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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on Univision 41

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on Univision 41 with Mariela Salgado. The Governor spoke on the detrimental effects of the Trump administration’s federal cuts on the State of New York, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and congestion pricing.

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

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

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Governor, I think the economy is always a factor. We look from the pandemic; it’s been a cycle that’s been affecting everybody — not only New Yorkers, but the entire country — and there’s uncertainty. You just approved your Budget, it’s been approved. Congratulations about that.

    Governor Hochul: Thank you, thank you.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: There’s a lot of things that people are going to see right away in their pockets. Thinking as a parent, I think about the lunch they’re going to see in schools immediately; more possibilities with child care, that’s something that parents are going to see right away. Beautiful.

    We have to wait for the child credit, and, correct me if I’m wrong, one thing that there’s confusion, and I would like clarification on that, people ask me on the streets — I’m a news reporter, so I’m always on the road, “When are we getting the checks, the inflation checks?” Can you give us clarity on that?

    Governor Hochul: My vision for the State and lifting families up who have been hit so hard with our current economy was to put more money back in their pockets. In fact, I said, “Your family is my fight,” and within that, we decided to focus intensely on affordability. And, as you mentioned, there’s a $1,000 tax credit for every child under the age of four, $500 for older children. So that’s money back in parents’ pockets when they file their taxes next year.

    We have the largest middle class tax cut in the last 70 years — that’s money back in their pockets when they do their taxes; and also covering the cost of school lunches and breakfasts — that’s, on average, about $1,600 per child in each family.

    And you mentioned the inflation rebates, and this is so important. I’ve gone to bodegas, I’ve gone to grocery stores, I’ve gone all over shopping with moms. I’m a mom, I know what it’s like to try to use the coupons and make things stretch. That’s going to be $400 in many family’s pockets — it’s starting this fall.

    So when they’re getting ready for back-to-school shopping or trying to get ready for the holidays. I know that’s an important time. So all of this is being rolled out, but you know what it adds up to? About $5,000 back in families’ pockets at a time when, as you said, the economy is really challenging and people are worried about whether tariffs from the federal administration.

    What does a tariff mean? It’s a tax. It increases the prices of everything. And our residents have been hit so hard with COVID, and inflation and now the worry that there’s going to be — the shelves will be empty when it comes time for Christmas shopping. So families are under duress, stress, and my job as the first Mom Governor is to understand that — I do understand it, but also how can I relieve that stress?

    And so, I’m glad you asked because I want people to know that help is on its way.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: It’s coming now? This fall?

    Governor Hochul: Yes.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: That’s great — people were thinking it was next year. So I’m going to mention tariffs because I was jumping to that too because everything is kind of weaving together. Trump administration being on a legal battle right now trying to impose tariffs in other countries, and this is — even though the court international trade has said that he didn’t have the — he doesn’t have the power to do so to kind of control commerce, but his lawyers claim that there is an emergency at the national level, economic emergency, and it needs to be done and that creates uncertainty, in a way.

    And we would like to know how you feel about that — do you agree with President Trump and do you see any impact in New York State in our economy because of tariffs?

    Governor Hochul: Seeing very much an impact in New York State, and I’ll give you a few examples. First of all, New York City gets much of its produce, it’s a grocery, it’s food from Upstate farmers. Upstate New York farmers are paying more for everything because of the tariffs, so our own products for the grocery store are going to be more expensive.

    People are not coming to our city who are — Canadians are coming from Europe; our tourism is starting to decline and that’s going to help start to affect not just our tourism, but also, people would be shopping in stores and helping the economy get stronger by their sales and sales tax revenues that we collect.

    So we can feel the effect all over that. I think there’ll be a shortage of supplies and shortages of commodities and products that we get from places like China because it’s going to be just too expensive, and either the retailers won’t buy the product and put it on the shelves or the prices will be higher. That’s going to happen as a direct result of the Trump tariffs and I support some targeted tariffs to make sure that we’re not being taken advantage of —

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Right because eventually, wouldn’t more tariffs, the taxes — wouldn’t that help us eventually? As far as income for the United States.

    Governor Hochul: That’s assuming that everything made offshore will come back and be made in the United States — everything. We’re focused on the economy that has good paying jobs, lifts people up, keeps people not struggling around the poverty line, but really helps families be able to pay for their rent and — if they’re able to, fortunate to have a house — pay for the mortgage, and utilities and child care.

    But I don’t see a lot of those jobs coming back here; I really don’t see that happening as a result of this. Just look back to where this economy was back in December, early January. Economists around the world say, “We’re in really good shape right now.” People’s 401-ks were in better shape, people’s savings were better, prices were starting to see a turn downward. And all of a sudden with these tariffs that just sent chaos into the global market, sent chaos into the stores, sent chaos into everyone’s lives, and that’s what we’re trying to process right now, but it’s going to have a very negative impact on New York families. That’s why we’re sounding the alarm about it.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: And the way you do your following Budgets, would that have an impact on your Budget as well?

    Governor Hochul: Yeah, of course. Of course. It’s going to reduce our revenues that come into the State, and we fund $254 billion worth of services — that’s everything from covering Medicaid, which, as you know in Washington, is very much jeopardized.

    Our health care is going to be very negatively impacted, and one out of three New York residents receive Medicaid right now. It’s mostly little kids and senior citizens in nursing homes, and they’re slashing so much money that people are going to lose health care. Some of our safety net hospitals, whether it’s in the Bronx or Brooklyn — where I was yesterday — they’re going to lose the support they need to stay alive, and as a result, even people who are not on Medicaid won’t have a hospital to go to — their services will be cut.

    So there’s this huge ripple effect on everyday lives. It’s going to affect our Budgets when we try to do what we can with less revenue coming in and less money from the federal government. With Medicaid alone, they’re planning to cut $13.5 billion from the State of New York, $3 billion cut from our hospitals. Our hospitals need that federal money and Washington is turning their back on our residents — and basically, it’s Robin Hood in reverse. They’re taking money from the poor to give tax breaks for the very wealthiest and I am so opposed to that and all New Yorkers I believe should stand with us and oppose that.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Well, that was my next question that you mentioned actually, that over seven million New Yorkers are enrolled in Medicaid and about a third are children, as you were talking about. My understanding is that the Big Beautiful Bill is aiming to put new restrictions because the Trump administration really wants to make sure that people are using it accordingly but people are going to lose some of their services. So, what can New York do to help them? Why is it a problem for people to work and have hours put in? Why is that going to cancel their services? Why is that going to leave them without Medicaid?

    Governor Hochul: What the Republicans have done in the House of Representatives and supported by seven Republicans from the State of New York who were voting against the interest of their own constituents — that passed, it has major cuts to Medicaid and it is not just about people working. But we have the majority of people on Medicaid do go out and earn a paycheck every day; it just doesn’t give them enough money, their wages are just too low, and so they need Medicaid. It doesn’t mean they’re not working.

    But, on the other hand, I can’t expect little kids to work; I can’t expect a senior citizen getting care in a nursing home to work. I mean, it’s absolutely unreal. People with disabilities? They can’t work. So they’ve made up this whole dynamic. We’re saying, “We won’t cut your services. We’re just going after the work issue and making them work.”

    That’s not what the challenge is. They’re cutting money to fund tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, and it’s just wrong. It’s cruel and it hurts the most vulnerable. And this program has been in place for over 60 years and it’s lifted people up and gives them the dignity of health care — everybody deserves it. It’s going to create havoc, real problems in the State of New York, because so many people use this primary form of health insurance.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Is there any place from the Budget that you can take to supplement that?

    Governor Hochul: We received $93 billion every year in support from the federal government. There is no state in this country that can make up for all those cuts; and it’s not just Medicaid — it is education cuts, it is child care, it is nutrition programs. At the same time, I’m trying to cover the cost of lunches and breakfast, and put money back in people’s pockets. They’re making it impossible, harder to survive for struggling families, and that is what is so wrong about this and why here in the State of New York, our view is completely different. I know who I’m fighting for — I’m fighting for New York families and families that start out struggling, but are here because they want to live the American dream and get a chance to get ahead. The federal government is standing in our way.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: I have to touch immigration quickly, Governor, because the Trump administration have cut the DPS which was put in by the Biden administration. Hundreds of thousands benefit from that and now we’re seeing ICE agents waiting for people who are trying to do their appointments, hearings and we’re seeing people being arrested. What is your take on that? And also, do you agree this being a tool to deport people? And what do you also think about Mayor Adams’ participation in all the plans that the Trump administration has, because some people are considering that a betrayal to the immigrant community?

    Governor Hochul: What the ICE agents are doing right now is contrary to what Donald Trump said when he was running for office and what Republicans said when they got elected and now control both Houses in Washington. They said they were only going after the “worst of the worst” criminals: serious offenders, the murderers, the rapists. We want those individuals removed and the State of New York will cooperate with ICE in those cases where you show there’s a warrant, or a subpoena or a court order that says, “These individuals have committed these crimes here or in their home country, and all immigrant communities would want them removed to keep us safer.”

    But they weren’t supposed to go after the people that are working in our bodegas, and working in health care — home health care aids — working in agriculture all around the state, just struggling to lift up their own families. And I think it’s important that they’re really tricking, people that are following the rules, were granted legal status with temporary protective status — many Venezuelans, in particular. They came here with the promise of a legal status while they applied for asylum, and now they took that away from them and left them here without a legal basis for being here, and now they’re exposed and vulnerable.

    And those who are checking in, going down to immigration officers and saying, “Here I am. I’m doing what you require me to do as I’m on that path to hopefully receive asylum.” They’re setting up traps for them and I’m so appalled by this that there’s families being separated, people who did nothing, teenagers pulled from their mothers and sent to a country that they were never raised in as older children.

    With respect to the City of New York, I can’t address that. All I know is that our policies in New York State are rock solid. We’ll help you, ICE, with serious offenders, remove them. Someone serves time in a prison for a crime, they’re removed at the end — but short of that? Those who are here to live the American dream, they’re already here.

    Yes, we don’t want open borders. We don’t want open borders, but can we find a path to legitimate citizenship for those who have already arrived? Can we just do that? It shows our compassion. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor. That’s a symbol of our values as New Yorkers. And what is happening now — it’s shocking at a scale that people are living in the shadows, living in fear, afraid to go to school, afraid to go to churches, afraid to go shopping and this is not the America people were promised.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: You had a victory with congestion pricing, at least in courts, but you do have a relationship with President Trump. How would you grade that? How is your relationship with him in that issue and other issues?

    Governor Hochul: When the President was first elected, I knew my responsibility was to always put New Yorkers first, and that means at least having an open door, a relationship with the President and his administration on areas where we can find common ground. For example, Penn Station: that is a building that should be magnificent, it should be welcoming, it should be something that we’re proud of, but it takes billions of dollars to renovate it and bring it back to life and I’ve worked with President Trump to get that moving ahead — that is actually happening.

    But there’s areas where I said, “I’ll work on infrastructure and bringing money back to New York, but if you attack our values, everything we stand for as New Yorkers, then I’ll be in conflict with you. I’ll have to stand up and fight against you.” And, so, it’s a complicated relationship. I will work when it’s to the advantage of New Yorkers and good for them, but I’ll also stand up and say, “No, that’s wrong, and we’re not going to cooperate.” So we’ll see how it unfolds over the next few years.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi’an Publishing House has won the prestigious Crystal Compass Award!

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    On May 29, the Moscow International House of Music hosted the 13th ceremony of the international geographical award “Crystal Compass”, which is called the geographical “Oscar”. In the nomination “Publishing”, the winner was the Chinese Publishing House “Xi’an” for the book series “Cycle of Stories on the Silk Road”, dedicated to cultural heritage and the revival of traditions.

    The Crystal Compass has been awarded since 2012 under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society. This year, the ceremony was dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the RGS and brought together scientists, travelers, cosmonauts and cultural figures from all over the world.

    Xi’an presented a large-scale project: 50 volumes, 3,000 unique images and 5,000 years of history of 15 regions of China. Their mission is to preserve and revive cultural heritage.

    “The winners are the true heroes of our time. They are an example and a source of inspiration for their contemporaries all over the world,” said Vladimir Kotlyakov, Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Teen makes tracks to court

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A teenager’s tearing up of a rugby club’s fields has taken a turn for the worst.

    The 19-year-old has swapped the keys to his new pride and joy for a court appearance.

    Kumeū Police got onto the case after locals awoke to the Kumeū Rugby Club fields torn up early on Saturday morning.

    “A furore ensued on the community grapevines given a prized community asset had been damaged,” Sergeant Graham Bennett says.

    “Information was quickly passed onto Police which was followed up and a vehicle of interest was identified.”

    After ongoing attempts to speak with the driver, Kumeū Police have since interviewed him.

    Sergeant Bennett says the 19-year-old Hobsonville man has been charged with intentional damage as well as other driving offences.

    “The driver has had his newly purchased vehicle impounded.”

    He will appear in the Waitākere District Court at a later date.

    Sergeant Bennett says: “Police would like to thank those involved in the rugby club and members of the public for their assistance in supplying information which led to this apprehension.

    “It’s a reminder about consequences, and we will not tolerate this behaviour in the community given the risks posed and damage created.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police urge public to be aware of recent card skimming incidents

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police are urging members of the Wellington community to be aware of recent card skimming incidents, taking thousands of dollars from victims.

    Wellington District Operations Manager, Acting Inspector Tim McIntosh says Police have seen an increase in the number of victims losing large amounts of money due to card skimming incidents.

    “In the last week alone, we have received around 12 reports of this offending, where in some cases victims have lost over $5,000.”

    Card skimming is where an offender will install a device with a camera on an ATM or POS (point of sale) terminal to capture card data and record PIN numbers.

    Offenders will then use the obtained information to create fake payment cards and make unauthorised purchases or withdraw funds to steal from victim’s accounts.

    “We urge the public to be aware of this type of offending to ensure they can take the proper precautions to keep their data and finances safe,” says Acting Inspector Tim McIntosh.

    “Thankfully, there are many ways to help prevent being a victim of card skimming when using your cards.”

    • Always double check an ATM or POS terminal. Look out for signs of damage or tampering, loose or unattached pieces, or a different colour variation on the device.
    • Block your PIN number. When entering your PIN number, use your other hand to block any camera that may be recording.
    • Trust in what you know. A large majority of card skimming takes place at non-bank ATM machines due to increased security and cameras around bank ATMs.
    • Follow your instinct. If you feel something is off or suspicious about an ATM or POS terminal, check-in with a bank or store staff member.
    • Regularly check on your accounts. This will not only allow you to keep track of where you have spent your money, but will also ensure you can act quickly in the case your money has been stolen.

    If you believe you have been victim to card skimming, please contact your bank immediately and cancel your cards and accounts.

    Police also urge you to gather as much information as you can and make a report through 105.police.govt.nz or call 105.

    You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.

    For more information on card skimming, head to Westpac’s guide to card skimming or Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW REPORT: Trump’s Mass Firings at NIOSH Spokane Research Lab Put Americans at Risk, Jeopardize Progress to Keep Workers Safe on the Job

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Presses Secretary Kennedy on Decimation of NIOSH and Mass Firings at NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory

    ***NEW REPORT with testimonials from Spokane employees HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a new report on how President Trump and Elon Musk’s decimation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including their effective shuttering of the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory, will jeopardize on-the-job safety for firefighters, miners, agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, in Washington state and across the country. The report details the work that was done at the NIOSH Spokane Research laboratory, the Spokane Mining Research Division in particular, and outlines how the Trump administration’s mass firings across NIOSH will jeopardize the pipeline to train the next generation of workplace safety and health professionals, including those studying at Gonzaga University in Spokane and University of Washington in Seattle. Senator Murray’s report features testimonials from Washington state residents, including employees at NIOSH who were recently fired through no fault of their own.

    The release of the report comes as the Trump administration’s large-scale reduction in force (RIF) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes NIOSH, has been put on hold by a U.S. District Court judge in San Francisco, who ruled that the administration violated separation of powers principles with its agency restructuring.

    “The Trump administration’s unfathomable decision to gut NIOSH and fire nearly every person at the Spokane Research Lab is a devastating and shortsighted move that puts workers everywhere at risk,” Senator Murray said upon releasing the report. “In Spokane alone, President Trump abruptly fired nearly a hundred people working to protect those in high-risk professions including mining, firefighting, health care and emergency medicine, and the maritime industry—bringing their research to a screeching halt and creating a ticking time bomb for disasters in the workplace.”

    “These thoughtless firings don’t just risk Americans’ health and safety in the workplace today, but threaten decades of progress toward preventing workplace hazards,” Senator Murray continued. “Researchers in Spokane who have dedicated their careers to protecting workers across the country are being kicked to the curb because Donald Trump and his conspiracy theorist Health Secretary don’t have a clue what NIOSH does and don’t care to learn—no one should be treated like this. We need answers and accountability. I’m going to keep fighting to hold the Trump administration to account and shine a bright spotlight on how this administration is hurting people and communities like Spokane and forcing critical, lifesaving research to go to waste.”

    Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s destruction of HHS and America’s health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.

    The full report is available HERE and below:

    Report: Mass Firings in Spokane and Beyond: How Gutting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Harms Workers

    This report is part of a series detailing the harm President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless and devastating attacks on the federal workforce are causing on the ground in Washington state. The Trump administration’s mass firings and harmful actions have real consequences for Washington’s residents, their communities, and for the entire United States.

    This report focuses on the mass firings of employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effectively shuttering the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory. These Reductions in Force (RIFs) will lead to increased health and safety risks for firefighters, miners, agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, and so many others. No one should have to worry about whether they will come home safe from their job or not come home at all – NIOSH is vital to keeping workers safe. 

    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is Dedicated to Keeping Workers Safe Across America

    NIOSH is the only government agency statutorily authorized to conduct workplace health and safety research. In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated about 900 of NIOSH’s approximately 1,100 employees, effectively shuttering the agency. Among these firings, the Trump administration eliminated 90 scientific positions at the Spokane Research Laboratory. In addition to NIOSH’s Spokane location, the agency also conducts research at campuses in Cincinnati, Ohio; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to recent outcry over these firings, the Trump administration has recently agreed to bring back around 300 NIOSH workers, but primarily in West Virginia and Ohio, leaving the Spokane Research Laboratory’s programming and research work shuttered.

    By firing and then only bringing back a small portion of NIOSH workers, and almost none from Spokane, the Trump administration is jeopardizing decades of progress in improving worker health and safety. Over the course of NIOSH’s history, worker deaths, injuries, and illnesses in America have gone down—on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 15 a day in 2023, and from 10.9 incidents of worker injury and illness per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.4 per 100 in 2023. However, workplace hazards still kill and disable approximately 125,000 workers each year—5,190 from traumatic injuries and an estimated 120,000 from occupational diseases. Workplace injuries and illnesses cost businesses between $174 billion and $348 billion a year, which is still likely an underestimate given underreporting of workplace injuries.

    Kyle Zimmer, recently retired from International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478 and current Chair of the Mine Safety Health Research Advisory Committee stated, “Losing these researchers will result in the loss of safety for every worker in the United States. This research turns into standards that become guidelines that every safety professional uses throughout the country in every industry, from health care, to auto body shops, to mining and firefighting. Once your workforce really understands what you are doing, that is when you get results and changes in workplace safety culture.”

    NIOSH’s $362.8 million budget represents only 0.2% of the discretionary portion of the HHS budget. NIOSH’s lifesaving research has also saved more than $1 billion annually. For example, NIOSH research supporting improved protective equipment for firefighters is associated with an estimated $71 million in annual savings in medical and productivity losses.NIOSH work produces a tremendous return on investment, and the Trump administration’s firings have huge costs both for worker safety and the nation.

    Tristan Victoroff, a union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions, pointed out: “The 900 people fired from NIOSH are scientists, mainly. We are industrial safety scientists, epidemiologists, engineers…. The goal is to work with industry to protect workers’ health and safety and find solutions to the problems. We do research and development. It’s not duplicative. [The Occupational Safety and Health Administration] doesn’t do this. They don’t have the capacity or the mandate. All of these cuts are supposedly to save costs. What costs are we going to tolerate? What are the costs of increased workers’ compensation claims? What are the costs of disabling injuries and chronic diseases from workplace exposures? What is the cost to a family of losing a parent to a workplace accident?”

    The NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory is Critical to Keeping Workers Safe

    NIOSH was created by Congress to address and prevent work-related injury and illness and was created in the same statute that authorized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the Department of Labor. While OSHA sets and enforces safety standards, NIOSH is required to conduct or fund research, experiments, and demonstrations on occupational safety and health; produce criteria identifying toxic substances including setting exposure levels that are safe for various periods of employment, and publish annually a list of all known toxic substances and the concentrations at which such toxicity is known to occur; disseminate information about occupational safety to employers and employees; conduct education programs about occupational safety; and contract with state personnel to provide compliance assistance for employers.

    In Washington state, NIOSH conducts research to understand and promote safe job conditions and develop science-based products and interventions that support worker health, safety, and well-being, prevent future occupational injuries and deaths, and train new generations of health and safety professionals. This work is done through the Spokane Research Laboratory (which houses the Spokane Mining Research Division and the Western States Division) and the Region 10 Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Education and Research Center.

    Tristan Victoroff, a union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions, explained: “The NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory in Washington State is the only NIOSH facility west of the Mississippi. Its two divisions— the Western States Division and the Spokane Mining Research Division — conduct safety research for natural resource industries across the western U.S. and Alaska, including commercial fishing, wildland firefighting, oil and gas extraction, and mining. They’re working directly with naval shipyards to assess exposures from new technology for corrosion control. They track commercial fishing deaths nationwide. They have major research efforts in high wall safety, rockfall and slope stability, and seismic monitoring using advanced fiber optic technology, to name just a few examples. This work is not duplicative, and it’s not wasteful. If we’re expanding domestic energy, mineral, and seafood production, we need to protect the people doing that work. These workers deserve to come home safe and be healthy enough to work again tomorrow. Cutting this research does not keep us competitive — it puts workers in danger.”

    The Spokane Mining Research Division Keeps Washington Miners Safe on the Job

    The Spokane Mining Research Division (SMRD) is part of the NIOSH Mining Program, which aims to eliminate mining fatalities and injuries. Since 1990, total injuries in mining have significantly decreased, reflecting safer practices industry-wide, strongly linked to NIOSH’s research and prevention programs. SMRD partners with labor, mining associations, equipment manufacturers, and mine operators to study worker health and safety problems in the field. Washington’s mining industry is vital to the state’s economy, supporting 18,845 jobs, directly and indirectly, and providing $4.07 billion in economic benefits to the state.

    SMRD also conducts laboratory research at the Spokane, WA facility, where highly specialized scientists in unique laboratories develop products and interventions that offer solutions to mining challenges.Scientists in Spokane have been doing innovative laboratory work to:

    • Simulate ground stresses to test rock samples to determine the strength of the environment and whether bolts, steel, mesh or shotcrete are needed to support the mining efforts and keep workers safe on the job.
    • Simulate mining conditions and tasks to study health effects, such as heat and stress;
    • Examine field samples to understand miners’ exposure to respiratory and other health hazards; and more.

    Dr. Art Miller, a research engineer who retired from SMRD after 34 years, explains: “No one else in the world is doing this time-sensitive, cutting-edge research that will make workers safer. We conduct research in a lot of different ways. Our lab is a unique environment of cutting-edge technology and brain power aimed at improving worker health and safety. Discontinuing our work would be a huge loss to the future health and safety of workers. Workplace safety is dynamic, and our work is never going to be done. NIOSH is small relative to the federal government but it’s a well-run entity. Why would we want to get rid of something like that?”

    Spokane Research Laboratory’s SMRD also runs the Miner Health Program, created in 2016 to collaborate with the mining community to improve workers’ physical and mental health.Prevention of opioid misuse is just one of many examples of the collaborative work being produced by the Miner Health Program. The mining industry has been hit particularly hard by drug overdoses. Work-related pain and injury increase workers’ chances of being prescribed an opioid and subsequent risks of worker prescription opioid misuse, long-term opioid use, and opioid use disorder (OUD). These overdoses and especially deaths related to opioid use have had a significant impact on mine workers, their families, and communities. This program is now archived on the CDC website, indicating that this program is no longer operating.

    In Fall 2024, Spokane’s SMRD experts launched a new guide, Implementing Effective Workplace Solutions to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder: A Resource Guide for the Mining Industry. This guide provides a model for planning and implementing prevention efforts to normalize conversations about OUD, reduce stigma, and break down barriers to treatment and recovery. Losing this Miner Health Program focused on preventing OUD will lead to increased overdoses and preventable deaths in the mining community.

    The impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to NIOSH are already being felt in the mining industry. NIOSH is the only federal agency that can test and supply approved and certified respirators and personal dust monitors to keep miners safe on the job. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) at the U.S. Department of Labor announced a temporary enforcement pause of mine operators’ respiratory protection programs. Given that NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory has been effectively eliminated, the “Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection,” (“Silica Rule”), is now paused until at least August 2025.Without NIOSH, the Silica Rule cannot go into effect and workers will continue to be exposed to extremely harmful silica dust that results in the debilitating and often fatal condition of silicosis.

    These respirators are not just used in mining; they are used across industries. As explained by Tristan Victoroff, union steward and epidemiologist in the NIOSH Western States Divisions: “There will be no NIOSH-certified respirators, if there’s no NIOSH. NIOSH certifies all the respiratory protection equipment used in healthcare — and not just the N95 masks we’ve all become familiar with in recent years. That includes reusable respirators that filter oils and vapors… even supplied air systems. NIOSH is the only organization in the country equipped to perform all the required testing — more than 150 test procedures — to certify respirators that protect firefighters, miners, shipyard workers — anyone who needs respiratory protection on the job. In fact, any employer in general industry — from construction to manufacturing — if they have an OSHA-approved respiratory protection program, they must use NIOSH-certified equipment. Only NIOSH can certify that equipment to meet those standards. Rebuilding these labs somewhere else would take years, and there’s no guarantee we could replicate the expertise and facilities we currently have at NIOSH. NIOSH also monitors products on the market to spot counterfeits. Without that oversight, fake and substandard products will increasingly flood the market. That’s not theoretical. NIOSH recently found that every counterfeit product it purchased off the open market failed to meet established standards. These products were not fully protective. Workers using those products on the job could be exposed to dangerous particulates or chemicals. If these labs shut down, it will put workers at risk and stifle innovation in protective technology. Workers won’t know which products they can trust. The NIOSH certification is essential.”

    The Western States Division of NIOSH Conducts Critical Research Focusing on Hazards in the Western States

    Workers in the Western U.S. face hazards and issues unique to their industries and environment, including commercial fishing, agriculture, and firefighting. Many of these occupations include climate extremes, working at altitude, long distance commutes, remote locations, and wildland forest fires. NIOSH’s Western States Division (WSD)employs a diverse group of public health and safety scientists with expertise in industrial hygiene, epidemiology, engineering, occupational medicine and health communication, working together to reduce and eliminate workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. WSD is headquartered at the Spokane Research Laboratory, but also has staff at offices in Denver, Colorado, and Anchorage, Alaska. WSD in Spokane focused on health and safety research for several industries, including commercial fishing, firefighting and wildfires, maritime, and emergency medical services.

    Commercial Fishing. NIOSH’s work has decreased the number of fatalities in the commercial fishing industry in Washington, which is recognized as one of the most hazardous work settings. Many operations are characterized by strenuous labor, long work hours, harsh weather, and moving decks with hazardous machinery and equipment. This industry generates nearly $46 billion and more than 170,000 jobs. The annual number of fatalities has declined over the past two decades because of the prevention work carried out by NIOSH.For 30 years, WSD has operated the Commercial Fishing Safety Program, working in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and the Gulf Coast in Southeastern states to keep fishermen safe from vessel disasters, falls overboard, onboard hazards, and more. WSD operates maintains the Commercial Fishing Incident Database, which tracks commercial fishing fatalities and provides statistics by region, fishery, type of vessel, and type of incident.This is the only national source for details of commercial fishing fatalities; neither the Bureau of Labor Statistics nor the U.S. Coast Guard report this type of information. Collecting this data is crucial for reducing the number of injuries and fatalities among the nation’s fishermen. Through NIOSH-funded research, WSD has developed solutions to prevent winch entanglements on commercial fishing boats, reducing loss of limb accidents. This critical research has come to a standstill with the Administration putting these scientists on administrative leave and scheduling them to be fired as of June 2, 2025.

    Outdoor Workers and Wildfires. Washington is one of the five states with the highest average annual burned acreage in the U.S., and the state is home to over 8,500 firefighters. Washington’s firefightersput themselves at enormous risk to keep Washington residents safe. Wildfire smoke is also dangerous to outdoor workers like the state’s 8,280 farmworkers whose jobs have been made safer through the work of NIOSH. For example, NIOSH scientists were instrumental in developing Washington’s Wildfire Smoke Rule, put in place January 15, 2024, which protects the health of workers who are exposed to the small particles contained in wildfire smoke. NIOSH recently developed a comprehensive hazard assessment on exposure to wildland fire smoke among outdoor workers. If NIOSH is eliminated, this document might never be finalized, and necessary revisions to the Washington Wildfire Smoke Rule may not happen, threatening firefighters, farmworkers, and other outdoor workers.

    NIOSH Provides Valuable Resources to Employers to Help Them Keep Workers Safe

    NIOSH’s Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program has provided 11 technical assistance evaluations to businesses and industry in Washington over the last 20 years. The HHE program was established with the passage of the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act. The HHE program includes evaluations of occupational exposure to illicit drugs in toxicology laboratories, health effects in commercial airline employees associated with new, mandatory uniforms, transmission of tuberculosis to zoo employees working with Asian elephants, and respiratory effects following acute exposure to chlorine gas at a metal recycling facility. These evaluations and publications are at no cost to industry or the public, and recommendations from these reports are used to establish health and safety protocols throughout the state.

    WSD conducts research to evaluate toxic exposures associated with removal and application of marine coatings on vessels at the U.S. Navy’s Trident Retrofit Facility near Bangor, WA, and at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, as part of the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies. Moreover, WSD evaluates exposures from rehabilitation of hydroelectric turbines, such as the Little Goose Dam on the Snake River in Southeast Washington.A timely WSD project involves assessing mental and physical health issues in emergency medical service (EMS) responders in Tribal communities in the Puget Sound area. The Trump administration RIFs have effectively shut down each of these programs.

    NIOSH Trains the Next Generation of Occupational and Safety Health Professionals

    Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to require funding for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health. NIOSH funds 18 Education and Research Centers (ERCs), which provide high-quality interdisciplinary graduate and post-graduate training in occupational safety and health disciplines.The Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety Education and Research (NWCOHS) at the University of Washington is an ERC, housed in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, bringing together faculty from the UW Schools of Public Health, Nursing and Medicine. The program, funded continuously since 1977, has an annual budget of $1.8 million and serves four states (Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon), preparing students for careers in occupational medicine, nursing, health services research, industrial hygiene and more. Funding supports an average of 20 graduate students per year, and continuing education for an average of 1,000 occupational health and safety professionals per year.

    As Lawrence Sloan, Chief Executive Officer of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), a membership organization for occupational and environmental health and safety professionals says, “NIOSH’s work is foundational in protecting American workers. Without adequate support for these programs, achieving the goal of a healthier American workforce will be challenging. Specifically, for AIHA, our members will be disadvantaged by the inability to leverage research on various worker populations to advance our understanding of the profession. Additionally, the absence of funding for Education & Research Centers (ERCs) will significantly impact our pipeline of future talent and hinder the funding of academic research studies that benefit the American worker.”

    NIOSH engineers have worked with Gonzaga University’s Mechanical Engineering Department to guide student senior design projects for the past 15 years. Many of these projects were entered into national American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) competitions, with several teams winning awards and presenting at national ASME conventions. This collaboration has led to increased scientists seeking positions supporting mining safety and health, both in Spokane and around the country, creating a pipeline of the next generation of professionals ensuring workplace safety and health.

    NIOSH Protects Firefighters in Washington State and Nationwide

    As a nationally-based program, the NIOSH Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-Being supports all 50 states to protect firefighters and to identify and prevent new and emerging hazards in the fire service earlier and faster. NIOSH-funded research has:

    1. Increased our understanding of the 200-plus carcinogenic chemicals involved in byproducts of combustion, leading to better respiratory protection standards;
    2. Identified the presence of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals,” in firefighter foam and turnout gear and how these impact cancer risk levels;
    3. Created and provided for continuous enrollment in the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce the risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters; and
    4. Provided for the development of the Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, which conducts independent investigations of firefighter line-of-duty deaths and recommends prevention methods.

    After being shutdown in April 2025, the registration portal of the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer is now operational, following the questioning of HHS Secretary Kennedy by members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on May 14, 2025.

    Spokane Firefighters Union Local 29 is very worried about the cuts to NIOSH and has called for the continuation of NIOSH-funded research, specifically the study on how high heat affects firefighters’ cognitive abilities, using the highly technical and sophisticated labs in the SMRD. Much of this research is conducted in partnership with Washington State University, where researchers have expertise in the impacts of sleep, fatigue, circadian rhythm, and heat on the ability to be safe at work. These grants to WSU were some of the first to be terminated by HHS.

    Conclusion: The Time is Now to Return NIOSH Spokane Scientists to their Jobs

    NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory scientists were set to be fired on June 2, 2025, but on May 22, 2025, a U.S. District Court judge ordered a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Trump administration from carrying out its RIFs. However, if the RIFs legally continue, President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy will eliminate the NIOSH Spokane office. Without the Congressionally-mandated occupational health and safety research conducted by NIOSH scientists, Washington workers, as well as workers across the country, in commercial fishing, mining, firefighting, manufacturing, and other industries will experience preventable and potentially fatal injuries. Through NIOSH-funded research, Spokane Research Laboratory scientists promote evidence-based safety protocols that are implemented through strong industry collaborations that create productive workplaces that contribute to Washington’s and America’s economic prosperity. President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy need to bring back the Spokane Research Laboratory scientists now and fully fund NIOSH research to maintain the promise of healthier and safer workplaces, communities, and families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Laurence Orlando, Senior Lecturer, Product Formulation and Development, Analytical Methods, Monash University

    Irina Kvyatkovskaya/Shutterstock

    Retinol skincare products suddenly seem to be everywhere, promising clear, radiant and “youthful” skin.

    But what’s the science behind these claims? And are there any risks?

    You may have also heard retinol can increase your risk of sunburn and even make acne worse.

    For some people, retinol may help reduce the appearance of fine lines. But it won’t be suitable for everyone. Here’s what you need to know.

    What is retinol?

    Retinol is part of a family of chemical compounds called retinoids. These are derived from or related to Vitamin A, a nutrient essential for healthy skin, vision and immune function.

    All retinoids work because enzymes in our skin convert them into their “active” form, retinoic acid.

    You can buy retinol in creams and other topical products over the counter.

    These are often promoted as “anti-ageing” because retinol can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and even out skin tone (for example, sun spots or acne scars).

    It also has an exfoliating effect, meaning it can help unclog pores.

    Stronger retinoid treatments that target acne will require a prescription because they contain retinoic acid, which is regulated as a drug in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Australia.

    How is retinol used in skincare?

    One of the most common claims about retinol is that it helps to reduce visible signs of ageing.

    How does this work?

    With age, the skin’s barrier becomes weaker, making it more prone to dryness, injury and irritation.

    Retinol can help counteract this natural thinning by stimulating the proliferation of keratinocytes – cells that form the outer skin layer and protect against damage and water loss.

    Retinol also stimulates the production of collagen (a key protein that creates a scaffolding that keeps skin firm and elastic) and fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen and support skin structure).

    It also increases how fast the skin sheds old cells and replaces them with new ones.

    Over time, these processes help reduce fine lines, fade dark spots and even out skin tone. It can also make skin appear clearer.

    While effective, this doesn’t happen overnight.

    You may have also heard about a “retinol purge” – a temporary flare of acne when you first start using topical retinoids.

    Studies have found the skin may become irritated and acne temporarily worsen in some cases. But more research needs to be done to understand this link.

    The idea of a retinol purge is popular on social media.
    TikTok, CC BY-NC-ND

    So, is retinol safe?

    At typical skincare concentrations (0.1–0.3%), side effects tend to be mild.

    Most people who experience irritation (such as redness, dryness, or peeling) when starting retinol are able to build tolerance over time. This process is often called “retinisation”.

    However, retinol increases the skin’s sensitivity to UV radiation (known as photosensitivity). This heightened reactivity can lead to sunburn, irritation and an increased risk of hyperpigmentation (spots or patches of darker colour).

    For this reason, daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF30 or higher) is strongly recommended while using retinol products.

    Who should avoid retinol?

    Teenagers and children generally don’t need retinol unless specifically prescribed by a doctor, for example, for acne treatment.

    People with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema (dry, itchy and inflamed skin) and rosacea (chronic redness and sensitivity) may find retinol too irritating.

    Using retinol products alongside other skincare treatments, such as alpha-hydroxy acids, can over-exfoliate your skin and damage it.

    Importantly, the active form of retinol, retinoic acid, is teratogenic (meaning it can cause birth defects). Over-the-counter retinol products are also not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

    Choose and store retinol products wisely

    Since retinol is classified as a cosmetic ingredient, companies are not required to disclose its concentration in their products.

    The European Union is expected to introduce new regulations that will cap the concentration of retinol in cosmetic facial products to 0.3%.

    These are precautionary measures aimed to limit exposure for vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, given the risk of birth defects.

    It’s therefore recommended to use products that clearly state the retinol concentration is between 0.1% and 0.3%.

    Retinol is also a notoriously unstable molecule that degrades with exposure to air, light or heat.

    Choosing a product with airtight, light-protective packaging will help with potential degradation problems that could lead to inactivity or harm.

    What’s the safest way to try retinol?

    The key is to go low and slow: a pea-sized amount of a low-concentration product (0.1%) once or twice a week, preferably at night (to avoid UV exposure), and then the frequency and concentration can be increased (to a maximum of 0.3%) as the skin adjusts.

    Using a moisturiser after retinol helps to reduce dryness and irritation.

    Wearing sunscreen every day is a must when using retinol to avoid the photosensitivity.

    If you experience persistent redness, burning, or peeling, it’s better to stop using the product and consult your doctor or a dermatologist for personalised advice.

    Laurence Orlando is affiliated with the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

    Professor Ademi currently serves as a member of the Economics Sub Committee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee within the Department of Health, Australia which assesses clinical and economic evaluations of medicines submitted for listing on the PBS. She leads the global economics initiative for the Lp(a) International Task Force and Member of Professional Advisory Board of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Australia. Zanfina Ademi receives funding from FH Europe Foundation to understand the population screening for LP(a), globally. Received funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund not in relation to to this work, but work that relates to health economics of prevention and cost-effectiveness.

    Zoe Porter 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. What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient – https://theconversation.com/what-is-retinol-and-will-it-make-my-acne-flare-3-experts-unpack-this-trendy-skincare-ingredient-256074

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ruby Wright, Forrest Fellow in Astrophysics, The University of Western Australia

    Luc Viatour / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    For years, astronomers have predicted a dramatic fate for our galaxy: a head-on collision with Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbour. This merger – expected in about 5 billion years – has become a staple of astronomy documentaries, textbooks and popular science writing.

    But in our new study published in Nature Astronomy, led by Till Sawala from the University of Helsinki, we find the Milky Way’s future might not be as certain previously assumed.

    By carefully accounting for uncertainties in existing measurements, and including the gravitational influence of other nearby galaxies, we found there is only about a 50% chance the Milky Way and Andromeda will merge in the next 10 billion years.

    Why did we think a collision was inevitable?

    The idea that the Milky Way and Andromeda are on a collision course goes back more than a century. Astronomers discovered Andromeda is moving toward us by measuring its radial velocity – its motion along our line of sight – using a slight change in the colour of its light called the Doppler shift.

    But galaxies also drift sideways across the sky, a movement known as proper motion or transverse velocity. This sideways motion is incredibly difficult to detect, especially for galaxies millions of light years away.

    Earlier studies often assumed Andromeda’s transverse motion was small, making a future head-on collision seem almost certain.

    What’s different in this study?

    Our study did not have any new data. Instead, we took a fresh look at existing observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gaia mission.

    Unlike earlier studies, our work incorporates the uncertainty in these measurements, rather than assuming their most likely values.

    We simulated thousands of possible trajectories for the Milky Way and Andromeda trajectories, slightly varying the assumed initial conditions – things such as the speed and position of the two galaxies – each time.

    When we started from the same assumptions the earlier studies made, we recovered the same results. However, we were also able to explore a larger range or possibilities.

    We also included two additional galaxies that influence the future paths of the Milky Way and Andromeda: the Large Magellanic Cloud, a massive satellite galaxy currently falling into the Milky Way, and M33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, which orbits Andromeda.

    The new study took into account the gravitational effect of the Triangulum Galaxy, which orbits Andromeda.
    ESO, CC BY

    These companion galaxies exert gravitational tugs that change the motions of their hosts.

    M33 nudges Andromeda slightly toward the Milky Way, increasing the chance of a merger. Meanwhile, the Large Magellanic Cloud shifts the Milky Way’s motion away from Andromeda, reducing the likelihood of a collision.

    Taking all of this into account, we found that in about half of the simulated scenarios, the Milky Way and Andromeda do not merge at all within the next 10 billion years.

    What happens if they do – or don’t – collide?

    Even if a merger does happen, it’s unlikely to be catastrophic for Earth. Stars in galaxies are separated by enormous distances, so direct collisions are rare.

    But over time, the galaxies would coalesce under gravity, forming a single, larger galaxy – probably an elliptical one, rather than the spirals we see today.

    If the galaxies don’t merge, they may settle into a long, slow orbit around each other – close companions that never quite collide. It’s a gentler outcome, but it still reshapes our understanding of the Milky Way’s distant future.

    Other galaxies show examples of three future scenarios for the Milky Way and Andromeda: galaxies passing in the night, a close encounter, a full collision and merger.
    NASA / ESA

    What comes next?

    The biggest remaining uncertainty is the transverse velocity of Andromeda. Even small changes in this sideways motion can make the difference between a merger and a near miss. Future measurements will help refine this value and bring us closer to a clearer answer.

    We don’t yet have a definitive answer about our own galaxy’s future. But exploring these possibilities shows just how much we’re still learning about the universe – even close to home.

    Ruby Wright receives funding from the Forrest Research Foundation.

    Alexander Rawlings receives funding from the University of Helsinki Research Foundation and the European Research Council.

    – ref. Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-thought-the-milky-way-was-doomed-to-crash-into-andromeda-now-theyre-not-so-sure-257825

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Girl power and girl bosses might be ‘feminist’ – but we can’t consume our way to equality

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jessica Ford, Senior Lecturer in Media, University of Adelaide

    In Girl on Girl, journalist Sophie Gilbert crafts a compelling narrative about how movies, TV, celebrities and pop stars construct a culture that encourages women to internalise misogyny – and even rewards them for it. She traces how this manifests over time, from the 1990s to now, through the sexualisation of young girls in teen “sex” comedies, reality TV makeovers, the mainstreaming of pornography and more.

    The book is a useful primer on how largely white, American-centric popular culture makes women’s exploitation commonplace.

    It moves swiftly between examples, which could be confusing for readers unfamiliar with the different worlds inhabited by various figures. They include socialite and early reality star Paris Hilton; musician Amy Winehouse, who made headlines with her addiction challenges; and “riot grrrl” feminist rocker Kathleen Hanna.

    Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves – Sophie Gilbert (John Murray)

    Girl on Girl does not necessarily break new ground. It does, however, bring together disparate strands of our cultural conversation, largely relying on existing research and cultural commentary. Western popular culture, it argues, provides women with a narrow set of ideals.

    Gilbert’s book depicts popular culture as a vehicle for teaching women what kinds of behaviour are acceptable and desirable. These lessons are packaged in alluring parcels, like the Real Housewives, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson. Gilbert cleverly draws a line from Madonna as provocateur to the hatred of women oozing from early 2000s rom-coms, the TikTok Trad Wives and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s failed presidential bids.

    In the book’s early pages, Gilbert shows how Hanna’s punk slogan of “Girl Power” was “appropriated” by the Spice Girls (who she describes as “sexy women who behaved like toddlers at a wedding”) in 1996. In the process, “Girl Power” went from signalling a movement charged by anger at “diminishment and abuse”, to a feminism of individual empowerment that “made you want to immediately go shopping”. It was then “almost instantly appropriated by brands”.

    Packaging empowerment

    Popular culture may seem fluffy and inconsequential, but Gilbert emphatically connects it to the material consequences of misogyny. This includes the rolling back of abortion rights in the United States, the election of alt-right men who openly despise women and the normalisation of gendered harassment, violence and abuse.

    Gilbert persuasively argues “popular culture is a strikingly predictive and transformative force with regard to the status of women and other historically marginalised groups”.

    It’s not just that women are routinely degraded and dehumanised for entertainment. It’s that this cruel spectacle has been normalised over many decades – and has been packaged and sold as empowering and “good for women”.

    Gilbert draws connections between the exploitation behind supermodel Kate Moss’s rise to prominence in the 1990s (she was bullied into posing for topless photographs), the ritualised humiliation of early 2000s reality TV and the 2010 publication of “crotch shots” of an 18-year-old Miley Cyrus. In doing so, she charts the varied ways popular media normalises women’s exploitation.

    Her investigation complicates the seemingly effortless and empowering facade of these models of femininity. For instance, the stylist for Moss’ 1990 topless shoot for The Face magazine cover that launched her to fame remembers it as “fun” and “instinctual”, while decades later, Moss recalls crying when coerced into taking her top off.

    She also remembers feeling “vulnerable and scared” during the 1992 topless Calvin Klein shoot with Mark Wahlberg. “I think they played on my vulnerability,” she said.

    Girl on Girl effectively translates the ideas feminist scholars have been unpicking for decades. Its sustained and thoughtful engagement with these ideas is what distinguishes it from similar books of journalism on the gender politics of popular culture.

    A common limitation of such books is the false assumption that these ideas are new. However, Gilbert weaves together Rosalind Gill’s postfeminism as a sensibility, Brenda Weber’s work on makeover TV and Kate Manne’s theorisation of misogyny with popular media examples.

    In a chapter on the impossible expectations of contemporary femininity, Gilbert applies Gill’s concept of “midriff advertising”, or “low-slung hipster jeans and ten inches of tanned, taut stomach”, to 2000s “it-girl” Nicole Richie. She explains how she was variously shamed for being too fat and then too thin. This led, Gilbert writes:

    to her elevation in status from Paris’s sassy sidekick to size-double-zero aughts fashion emblem, a frail, childlike figure whose accessories were so big they threatened to topple her.

    Feminism: everywhere and nowhere

    Gilbert’s book is not wholly negative. She also charts the rise (and often fall) of those who push back against the status quo.

    In a chapter on “confessional auteurs”, she considers Girls creator Lena Dunham. In another, which considers extreme, violent sex in art, she looks at French filmmaker and novelist Catherine Breillat. In Breillat’s 1999 film, Romance, about a young woman “driven almost to madness” by her boyfriend’s refusal to have sex with her, Gilbert writes:

    Breillat stages what she seems to understand as stereotypical male ideals – a woman desperate for sex, a woman bound and gagged – and renders them in ways that make them both psychologically explosive and wholly unsexy.

    In the final chapter on “rewriting the path towards power”, she explores the impact of recent feminist-leaning TV, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You.

    Rather than ignoring feminism’s paradoxes and inconsistencies, Gilbert leans into how it is at once everywhere (in advertisements, behind Beyoncé at the VMAs, on t-shirts) and nowhere (rendered toothless, depoliticised, neoliberal).

    Gilbert thoughtfully teases apart the contradictions and schisms in women’s culture (both popular and everyday) to consider the mixed messaging around sexuality, empowerment, femininity and success.

    The challenge of interrogating influential celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift is that they tend to embody extreme versions of idealised femininity. Their bodies are at once an instrument of their work and a canvas, on which much is projected. Culturally, they uphold and promote very narrow ideas of heterosexual desirability, perfection and beauty.

    Gilbert grapples with how the elevation of beauty as a defining feminine virtue results in fat shaming and fashion policing of everyday women. Discussing the Kardashian-Jenners, she writes:

    Their constantly changing faces and bodies present the human form as a perfectible project ready to be molded and painted and tucked in any way that will encourage engagement and sell products.

    It is hard to look at the increase in plastic surgery procedures and the prevalence of weight-loss medication usage and not blame celebrities, reality TV and social media influencers. But these women didn’t create this world, they just figured out how to succeed in it. Should we expect them to dismantle the system that empowers them?

    Gilbert’s book zeroes in on how popular feminist thinking expects women to change, rather than systems. The responsibility for inequitable institutions – like unpaid parental leave, restricted reproductive healthcare and hostile work cultures – is moved onto individual women to solve. They are expected to bear the burden, rather than society being expected to invest in systemic change. For instance: paid parental leave, affordable accessible healthcare and employment quotas.

    The effects are twofold, absolving institutional responsibility and inscribing narcissistic, individualistic ways of thinking.

    Consuming our way to enlightenment

    Girl on Girl circles around, but never directly takes on a crucial question: should we expect popular culture to do the work of feminism? Can we consume our way to equal pay, reproductive rights, freedom from violence and respect in the workplace? We are encouraged – by popular media itself – to think so.


    There are seemingly endless articles that canonise “feminist TV shows and moments” that “every woman needs to watch”. They encourage viewers to think of themselves as “pop culture-loving feminists”.

    This is particularly prominent across online media aimed at women. It views content through the lens of feminism and curates “feminist popular culture” as a recognisable category. This is used to tell us contemporary audiences can – and should – be feminist consumers.

    The idea of consuming our way to enlightenment has been sold to us on multiple fronts. Yet feminism was never mainstream. From its early days to now, it has been a scrappy insurgency.

    The prominence of “girl power” and “girl bosses” may have lulled us into a false sense of security, but conditions for women (globally and locally) still need improving.

    Despite its limitations, we need feminism in media and everyday culture. Kristen Stewart recently reflected, on her directorial debut at Cannes: “having a female body is an overtly political act, if you can get out of bed in the morning and not hate yourself”.

    Jessica Ford 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. Girl power and girl bosses might be ‘feminist’ – but we can’t consume our way to equality – https://theconversation.com/girl-power-and-girl-bosses-might-be-feminist-but-we-cant-consume-our-way-to-equality-255410

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    Imagine getting a positive pregnancy test and then – just a few days later – learning you’ll be prime minister. In hindsight, being willing and able to deal with the unexpected would become the hallmark of former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s political career.

    She had always stood out as a leader, but her tumultuous political journey followed none of the predictable pathways. Readers of her memoir will relive what this was like, from her feelings about motherhood through to meeting world leaders.

    Review: A Different Kind of Power – Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House)

    The title of her book promises more than just that, however. Many people hope for a different kind of leader, but what personal qualities or strengths do such leaders need? More generally, can the personal qualities that contribute to great leadership be learned and applied by others?

    The answer seems to be a qualified yes. Since leaving office, Ardern has become something of a global influencer. But as her career pivots towards celebrity appearances and international agencies, her memoir also serves as a leadership manifesto – especially for women, or aspirants of any gender, who suffer self-doubt.

    The limits of empathy

    In her formative years, working as an assistant to Labour leader Helen Clark, Ardern relates how she let political opponents get under her skin. Was she “too thin-skinned” for politics? She soon learned “you could be sensitive and survive”. Better still, she could use her sensitivity as a strength.

    But “it is different for women in the public eye”, she writes. Derogatory terms were used against her, such as the “show pony” epithet coined by a senior woman journalist. There were questions about whether she had “substance”. These things could undermine people’s belief in her competence – perhaps even her own self-belief.

    What she did about this is instructive. Lashing out at jibes and cartoon images would make her look “humourless and too sensitive”. The “trick” was to respond in a way that would “take the story nowhere”. She became adept at that, deflecting comments aimed at putting her down.

    This also meant being a feminist but not using feminism as her ideological platform. Other than admonishing a TV presenter that it was “unacceptable” for him to ask whether a sitting prime minister could take maternity leave, she generally let others do the outrage and avoided becoming an even bigger target for culture warriors.

    But A Different Kind of Power asks the question: different from what? Ardern’s political career has been a challenge, if not a rebuke, to leaders who indulge in egotistical, competitive, always-be-winning behaviour. Need one even mention Donald Trump?

    Instead, Ardern offers kindness and empathy. The approach showed its true strength in the days following the terrorist atrocity in Christchurch in 2019. At a time when anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiments were growing, Ardern embraced the victims. “They are us”, she declared. Emotions that could have generated a cycle of blame were guided by her towards sharing of grief and aroha.

    Like any political virtue, though, empathy has limitations: it touches those whose suffering commands our attention, but it is partial. Effective social policy also requires an impartial administration and redistribution of resources. Leaders must ensure public goods are delivered equitably to those in need, which calls for rational planning.

    And sometimes a national emergency may call for actions that feel unfair or insensitive to some.

    Pandemic politics

    COVID-19 was that emergency. It created deep uncertainty for governments, and there was no “kind” pathway forward. The Ardern government did an exemplary job, saving many lives, and the Labour Party was rewarded at the 2020 election with an unprecedented 50% of the party vote. But Ardern’s retelling of that time is surprisingly brief, especially given her pivotal role.

    She put herself daily at the centre of it all, patiently explaining the public health responses. During this battle with a virus, however, she couldn’t inoculate against the political consequences and shifts in public opinion.

    As the pandemic wore on, many New Zealanders whose businesses had been shut down, who had been isolated in their homes, who had difficulty returning home from abroad or who’d been ostracised for not getting vaccinated, weren’t feeling much empathy or kindness from their government. And they felt they were being silenced. This sentiment grew far beyond the activists who had made themselves heard on parliament grounds in early 2022.

    Ardern refused to meet with those protestors. “How could I send a message that if you disagree with something, you can illegally occupy the grounds of parliament and then have your demands met?”

    But she (or a senior minister) could have heard their demands and explained why they couldn’t be met. Her refusal to listen left the field open to veteran populist Winston Peters, who exploited the opportunity, launching his campaign to return to parliament – in which he now sits and Ardern doesn’t.

    While vaccine mandates were a key concern for protestors, it’s disappointing that, to this day, Ardern blames the dissenters, as if they were “not us” – kicked out of the “team of five million”. She attributes the dissent solely to their “mistrust”. Refusing to listen – not just to protestors, but to deeper shifts in public opinion – would cost Labour dearly.

    Induced by the pandemic fiscal stimulus, inflation peaked at 7.3% in June 2022. By that time, two switches had occurred: the National Party was ahead in polls and a majority were saying the country was heading in the wrong direction. In January 2023, then, Ardern resigned as prime minister. She believed, probably correctly, that it would be “good for my party and perhaps it would be good for the election”.

    Power and parenthood: Jacinda Ardern with her partner Clarke Gayford and their baby daughter, 2018.
    Getty Images

    The toll of leadership

    But she also reveals in her memoir that a cancer scare influenced the decision – a false alarm, but a sign perhaps that the job was taking its toll. Her leaving could “take the heat out of the politics”, she reasoned. And anyway, she was tired, stressed and losing her patience.

    The leadership change to Chris Hipkins – and a devastating cyclone – boosted Labour’s polling for a while. But their 1,443,545 party votes in 2020 fell to 767,540 in the October 2023 election.

    Hundreds of thousands of voters had turned their backs on the Labour Party, and the COVID response wasn’t solely to blame. There were also controversial or failed policies – such as restructuring water services, a proposed unemployment insurance scheme, and Māori co-governance initiatives – that were ruthlessly exploited by the political opposition. These were all initiated under Ardern, although unmentioned in her memoir.

    Her book is more about subjective self-doubt and empathy. She doesn’t critically examine her own policies. Nor does she express empathy for those who felt disadvantaged or excluded by them – granting as always that emergency measures had been necessary. And, as she heads further into an international career, there’s no expression of empathy for those who now need it most, be they children in Gaza or refugees in South Sudan.

    It’s disappointing Ardern doesn’t define key words: empathy, leadership or power, for example. There are different ways to understand them, and definitions carry assumptions. But she’s not addressing academics or political analysts. Her audience is primarily American – a much larger and more lucrative market than her home country. With the Democrats struggling to find direction and leadership after last year’s losses, Ardern – who poses no threat to anyone’s political ambitions there – offers some inspiration.

    Some may fault it for avoiding those harder questions about her time at the top, but Ardern’s memoir interweaves an authentically retold personal story with high political drama. It tells of one woman’s struggle with morning sickness, childbirth, breastfeeding and motherhood, even while taking on extraordinary public responsibilities and media exposure. It’s still amazing how she managed to do all that.

    I was a personal acquaintance of Jacinda, when she was a list MP in Auckland Central.

    – ref. In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits – https://theconversation.com/in-her-memoir-jacinda-ardern-shows-a-different-kind-of-power-is-possible-but-also-has-its-limits-257944

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Luxon must end climate denial speculation

    Source: Green Party

    The Greens welcome the open letter from world-leading climate scientists to the Prime Minister, urging his Government to abandon any plan to water down climate targets.

    “Christopher Luxon must end any further speculation that his Government is on the climate denial bandwagon. After wasting a year playing around with the mythical ‘no additional warming’ idea, international alarm bells are ringing,” says Green Party co-leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick.

    “The Climate Change Commission is clear that any entertainment of ‘no additional warming’ from agricultural gasses would mean households and businesses across the rest of the economy carrying a far higher burden.

    “International experts are rightfully calling out this accounting trick. It’s about fixing numbers on a page while the real world burns.

    “While the Government doesn’t tend to show any care for people and the planet, perhaps they would understand that pushing ahead with this agenda poses huge risks for our international exports, climate and trade agreements.

    “The Greens have shown how we can reduce real-world emissions five times faster than the Government’s ‘plan,’ while reducing the cost of living and improving our quality of life.

    “New Zealanders deserve so much better than this Government’s low ambitions for our country,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

    * The Green Party has raised this issue multiple times. Please see some examples below 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Bronze sculpture at QEO to honour trailblazing cricketer Barbara Rae

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo is delighted to unveil the artist and location for a new public statue to honour pioneering cricketer Barbara Rae, the top scorer at Australia’s first women’s cricket match held during the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874.

    The permanent statue will take pride of place at the entrance to Queen Elizabeth Oval (QEO), a fitting tribute as Greater Bendigo’s premier sports stadium for cricket and football, and part of the Rosalind Park Precinct where the birthplace of women’s cricket occurred.

    Lis Johnson, a central Victorian artist and one of Australia’s most respected figurative sculptors, has been commissioned to create the permanent sculpture to celebrate the trailblazing cricketer.

    The artist has an impressive portfolio of crafting lifelike bronze figures. Her sculptures include the iconic Rod Laver statue at Rod Laver Arena, works at the Vietnam War Memorial, and the Avenue of Legends at the MCG. She is also known for celebrating the contributions of women and First Nations people through public art.

    The inaugural women’s cricket match between the Blues and the Reds at the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874 raised funds for the Bendigo Hospital and Benevolent Asylum. It marked a bold step forward for women in sport.

    Primary school teacher Barbara Rae, who was 19, was pivotal in organising the inaugural match, recruiting players and enlisting coaches for training sessions at the local cricket grounds. Barbara captained the winning team and was top scorer.

    The sculpture is expected to be installed later this year following the City’s successful submission to the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program. It was developed to support the recognition of women’s contributions through public art. Barbara Rae’s was the first of six funded public artworks announced earlier this year to address the under-representation of women and their achievements in public life.

    Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said she was thrilled that Barbara Rae’s legacy was being celebrated in this way.

    “Barbara Rae was a trailblazer who defied the social norms of her time. This sculpture not only honours her courage and leadership but also sends a powerful message to women, girls and anyone who doesn’t fit the stereotypical mould—that cricket, and sport more broadly, is for everyone,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “Barbara’s public art will be only the second public statue in Australia commemorating a female cricketer. The QEO is the perfect location—our premier cricket and footy venue and part of the very precinct where Barbara made history.

    “This sculpture will ensure her legacy continues to inspire future generations.

    “The artwork is expected to be unveiled later this year marking a significant moment in both local history and the broader recognition of women in sport.”

    Lis Johnson said the commission was very special.

    “I’m especially happy in recent times to see the gender and diversity imbalance being addressed in commemorative public artworks, and to contribute to that,” Lis Johnson said.

    “I want to capture Barbara Rae’s youthful confidence and determination and to faithfully sculpt her many-layered intricate period outfit. The bronze sculpture will portray her poise and determination in a moment of free-spirited celebration.

    “I hope when people observe the Barbara Rae sculpture, they will see a renewed invitation to play, as if Barbara is saying ‘come on ladies, we can do this, ignore those ignorant critics, follow me – let’s play cricket!’.

    “I look forward to seeing Barbara’s sculpture proudly displayed in front of the QEO, inspiring curiosity and discussion for many years to come.” 

    Having created a maquette of the sculpture, Ms Johnson has used historical imagery to recreate the period cricket attire alongside leading costume designer Larry Edwards and is currently sculpting the full-sized piece in clay.

    Once the mould is created, a cast will be made in museum grade silicon bronze, lasting up to 1000+ years.

    The bronze statue will weigh 140kg and reach a height of 1900mm, set on a plinth sympathetic to the surrounding garden beds outside the QEO entrance gates. The statue will be unveiled in late 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    Imagine getting a positive pregnancy test and then – just a few days later – learning you’ll be prime minister. In hindsight, being willing and able to deal with the unexpected would become the hallmark of former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s political career.

    She had always stood out as a leader, but her tumultuous political journey followed none of the predictable pathways. Readers of her memoir will relive what this was like, from her feelings about motherhood through to meeting world leaders.

    Review: A Different Kind of Power – Jacinda Ardern (Penguin Random House)

    The title of her book promises more than just that, however. Many people hope for a different kind of leader, but what personal qualities or strengths do such leaders need? More generally, can the personal qualities that contribute to great leadership be learned and applied by others?

    The answer seems to be a qualified yes. Since leaving office, Ardern has become something of a global influencer. But as her career pivots towards celebrity appearances and international agencies, her memoir also serves as a leadership manifesto – especially for women, or aspirants of any gender, who suffer self-doubt.

    The limits of empathy

    In her formative years, working as an assistant to Labour leader Helen Clark, Ardern relates how she let political opponents get under her skin. Was she “too thin-skinned” for politics? She soon learned “you could be sensitive and survive”. Better still, she could use her sensitivity as a strength.

    But “it is different for women in the public eye”, she writes. Derogatory terms were used against her, such as the “show pony” epithet coined by a senior woman journalist. There were questions about whether she had “substance”. These things could undermine people’s belief in her competence – perhaps even her own self-belief.

    What she did about this is instructive. Lashing out at jibes and cartoon images would make her look “humourless and too sensitive”. The “trick” was to respond in a way that would “take the story nowhere”. She became adept at that, deflecting comments aimed at putting her down.

    This also meant being a feminist but not using feminism as her ideological platform. Other than admonishing a TV presenter that it was “unacceptable” for him to ask whether a sitting prime minister could take maternity leave, she generally let others do the outrage and avoided becoming an even bigger target for culture warriors.

    But A Different Kind of Power asks the question: different from what? Ardern’s political career has been a challenge, if not a rebuke, to leaders who indulge in egotistical, competitive, always-be-winning behaviour. Need one even mention Donald Trump?

    Instead, Ardern offers kindness and empathy. The approach showed its true strength in the days following the terrorist atrocity in Christchurch in 2019. At a time when anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiments were growing, Ardern embraced the victims. “They are us”, she declared. Emotions that could have generated a cycle of blame were guided by her towards sharing of grief and aroha.

    Like any political virtue, though, empathy has limitations: it touches those whose suffering commands our attention, but it is partial. Effective social policy also requires an impartial administration and redistribution of resources. Leaders must ensure public goods are delivered equitably to those in need, which calls for rational planning.

    And sometimes a national emergency may call for actions that feel unfair or insensitive to some.

    Pandemic politics

    COVID-19 was that emergency. It created deep uncertainty for governments, and there was no “kind” pathway forward. The Ardern government did an exemplary job, saving many lives, and the Labour Party was rewarded at the 2020 election with an unprecedented 50% of the party vote. But Ardern’s retelling of that time is surprisingly brief, especially given her pivotal role.

    She put herself daily at the centre of it all, patiently explaining the public health responses. During this battle with a virus, however, she couldn’t inoculate against the political consequences and shifts in public opinion.

    As the pandemic wore on, many New Zealanders whose businesses had been shut down, who had been isolated in their homes, who had difficulty returning home from abroad or who’d been ostracised for not getting vaccinated, weren’t feeling much empathy or kindness from their government. And they felt they were being silenced. This sentiment grew far beyond the activists who had made themselves heard on parliament grounds in early 2022.

    Ardern refused to meet with those protestors. “How could I send a message that if you disagree with something, you can illegally occupy the grounds of parliament and then have your demands met?”

    But she (or a senior minister) could have heard their demands and explained why they couldn’t be met. Her refusal to listen left the field open to veteran populist Winston Peters, who exploited the opportunity, launching his campaign to return to parliament – in which he now sits and Ardern doesn’t.

    While vaccine mandates were a key concern for protestors, it’s disappointing that, to this day, Ardern blames the dissenters, as if they were “not us” – kicked out of the “team of five million”. She attributes the dissent solely to their “mistrust”. Refusing to listen – not just to protestors, but to deeper shifts in public opinion – would cost Labour dearly.

    Induced by the pandemic fiscal stimulus, inflation peaked at 7.3% in June 2022. By that time, two switches had occurred: the National Party was ahead in polls and a majority were saying the country was heading in the wrong direction. In January 2023, then, Ardern resigned as prime minister. She believed, probably correctly, that it would be “good for my party and perhaps it would be good for the election”.

    Power and parenthood: Jacinda Ardern with her partner Clarke Gayford and their baby daughter, 2018.
    Getty Images

    The toll of leadership

    But she also reveals in her memoir that a cancer scare influenced the decision – a false alarm, but a sign perhaps that the job was taking its toll. Her leaving could “take the heat out of the politics”, she reasoned. And anyway, she was tired, stressed and losing her patience.

    The leadership change to Chris Hipkins – and a devastating cyclone – boosted Labour’s polling for a while. But their 1,443,545 party votes in 2020 fell to 767,540 in the October 2023 election.

    Hundreds of thousands of voters had turned their backs on the Labour Party, and the COVID response wasn’t solely to blame. There were also controversial or failed policies – such as restructuring water services, a proposed unemployment insurance scheme, and Māori co-governance initiatives – that were ruthlessly exploited by the political opposition. These were all initiated under Ardern, although unmentioned in her memoir.

    Her book is more about subjective self-doubt and empathy. She doesn’t critically examine her own policies. Nor does she express empathy for those who felt disadvantaged or excluded by them – granting as always that emergency measures had been necessary. And, as she heads further into an international career, there’s no expression of empathy for those who now need it most, be they children in Gaza or refugees in South Sudan.

    It’s disappointing Ardern doesn’t define key words: empathy, leadership or power, for example. There are different ways to understand them, and definitions carry assumptions. But she’s not addressing academics or political analysts. Her audience is primarily American – a much larger and more lucrative market than her home country. With the Democrats struggling to find direction and leadership after last year’s losses, Ardern – who poses no threat to anyone’s political ambitions there – offers some inspiration.

    Some may fault it for avoiding those harder questions about her time at the top, but Ardern’s memoir interweaves an authentically retold personal story with high political drama. It tells of one woman’s struggle with morning sickness, childbirth, breastfeeding and motherhood, even while taking on huge public responsibilities and media exposure. It’s still amazing how she managed to do all that.

    I was a personal acquaintance of Jacinda, when she was a list MP in Auckland Central.

    – ref. In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits – https://theconversation.com/in-her-memoir-jacinda-ardern-shows-a-different-kind-of-power-is-possible-but-also-has-its-limits-257944

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: World robot carnival kicks off in Wuhan, China’s Hubei

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

    Visitors interact with a robot during the world robot carnival in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, June 2, 2025. The event kicked off here on Monday, featuring nearly 100 robots including pet robots, make-up robots, robotics band, etc. People interacted with the robots to experience the charm of technology-empowered life. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan)

    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hospitals launch new nursing aide service

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

    China has launched a pilot program at hospitals in deeply aging regions, offering patients the option of relying on nurses and related workers rather than family members or private caregivers for round-the-clock care.

    In China, caring for hospitalized patients who have difficulties performing daily activities is traditionally the responsibility of relatives — which often leads to their fatigue and stress — or self-hired caregivers, who can be either costly or lack sufficient training.

    The pilot project, announced in a notice released by the National Health Commission last week, is aimed at addressing these issues as China’s population continues to age rapidly and an increasing number of people require round-the-clock care.

    Public, tertiary hospitals in provincial capitals and major cities with accelerated aging trends will be prioritized to implement the program. Measures will first be carried out in wards that see many patients with high care demands, typically in geriatrics, neurology, cardiovascular medicine and general surgery.

    Under the program, which runs until June 2027, hospitalized patients can choose so-called “no-accompany care services”, in which daily life care is provided by nursing aides hired by hospitals, freeing family members from their burden.

    Nursing aides will aid patients with partial or complete loss of self-care ability and those with limited mobility in activities such as meal assistance, hygiene care and bathing, under the guidance of medical staff.

    For example, they will help patients wash their hands before meals, help feed them and handle post-meal cleanup. They will also monitor eating pace and portion sizes and promptly report any swallowing difficulties, nausea or vomiting to medical staff.

    The commission stressed that nursing aides must not perform specialized medical or nursing tasks or replace the duties of licensed medical personnel.

    Local health authorities will be responsible for training nursing aides to improve their professional expertise, communication skills, and knowledge of quality and safety protocols and infection control. Pilot hospitals must also provide necessary occupational health protection supplies and monitor the aides’ health conditions. Additionally, hospitals should streamline the delivery of specimens, drugs and meals to facilitate the aides’ work.

    “Advanced information technologies such as smart bedside call systems and data collection tools should be fully used to streamline workflows and improve service efficiency,” the notice said.

    “Inpatient visitation policies should be upgraded to balance compassionate care with maintaining a quiet, orderly hospital environment.”

    By the end of last year, about 310 million people in China were age 60 or older, accounting for 22 percent of the total population. By 2035, this number is projected to exceed 400 million, or 30 percent.

    Before the national program was launched, some regions had already begun regional trials.

    At Jiulongpo People’s Hospital in Chongqing, 18 nurses manage the 35-bed orthopedic ward and frequently face overwhelming workloads. The addition of three nursing aides six months ago has significantly helped meet demand and enabled professional nurses to focus more on their specialized nursing skills.

    He Bo, head nurse of the ward, told China Central Television that nursing aides undergo about six months of training in fundamental medical knowledge and caregiving techniques.

    “For our orthopedic department caregivers, we provide specialized instruction to them addressing patient-specific needs, including proper positioning and safe transfer methods,” she said.

    Zhang Jun, a resident of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, hired a nursing aide at a pilot hospital ward for her 90-year-old mother, who underwent orthopedic surgery last month. The service cost 120 yuan ($16.70) per day.

    Zhang said she felt reassured delegating tasks such as repositioning her mother or adjusting the bed’s incline, as the aide demonstrated careful attention to proper techniques to avoid injury. However, she still chose to personally accompany her mother most of the time, believing that genuine compassion could not be expected from a stranger.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump administration files appeal to Supreme Court over federal mass firings

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

    The U.S. Trump administration on Monday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the federal court’s injunction that had prevented federal agencies from carrying out large-scale workforce reductions and reorganizations.

    In the appeal, U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer argued that “controlling the personnel of federal agencies lies at the heartland” of the president’s authority, and “the Constitution does not erect a presumption against presidential control of agency staffing, and the president does not need special permission from Congress to exercise” his core constitutional powers.

    On May 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the Trump administration’s appeal, upholding the temporary injunction issued earlier by Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The injunction barred federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget from moving forward with broad-scale layoffs and structural reorganizations.

    The Ninth Circuit held that implementing extensive layoffs and reorganizations would seriously impair many areas, including the national food safety system and veterans’ healthcare, and therefore such actions should be suspended while the litigation proceeds.

    On May 9, Illston issued a two-week temporary injunction requiring federal agencies to halt enforcement of the administrative order signed by President Donald Trump in February, as well as the subsequent memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget. She also ordered agencies to rescind any layoff notices issued under the president’s order, to reinstate positions for employees placed on administrative leave, and to provide appropriate compensation.

    In her ruling, Illston stated that the president must obtain congressional approval in order to reform federal agencies. Agencies may not undertake mass reorganizations or layoffs without authorization from Congress.

    On May 22, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California further ruled to extend the injunction indefinitely. The Department of Justice filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit the following day. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trade-in policy drives domestic consumption

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

    Boosted by China’s trade-in program for consumer products, the country saw strong growth in retail sales of cars, home appliances and electronic products in the first five months of this year, indicating steady growth in the overall consumption market, latest data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

    The trade-in program has driven total retail sales of consumer goods in the country to 1.1 trillion yuan ($152.8 billion) as of Saturday, the ministry said on Sunday.

    China has vowed to implement solid supporting measures to boost domestic consumption. The plan outlines the issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds totaling 300 billion yuan to bolster the consumer goods trade-in program this year, double the figure in 2024.

    In the first five months of this year, around 175 million units of subsidies were distributed directly to consumers with the trade-in program, according to the ministry.

    “We will continue to expand the scope of the trade-in program and organize diverse consumption promotional events,” said Li Gang, director-general of the ministry’s Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion, at an earlier news conference in Beijing.

    “China’s consumption market boasts strong resilience and great potential, and is full of vitality. The basic trend of recovery and improvement remains unchanged for the long term,” Li said.

    Over the five-month period, there were more than 4.12 million applications for car trade-in subsidies. In addition, nearly 50 million consumers purchased home appliances through trade-in activities, and they bought over 77 million units of 12 types of household appliances, the ministry said.

    During the same period, more than 53 million consumers bought 56 million digital products, including mobile phones. Meanwhile, over 6.5 million electric bicycles were traded for new ones, and consumers traded over 57 million home decoration, kitchen and bathroom products for new ones, the ministry said.

    Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, said that the trade-in program started earlier this year, and the subsidy policy was well implemented. Different regions have introduced corresponding consumption promotional policies.

    “China’s automobile consumption market began to pick up in March, and the market saw a peak in customers during the May Day holiday,” Cui said.

    In the first four months of this year, new energy vehicles accounted for over 53 percent of the car trade-in activities in the country, according to the association.

    Since the introduction of the trade-in program in early 2024, more than 120 million consumers have used the subsidies, the Commerce Ministry said.

    In the Government Work Report delivered in March, boosting consumption was listed as a top priority among this year’s tasks.

    Denis Cheng, consumer sector leader at Ernst & Young China, said that China’s overall consumption market is expected to show a stable and positive growth trend this year, supported by the government’s favorable policies.

    “The trade-in program has directly created benefits for consumers and enhanced their confidence and willingness to shop. For goods consumption, the trade-in program has continued to be effective, and sales of key commodities such as automobiles, home appliances and home furnishings are improving,” Cheng said.

    He added that further efforts have been made to expand the scope of the program, and it is expected to promote sustained release of the consumption potential of durable goods.

    Xu Dongsheng, deputy president of China Household Electrical Appliances Association, said the introduction of the trade-in policy will continue to encourage consumers to upgrade their home appliances to smarter ones and help drive industrial upgrading.

    Lily Chen, a 35-year-old office worker in Beijing, recently bought a new washing machine and enjoyed a discount of about 2,000 yuan with national subsidies. Benefiting from the trade-in policy, she also got 50 yuan for exchanging the old one, and the retailer took away the old machine.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a Restricted Person

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Michael Anthony Rangel, 43, of Ogden, Utah, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment after a federal jury found him guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

    In addition to the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. sentenced Rangel to three years’ supervised release.

    According to evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Rangel’s sentencing hearing, in July 2022, during a traffic stop, Rangel, knowing he was a convicted felon and restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition, possessed a stolen Taurus PT111 G2 pistol. The firearm and associated ammunition were seized by law enforcement.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by Ogden Metro Gang Task Force.

    Special Assistant United States Attorney Branden B. Miles and Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greensboro Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Possessing and Conspiring to Steal High-End Motor Vehicles

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa man has been sentenced for possessing and conspiring to steal over $800,000 in high-end motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

    U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Jamarus D. Hoskins, 30, of Greensboro, Alabama, to 60 months in prison for conspiring to steal at least 18 high-end motor vehicles, and to 97 months in prison for receiving or possessing stolen motor vehicles. The sentences will run concurrently. Hoskins was convicted by a jury in November 2024.

    According to evidence presented at trial, between December 2020 and January 2023, Hoskins was the ringleader of an organized conspiracy to steal high-end motor vehicles from private citizens and car dealerships at various locations across the United States. Hoskins directed members of the conspiracy to steal vehicles and replace the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) with fake VINs. The vehicles were registered with the Alabama Department of Revenue using fraudulent out-of-state titles, and Hoskins sold them for cash at below market price. Hoskins and his co-conspirators stole multiple vehicles, including a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk from a victim in Michigan, a Chevrolet Corvette from a victim in Tennessee, three Ford trucks from a dealership in Tennessee, and a Chevrolet Camaro and several vehicle tags from another dealership in Tennessee.

    “Jamarus Hoskins and his co-conspirators terrorized car dealerships and innocent victims across the United States for years,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Hoskins and his crew thought the fast cars they stole and sophisticated techniques they used would help them escape responsibility for their crimes. They were wrong.” 

    “I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort our team put forth to ensure this defendant was brought to justice and can no longer terrorize or threaten the hardworking citizens and businesses in our country,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham Division. “This case serves as another example of our U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners working together to identify, dismantle, and disrupt organized criminal networks while effectively holding reckless criminals accountable. Let it be clear: the rule of law is not optional.”

    The FBI investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney L. Plyler and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward “Ted” Canter prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coalinga Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Juan Carlos Ruiz Jr., aka “Goer”, 26, of Coalinga, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Ruiz distributed more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine and sold 19 firearms over several occasions. Ruiz is also a felon and documented Bulldog gang member.

    Ruiz joins several other co-defendants that have now been sentenced to prison.

    • On March 31, 2025, Javier Alfonso Lopez Lopez was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
    • On Jan. 6, 2025, Sostenes Quintero Lopez was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine.
    • On June 24, 2024, Angel Sanchez was sentenced to 14 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and firearms trafficking with Ruiz, who is his cousin.
    • On Sept. 25, 2023, Alma Sanchez was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine to Ruiz, who is her son.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Coalinga Police Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (HIDTA), and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.

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

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Several Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

          LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that eight defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

          On August 1, 2023, Jaylen Ester, aka Sumo; Adrian Perry; Miguel Thompson; James Chenault, aka LJ; Saundra Lunsford; Carma Brown; April Reyes; and Briana McElroy were indicted by a federal grand jury in a 13-count indictment. All defendants were indicted on Count 1, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

          The defendants each pled guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and Judge Rudofsky sentenced each of them to federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.      

    Defendant

    Age  

    City/State

    Sentencing Date

    Sentence
    Adrian Perry

    39

    England, Arkansas

    6-2-2025

    180 months,

    5 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    Briana McElroy

    34

    Dardanelle, Arkansas

    4-15-2025

    60 months, 

    4 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    Miguel Thompson

    42

    Russellville, Arkansas

    4-15-2025

    197 months,

    5 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    Jaylen Ester aka Sumo

    31

    North Little Rock, Arkansas

    1-16-2025

    192 months, 

    5 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    April Reyes

    41

    Russellville, Arkansas

    12-16-2024

    60 months,

    4 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    Saundra Lunsford

    30

    Russellville, Arkansas

    12-10-2024

    60 months, 

    4 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    James Chenault aka LJ

    42

    Russellville, Arkansas

    11-4-2024

    210 months, 

    5 years’ supervised release
     

     

     

     

     
    Carma Brown

    38

    Russellville, Arkansas

    10-22-2024

    41 months, 

    4 years’ supervised release

          Multiple defendants had significant criminal histories, and defendants Perry, Thompson, Chenault are classified as career offenders. Perry’s criminal history includes convictions for possession of cocaine with purpose to deliver and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. The criminal history for Ester includes convictions for residential burglary and robbery. During Ester’s sentencing, the United States presented evidence to the court of his arrest for terroristic act, felon in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault in an incident where Ester shot at an occupied residence with children present.

          Thompson’s criminal history includes four convictions for delivery of marijuana, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver marijuana, intimidating a witness, delivery of methamphetamine, three convictions for possession with intent to deliver oxycodone, and terroristic act. Chenault’s criminal history includes three convictions for delivery of marijuana, battery and domestic battery, escape, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to deliver, and four convictions for delivery of cocaine or methamphetamine, aggravated assault, and possession of firearms by certain persons.

          “Because fentanyl is so deadly and because it is being sent to our country by foreign adversaries ostensibly to result in the deaths of many Americans, our office will continue to regard the distribution of fentanyl as a violent crime which commands our office’s full attention,” said Ross. “Protecting our citizens from violent crime is the basic responsibility of law enforcement and so prosecuting those involved with distributing deadly drugs is part of the core mission at the Department of Justice. If you are involved in distributing the poisons of fentanyl and methamphetamine, we will not concern ourselves with trying to empathize with you as to why you made such despicable decisions; rather, we will commit to fully prosecuting you and seeking to keep you away from our communities through incarceration.”

          Through an investigation, law enforcement officers learned that from 2020 through approximately December 2022, the defendants were distributing fentanyl for redistribution in the River Valley and central Arkansas areas.

          In November 2021, information was received that Ester travelled to and from Little Rock and Russellville trafficking fentanyl from his girlfriend’s apartment. During surveillance of the girlfriend’s apartment, law enforcement officers observed the girlfriend leave in their vehicle. At this time law enforcement officers knocked on the door and Ester opened it and then attempted to shut the door, but law enforcement officers prevented the door from closing. Law enforcement officers observed children and Ester, a parolee who has a search waiver on file and felony warrants, inside the apartment. During a search of the apartment, law enforcement officers located fentanyl, marijuana, and close to $3,000 in cash. Law enforcement also recovered a bag of fentanyl tablets Ester’s girlfriend discarded, which Ester admitted was intended for distribution. Ester admitted obtaining thousands of fentanyl tablets and hundreds of pounds of marijuana for distribution.

          On December 22, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in which Perry, who had warrants, was a passenger. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a can of Coke in the center console that contained 13 fentanyl pills. During a search of Perry’s person, law enforcement officers located $3,262.00.

          In May 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets and marijuana during an incident involving Chenault, and during the execution of a search warrant at Chenault and Lunsford’s residence located 142 whole fentanyl pills and ten partial fentanyl pills, over 300 grams of marijuana, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine. In July 2022, law enforcement recovered over 1,000 fentanyl tablets and cocaine from Thompson and McElroy after a traffic stop and search of Thompson’s residence. In August 2022, law enforcement recovered fentanyl tablets, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia from Reyes’s residence. In November 2022, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brown. On November 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a home visit at Thompson’s residence and recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and fentanyl.

          “Sending career criminals like this to prison is another example of our commitment to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from those who spread fentanyl poison in our neighborhoods,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Bringing our expertise and resources to target individuals and organizations that plague our communities with drug trafficking is a top priority for ATF. The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that drug traffickers will be held accountable.”

          “The Russellville Police Department is proud to have played a role in the successful prosecution of those responsible for distributing these deadly drugs in our community,” said David Ewing, Chief of Police, Russellville Police Department. “This outcome reflects our ongoing commitment to working alongside our federal partners to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect the safety and well-being of our citizens.”

          “I’m so proud of the dedicated people I have working with me in the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force. Their cooperation with other local law enforcement in Pope County is so important in aggressively addressing criminal activity in our county – primarily drug sales and trafficking,” said Jeff Phillips, Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney. “I also want to thank the federal authorities in partnering with us to make a difference in our community.”

          The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Russellville Police Department.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

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

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fentanyl distributor linked to three fatal overdoses imprisoned for 27 years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Fredrick Douglass Shelton pleaded guilty Feb. 13.  

    U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Shelton to serve 324 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court recognized the families of the deceased and commented on the disturbing fact that after the deaths, Shelton continued to sell fentanyl with a verbal warning to customers that the drugs are strong. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hoyt noted Shelton’s history of drug dealing and conduct during this offense which made him question whether there is anywhere Shelton could be safely housed.

    “The defendant’s conduct in this case vividly illustrates his utter disregard for human life and the safety of others,” said Ganjei. “Not only was his fentanyl trafficking linked to three overdose deaths, but he also left a 10-month-old baby alone, surrounded by guns and drugs (including fentanyl), while he was out dealing. With today’s sentencing—made possible by collaboration with our partners—this dangerous individual is now off the street for decades to come, and Houstonians are safer for it.”

    The investigation began following evidence linking three fatal fentanyl overdoses to Shelton. He had sold large quantities of highly potent fentanyl to numerous individuals in the Houston area.  

    As Shelton left his residence to conduct yet another drug transaction, law enforcement conducted a search at his residence. They found large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, narcotics packaging equipment and firearms strewn throughout the residence in a disorderly fashion, including on counters, scales and the floor. 

    Authorities also discovered Shelton had left his 10-month-old child in the residence alone and exposed to the narcotics. 

    Shelton will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The FBI Houston Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team and sheriff’s offices in Montgomery and Harris Counties. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What parents and youth athletes can do to protect against abuse in sport

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fanny Kuhlin, PhD candidate in Sport Management (Sport Science), Örebro University

    Ron Alvey/Shutterstock

    From the horrific Larry Nassar abuse scandal in United States gymnastics to the “environment of fear” some volleyball athletes endured at the Australian Institute of Sport, abuse in sport has been well documented in recent years.

    This abuse in elite sport sport has been particularly visible but it is not just happening at the top level. Abusive and harmful practices are happening in all sports, at all ages and at all competition levels.

    While sport can have many wonderful benefits for young people, it can also have a dark side, one where abuse can flourish, leading to serious psychological and physical harm.

    How can parents ensure their children are safe?



    Read more:
    The 3 changes Australian sport must make after Volleyball Australia’s shocking abuse report

    Abuse in sports

    A 2022 Australian study showed 82% of children had experienced physical, psychological or sexual abuse during their time participating in community sport. This makes the abuse prevalence similar to that found in elite sport environments.

    The line between abuse and acceptable behaviour is blurred more in sport than in many other environments.

    For example, in school, it would be unacceptable for a teacher to scream at a child who performed poorly on a test but in sports, screaming is a commonly used strategy by a coach to correct a young athlete’s behaviour.

    Research from earlier this year shows athletes often justify the behaviours of their coaches.

    The following quote from an elite-level gymnast in an ongoing research project demonstrates how athletes often learn to accept abusive behaviours as necessary for their performance:

    (He) was a strict coach. He spoke loudly […] but I’m a gymnast, I need that. I don’t know if everybody needs that but if I did something really bad, he screamed at me and this kind of gave me motivation to push myself more, so for me this type of coaching style was really good.

    Challenges and changes

    The “win-at-all-costs” mentality in many sports is also problematic.

    When winning is everything, abusive practices are not seen as a problem to be stamped out but rather as legitimate strategies to motivate and toughen up the participants.

    Athletes are not the only ones who normalise these practices. Parents, coaches and administrators might also come to tolerate, accept or even celebrate abusive behaviours and cultures as a “natural” part of sport.

    This means experiences of abuse may flourish in such environments.

    Thankfully, some sports organisations have in recent years made significant changes to reduce the likelihood of abuse and deal with cases as soon as they arise.

    Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), for example, is implementing national policies for safeguarding and whistleblowing, where abuse and harmful behaviour can be reported.

    SIA has also recently co-developed a course with other leading sport agencies to help coaches working with young athletes better navigate the complexities of physical, emotional and psychological development.

    While these are potentially steps in the right direction, researchers have pointed out that similar efforts have achieved mixed results and there are no guarantees of athlete safety.

    Parents may therefore rightly ask what they might do to protect their child(ren) from abuse and maximise the positive gains from participating in sport.

    Tips for parents and caregivers

    Firstly, parents and caregivers have the right to be included in their childrens’ sporting participation.

    This involves being informed about training times and competition schedules, training content, coaching style and behavioural expectations.

    Parents should also be welcomed to watch their children’s training sessions at any time and unannounced.

    Denying parents information or access to facilities have been identified as a potential risk factors.

    The right for inclusion also refers to decision-making. Sport is often hierarchical with authoritarian leadership styles, which are significant risk factors for abuse in sports.

    So it is important children and their parents are provided with spaces and opportunities to have a say in matters related to their (child’s) sporting participation.

    Secondly, young athletes and their parents/caregivers should be made aware of the policies and safety measures put in place to keep children safe.

    If these are not clearly communicated, parents/caregivers are encouraged to ask what actions a club has put in place.

    If protection and prevention are not developed, or considered limited or ineffective, parents are recommended to raise their concerns.

    Lastly, parents should be conscious of the “win-at-all-costs” mentality found in many sports and consider how this can lead to abusive practices being accepted as a “natural” part of sport.

    By staying informed, involved and attentive, parents can play a powerful role in supporting safer sporting environments for all children.

    Natalie Barker-Ruchti is affiliated with Safesport Sweden.

    Fanny Kuhlin, Jessica Lee, and Steven Rynne 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. What parents and youth athletes can do to protect against abuse in sport – https://theconversation.com/what-parents-and-youth-athletes-can-do-to-protect-against-abuse-in-sport-255614

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Condolences after runner dies during Slave Route Challenge

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The City of Cape Town and race organisers have expressed their heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the runner who tragically passed away during the Slave Route Challenge held on Sunday, 1 June 2025.

    According to the Slave Route Challenge race organising committee, the incident occurred when an oak tree unexpectedly fell along the race route in the Garden area, striking a runner along Government Avenue. 

    “Emergency services responded swiftly and transported the runner to the hospital, where she sadly succumbed to her injuries.

    “On behalf of the Slave Route Challenge organising committee, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the runner’s family, friends, and loved ones. This is a devastating loss, and we are holding her family in our thoughts during this profoundly difficult time,” a City of Cape Town statement said. 

    The city described the incident as ”tragic”. “We are working closely with the event organisers and the South African Police Service to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.” 

    Meanwhile, the race organising team said the safety and well-being of every participant have always been their top priority. 

    “All safety and security protocols were observed and implemented ahead of the event in close collaboration with the City of Cape Town and emergency services. This was a tragic and unforeseeable accident, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to fully understand the circumstances surrounding it.

    “Out of respect, we will not be releasing any further details. We ask that the privacy of the runner’s family be respected as they mourn.” 

    Founded in 2011 by Farouk Meyer, a founding member of the Itheko Running Club, this race has grown into a significant annual tradition. 

    The event traces the “slave route” and honours those who built Cape Town, and brings together people from all walks of life. 

    Beginning at City Hall, the route winds through District Six, Bo-Kaap, the Castle of Good Hope, and other iconic landmarks before concluding at the Grand Parade. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Public Works to study final George building collapse report 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is set to study the final report into the deadly George building collapse that claimed the lives of 34 people.

    This as Minister Dean Macpherson has received the final report on the tragic building collapse in George on 6 May 2024 which claimed the lives of 34 people and injured 28 others.

    In a statement on Monday, the DPWI  said the Minister received the final report from the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), through its body Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

    The department said the report marks a critical step in its commitment to uncover the truth behind the disaster and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. 

    “As the department, we will now carefully study the report to develop a pathway forward to ensure that a tragedy such as the George Building collapse never happens again. As I have previously committed, after studying the report, I will personally return to George to present the findings of this report to the families affected by this tragedy. They deserve to hear directly from us, not through the media, about what went wrong and how we intend to rectify it,” said the Minister.

    He also emphasised that the collapse was the result of systemic failures across various regulatory bodies and a lack of cooperation among key stakeholders. He reiterated that accountability cannot be optional when human lives are lost due to human error. 
    The department will continue to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure accountability.

    “As I have said before, the collapse of the George building was entirely preventable, and we will therefore work towards accountability and address any errors which may have been identified. By working together, we are ensuring a safe and secure construction sector for all stakeholders,” said the Minister.

    Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the building collapse which saw the Minister address the community at the George Town Hall.

    READ | Report on George building collapse expected by month-end

    In April, an independent forensic investigation into the collapse in the Western Cape revealed systemic failures at multiple levels.
    The findings, presented by Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane, revealed a series of procedural and structural failures, including irregular project enrolment, inspection lapses, poor material quality, and violations of occupational health and safety (OHS) protocols. –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Three arrested and 113kg of cannabis seized

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Drug and Organised Crime Detectives have seized 113 kilograms of cannabis and approximately $270,000 in cash in a major drug interdiction operation that has significantly disrupted the activities of a Vietnamese organised crime syndicate operating across state borders.  A small amount of cocaine was also seized.

    The seizure occurred on Monday 2 June, after a targeted traffic stop on Willard Road in Holtze. Intelligence indicated the vehicle was transporting a commercial quantity of cannabis intended for distribution within the Territory through established criminal networks.

    Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan from the Drug and Organised Crime Division said the seizure is a major blow to those attempting to profit from the harm inflicted on Territory communities.

    “This seizure strikes at the heart of a sophisticated criminal syndicate responsible for trafficking large quantities of illicit drugs into the Northern Territory,” said Detective Superintendent Morgan.

    “This is not a case of low-level offending. This syndicate is part of a broader Vietnamese organised crime network intent on exploiting vulnerable communities for financial gain.”

    “Removing 113 kilograms of cannabis from the supply chain will have an immediate and significant impact on the local drug market. The reduced availability of cannabis will interrupt the operations of street-level dealers and limit the reach of this syndicate into our community.”

    Cannabis remains the most used illicit drug in the Northern Territory. Its misuse is closely linked to a range of community harms, including mental health issues, domestic violence, road trauma, and reduced outcomes in education and employment.

    Criminal groups use cannabis distribution as a gateway to entrench their influence and introduce more dangerous drugs into the market.

    This operation is part of an ongoing commitment by the NT Police Force to dismantle criminal networks that attempt to profit at the expense of public safety.

    Two men from Victoria aged, 27 and 56, and a local 26-year-old man were arrested.  The two Victorian men are expected to appear in court today with the local man expected to appear on Wednesday 4 June.

    The 27-year-old male has been charged with:

    • Supply schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Possess schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Receive property – Commission of Offence.
    • Possessing schedule 1 drug – Less than traffickable quantity

    The 56-year-old man was charged with:

    • Supply schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Possess schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Receive property – Commission of Offence

    The local 26-year-old man was charged with:

    • Supply schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Possess schedule 2 drug – Commercial quantity
    • Receive property – Commission of Offence

    Anyone with information on the supply of alcohol or drugs to our communities can call police on 131 444 or make an anonymously report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Provisional justified trust for Top 500 groups

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    What is provisional justified trust

    Provisional justified trust is a pathway to justified trust for Top 500 groups that are tax assured but are yet to implement a tax governance framework.

    Provisional justified trust provides eligible groups with a pause in assurance activities so that the group can dedicate their resources to implementing effective tax governance.

    Eligibility for provisional justified trust

    Top 500 groups that haven’t achieved justified trust will be eligible for provisional justified trust if:

    • all material tax issues arising from the group’s income earning activities and the ways in which wealth has been extracted have been assured up to the penultimate year lodged (for example, the group has achieved full tax assurance)
    • the Top 500 group commits to implementing an effective tax governance framework within 12 months.

    When a Top 500 group has achieved full tax assurance for the first time, they will have the option to enter provisional justified trust. Top 500 groups in the general category that have previously achieved full tax assurance, and had one year of monitoring and maintenance, will have the option to enter provisional justified trust at the end of each assurance refresh engagement.

    Approach to provisional justified tax

    There are 2 approaches to provisional justified trust for Top 500 groups: one that applies to predominantly passive investment groups and another for all other groups.

    Passive investor groups, in general, tend to treat their tax issues correctly, so the provisional justified trust approach for passive investor groups doesn’t require operational effectiveness testing of the group’s tax governance before the group can achieve justified trust.

    For all other groups, the provisional justified trust approach maintains the requirement to test the group’s tax governance for operational effectiveness, including extending timeframes where necessary to allow for the group’s lodgment cycle, before the group can achieve justified trust.

    Passive investor groups

    The Top 500 program defines a passive investor group as groups that generate 90% or more of their income from passive income sources, with limited to no business activity done by the group.

    This may include investments:

    • held with banks (such as term deposits)
    • in securities such as shares, funds, and bonds (whether held directly, through a family office, or managed externally)
    • in commercial and residential property assets
    • that involve certain rights to income (such as mining royalties).

    Eligible passive investor groups will have 12 months from entering provisional justified trust to develop an effective tax governance framework, including over any wealth extraction activities and material related-party transactions. During this 12-month period, no assurance activities will be carried out. Our passive investor guide for Top 500 groups provides examples that may help groups with passive investments to develop tax governance over their material tax issues.

    The group must produce a draft tax governance framework across the 4 key principles of tax governance within 6 months of entering provisional justified trust. Effective tax governance criteria for Top 500 private groups and the following content provides guidance regarding the criteria for achieving a high level of assurance for tax governance.

    Guidelines for passive investor groups

    The ATO case team will have 2 months to provide the group with feedback on their draft tax governance framework.

    The group will have a further 2 months to make any required amendments, and then return the framework to the ATO case team for final assessment.

    For tax governance, only the effectiveness of the design of the Top 500 group’s tax governance framework will be assessed by the ATO case team. Operational effectiveness testing is not required as part of our case team’s assessment.

    If the Top 500 group doesn’t develop an effective tax governance framework within 12 months, they will be removed from provisional justified trust and assurance activities will restart from the last assured financial year.

    If they design an effective tax governance framework, they will enter justified trust. The 3-year monitoring and maintenance period will start from the financial year following the year that provisional justified trust was provided.

    At the end of the 3 years of monitoring and maintenance, we may ask the Top 500 group to show us they have tested the operational effectiveness of their tax governance framework. This is to assure that the group has been following the prescribed processes and procedures.

    Non-passive investor groups

    Unlike Top 500 groups that are considered passive investors, non-passive investor groups require effectiveness testing of the tax governance framework before being placed in justified trust. The following procedure is to be followed.

    Guidelines for non-passive investor groups

    The Top 500 group will have 12 months from entering provisional justified trust to develop an effective tax governance framework, including over any wealth extraction activities and material related-party transactions. During this 12-month period, no assurance activities will be carried out.

    The Top 500 group must produce a draft tax governance framework across the 4 key principles of tax governance within 6 months of entering provisional justified trust. Our effective tax governance criteria for Top 500 groups provides guidance regarding the criteria for achieving a high level of assurance for tax governance.

    The ATO case team will have 2 months to provide the group with feedback on their draft tax governance framework.

    The Top 500 group will have a further 2 months to make any required amendments, and then return the framework to the ATO case team for final assessment.

    For practical reasons around timing, groups may be granted a further 6 months of provisional justified trust (with scope to extend by an additional 6 months where necessary to cover the group’s lodgment cycle) to provide evidence that their tax governance framework is operating effectively.

    If the Top 500 group doesn’t develop an effective tax governance framework within the stipulated timeframe, they will be removed from provisional justified trust and assurance activities will restart from the last assured financial year.

    If the Top 500 group implements an effective tax governance framework, and provides evidence that the framework is operating effectively, they will enter justified trust. The 3-year monitoring and maintenance period will start from the lodgment year following the year that provisional justified trust was provided.

    Example of the timeline for groups taking the provisional trust pathway

    Lodgment year

    Engagement approach

    Engagement completed
    (may vary depending on lodgement cycle)

    2023

    Full Tax Assurance (Standard assurance engagement)

    2025

    2024

    Provisional justified trust (Break from assurance engagement)

    2026

    2025

    Monitoring & Maintenance (1st year of Justified Trust; operational effectiveness testing of tax governance if required)

    2027

    2026

    Monitoring & Maintenance (2nd year of Justified Trust)

    2028

    2027

    Monitoring & Maintenance (3rd year of Justified Trust)

    2029

    2028 & 2029

    Justified Trust Refresh Engagement

    2030

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing sees robust tourism growth during Dragon Boat Festival holiday

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

    The Chinese capital recorded 8.21 million tourist visits during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, up 5.4 percent year on year, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism said on Monday.

    Running from May 31 to June 2, the three-day holiday saw 10.77 billion yuan (about 1.49 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue in Beijing, up 6.7 percent from the same period last year.

    To boost the city’s tourism, more than 1,700 cultural tourism events, including dragon boat carnivals, intangible cultural heritage markets and Hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) workshops, were held.

    This year’s Dragon Boat Festival on May 31 overlapped with Children’s Day on June 1, driving a high demand for family-friendly outings and educational tours.

    Meanwhile, 1,119 commercial performances staged across the city attracted an audience of 458,000 with a total box office revenue of 140 million yuan — representing year-on-year growth of 32 percent, 75 percent and 130 percent, respectively.

    In the three days, Beijing’s inbound tourism market also experienced strong growth, with 67,000 inbound visitors, a 35.8 percent increase year-on-year, and tourism revenue from them rising 41.1 percent year-on-year to 720 million yuan. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Koreans go to polls to pick new president

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

    Polls began early Tuesday nationwide to pick South Korea’s new president.

    The election is scheduled to last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Monday) to 8:00 p.m. (1100 GMT Tuesday) at 14,295 polling stations across the country.

    The presidential race was triggered by the removal of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid.

    Recent surveys showed that Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party continued to have around 50 percent of support, holding a big lead over Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party with about 30 percent.

    Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, then candidate of the People Power Party, by the country’s narrowest margin of 0.73 percentage points.

    An early voting was carried out between May 29 and May 30. Among over 44 million eligible voters, 34.74 percent cast preliminary votes. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Muriwai sudden death

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police can now provide a brief update into a sudden death in Muriwai earlier this morning.

    A person’s body was located after a car fire was reported on Jack Butt Lane.

    Police can now advise enquiries are being made on behalf of the Coroner in this matter.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Extradite Austin Fugitive Intercepted by Foreign Officials in Panama

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals, working with the Department of State, and Panamanian Officials received custody of a man who had been sought by the Austin Police Department on a warrant issued May 17, 2024, for aggravated kidnapping. 

    Brayan Estiven Rios, 29, Columbian national, was wanted by the Austin Police for a robbery that occurred July 19, 2022, in the 2500 block of Francisco Street. According to the affidavit, a victim reported to have been forced into a vehicle at gunpoint and was further instructed to withdraw a large sum of money from her bank account. 

    In April, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Department of Justice – Office of International Affairs, and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office communicated with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to facilitate the extradition of Rios, who was intercepted by officials in Panama.

    On May 22, Panamanian officials handed Rios over to the USMS for extradition back to the United States. After arriving at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, he was transported and booked into the Travis County Jail, where he will await further judicial proceedings. 

    The Department of Homeland Security filed an immigration detainer on Rios, who is a Columbian national and has no legal status in the United States. 

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Panamanian authorities to secure the extradition of Rios.

    Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin – 

    Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
    Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
    Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
    Texas Attorney General’s Office
    Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
    Texas Department of Public Safety
    U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
    U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –