 2016 and 2020 showed both parties can challenge results,” said Rep. Carlton Wing (District 38). “The Legislature and Secretary of State’s office worked hard to pass laws to restore confidence in the electoral process. Arkansas now leads the nation in assuring our citizens that all legal votes must be counted and only legal votes should count. Today’s announcement demonstrates our efforts are setting a national standard in election integrity.”
     
    “In recognizing the dedication of the Republican-led legislature, the Heritage Foundation has propelled Arkansas to the pinnacle of election security rankings, from #8 to #1 in the nation,” said Rep. Howard Beaty (District 95). “As Arkansas House Majority Leader, I take pride in these outstanding results, reflecting our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the democratic process.”
     
    “Protecting the integrity of our elections starts long before ballots are cast,” said Rep. Kendon Underwood (District 16). “By strengthening safeguards in the petition process and cracking down on fraud and abuse, we’ve sent a clear message: every step in our democratic process must be uncompromised and trustworthy. Arkansas now stands as the national leader in election integrity because the security of our elections is a responsibility we take seriously every day.”
     
    Governor Sanders’ accomplishments in this legislative session include Act 240, Act 241, and Act 218, which strengthened protections on Arkansas’ ballot amendment process so that bad actors cannot influence and change the Natural State’s Constitution. The Governor also signed Act 998 and Act 999 to protect Arkansas elections from hostile foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea and ban foreign entities from funding state and local ballot measures.
     
    Additionally, Governor Sanders is fully in support of the Citizens Only Voting Amendment, which will appear in front of voters next election and mandate that only U.S. citizens can vote in Arkansas elections.
     
    The Natural State received perfect scores on Voter ID Implementation, Access of Election Observers, Verification of Citizenship, Identification for Voter Assistance, Vote County Practices, Restrictions on Same-day Registration, Restrictions on Automatic Registration, Restrictions on Private Funding of Election Officials or Government Agencies, and Restrictions on Ranked Choice Voting.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Visits Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center and Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Visits Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center and Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center

    NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Visits Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center and Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center
    jawerner

    North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai today visited two state operated healthcare facilities, Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center (NTC) and Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center (ADATC), dedicated to providing critical specialized care to people in eastern North Carolina.  

    Secretary Sangvai’s first stop was Longleaf NTC in Wilson, one of three state operated healthcare facilities which serves adults with chronic and complex medical conditions that co-exist with neurodevelopmental, and/or neurocognitive disorders and/or a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness. He was joined by State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt; Deputy Secretary for Licensing and Facilities Karen Burkes; Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Chief Psychiatrist Dr. Carrie Brown; and Longleaf NTC leadership. During the visit, they toured a resident hall and two recently completed renovation projects in the kitchen and outdoor verandah.  

    The facility faces several challenges including staffing shortages and retention, particularly with nursing positions. Currently, the overall staffing vacancy rate is more than 43% with over 200 open positions. Longleaf NTC relies heavily on contract staffing to support staff shortages, and long-term investments are needed to help further support the workforce.

    “The health care workforce in North Carolina is vital to the health of our communities,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Together we will work toward solutions, like increased pay and retention efforts, to fill these critical positions and ensure people continue to receive the care they need.”

    Leadership also highlighted successes including the facility’s return to normal operations after taking in residents of Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center who were displaced during Hurricane Helene. 

    Secretary Sangvai then toured and met with staff at Walter B. Jones ADATC in Greenville, one of two substance use disorder treatment centers operated by the NCDHHS Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF). They visited a newly opened residential unit, cafeteria and Opioid Treatment Center at the facility.

    Walter B. Jones ADATC leaders cited hiring and recruitment challenges among their top concerns, including the inability to offer competitive wages. Currently, the staffing vacancy rate is more than 38% with over 55 open positions. These workforce challenges limit the facility’s operating capacity which is currently at 35 beds out of 42 total.  

    “State operated healthcare facilities are the backbone to providing critical and complex services to some of the most vulnerable people in North Carolina,” said Secretary Sangvai. “If we want to create a healthier North Carolina, we must retain positions to attract and maintain staff and providers in these vital facilities.”

    Current North Carolina House and Senate budget proposals eliminate hundreds of NCDHHS positions. Any reductions in the workforce at NCDHHS DSOHF facilities would limit the ability to staff and operate more beds and could permanently reduce the number of patients able to be served if it becomes law.  

    Jun 3, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting a Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Ziyon Thompson, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland was sentenced to 22 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the murder of Miguel Soto-Diaz, on May 8, 2022. Thompson was charged with using a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Says Senate Should Dump House Proposal to Force Millions Off Health Coverage & Endanger Struggling Rural Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    06.03.25
    Cantwell Says Senate Should Dump House Proposal to Force Millions Off Health Coverage & Endanger Struggling Rural Hospitals
    In WA, Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” would compromise health coverage for over 270k people
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for a press conference at the Capitol calling on their Republican colleagues to reject the devastating cuts to Medicaid included in the budget bill that barely passed the House of Representatives last month.
    “If this bill is enacted — reversing the gains of the Affordable Care Act — it will increase our uncompensated care cost. One estimate: $42 billion alone in 2026 of uncompensated care, and $278 billion in uncompensated care increases over a 10-year window,” Sen. Cantwell said.
    “The result in declining revenue would have adverse consequences for at-risk hospitals and rural communities. We have all heard from our rural hospitals warning us about this. How is it that our Republican Senate colleagues are not listening to those rural hospitals?”
    She continued: “Do our Republican colleagues not care about delivery of health care in our rural community and the spillover effect it has to their economies? This is not scare tactics. This is a bill, if enacted, [that] will not result in savings. It will result in an increase in the uninsured. It will result in financial stresses on our system, and it will increase costs on all of us. And yes, it will cost lives.”
    Video of today’s press conference is HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks is HERE.
    Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a reconciliation bill containing over $700 billion in cuts and significant changes to Medicaid, the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. 
    Medicaid, known as Apple Health in Washington state, covers over 1.9 million Washingtonians. On May 2, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that Medicaid cuts would have on Washington state’s highly-ranked long-term care system for seniors and people with disabilities. In February, she released a snapshot report that demonstrated how cuts would harm health care access in Washington state, and she followed up with a report in March that dove into impacts on the Puget Sound region.
    Highlights of those snapshot reports include:
    In Washington state, WA-04 (Central Washington) and WA-05 (Eastern Washington) have the highest proportions of adults and total population on Medicaid (Apple Health). In District 4, 70% of children are on Medicaid.
    In the Puget Sound, children in Seattle’s blue-collar strongholds would feel the deepest pain from Medicaid cuts. More than half of children in Burien, SeaTac, Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Renton, and Rainier Valley depend on Medicaid.
    In an exclusive new survey of 68 WA nursing homes, 67 of 68 would cut services if Medicaid were cut by 5% or more, and 65% would consider closing.
    Over the past three months, Sen. Cantwell also took a tour around the state to hear from folks who would be directly impacted by cuts to Medicare. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Wenatchee warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care.
    On May 21, Sen. Cantwell joined Washington state health care professionals for a virtual press conference to highlight statewide alarm and opposition to proposed Medicaid cuts. That same day, 23 Republican members of the Washington state legislature sent a letter to the entire Washington state federal Congressional delegation, urging the delegation to “protect Medicaid funding for Washington State.”
    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to defend Medicaid from cuts is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Ricketts Lead Bipartisan Senate Delegation to Shangri-La Dialogue to Reaffirm U.S. Iron-Clad Commitment to Indo-Pacific Partners & Allies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    May 29, 2025
    [SINGAPORE] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) are leading a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Singapore to this year’s International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue, which is one of Asia’s premier global international security and defense summits, to reaffirm the United States’ strong bipartisan commitment to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Their arrival in Singapore comes immediately after Senator Duckworth completed a successful visit to Taiwan where she voiced her support for the Taiwanese people and our partnership with them. While in Singapore, the Delegation plans to meet with a number of defense and foreign affairs officials representing several of our partners in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss her efforts to increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including strengthening our cultural, economic and military partnerships across the region.
    “I’ve always believed that if America wants to remain a global leader, we have to show up and support our partners and allies—and that means our leadership in the Indo-Pacific must continue for the long term,” said Senator Duckworth. “The United States has long been a major Pacific power but, if we abandon our Indo-Pacific partners, we’d be leaving a vacuum that the PRC both can—and likely will—take advantage of, making it harder for America to compete with China and weakening our standing on the global stage all while giving our adversaries and competitors an easy path to overtaking us. So I’m proud to be back for this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, where Senator Ricketts and I will be working to strengthen our relationships with several of our Indo-Pacific partners and send a strong, bipartisan message to our allies—and our competitors—that the United States is here for the long haul.”
    “Increasing aggression from Communist China continues to threaten peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific. In the Senate, I am working with my colleagues to make sure all aspects of our government are ready to respond to Beijing’s malign influence and hostilities in the region,” said Senator Ricketts. “What we’re seeing from America’s friends in the Indo-Pacific is a renewed emphasis on strengthening their defense capabilities. I’m looking forward to participating in this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue with Senator Duckworth. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and partners to deter Communist China’s aggression and counter its threats to our collective interests.”
    While in Singapore, the Duckworth-Ricketts Delegation intends to meet with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore Minister of Defence Chan Chun Sing, Republic of Korea Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, German Deputy Defense Minister Dr. Nils Schmid, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phuntham Wechayachai, Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, UK Ministry of Defense Minister of State Lord Coaker, Commander of United Nations Command (UNC) Xavier Brunson and more.
    This trip comes after Duckworth successfully led a bipartisan delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue alongside U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) last year. Duckworth is a proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region—which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was signed into law, Duckworth successfully secured a modified version of her Access to Care for Overseas Military Act to improve medical readiness in the Indo-Pacific. This provision established a program to accredit foreign medical facilities to help ensure our nation’s servicemembers as well as their families have access to quality patient care throughout the Indo-Pacific region—where they often must travel long distances to receive care—both during peacetime and in the event of a conflict abroad.
    In 2023, Duckworth led an official visit to Japan and Indonesia as part of her continuing efforts to strengthen ties and reinforce support between allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and the United States. And last summer, Duckworth led another official visit to the Indo-Pacific region again, visiting Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines to meet with government and business leaders and discuss opportunities that would increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economic investments, regional stability and national security.
    In 2022, Duckworth traveled to South Korea and Taiwan where she met with business, government and trade leaders, which helped lead to a joint venture between Illinois’s ADM and South Korea’s LG Chem, as well as a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans. In 2021, Duckworth, Sullivan and Coons also travelled to Taiwan to announce that the United States’ would donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan as part of President Biden’s plan to provide vaccines to our global partners in need. Duckworth also successfully included a modified version of her Strengthen Taiwan’s Security Act in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help Taiwan strengthen its military defenses. In 2019, Duckworth led a bipartisan delegation to Japan and Singapore. In 2018, Duckworth visited South Korea and Japan.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firms Glass Lewis and ISS Recommend that Shareholders Vote “FOR” the Proposed Merger Between PTMN and LRFC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: PTMN) (“Portman Ridge” or “PTMN”) and Logan Ridge Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: LRFC) (“Logan Ridge” or “LRFC”) (together, the “Companies”) announced today that leading independent proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) and Glass, Lewis & Co. (“Glass Lewis”), have both recommended that LRFC stockholders vote “FOR” the proposed merger of LRFC with and into PTMN at the upcoming LRFC special meeting scheduled for June 6, 2025. In addition, ISS and Glass Lewis have both recommended that PTMN stockholders vote “FOR” the proposals related to the proposed merger at the upcoming PTMN special meeting scheduled for June 6, 2025.

    In its May 30, 2025 report, Glass Lewis noted, “We recognize the transaction would consolidate two entities that are managed by affiliated investment advisers, have overlapping portfolios of investments, and similar strategies and risks. The transaction aims at creating an entity with greater scale, a more diversified portfolio and anticipated greater market liquidity, among other benefits. Overall, we believe the entities have presented a reasonable strategic rationale for the proposed merger.” Similarly, in its report dated May 23, 2025, ISS commented, “The strategic rationale appears sound, as the combined company will have increased scale, structural simplification, and more diversification. On balance, in light of the compelling strategic rationale, support for the proposed share issuance is warranted.”

    Ted Goldthorpe, President and Chief Executive Officer of PTMN and LRFC and Head of the BC Partners Credit Platform, stated, “We’re encouraged by the support from both ISS and Glass Lewis, which reflects their alignment with the LRFC and PTMN Boards’ unanimous recommendations to their shareholders to vote in favor of the proposed merger. With PTMN standing as the surviving entity, we believe the combination will enhance PTMN’s scale, increase trading liquidity, further increase portfolio diversification, and will generate meaningful earnings accretion for shareholders, all which pave the way for our future growth initiatives and strengthen our position as a leader in executing strategic growth transactions amongst publicly traded business development companies.”

    With special meetings scheduled for June 6, 2025, both PTMN and LRFC urge their stockholders to attend the meeting and cast their votes by following the instructions outlined in the joint proxy statement. Stockholders of PTMN can also access the virtual meeting and vote by going to the following website: http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PTMN2025SM, or by calling 1-833-218-3911 and providing the control number which is listed in the proxy card received. Stockholders of LRFC can access the virtual meeting and vote by going to the following website: http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/LRFC2025SM, or by calling 1-833-218-3962 and providing the control number which is listed in the proxy card received.

    Shareholders can access the joint proxy statement and prospectus by clicking HERE. Shareholders who have questions about the joint proxy statement or about voting their shares should contact the companies’ proxy solicitor, Broadridge, at 1-833-218-3911 for PTMN shareholders and 1-833-218-3962 for LRFC shareholders.

    About Portman Ridge Finance Corporation

    PTMN is a publicly traded, externally managed investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (a “BDC”) under the 1940 Act. PTMN’s middle market investment business originates, structures, finances and manages a portfolio of term loans, mezzanine investments and selected equity securities in middle market companies. PTMN’s investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Sierra Crest.

    PTMN’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), earnings releases, press releases and other financial, operational and governance information are available on Portman Ridge’s website at www.portmanridge.com.

    About Logan Ridge Finance Corporation

    LRFC is a BDC that invests primarily in first lien loans and, to a lesser extent, second lien loans and equity securities issued by lower middle-market companies. LRFC invests in performing, well-established middle-market businesses that operate across a wide range of industries. It employs fundamental credit analysis, targeting investments in businesses with relatively low levels of cyclicality and operating risk. For more information, visit www.loganridgefinance.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Some of the statements in this communication constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events, future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements may include statements as to future operating results of PTMN and LRFC, and distribution projections; business prospects of PTMN and LRFC, and the prospects of their portfolio companies; and the impact of the investments that PTMN and LRFC expect to make. In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “plan,” “should,” “estimate,” “project” and “intend” indicate forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this communication involve risks and uncertainties. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected, including the uncertainties associated with (i) the ability of the parties to consummate the merger on the expected timeline, or at all; (ii) the expected synergies and savings associated with the merger; (iii) the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger, including the expected elimination of certain expenses and costs due to the merger; (iv) the percentage of PTMN shareholders and LRFC shareholders voting in favor of the applicable Proposal (as defined below) submitted for their approval; (v) the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals will be made; (vi) the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the merger may not be satisfied or waived; (vii) risks related to diverting management’s attention from ongoing business operations; (viii) the combined company’s plans, expectations, objectives and intentions, as a result of the merger; (ix) any potential termination of the merger agreement; (x) the future operating results and net investment income projections of PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company; (xi) the ability of Sierra Crest to implement its future plans with respect to the combined company; (xii) the ability of Sierra Crest and its affiliates to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (xiii) the business prospects of PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company, and the prospects of their portfolio companies; (xiv) the impact of the investments that PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company expect to make; (xv) the ability of the portfolio companies of PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company to achieve their objectives; (xvi) the expected financings and investments and additional leverage that PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company may seek to incur in the future; (xvii) the adequacy of the cash resources and working capital of PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company; (xviii) the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of the portfolio companies of PTMN, LRFC or, following the closing of the merger, the combined company; (xix) the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the merger may result in significant costs of defense and liability; and (xx) future changes in laws or regulations (including the interpretation of these laws and regulations by regulatory authorities). PTMN and LRFC have based the forward-looking statements included in this document on information available to them on the date hereof, and they assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although PTMN and LRFC undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that they may make directly to you or through reports that PTMN and LRFC in the future may file with the SEC, including the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement (in each case, as defined below), annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, a prospectus or an advertisement and the communication is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities in PTMN, LRFC or in any fund or other investment vehicle managed by BC Partners or any of its affiliates.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    This communication relates to the proposed merger of PTMN and LRFC and certain related matters (the “Proposals”). In connection with the Proposals, PTMN has filed a registration statement (Registration No. 333-285230) with the SEC (the “Registration Statement”) that contains a combined joint proxy statement for PTMN and LRFC and a prospectus of PTMN (the “Joint Proxy Statement”) and has mailed the Joint Proxy Statement to its and LRFC’s respective shareholders. The Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement will contain important information about PTMN, LRFC and the Proposals. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. SHAREHOLDERS OF PTMN AND LRFC ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, JOINT PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PTMN, LRFC AND THE PROPOSALS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov or, for documents filed by PTMN, from PTMN’s website at https://www.portmanridge.com, and, for documents filed by LRFC, from LRFC’s website at https://www.loganridgefinance.com.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    PTMN, its directors, certain of its executive officers and certain employees and officers of Sierra Crest and its affiliates may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Proposals. Information about the directors and executive officers of PTMN is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2025. LRFC, its directors, certain of its executive officers and certain employees and officers of Mount Logan and its affiliates may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Proposals. Information about the directors and executive officers of LRFC is set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, which was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2025. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the PTMN and LRFC shareholders in connection with the Proposals will be contained in the Registration Statement, including the Joint Proxy Statement included therein, and other relevant materials when such documents become available. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

    Contacts:
    Portman Ridge Finance Corporation
    650 Madison Avenue, 3rd floor
    New York, NY 10022

    Logan Ridge Finance Corporation
    650 Madison Avenue, 3rd floor
    New York, NY 10022

    Brandon Satoren
    Chief Financial Officer (PTMN and LRFC)
    Brandon.Satoren@bcpartners.com
    (212) 891-2880

    The Equity Group Inc.
    Lena Cati
    lcati@equityny.com
    (212) 836-9611

    Val Ferraro
    vferraro@equityny.com
    (212) 836-9633

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Royalty Corp. Announces June 2025 Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSX: DIV and DIV.DB.A) (the “Corporation” or “DIV”) is pleased to announce that its board of directors has approved a cash dividend of $0.02083 per common share for the period of June 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025, which is equal to $0.25 per common share on an annualized basis. The dividend will be paid on June 30, 2025 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 13, 2025.

    About Diversified Royalty Corp.

    DIV is a multi-royalty corporation, engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North America. DIV’s objective is to acquire predictable, growing royalty streams from a diverse group of multi-location businesses and franchisors.

    DIV currently owns the Mr. Lube + Tires, AIR MILES®, Sutton, Mr. Mikes, Nurse Next Door, Oxford Learning Centres, Stratus Building Solutions and BarBurrito trademarks. Mr. Lube + Tires is the leading quick lube service business in Canada, with locations across Canada. AIR MILES® is Canada’s largest coalition loyalty program. Sutton is among the leading residential real estate brokerage franchisor businesses in Canada. Mr. Mikes operates casual steakhouse restaurants primarily in western Canadian communities. Nurse Next Door is a home care provider with locations across Canada and the United States as well as in Australia. Oxford Learning Centres is one of Canada’s leading franchisee supplemental education services. Stratus Building Solutions is a leading commercial cleaning service franchise company providing comprehensive janitorial, building cleaning, and office cleaning services primarily in the United States. BarBurrito is the largest quick service Mexican restaurant food chain in Canada.

    DIV’s objective is to increase cash flow per share by making accretive royalty purchases and through the growth of purchased royalties. DIV intends to continue to pay a predictable and stable monthly dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend over time, in each case as cash flow per share allows.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “will”, ”project”, “should”, “believe”, “confident”, “plan” and “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements made in relation to: the amount and timing of the June 2025 dividend to be paid to DIV’s shareholders; DIV’s objective to continue to pay predictable and stable monthly dividends to shareholders; and DIV’s corporate objectives. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events, performance, or achievements of DIV to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking information. DIV believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In particular there can be no assurance that: DIV will be able to make monthly dividend payments to the holders of its common shares; or DIV will achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking information included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting DIV’s business and the businesses of its royalty partners can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2025 and in its most recent Management’s Discussion and Analysis, copies of each of which are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

    In formulating the forward-looking information contained herein, management has assumed that, among other things, DIV will generate sufficient cash flows from its royalties to service its debt and pay dividends to shareholders; the business and economic conditions affecting DIV and its royalty partners will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.

    All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, DIV. The forward-looking information included in this news release is presented as of the date of this news release and DIV assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

    THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    Additional Information

    Additional information relating to the Corporation and other public filings, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

    Contact:
    Sean Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8470

    Greg Gutmanis, Chief Financial Officer and VP Acquisitions
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8471

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chagos islands: how Mauritius can turn a diplomatic triumph into real economic growth

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Dev K (Roshan) Boojihawon, Associate professor of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham

    The decades-long Chagos islands dispute has finally entered a new chapter. The UK officially agreed to return the sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius.

    The Indian Ocean islands are strategically situated near key shipping lanes and regional power hubs.

    Mauritius was granted independence from British colonial rule in 1968. But not the Chagos islands, which had been part of Mauritius but became a new colonial territory. The residents of the largest island in the archipelago, Diego Garcia, were forced off the land. This was used as a base to support US military operations.



    Read more:
    Mauritius’ next growth phase: a new plan is needed as the tax haven era fades

    Now Mauritius has regained control over the islands while leasing Diego Garcia to the UK for a 99-year period for US$136 million a year. This gives the UK (and its ally the US) access to a vital maritime corridor for global trade and power projection.

    But now that the deal has been signed, there’s a more pressing question. Can Mauritius use it as the foundation for justice and economic progress?

    As scholars of strategic economic development we often focus on Africa and Mauritius in particular. We believe the agreement marks an important geopolitical moment. It rights a colonial wrong, honours international justice and cements Mauritius’s global standing.

    It also presents an opportunity to fund inclusive development and sustainability initiatives for Mauritius. It could boost investments in education, health and infrastructure. It could also support the resettlement of displaced Chagossians, and advance marine conservation, renewable energy and climate resilience programmes in the archipelago.

    Aerial view of Diego Garcia and the Chagos archipelago.
    NASA/Wikimedia Commons

    The real challenge facing the Mauritian government is how to turn a diplomatic triumph into tangible national progress. We argue that what’s needed is a forward looking and inclusive strategy.

    The development challenge

    Reparations can offer short-term financial relief. But without visionary planning, there’s a risk of these funds being absorbed into recurrent government spending. Or used for symbolic programmes with limited structural and socio-economic impact.

    The real value lies in what Mauritius does next. Investment in strategic sectors such as the blue economy, renewable energy, digital infrastructure and sustainable tourism is the key.

    Investment should strengthen partnerships with regional neighbours, international donors, and strategic allies like the US, China and India. Mauritius must position itself as a forward-looking state with global relevance.



    Read more:
    How the US and UK worked together to recolonise the Chagos Islands and evict Chagossians

    The reparations should be treated as seed funding to invest in its own future. This means using the funds to drive bold, long-term transformation. The country needs to build a more resilient, innovative and globally competitive economy.

    Mauritius is heavily reliant on offshore services and short-term fiscal gains. It is vulnerable to slow diversification, rising youth unemployment, climate-related risks, lagging digital and technological progress, and growing global scrutiny of its financial sector.

    To remain competitive in the current volatile global context, the country must develop more broadly.

    3 steps to take

    1. Investment

    Mauritius has historically relied on external financial inflows like tourism revenue, offshore finance and foreign aid. By channelling funds into capacity-building, skills development and innovation ecosystems, the country can cultivate a self-sustaining economy. This would position it better to seize opportunities in the green economy, digital transformation and knowledge-intensive industries.

    More specifically, it needs to:

    • secure investment in green energy, AI-digital infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing

    • offer tax incentives and streamlined regulatory processes to attract foreign direct investment in these sectors

    • establish public-private partnerships to develop innovation hubs and research centres focused on emerging technologies

    • launch workforce development programmes to upskill the labour force.

    2. Economic diplomacy, alliances and regional leverage

    The government should forge stronger partnerships with the UK and the US. Key areas include defence, cybersecurity, climate and sustainability innovations and regional logistics infrastructure.

    It needs strong ties as power blocs shift and competition over strategic resources and trade routes grows.

    Joint military exercises and intelligence sharing could improve forces’ ability to help each other. Investing in advanced cyber defence capabilities, for instance, can help counter emerging digital threats, such as data breaches affecting financial services and e-governance systems.

    These steps would bolster national security and reinforce Mauritius’ position as a reliable partner.

    The resolution of the Chagos dispute provides an opportunity for Mauritius to use its geopolitical position. It could expand trade, diplomatic influence and strategic partnerships across Africa, Asia and beyond.

    Being located between Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia places it along major maritime trade routes.

    Mauritius enjoys political stability, democratic governance and strong legal framework. It is well placed to help resolve regional disputes over maritime boundary conflicts, fishing rights, and freedom of navigation. These involve countries like India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar, and even China and the US.

    It can also lead in developing shared logistics and resupply hubs to support regional trade, disaster response and maritime security operations.

    3. Chagossian justice

    Mauritius must make the Chagossian community part of its next national success story. Including them in economic plans is a legal, moral and strategic necessity.

    Steps should include:

    • incorporating Chagos representatives in economic discussions and decision-making processes

    • establishing programmes for Chagossian cultural preservation and economic development

    • giving Chagossians a voice in shaping the future of their ancestral lands.

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

    – ref. Chagos islands: how Mauritius can turn a diplomatic triumph into real economic growth – https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-how-mauritius-can-turn-a-diplomatic-triumph-into-real-economic-growth-257774

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Even if Putin and Zelenskyy do go face-to-face, don’t expect wonders − their one meeting in 2019 ended in failure

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Anna Batta, Associate Professor of International Security Studies, Air University

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive at the Elysee Palace in Paris in 2019. Ian Langsdon/Pool Photo via AP

    Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for a second time in Istanbul in a month on June 2, 2025. Missing, again, were the country’s two leaders.

    For a fleeting moment ahead of the first meeting in mid-May 2025, there existed the faintest prospect that Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine would join, sitting down in the same room for face-to-face talks.

    But it didn’t happen; few expected it would. On that occasion, Putin refused Zelenskyy’s offer of face-to-face talks in Istanbul.

    Even though neither leader met in the Istanbul summits, they have met before.

    In Paris in 2019, the two men sat down together as part of what was known as the Normandy Format talks. As a scholar of international relations, I have interviewed people involved in the talks. Some five years on, the way the talks floundered and then failed can offer lessons about the challenges today’s would-be mediators now face.

    Initial hopes

    The Normandy Format talks started on the sidelines of events in June 2014 commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The aim was to try to resolve the ongoing conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatist groups in the country’s Donbas region in the east. That conflict had recently escalated, with pro-Russian separatists seizing key towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk after Russia illegally annexed the peninsula of Crimea in February 2014.

    The talks continued periodically until 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Until that point, most of the discussion was framed by two deals, the Minsk accords of 2014 and 2015, which set out the terms for a ceasefire between Kyiv and the Moscow-armed rebel groups and the conditions for elections in Donetsk and Luhansk.

    By the time of the sixth meeting in December 2019, the only time Zelenkyy and Putin have met in person, some still hoped that the Minsk accords could form a framework for peace.

    Under discussion

    Zelenskyy was only a few months into his presidency. He arrived in Paris with fresh energy and a desire to find peace.

    His electoral campaign had centered on the promise of putting an end to the unrest in Donbas, which had been rumbling on for years. The increasing role of Russia in the conflict, through supporting rebels financially and with volunteer Russian soldiers, had complicated and escalated fighting, and many Ukrainians were weary of the impact of internally displaced people that it caused.

    By all accounts, Zelenskyy went into Paris believing that he could make a deal with Putin.

    “I want to return with concrete results,” Zelenskyy said just days before meeting Putin. By then, the Ukrainian president’s only contact with Putin had been over the phone. “I want to see the person and I want to bring from Normandy understanding and feeling that everybody really wants gradually to finish this tragic war,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “I can feel it for sure only at the table.”

    One of Putin’s main concerns going into the talks was the lifting of Western sanctions imposed in response to the annexation of Crimea.

    But the Russian president also wanted to keep Russia’s smaller neighbor under its influence. Ukraine gained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. But in the early years of the new century, Russia began to exert increasing influence over the politics of its neighbor. This ended in 2014, when a popular revolution ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and ushered in a pro-Western government.

    More than anything, Russia wanted to arrest this shift and keep Ukraine out of the European Union and NATO.

    Those desires – Ukraine’s to end the war in Donbas, and Russia’s to curb the West’s involvement in Ukraine – formed the parameters for the Normandy talks.

    And for some time, there appeared to be momentum to find compromise. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the 2019 Paris talks had broken years of stalemate and relaunched the peace process. Putin’s assessment was that the peace process was “developing in the right direction.” Zelenskyy’s view was a little less enthusisastic: “Let’s say for now it’s a draw.”

    Talking past each other

    Yet the Putin-Zelenskyy meeting in 2019 ultimately ended in failure. In retrospect, both sides were talking past each other and could not reach agreement on the sequencing of key parts of the peace plan.

    Zelenskyy wanted the security provisions of the Minsk accords, including a lasting ceasefire and the securing of Ukraine’s border with Russia, in place before proceeding with regional elections on devolving autonomy to the regions. Putin was adamant that the elections come first.

    The success of the Normandy talks were also hindered by Putin’s refusal to acknowledge that Russia was a party to the conflict. Rather, he framed the Donbas conflict as a civil war between the Ukrainian government and the rebels. Russia’s role was simply to push the rebels to the negotiating table in this take – a view that was greeted with skepticism by Ukraine and the West.

    As a result, the Normandy talks stalled. And then in February 2022, Russian launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    Way forward today?

    The nascent negotiations between Ukraine and Russia that began in Istanbul in May 2025 represent the first real attempt to bring high-level delegations of both sides together since 2019.

    Many of the same challenges remain. The talks still revolve around the issues of security, the status of Donetsk and Luhansk, and prisoner exchanges – that last point being the only one in which common ground appears to be found, both in 2019 and now.

    But there are major differences – not least, three years of actual direct war. Russia can no longer deny that it is a party of the conflict, even if Moscow frames the war as a special military operation to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine.

    And three years of war have changed how the questions of Crimea and the Donbas are framed.

    In the Normandy talks, there was no talk of recognizing Russian control over any Ukrainian territory. But recent U.S. efforts to negotiate peace have included a “de-jure” U.S. recognition of Russian control in Crimea, plus “de-facto recognition” of Russia’s occupation of nearly all of Luhansk oblast and the occupied portions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

    Another major difference between the negotiation process then and now is who is mediating.

    The Normandy negotiations were led by European leaders – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Macron of France. Throughout the whole Normandy talks process, only Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia were involved as active participants.

    Today, it is the United States taking the lead.

    And this suits Putin. A constant issue for Putin of the Normandy talks was that Germany and France were never neutral mediators.

    In President Donald Trump, Putin has found a U.S. leader who, at least at first, appeared eager to take on the mantle from Europe.

    But like the Europeans involved in the Normandy talks, Trump too is encountering similar barriers to any meaningful progress.

    Members of Ukrainian and Russian delegations attend peace talks on June 2, 2025, in Istanbul.
    Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Getty Images

    The Istanbul negotiations on May 16, 2025, were less productive than many people hoped. A proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement didn’t come to fruition; instead the parties agreed on a prisoner-exchange deal. Follow-up talks on June 2 ended after barely an hour, according to Turkish officials. Again, one point agreed on was a prisoner swap.

    The Paris peace talks, too, led to a prisoner exchange – but little more. It appears that getting the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to agree on anything more ambitious is as elusive now as it was when Putin and Zelenskyy met in 2019.

    The views expressed in this article represent the personal views of the author and are not necessarily the views of the Department of Defense or of the Department of the Air Force.

    – ref. Even if Putin and Zelenskyy do go face-to-face, don’t expect wonders − their one meeting in 2019 ended in failure – https://theconversation.com/even-if-putin-and-zelenskyy-do-go-face-to-face-dont-expect-wonders-their-one-meeting-in-2019-ended-in-failure-257093

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘That was rude’: why the new Broadway musical Death Becomes Her was ripe for TikTok memes

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Gregory Camp, Senior Lecturer, School of Music, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    A few snippets of musicalised dialogue from the cast album of the new Broadway musical Death Becomes Her – with music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and a book by Marco Pennette – have recently become trending sonic memes on TikTok.

    In all sorts of situations, users are lip synching to audio clips of Broadway star Jennifer Simard, in the character of Helen Sharp (played by Goldie Hawn in the 1992 cult film on which the musical is based), saying things like “That was rude. That was pretty fuckin’ rude” and “She stole my life. She made me cuckoo. She’s why I spent four years locked in that health spa.”

    Musical theatre fans love a good meme (scholar Trevor Boffone has written a whole book about the phenomenon) and Death Becomes Her is primed to create a lot of them: a show featuring two divas (played by Simard and Megan Hilty as Madeleine Ashton, Meryl Streep’s role in the movie) based on a cult film about divas begs to be shaped and reshaped by fan culture.

    Helen and Madeleine are longtime rivals who both take a magic potion that makes them immortal. This leads them to find increasingly extravagant ways to try and do away with each other, with the help of Helen’s put-upon husband Ernest (Christopher Sieber), a plastic surgeon who reluctantly falls into the role of restoring their bodies after each “accident”.

    Some of Hilty’s clips have also been TikTok-ified (notably Tell Me, Earnest) but Simard is winning the numbers game. Her “That was rude” clip alone has 321,000 videos and counting.

    Finding the patter

    There seem to be two main reasons for the attraction of these clips. First is Simard’s delivery of the words. Simard is a longstanding Broadway star and an expert at musical comedy timing.

    Second is the rhythmic quality of the dialogue. Not fully sung, these bits are spoken in mostly strict rhythm over orchestral accompaniment. That they have become such earworms demonstrates it is not only melody that burrows into the brain, but also rhythmic contour.

    There is a long history of this style of speak-singing in musical theatre, notably popularised in the late 1950s by Robert Preston in The Music Man and Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady.

    Neither of those actors was a strong singer, but both had excellent timing and were able to deliver spoken lines above music with a strong sense of musicality.

    Simard is an excellent singer with a very wide range, but the comic role of Helen – ever the underdog to her rival famous actress Madeleine – lends itself to this style of heightened speech.

    Most effective rhythmically, and the most popular excerpt, is the “That was rude” meme, where Simard begins slowly without accompaniment; the bass comes in on “rude” and sets a groove for the rest of the short excerpt.

    This one has been used in every possible situation, from responses to nasty notes left on people’s cars to complaints about incorrect drink orders. Some of the TikTokers refer to Simard in on-screen text, but this one seems to have become popular outside any specific reference to the show, in a truly viral moment.

    Ripe for the lip-sync

    The lengthiest of the trending excerpts is the one that begins with “We talked about killing her before”, which sets off a monologue about Helen’s plan to do away with Madeline once and for all.

    This is a tour de force for Simard’s comic timing, as it begins in free rhythm and then gradually takes on a more consistent beat. TikTokers are tending to use this one primarily as a demonstration of their lip-syncing skills, as opposed to the other shorter clips that are applied in different ironic situations.

    This trend also shows the continuing importance of the cast album in musical theatre culture. The majority of TikTokers probably have not seen the show, currently only playing on Broadway with high ticket prices. Yet the cast album (easily available on all the main streaming sites) gives access.

    The fact these clips come from a cast album also more easily allows fans to create their own visuals around it. Unless they actually saw the show they only have production photographs and short publicity clips (and the occasional shaky bootleg or slime tutorial) to go on in terms of what it looks like.

    Audio from a source like the soundtrack of the Wicked movie has not led to so many lip-sync videos because the visual track is so readily accessible; as a film, Wicked’s visuals define its audio while a cast album can more easily work the other way round.

    Beyond Broadway

    I saw Death Becomes Her on Broadway in January and enjoyed it. It’s a fun show full of special effects and comic bits. The score is serviceable (it’s not Sondheim), but it is catchy – very important for its use in these TikTok trends – and well performed by Simard and the rest of the cast.

    This whole phenomenon demonstrates that the current cultural sphere of “Broadway” extends well beyond the street itself. This has been the case at least since the rise of the cast album in the 1950s (My Fair Lady’s was the best-selling LP of 1956), but now the reach is intensified by social media spaces like TikTok; you don’t have to have actually seen Death Becomes Her to experience it.

    Gregory Camp 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. ‘That was rude’: why the new Broadway musical Death Becomes Her was ripe for TikTok memes – https://theconversation.com/that-was-rude-why-the-new-broadway-musical-death-becomes-her-was-ripe-for-tiktok-memes-257550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Suspected people-smuggling gang arrested in nationwide crackdown

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Suspected people-smuggling gang arrested in nationwide crackdown

    Six people have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry of hundreds of migrants in dawn strikes by Immigration Enforcement across the UK

    A suspected organised crime boss and his associates have been arrested for allegedly facilitating hundreds of Botswana nationals into the UK illegally, as part of a surge in law enforcement activity to take down people-smuggling gangs.

    In the early hours of Tuesday 3 June, five men and one woman were arrested in strikes across the country in Cheltenham, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bradford. The lead suspect, a 37-year-old Botswana national, was arrested in Cheltenham on suspicion of assisting and planning the illegal entry of other migrants from Botswana into the UK.

    The suspected criminal gang is believed to have facilitated the entry of more than 200 Botswana nationals into the UK illegally over a two-year period, leading them into a life of fraud and exploitation. Once in the country, it is believed they assisted in submitting false asylum claims using fake documents in order to fraudulently legalise the migrants stay in the country. They are also believed to have assisted the migrants with illegal employment in care homes, working with the most vulnerable without adequate training or medical expertise.

    Officers acted on intelligence that suggested the lead people smuggler was exploiting the individuals he lured here under false pretences, forcing them to do unpaid work.

    Organised criminal gangs often use cruel tactics to control their beneficiaries, with victims often subject to debt bondage at the hands of the gangs who trap them in unsafe situations in order to fill their pockets.

    The arrests come as part of the latest initiative under this government’s Plan for Change to bear down on the criminal gangs profiting at the expense of vulnerable individuals and restore order to the asylum system. Since the election almost 30,000 people with no right to be here have been returned – a 12% increase compared to the same period 12 months ago. Illegal working visits and arrests are also up by more than 40%

    This government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will go further than ever before to protect the UK’s borders and strengthen the wider immigration and asylum system, including protecting it against abuse from criminal gangs. New counter terror-style powers will be introduced to smash the smuggling gangs before they have a chance to act.

    Security Minister, Dan Jarvis said:

    I want to commend the dedication and professionalism of our criminal investigators and Immigration Enforcement officers for these significant arrests. Their tireless efforts have disrupted criminal networks that profit from exploiting vulnerable individuals and undermining our immigration system.

    This operation demonstrates that we will use the full force of the law against those who facilitate illegal entry into the UK for exploitation. Our enforcement teams work day and night to protect our borders and communities from harm, and this successful operation is testament to their commitment.

    The government remains resolute in our approach to tackle illegal migration and the criminal enterprises that enable it, and through our Plan for Change will continue to restore order to the asylum system that collapsed in recent years.

    Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations lead, Phillip Parr said:

    This is one of our highest priority investigations due to the scale of the threat, the number of people believed to be involved, the immense harm these victims are potentially at risk of, and the amount of financial gain the suspects stand to make.

    I’m immensely proud of my team’s coordinated and targeted approach in this operation. We’ve not only disrupted this criminal network but also safeguarded potentially hundreds of individuals from further exploitation and harm. This operation demonstrates the power of partnership working in tackling complex organised crime.

    There is no place for those who profit from human misery, and we will continue to use all available powers to pursue and prosecute those involved in these despicable crimes.

    This government is tightening UK visa controls and building a more sustainable workforce, reducing reliance on overseas workers, as set out in the immigration white paper in May. The strategy contains new financial measures, penalties or sanctions, including for sponsors of migrant workers or students where there is evidence of abuse. New measures already in effect require care providers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already in the UK and seeking new employment.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In the trade wars, there are lessons for the US from Brexit. Australia and our trading partners should take note

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide

    General_4530/Getty

    While the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again trade wars wreak havoc on the business plans of the world’s exporters, the risks to the global economy continue to grow.

    The self-inflicted scale of disruption to global trade patterns is enormous. Yet there are echoes with the United Kingdom’s experience of Brexit, both for the United States economy now and its trading partners worried about their trading futures.

    Fortunately, while it is painful, Trump’s push toward economic isolationism brings opportunities for other trading nations to strengthen their ties.

    This is especially the case in our Indo-Pacific region, where Australia is looking to new trade partners and deepening existing ties.

    The economic consequences of Brexit

    The UK economy is relatively diminished since 2016, when David Cameron, as Prime Minister, called the Brexit referendum on whether to leave the European Union.

    A study of UK businesses found three key impacts in the three years before formal Brexit took place in 2020:

    1. the UK’s decision to leave the European Union generated major, sustained, uncertainty for the business community. Since business invests and trades, that was highly consequential
    2. anticipation of Brexit gradually reduced investment by about 11% between 2016 and 2019
    3. Brexit reduced UK productivity by between 2% and 5%.

    A new report establishes that since 2020, when formal Brexit took place, the UK is experiencing its worst trade slump in a generation. This decline contrasts with growing trade in other industrial nations, indicating the COVID pandemic was not to blame.

    Harsh lessons in bargaining power

    The EU did not change to suit the UK. Rather, because of the EU’s influential role in regulation known as the “Brussels effect”, the UK must realign with EU standards to win back market access.

    For decades, the UK had ceded its trade bargaining capacity to Brussels. It was always on the back foot as its inexperienced negotiators locked horns with seasoned EU trade diplomats.

    The British also learned that outside the EU, their relative trade bargaining power, as well as foreign policy prestige, was much diminished. Many countries focused on dealing with the EU without the UK’s involvement.

    Overall, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that Brexit hastened the UK’s inexorable transformation from “Great” to “Little” Britain.

    MAGA echoes

    The Brexiteers were motivated by free trade and the belief EU trade policies prevented the UK from more liberalisation.

    Trump’s decision to disentangle the US from world trade is motivated by protectionist desires, in the mistaken belief blocking imports will “Make America Great Again”.

    Like the Brexiteers, Trump will find business confidence will diminish and the US economy will be worse off. Data this week showed US manufacturing contracted for the third straight month in May amid tariff-induced supply chain delays.

    Just like the UK, US economic decline relative to its trading partners will accelerate.

    Obviously, a huge difference between British folly and US hubris is that the US has market and geopolitical power in most of its bilateral negotiations, whereas the UK did not.

    Yet, whereas the Trump administration assumes the US is the more powerful party in all reciprocal tariff negotiations, it is now learning that some major trading powers (China, the EU, India), and even some middle powers (Canada, Mexico, Australia), will not simply roll over when faced with overt coercion.

    Moreover, as Great Britain learned to its cost, the US will find its soft power rapidly diminishing, and foreign policy objectives more difficult to attain. US allies, while in some cases in need of weaning themselves from over-dependence on the US military umbrella, are now actively hedging their security bets.

    What should trading partners do?

    There is an opening for Australia to seize the moment with new trade partnerships, and by deepening existing relationships.

    We have a golden opportunity in our chairmanship of the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership group this year.

    This high-standards, deeply liberalising, trade agreement is a gold standard template to anchor our global trading partnerships. Members include Canada, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and the UK and representatives will be meeting in Brisbane next week.

    Specifically, Australia, our trans-Pacific partners and the EU need to agree to work collaboratively to converge on modern trade rules and support for free trade. Then take those accords into the World Trade Organization to strengthen and revitalise the institution, with or without the US.

    In addition, we need to quickly conclude both the stalled bilateral free-trade agreement with the EU, and the second phase of our trade agreement with India. This would cement two huge new markets of sufficient existing (EU) and potential (India) scale to rival both the US and Chinese markets.

    Finally, we need to double down on our existing trade partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, anchoring on the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This will bolster ASEAN-centrality in regional trade arrangements and balance both US withdrawal and China’s advance into the region.

    While this will not be easy, the effort has to be made and needs to start now.

    Peter Draper 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. In the trade wars, there are lessons for the US from Brexit. Australia and our trading partners should take note – https://theconversation.com/in-the-trade-wars-there-are-lessons-for-the-us-from-brexit-australia-and-our-trading-partners-should-take-note-257555

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With a government review underway, we have to ask why children bully other kids

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marilyn Campbell, Professor, School of Early Childhood & Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology

    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    The federal government has launched a “rapid review” to look at what works to prevent bullying in schools.

    Led by mental health experts, the review will underpin a new national standard to respond to bullying. This follows the death of a young Sydney school student last year.

    It also comes as the Queensland government rolls out a A$33 million anti-bullying plan in the state’s schools.

    As schools, parents and governments look at what more can be done to prevent bullying, we have to ask why children bully other kids.

    If we understand the motives, we can help these children change their behaviour – and achieve their goals or have their needs met in other ways.



    Read more:
    What can you do if your child is being bullied?

    What lies behind bullying?

    Research tells us children broadly bully for social reasons. For example, a 2022 study showed children can bully to gain social status among peers – to be seen as powerful, tough or cool. Or they can bully to maintain status as part of an in-group. Perhaps another child is seen as a “threat” to that status.

    Children can also bully for revenge for perceived insults. Or for entertainment – making a joke at another student’s expense.

    Research shows motivations can also differ depending on the type of bullying. For example, face-to-face bullying seems to involve more children who bully for social dominance, while those who cyberbully do it more for entertainment and “fun”.

    In a 2014 study, Marilyn Campbell and colleagues asked different groups about their perceptions of why young people engaged in cyber-bullying. Parents said children did it out of revenge for being bullied themselves, teachers said students did it for fun, and students thought others cyber-bullied because of peer pressure.

    This highlights how complex understanding children’s motives can be.



    Read more:
    Why do kids bully? And what can parents do about it?

    Children may not bully for long

    We should be careful about thinking of all students who bully as long-term “bullies”.

    Most children who bully try the behaviour and stop when it does not get them what they want, just as many children who are victimised are not bullied for long.

    Though of course, even being bullied for a short time can still be damaging and traumatic for the student on the receiving end.

    This could suggest there is a developmental phase in bullying as most bullying occurs between children in Year 6 through to Year 10.

    However, there are those students who persistently bully others and these are the students whose behaviour remains a problem despite interventions and prevention approaches.

    Who is more likely to bully?

    There are certain personality types who are more likely to persistently bully others. These include:

    But research is mixed on the question of self-esteem. Some researchers say children who bully have high self-esteem, yet others have found they have low self-esteem.

    There are many reasons why a child might develop the personality traits that would lead them to bully.

    Physical abuse in childhood can play a role. There is an association between a child being exposed to domestic violence at home and then bullying their peers.

    Parenting can also be a factor. For example, being overvalued but not well disciplined by parents can lead to higher traits of narcissism and a greater likelihood a child will bully.

    What can we do?

    Children who persistently bully may require targeted and nuanced approaches. Current approaches emphasise restoring positive relationships, rather than punishments or sanctions.

    One approach is individual motivational interviewing. Here a school counsellor shows young people they can achieve their goals by other means. This encourages perpetrators to see there are more benefits in not bullying than in bullying. For example, “I want to be popular. But if I bully, I also make other kids scared of me and not want to hang around me.”

    More broadly, schools can also teach explicit programs on social and emotional learning.



    Read more:
    Schools today also teach social and emotional skills. Why is this important? And what’s involved?

    These programs focus on emotional intelligence and emotional literacy, enabling students to recognise and manage their emotions, understand the perspectives of others and have positive relationships with peers.

    Schools which respect the diversity of students, are also better placed to address bullying. If all students have opportunities to participate in learning, it will develop their sense of belonging to their school community. This not only decreases rates of bullying but supports students who have been victimised.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

    Marilyn Campbell receives funding from the Australian Research Council and other government grants. .

    Shannon O’Brien 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. With a government review underway, we have to ask why children bully other kids – https://theconversation.com/with-a-government-review-underway-we-have-to-ask-why-children-bully-other-kids-257643

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: People with severe mental illness are waiting for days in hospital EDs. Here’s how we can do better

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney

    Matthew Ashmore/Shutterstock

    On ABC’s 4 Corners this week, psychiatrists and nurses have warned New South Wales’ mental health system is in crisis. They report some patients with severe mental distress are waiting two to three days in emergency departments for care.

    The program highlighted chronic failures in NSW’s mental health system, but the shortfalls are being felt across the nation.

    Just over 7% of the nation’s health budget is spent on mental health. But together with alcohol and drug issues, mental health accounts for around 15% of the nation’s burden of disease.

    Problems in mental health go beyond under-funding: it’s also about how the resources we do have are spent.

    So how did we get here? And what can we do to fix it?

    It wasn’t supposed to be like this

    Back in the 1980s, psychiatric deinstitutionalisation promised to replace treatment provided in the old psychiatric institutions with mental health services and care in the community. Too often, these institutions failed to promote recovery, and delivered improper care and even abuse.

    Many of these institutions were indeed closed. But the shift in mental health care over the past 40 years has not been from asylums to the community, but rather to the mental health wards of Australia’s general public hospitals and the emergency departments (EDs) which operate in them.

    Hospitals are expensive and often traumatic places to provide mental health care. We know this from frequent statutory inquiries and reports.

    Deinstitutionalisation aimed to treat patients in the community rather than hospital.
    Shutterstock

    For presentations to EDs, all the indicators are heading in the wrong direction. More people are seeking care for their mental health in EDs, they are arriving sicker (according to their triage category) and they wait longer for care.

    Hospitals account for more than 80% of total state and territory spending on mental health. In 2022–23, A$6.5 billion of the states and territories’ total spend of $8bn on mental health was directed towards hospital-based care. Just $1bn was provided outside hospitals.

    Evidence indicates community-based care can reduce reliance on EDs for mental health care.

    Yet community mental health services now often comprise little more than a phone call to check if a client is taking their medication. Of the 9.4 million community mental health service contacts in 2022–3, 4 million lasted less than 15 minutes.

    Mental health clinical staff spend just 20% of their time with consumers.

    What are the solutions?

    The solutions are already at hand, but haven’t been pursued or scaled up. These include:

    • multidisciplinary models such as assertive community treatments, which provide mixed specialist clinical and psychosocial support in the community, in people’s homes

    • service models the Australian College of Emergency Medicine have proposed as alternatives to hospital ED care. These include safe havens, mental health nurse liaison services and dedicated homelessness teams. These services can provide the care required to divert patients away from hectic emergency departments, in calmer, more therapeutic spaces

    • NSW programs such as the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative provide community based, clinical and psychosocial support to people with severe mental health needs. This program reduced admissions due to mental health by 74% over two years

    • Adelaide’s Urgent Mental Health Care Centre, which operates as an alternative to EDs and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This clinic was designed in collaboration with the community, including people with a lived experience of a mental health crisis, and offers a welcoming, safe environment

    • Step-Up Step-Down services, which can effectively meet the needs of some of “the missing middle”. These are people whose mental health needs are too complex for primary care but not assessed as a big enough risk to themselves or others to “qualify” for hospital admission.

    Community-based care for mental illness and social support can reduce reliance on EDs.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    Funding support for psychosocial services remains tiny. It accounts for about 6% of total spending on mental health care by states and territories.

    As a result, almost half a million Australians with either severe or moderate mental health needs are currently unable to access necessary psychosocial care. This impacts their recovery.

    It also leaves clinical services without a viable “psychosocial partner”. So people needing mental health care might be able to get a prescription, but are much less likely to receive assistance with unstable housing, employment support or help getting back to school.

    Working together

    There is already concern to address identified workforce shortages and psychiatrists’ pay disputes.

    The next round of mental health planning must also discuss and clarify the complementary roles in mental health care, as people with more complex mental health needs typically benefit from multidisciplinary, team-based care. This includes psychiatrists, psychologists, allied health professionals, nurses, peer workers, social service providers, GPs, justice, school and housing services and others such as drug and alcohol services. Who is best placed to plan and coordinate this care?

    Reducing our over-reliance on hospital-based mental health care and EDs needs agreement by all Australian governments to explicitly prioritise the principles of early intervention, community-based mental health care and hospital avoidance in mental health.

    These steps, together with more personalised approaches to treatment and better accountability, will help us achieve systemic quality improvement in mental health care.



    Read more:
    Police aren’t properly trained for mental health crises – but they’re often the first responders. Here’s what works better

    Sebastian Rosenberg 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. People with severe mental illness are waiting for days in hospital EDs. Here’s how we can do better – https://theconversation.com/people-with-severe-mental-illness-are-waiting-for-days-in-hospital-eds-heres-how-we-can-do-better-257971

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Senior public servants think GenAI will boost productivity – but are worried about the risks

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney

    Many bold claims have been made about Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and its capacity to improve productivity and generate workplace efficiencies.

    A recent Microsoft survey found 24% of private sector leaders have already deployed GenAI across their organisations. Many are considering laying off staff and replacing them with GenAI systems.

    But how much appetite does the public sector have for using artificial intelligence, which doesn’t come without risks?

    Our new research explores attitudes in Australian bureaucracy to using GenAI in policy work. Given governments are expected to work in ethical, transparent and responsible ways, we wondered if public servants are more wary of adopting this technology.

    No single view

    We asked senior bureaucrats from 22 state, territory and federal government agencies about their views on GenAI. We focused on what this might mean for the future of decision-making, policy development and public services.

    They expressed a range of views on the transformative potential of GenAI. Some were enthusiasts who saw the potential to conduct government work faster and more reliably.

    One interviewee remarked:

    Why improve the candle when you could use a light bulb?

    Others were less enthusiastic, arguing the technology is overhyped. Critically, they see GenAI as fundamentally inappropriate for use in public policy work and inherently risky on several fronts. These include:

    • the tendency for AI to hallucinate, where tools see patterns in data that do not exist in reality, making outputs inaccurate or wrong

    • the risk of biases in existing datasets, such as the underrepresentation of some groups or people

    • the sensitive nature of government data that might be compromised by AI programs.

    Regardless of their specific views on GenAI, public servants consistently told us two things.

    First, they do not believe artificial intelligence will replace workers. Instead, they are confident these tools will augment their work by freeing them from routine and repetitive tasks. This would allow them to focus on high-value tasks, such as engaging with the public.

    Second, the current use of GenAI is largely focused on administration tasks that do not draw on sensitive client data or interact directly with the public.

    Robodebt hangover

    One of the consequences of the Robodebt scheme is the pace and scale of the adoption of automated tools.

    Many interviewees explained public sector organisations are still very cautious about using GenAI technology as a result of the scandal.

    One interviewee told us the majority of the problems with Robodebt were at a human level, which highlights the importance of individuals

    taking their duties, both professionally and ethically, seriously, and interrogating what they get out of AI systems.

    Close attention is also being given to the influence of human decision-making in the development of machines that use GenAI.

    Incremental change

    Our research suggests public service agencies are largely taking a careful and measured approach to applying GenAI in policy work. Senior public servants perceive the public is wary of how governments use these tools. Rebuilding credibility in relation to technology oversight and implementation is imperative.

    Public servants described most of their use of GenAI as purposeful experiments. Clear outcomes are set for the use of these tools and evaluation processes are in place to monitor whether they achieve them.

    This is seen as important because public sector organisations need to know whether these tools do what they promise – deliver value for money and help guard against any unforeseen risks.

    Unauthorised use

    Some recent scandals show how GenAI tools can be risky when misused. In response, some public service agencies have banned freely available GenAI models such as ChatGPT and only allow access to officially authorised programs such as Copilot.

    But this does not mean public servants are not using the technology.

    Several interviewees told us they were aware of colleagues using unauthorised programs to enhance their productivity. Personal devices are often engaged to bypass system restrictions. Concerns were expressed public servants might not be receiving guidance on how to use these tools carefully and safely.

    New reality

    GenAI technology is being asked to perform tasks that require human intelligence and to do these tasks more quickly. However, our findings point to a strong need to align these tools with Australian government values that frame expectations for responsible use of GenAI.

    The public service faces a dilemma. Is this an opportunity for innovation in government policy work by tapping into the potential transformative impact of GenAI programs, as promised in other sectors? Or, is a more cautious approach needed to generate trust, both in the technology, and in public sector organisations to use them appropriately?

    Elon Musk’s recent work in the Trump administration may suggest the latter. The experience highlighted the significant consequences of tech industry influence and the use of AI tools under the remit of maximising government efficiency.

    The Australian public has high expectations of government to solve problems such as the housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures. A combination of machine and human intelligence may offer the power needed to tackle these complex economic and social issues. However, not all agencies have yet decided to flip the switch.

    Our research highlights the mix of views among senior public servants towards GenAI. Whether it transforms the public service or simply speeds up business as usual will depend not on the technology itself but on how boldly, carefully, and transparently governments choose to use it.

    Helen Dickinson receives funding from Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund and Australian Government.

    Dr Jade Hart receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Kathryn Henne receives funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council and Google Academic Research Awards program.

    Vanessa McDermott 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. Senior public servants think GenAI will boost productivity – but are worried about the risks – https://theconversation.com/senior-public-servants-think-genai-will-boost-productivity-but-are-worried-about-the-risks-256566

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Curious Kids: can spiders swim?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leanda Denise Mason, Vice Chancellor Research Fellow in Conservation Ecology, Edith Cowan University

    A great raft spider (_Dolomedes plantarius_). Salparadis/Shutterstock

    Can spiders swim?

    Waubra Preschool students, Victoria, Australia

    What a great question!

    Most spiders don’t swim by choice. But they sure can survive in water when they need to. From floating like a boat, to paddling like a rower, to carrying their own scuba bubbles, spiders have developed brilliant ways to deal with water.

    Let’s dive into the science in some more detail, and look at how spiders handle getting their paws wet, with examples from our local bush.

    Spiders can run across water

    Water has surface tension – this acts like a kind of invisible skin that can hold up small, light objects.

    Many spiders are tiny and have water-repellent hairs on their legs, so they can stand or run on water without sinking.

    For example, fishing spiders wait at the water’s edge and scuttle across the surface to grab insects, tadpoles or even small fish.

    If prey escapes underwater, this spider can even hide beneath the water’s surface briefly, then come back up.

    Spiders can hold their breath underwater for days

    Spiders don’t have gills, so they can’t get oxygen from water like fish do. But they have evolved clever strategies for staying alive if they stay in the water for a long time.

    For example, the Australian Sydney funnel-web spider often falls into backyard swimming pools. People might see one and think it drowned, but it can actually survive underwater for hours by holding its breath much longer than a human could.

    That’s because it breathes much more slowly than we do. Like many spiders, it has both tracheae (tiny air tubes) and book lungs (they look like a book with many pages) for breathing. Some spiders can close these and become watertight, to hold their breath for a long time.

    Some trapdoor spiders have been recorded only taking a breath every six minutes.

    Do not burst their bubble

    Some spiders take the air with them like a scuba diver.

    On the Great Barrier Reef coast, a little intertidal spider called Desis bobmarleyi actually lives part of its life under seawater. At high tide, it hides in a silk-lined air pocket in coral or shells. It uses the long hairs on its legs and body to trap a bubble around itself so it can breathe underwater between the tides. When the tide goes out, this spider comes out to hunt on the wet reef.

    And in other parts of the world, there’s the famous diving bell spider, the only spider that spends its whole life entirely underwater.

    It weaves an underwater silk web that it fills with air – like an underwater house. This spider can stay underwater for more than a day at a time by letting its air-bubble vessel actively pull oxygen from the water.

    Can you spot Desis bobmarleyi among the corals?
    coenobita/iNaturalist, CC BY

    Flood proofing, trapdoor spider style

    Some spiders sit tight and make their homes flood-proof. Remember those trapdoor spiders we mentioned? Trapdoor spiders live snug in burrows underground with a silken lid on top (like a little trapdoor).

    In areas that get sudden heavy rains, a trapdoor spider might build its burrow with a raised entrance – a bit like a chimney – so water flows around or over it rather than straight in.

    Some Australian trapdoor spiders in the outback clay pans have been found to build thick muddy silk doors that fit perfectly like a bath plug into the surrounding soil. The water just goes straight over the top.

    Even if water does get in, some trapdoor spiders can seal their bodies and essentially hold their breath. They don’t swim in their flooded burrows, but they can wait out a flood without drowning.

    Some trapdoor spiders have been recorded only taking a breath every six minutes.
    Dr Leanda Mason

    What to do with a soggy spider

    If you ever find a spider struggling in water – say in a swimming pool or even in a bucket – you can help as long as you’re careful.

    First, always ask an adult before trying to assist a spider. Nobody has died in Australia in 60 years from spider venom. But some (such as the Sydney funnel-web) can still be fatal, so you must be sure not to touch or provoke it.

    A good way to save a spider in a pool is to use a net or a scoop with a long handle. Gently lift the spider out and put it on the ground away from the water. The spider might look dead at first, but don’t be surprised if it “comes back to life” as it dries out – just like trapdoor spiders do.

    And remember: never poke a spider with your bare hands, even if it seems lifeless. Spiders such as funnel-webs can still bite underwater or right after being rescued, and they will defend themselves if they feel threatened. So, play it safe and use tools or ask an adult or a spider expert to help.

    If anyone is bitten, get an adult to seek medical attention immediately.

    Next time you’re exploring nature (or even looking into the toilet), keep an eye out for our eight-legged friends and how they interact with water. You might spot a little spider boat captain or an air-bubble diver right in your backyard.

    Leanda Denise Mason 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. Curious Kids: can spiders swim? – https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-can-spiders-swim-257832

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Historic Forest Congress ends with pressing demands from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Brazzaville, Republic of Congo – In a show of unity, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) from the world’s largest tropical forest basins, the Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong-Papua and Mesoamerica, have concluded their first-ever global congress with an urgent call for protection, recognition and respect for the forests as well as the provision of direct access funds for the communities.

    These four regions, often described as the lungs of the planet, are home to over two-thirds of the Earth’s remaining tropical forests and serve as critical carbon sinks in the fight against climate change. They also  host immense biodiversity and provide life-sustaining ecosystems for hundreds of millions of people. At the heart of these forests are Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are the custodians of these forests having protected and lived in harmony with these ecosystems for generations.

    Over five days in Brazzaville, the forest custodians from across South America, Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Mesoamerica came together to share experience and knowledge, place the spotlight on their struggles, and unite their voices. The congress culminated in a joint declaration demanding urgent global actions  to protect their land  rights and traditional knowledge, and their informed consent in decision-making, and  ensure direct access to finance.  .

    Greenpeace proudly stood in solidarity with these communities, calling for concrete measures  to recognize and support  Indigenous people’s leadership in forest protection, biodiversity restoration and the fight against climate change

    “What we witnessed in Brazzaville was more than a gathering, it was a unified awakening,” said Dr. Lamfu Yengong, Forest Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Africa. “This congress laid the ground for an emerging global alliance rooted in ancestral wisdom, justice, and the urgency of climate action. The road to COP30 must now consider those voices that have long been ignored”.

    “This Congress was a historic moment for Indigenous Peoples and local communities from the  major forest basins to unite and shape a common vision  for transformative change in national and international policies on forest protection, land rights, and direct access to  finance. We echo their call: Respect, recognize, and protect their rights—not only as a call for justice, but as a condition for the planet’s survival.” said Bonaventure Bondo, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa. 

    “Our knowledge and stewardship are central to the health of the planet,” added Valentine Engobo, an Indigenous leader from Lokolama in the Congo Basin. “We look forward to seeing these commitments translate into tangible actions, especially at COP30, where our voices must  be heard and our rights recognized.”

    From the Amazon to the Papua, Indigenous leaders echoed a resounding message: protecting forests means respecting the people who protect them.

    “Indigenous peoples are the true custodians of the Amazon rainforest,” said Romulo Batista, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Brazil. “We call on world leaders to honour their role in combating climate change and protecting our territories.”

    “This first congress leaves a great legacy, which is the dialogue and articulation at a global level of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities,” said Mario Nicacio, Member of the supervisory board of the Podaali Indigenous Fund. “While discussing common problems, we discussed solutions, access to natural resources, our territories and access to direct funding for our funds and organisations.”

    “The Borneo-Mekong and Papua’s forests are vital to climate stability,” said Amos Sumbung, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “But our communities can’t do it alone, We need genuine international backing.”

    “This is just the beginning,” said Troyanus Kalami, an Indigenous leader from Moi, in the Papua region. “Our territories must be respected, and our wisdom must help shape the future of global climate solutions.”

    The Congress culminated in  a historic Declaration, a collective document outlining the priorities, demands, and commitments of these communities in response to the escalating climate and biodiversity crises. The Declaration urgently calls for the legal recognition and protection of Indigenous territories, direct financing for local communities, and full participation in environmental and climate governance. Here are the key outcomes of the final Declaration:

    • Territorial Recognition and Protection – A global call for governments to legally recognise and uphold Indigenous land rights, including for peoples in voluntary isolation;
    • End to Criminalisation and Violence – A strong appeal for an international convention to protect environmental human rights defenders and to stop persecution of Indigenous leaders;
    • Full and Effective Participation – A demand for the inclusion of women, youth, and community representatives in climate and environmental decision-making processes ;
    • Direct and Transparent Financing – A request for at least 40% of climate and biodiversity finance to go directly to Indigenous and local community organisations, without intermediaries. 
    • Moratorium on Destructive Activities – A demand to halt fossil fuel extraction, large-scale agribusiness, and mining projects on Indigenous lands.;
    • Call to Global Action Towards COP30 – A formal request for the President of the Republic of Congo to host a high-level dialogue among forest basin countries during COP30.

    Greenpeace Africa affirms that this congress marks a watershed moment, serving as a turning point in the struggles of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities  not to be any longer sidelined in decision-making but recognised as custodians and leaders of global forest protection and climate action.

    END

    Contacts

    Raphael Mavambu, Media and Communications, [email protected], Greenpeace Africa

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace USA’s “Dirty Dems” called out in Capitol Rotunda 

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SACRAMENTO, CA (June 3, 2025)—Today, as legislators are in session moving bills toward key legislative deadlines, Greenpeace USA activists deployed banners in the Capitol Rotunda naming nine Democrats who take large sums of money from the oil and gas industry and receive failing grades on progressive issues. Activists also took to the Legislative Swing Space, hand-delivering letters, posting flyers, and handing out postcards – reminding all legislators that their corporate donors and voting records are matters of public interest. 

    These activities in the Capitol come as a continuation of Greenpeace USA’s ongoing “Dirty Dems” campaign, a collaboration with California Working Families Party and Courage California that holds California State legislators accountable for their damaging connections to the oil and gas industry and their failure to support critical climate, economic justice, and progressive priorities.

    Photos from today’s event will be available at this link [later this evening]. 

    Amy Moas, Ph.D., Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner, said: “Today, we’re in Sacramento putting legislators on notice – the Assembly Members and Senators who take the most money from the oil and gas industry and have a poor voting record on progressive issues will be exposed. Real leadership is about accountability to California’s communities who are suffering in the face of the mounting climate crisis – not to the corporate donors writing checks. 

    “The Dirty Dems we’ve named have turned their backs on the people who elected them. But by no means are they the only culprits in California’s Legislature selling out their communities to corporate donors instead of protecting them. There are elected officials on both sides of the aisle who must do better – everyone in Sacramento needs to put communities first.  

    “The toxic oil and gas industry continues to make record profits while we suffer the costs. Every dollar these legislators take from corporate cronies contributes to bigger wildfires, hotter heatwaves, more climate devastation, and more harm to our most vulnerable communities. We need brave bold action from our legislators to address the climate crisis. It is time the polluters who created this mess pay to clean it up.”   

    “Dirty Dems” Class of 2025

    Nine legislators have been named in the “Dirty Dems” Class of 2025: Jasmeet Bains, Mike Gipson, Melissa Hurtado, Stephanie Nguyen, Blanca Pacheco, James Ramos, Blanca Rubio, Susan Rubio, and Esmeralda Soria. You can read more about each of their campaign donations and voting records here. 

    Holding the Legislators Accountable

    Thousands of candidates and elected officials have already signed what’s known as the “No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge,” showing that people who refuse to take corporate donations can – and will – win. Find out more about the pledge and those who have already signed here. 

    ###

    Contact: Greenpeace USA, [email protected]

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Scholten, Tlaib, Thanedar, and McDonald-Rivet Call on Department of Labor to Reverse Job Corps Closures

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (MI-03), alongside U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Kristen McDonald-Rivet (MI-08), called on Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to immediately reverse the abrupt decision to pause operations at Job Corps centers in Michigan and nationwide. 

    On May 29, 2025, the Department of Labor announced a pause for Job Corps centers throughout the United States, impacting approximately 25,000 students across the country who rely on the centers to learn skills essential to securing meaningful employment. In Michigan alone, this decision disrupts the education and training of more than 700 students at Job Corps centers in Kent, Wayne, and Genesee Counties.

    “The Department’s decision to initiate a ‘phased pause’ in operations was made without advance notice to the training centers, leaving staff and students scrambling. This abrupt disruption has destabilized our communities, which rely on these centers,” wrote the Members in the letter. “We understand and share the Department’s interest in improving cost-efficiency and long-term effectiveness. Indeed, there is much work to be done to enhance the services here. But an unplanned and abrupt pause in all operations does not support these goals. Instead, it derails the lives of thousands of young people and dedicated staff committed to strengthening our country’s workforce, at a time of great worker shortage across the state.”

    The Members highlighted the lack of clear communication and planning from the Department of Labor and outlined urgent questions, including who will be responsible for overseeing student transitions to complete their training, when Job Centers will be notified of any programmatic changes after the pause, and how the Department plans to support state and local workforce partners. The letter also urges Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to work with Congress to ensure fiscal responsibility and protect this essential workforce development program.

    A full copy of the letter can be found HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In first-of-its-kind initiative, California deploys mobile air monitoring to protect underserved communities from pollution

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 3, 2025

    What you need to know: The state will use specially equipped vehicles to collect block-by-block air quality data in 64 communities heavily burdened by pollution. The results will help create local solutions to improve air quality and public health. 

    SACRAMENTO – While the Trump administration rolls back pollution protections across the country, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of California’s Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative (SMMI), a first-of-its-kind program delivering hyper-local air pollution data to guide air quality improvement efforts in California.

    “While the federal government threatens to take us back to the days of smoggy skies and clogged lungs, California continues to lead the way. We’re deploying first-of-their-kind vehicles to monitor pollution levels at a block-by-block level, delivering critical air quality information to communities across the state.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Starting in June, the pilot project will deploy mobile air monitoring equipment to 64 communities throughout the state, with a particular focus on communities that have long faced environmental disparities. The project spearheaded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will use sensor-equipped vehicles from Aclima and mobile laboratories operated by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Riverside, and Aerodyne to collect and analyze data on local pollution levels.

    The initiative is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide effort that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

    More than 60% of the mobile monitoring will serve priority populations, including low-income communities and communities facing disproportionate pollution burdens. The 64 communities were consistently nominated for focused action under the Community Air Protection Program, underscoring the state’s commitment to protecting the health of Californians in areas most burdened by air pollution.

    “By meeting communities where they are and listening to their concerns, we’re building an air quality monitoring system that integrates the lived experiences of the people most impacted by air pollution,” said CARB Executive Director Dr. Steven Cliff. “The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to gather the detailed information we need to better protect public health in neighborhoods that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustice.”

    Monitoring will take place in the 64 communities over the next year. The project is expected to end in June 2026, when the collected data will become publicly available.  Final results will be shared with the 64 communities, the general public, and the Board. CARB, local air districts, stakeholders, and community stakeholders will use the data to help guide efforts to address existing and emerging pollution concerns. The data is also expected to inform future regulatory programs, academic research, and applications for grants such as the Community Air Grants Program.

    The program is guided by a robust community engagement framework. More than 40 community-based organizations across California have partnered with CARB to identify local air quality concerns and ensure community voices shape monitoring efforts from the ground up. 

    California’s clean air leadership

    Over the last 50 years, the state’s clean air efforts have saved $250 billion in health costs through reduced illness and reduced diesel-related cancer risk by nearly 80 percent.

    The state continues to set clean energy records. Last year, California ran on 100% clean electricity for the equivalent of 51 days – with the grid running on 100% clean energy for some period two out of every three days. Since the beginning of the Newsom Administration, battery storage is up to over 15,000 megawatts – a 1,900%+ increase.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 2, 2025

    News To the People of California,Recent years have seen a troubling spike in reported hate crimes and manifestations of bigotry. In response, California launched a robust anti-hate agenda that includes significant investments and actions to support and protect all the…

    Jun 1, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued the following statement regarding the death of Baldwin Park Police Department Officer Samuel Riveros:“We mourn the tragic loss of one of California’s brave law enforcement officers,…

    May 31, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 2025, as “Mental Health Awareness Month.”The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONDuring Mental Health Awareness Month, we recognize the…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Kicks Off International Radiation Oncology Conference

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications Najat Mohktar and IAEA Director of the Division of Human Health May Abdel-Wahab together with Lebanon’s Minister of Labour Mohammad Haidar during the opening ceremony of ICARO-4. (Photo : D. Calma/IAEA)

    The fourth International Conference on Advances in Radiation Oncology (ICARO-4) is underway this week at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, bringing together participants from around the world to examine the latest advances in treating cancer with radiation.

    Opening the conference, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications Najat Mokhtar urged attendees to remember inclusivity as they discuss recent innovations ranging from new techniques to the use of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. “The future of radiotherapy, and of cancer care more broadly, must be equitable. For this, patients [and practitioners] must be at the centre of all we do.”

    Although more than half of all cancer patients need radiotherapy at some point, access to this life-saving treatment remains out of reach for far too many. To meet the target of one machine per 500 patients, low-income countries on average need eight times more machines than currently available, the IAEA-led Lancet Oncology Commission on Radiotherapy and Theranostics found. In terms of human resources, the global radiation medicine workforce of 2022 must expand by more than 60 percent to respond to the 35.3 million new cancer cases and limit the potential 18.5 million deaths anticipated by 2050.

    “Through shared commitment, we can ensure that radiation medicine continues to serve as a force for healing, resilience and sustainable growth in every corner of the world,” said Mohammad Haidar, Lebanon’s Minister of Labor, during the opening ceremony. He noted that Lebanon is strengthening education and training, creating sustainable job opportunities through investments in medical infrastructure and ensuring the well-being and dignity of its workers. These combined efforts, he added, will help improve healthcare outcomes, support the country’s broader economic recovery and contribute to its national development goals.

    “The IAEA’s commitment to science, education and international cooperation has helped shape a new future for Lebanon — one in which human capital is at the centre of this progress,” he said. “Let us continue working together; let us turn dialogue into action and challenges into opportunity.” 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Gevo Promotes Lindsay Fitzgerald to Chief Advocacy and Communications Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today the promotion of Lindsay Fitzgerald to Chief Advocacy and Communications Officer, effective immediately.

    In this expanded leadership role, Ms. Fitzgerald will focus on advancing Gevo’s mission to strengthen American energy and food security by unlocking the full value of U.S. agriculture and rural communities. She continues to drive policy advocacy and public communications that support cost-effective, American-made hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals, while building free-market solutions for carbon abatement and economic growth. Her efforts help bolster U.S. agriculture as the most sustainable in the world, while opening new markets for farmers, innovators, and domestic manufacturing.

    “Lindsay’s leadership is about moving business forward,” said Dr. Patrick R. Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo. “She understands that real-world solutions require practical policies and clear messaging. Her work supports energy independence, job creation, and market-based carbon strategies that align with American interests.”

    Since joining Gevo in 2021, Ms. Fitzgerald has held key leadership roles, including Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Vice President of Government Relations. Her nearly 20 years of experience span the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Fuels Alliance America, and Renewable Energy Group, where she built and led successful policy strategies to support clean fuels, rural jobs, and domestic energy production. Ms. Fitzgerald also serves as Chair of the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition, where she advocates for market-driven fuel policies that enable private-sector innovation across state and federal jurisdictions.

    With this promotion, Gevo reinforces its commitment to delivering real value through energy innovation, carbon abatement that works for business, and American-grown resources.

    About Gevo

    Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including synthetic aviation fuel (“SAF”), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. Gevo also operates an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.

    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, without limitation, including the promotion of Lindsay Fitzgerald, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Media Contact
    Heather L. Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    IR Contact
    Eric Frey
    VP, Finance & Strategy
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Reports May 2025 Volumes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) today reported monthly volumes for May 2025 on its Investor Relations website. A data sheet showing this information can be found at: http://ir.nasdaq.com/financials/volume-statistics.

    About Nasdaq

    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    Information set forth in this communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Nasdaq cautions readers that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (i) projections relating to our future financial results, total shareholder returns, growth, trading volumes, products and services, ability to transition to new business models, taxes and achievement of synergy targets, (ii) statements about the closing or implementation dates and benefits of certain acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic, restructuring, technology, de-leveraging and capital allocation initiatives, (iii) statements about our integrations of our recent acquisitions, (iv) statements relating to any litigation or regulatory or government investigation or action to which we are or could become a party, and (v) other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond Nasdaq’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to, Nasdaq’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in Nasdaq’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q which are available on Nasdaq’s investor relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Nasdaq undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Media Relations Contacts:

    Nick Jannuzzi
    +1.973.760.1741
    Nicholas.Jannuzzi@Nasdaq.com

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Ato Garrett
    +1.212.401.8737
    Ato.Garrett@Nasdaq.com

    -NDAQF-

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Press Briefing – June 3, 2025

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing at the Department of State, on June 3, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
    Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/StateDept
    Substack: https://statedept.substack.com

    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USSTATEBPA/signup/32562

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HPY-zg-cEw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rep. Stansbury Votes No on GOP Tax Bill after 29-hour Fight

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    GOP bill guts healthcare, food assistance for millions to fund permanent tax breaks for billionaires

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) released the following statement after House Republicans narrowly passed their H.R. 1 tax bill by one vote after 29 straight hours of debate.  

    Watch Rep. Stansbury break down the bill here and here. 

    “Today, the GOP showed who they’re really fighting for in passing a shameful package that will strip millions of veterans, working families, and children of access to healthcare and food assistance—in order to provide permanent tax breaks to billionaires.  In so doing, nearly 14 million Americans will lose access to healthcare, 18 million children will lose access to food assistance and school meals, and millions of seniors will be impacted by cuts to Medicare.

    “This is not what the American people voted for and the GOP knows it, which is why they tried to sneak this bill through in the dead of night—not once, but twice.  Democrats laid it all on the line to stop this bill and its devastating impacts, filing over 500 amendments and working through the night for 29 straight hours. Meanwhile, the GOP cut side deals and snuck in more last minute kickbacks for their wealthy friends and donors late into the night. But, the American people see what is happening, and this fight is far from over.  We will keep working to defeat this bill as it heads to the Senate using every tool we have.”

    H.R. 1 will have wide-ranging and devastating impacts on vulnerable families, the cost of living, and the environment:

    • Tax Breaks at the Expense of the Most Vulnerable. Gives massive permanent tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy through permanent income, estate, and corporate tax breaks on the backs of working Americans. With the 10% wealthiest Americans receiving a 2-4% increase in their income under the bill, and the poorest 10% of Americans seeing a net decrease of 2-4% in income. New Mexico families, who are among the lowest income in the country, will be among the hardest hit.

    • Healthcare. Will take access to healthcare away from over 13.7 million Americans through cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act programs. Defunds Planned Parenthood and bans abortion care under private marketplace insurance. Will strip $880 billion from Medicaid and $500 billion from Medicare, decimating the healthcare economy, with potential hospital, healthcare, and nursing facility closures across the country—representing the largest cut in Medicaid and Medicare in American history. With nearly two thirds of New Mexicans receiving healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid, New Mexico families and healthcare providers will be especially impacted.

    • Food and Hunger.  Will gut access to food assistance and school meals for 18 million American kids, with potentially devastating impacts to over 3 million seniors, veterans and vulnerable families—representing the largest cut in SNAP programs in American history. With one in five kids in New Mexico experiencing food insecurity and one in five families receiving SNAP benefits, New Mexico will be devastated by these cuts.  

    • Education Programs. Guts access to education programs with 4 million students set to lose Pell Grant funding.  With New Mexico students being among the most low-income in the country, they will be particularly impacted by cuts to education assistance programs.

    • Corporate Giveaways. Sends billions of dollars in private contracts to defense contractors, private prisons, oil and gas companies, and big tech. With significant national security infrastructure in New Mexico, New Mexico installations are likely to see shift in security priorities. Funds for detention and attacks on due process in the bill could increase private prison contracts in New Mexico to incarcerate immigrant families. Decreases in oil and gas royalty rates in the bill, could reduce state revenues by nearly a half billion dollars a year—defunding key programs.

    • Decimates Protections for the Environment.  Guts key provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and opportunities for the public, Tribal nations, and communities to protect their land and water.  Includes mandatory oil and gas leasing, mining, and logging giveaways on public lands, while gutting billions of dollars in investments in climate, clean energy, and land stewardship. New Mexico is specifically named for mandatory oil and gas lease sales.

    • Increases the National Debt and Burdens on States. Is projected to add $3.7 to 5 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, representing the largest increase in deficit spending in American history. Shifts significant burden to cash-strapped states with billions of dollars in costs for healthcare and food programs pushed to states, while it cuts federal and state revenues through reductions in oil and gas royalties in a giveaway to industry.  

    H.R. 1 passed the House of Representatives in a 215 to 214 party line vote, with three Republicans abstaining from voting. The bill will now head to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rep. Stansbury Slams GOP Scheme to Kick Millions off Medicaid, Food Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    Republicans raid healthcare, SNAP, environmental programs to make billionaires richer

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) slammed House Republicans’ efforts to advance the devastating reconciliation bill this week that would increase taxes for our lowest-income working Americans, and gut healthcare and food assistance programs to give billionaires permanent tax breaks. 

    Watch video remarks here. 

    “Republicans have repeatedly doubled down on their efforts to sacrifice the families in pursuit of tax breaks for their billionaire donors,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “From forcing single parents and elders off SNAP, kicking an estimated 13.7 million Americans of health care, to gutting historic investments in climate and clean energy, this bill is nothing short of devastating for families in New Mexico.” 

    In New Mexico, 60% of all children, 52% of adults with disabilities, and 67% of our elders in nursing homes rely on Medicaid for health care. This extreme legislation forces the largest Medicaid cuts in history to achieve Republicans’ goals of giving permanent tax breaks to billionaires. This plan also takes aim at the Affordable Care Act. If enacted, a 60-year-old couple with a household income of $85,000 in NM-01 would see their health insurance costs increase by $12,238 per year — a 169% increase in premiums. 

    The Republican plan also guts environmental protections while raising energy costs for families nationwide. It opens protected lands to mining and drilling, and the dismantling of hard-won climate protections in the Inflation Reduction Act.  

    The bill represents the largest cut to food assistance in American history—in total, the Republican plan will cut $300 billion in food assistance from the hungry. More than 34% of children in New Mexico rely on SNAP for food assistance, the highest percentage in the nation. The Republicans’ bill would add burdensome red tape requirements for single parents and elders, making it harder for Americans to put food on the table amid sky-high grocery prices. These cuts would also lead to billions in losses for farmers whose work is supported by SNAP purchases, adding to the pain of Trump’s tariffs.  

    “Simply put, the Republican budget is a betrayal of our working families,” Rep. Stansbury concluded. “President Trump’s shakedown of the American people—enabled by House Republicans, continues. I’ll continue to fight against this catastrophic reconciliation bill and work toward real solutions to lower costs for New Mexicans and the nation.”  

    The reconciliation bill is scheduled to be heard in the Rules Committee on Monday and is expected to head to the House Floor next week. The bill will then move to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –