Category: Transport

MIL-OSI USA: WA launches police use-of-force database

Source: Washington State News

SEATTLE — The Attorney General’s Office announced today the launch of the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety (WADEPS), which is ready to collect use-of-force data from the state’s law enforcement agencies in an effort to improve transparency, trust and evidence-based policymaking.

The exchange is a publicly available, cloud-based platform to help the public see and analyze police use-of-force data. The database, established with robust bipartisan support from the Legislature in 2021, was developed through significant collaboration with law enforcement, community leaders, and criminal justice researchers.

State law requires law enforcement agencies in the state to report incidents involving specific types of force, such as when an officer uses a firearm, Taser, pepper spray, canine, or strikes a person with a weapon or their body. Agencies must report information about the officer and person involved in these use-of-force incidents, such as their age, gender, race and ethnicity.

Law enforcement agencies have through September 2 to begin reporting data. Going forward, agencies must submit use-of-force data monthly. Information about the outcome of an investigation of an incident will be updated within 30 days of when the investigation is complete. WADEPS does not collect personally identifiable information about community members who interact with police.

“A single location with clear, standardized and contextual information will help the public better understand the use of force in Washington,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a letter sent to law enforcement agencies today. “Law enforcement and policymakers will have common tools to better analyze force and make informed decisions about policing policies and practices.”

WADEPS is operated by Washington State University under a grant agreement with the Attorney General’s Office. A key feature of the system is its ability to put use of force in context. The public will be able to examine whether rates of force differ across different types of incidents, such as police response to an assault, traffic incident, or mental health 911 call.

“The launch of the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety marks a critical step forward in ensuring transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making in our justice system,” said Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Tacoma, sponsor of the original legislation. “This collaborative effort between law enforcement, community leaders, and researchers will help build trust and improve public safety outcomes for all Washingtonians. I’m so proud to have championed this work and look forward to seeing its impact.”

State Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, sponsored the bill’s companion legislation in the House prior to being appointed to the Senate in 2022.

“When we understand the cause of an issue, we can fix it,” Lovick said. “This new data exchange represents Washington state’s commitment to trust, transparency, and accountability. When to use force is one of the most difficult decisions a peace officer must face and we must all work together to ensure that people are safe, and feel safe, in our communities.”

Several law enforcement agencies were early participants in the program. Fife Police Chief Pete Fisher said his department was excited about “WADEPS’ mission to enhance transparency, accountability and real-time analysis of police use of force incidents.”

“Use of force and force outcomes are extremely complex, impacted and influenced by myriad variables that vary significantly between jurisdictions — such as differences in location (e.g., city versus county), crime rates, and numerous other factors. These frequently changing factors make meaningful analysis extremely difficult,” Fisher said. “I have a great deal of confidence that WADEPS can be a mechanism to help police and community members better understand police use of force. If employed properly, it will provide the insight needed to allow police to tailor policy, training, and response for better outcomes. At the same time, it offers a way to demonstrate to stakeholders and the public that the vast majority of police use of force encounters are lawful and reasonable.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ensuring New Yorkers Keep Cool during Extreme Heat
Source: US State of New York

n Global Heat Action Day, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted new and enhanced resources available to protect New York communities from extreme heat this summer. Measures will help New Yorkers access affordable cooling at home and at cooling centers, provide additional support for cool and resilient buildings, help keep kids cool at schools, and offer new tools and expanded funding for communities to prepare for and adapt to extreme heat and mitigate urban heat islands. The New York State Department of Health also launched its interactive New York State Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard that will allow the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their areas and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.

“Scorching summer temperatures and increasing extreme weather events threaten the lives and well-being of New Yorkers across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I’m directing State agencies to take action and ensure all New Yorkers can afford and access relief from the full spectrum of heat risks.”

Heat waves and other extreme heat events are likely to happen again this summer and New York State agencies are working to implement initiatives recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan to help New Yorkers prepare for heat’s negative health and environmental impacts. A range of new and enhanced resources are available for individuals, local governments, and community-based organizations, including:
- New support for cooling at home: With the new Essential Plan Cooling program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool. This will complement assistance available in 2025 through the HEAP Cooling program which served more than 23,000 households in 2024.
- Better access to cooling centers: New resources are available to help connect New Yorkers with safe spaces for cooling. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will continue to coordinate with local health departments and emergency managers to update the Cooling Center Finder throughout summer 2025. DOH offers new resources to provide information about best practices for setting up cooling centers and how these locations could serve as clean air centers. Round 8 of the Climate Smart Communities grant program is now open, making $22 million available to fund GHG mitigation and climate adaptation projects, including establishing cooling centers.
- Additional support for cool buildings: Funding available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supports weatherization and clean and efficient heating and cooling that can improve extreme heat resilience at homes, community anchor institutions, schools, and more. The Office of General Services’ new “Decarbonization and Climate Resiliency Design Guide” was released for new and majorly renovated State building projects to assess and reduce climate risk (including extreme heat and Urban Heat Islands) through proactive design.
- New investments in cool schools: The Education Law newly requires public school districts and BOCES to develop an extreme heat policy, which establishes certain temperature thresholds. NYSERDA offers additional funding to install clean cooling and heating at schools, for example through funding as part of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
- Enhanced tools and funding for cool communities: Preliminary extreme heat exposure maps and DOH’s Heat Vulnerability Index help communities understand exposure and vulnerabilities. Programs such as Climate Smart Communities fund communities in planning, designing, and implementation solutions. New and expanded funding supports nature-based solutions such as urban forests, urban farms, and community gardens to cool neighborhoods and mitigate heat islands. Governor Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative expanded outdoor swimming through the Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation grant program and advanced capital projects for swimming facilities in underserved communities through the NY SWIMS Round One competitive grant program.
Implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan

New York State also marks significant progress on the first year of implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) with the first readiness update now available. In June 2024, Governor Hochul, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the EHAP Work Group released the plan with nearly 50 actions by State agencies to address extreme heat impacts across four tracks (local planning and capacity building, community preparedness and workers’ safety, resilient buildings and access to cooling, and advancing ecosystem-based adaptations). DEC is coordinating the implementation of the plan in partnership with NYSERDA and the members of the Work Group, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the State Department of Health (DOH).

During the first year implementing the plan, State agencies made significant progress in developing new resources that help communities address impacts of extreme heat. The full update on implementation progress is available here.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Extreme heat driven by our changing climate is contributing to serious public health consequences and threats to New Yorkers, particularly New Yorkers in communities of color and communities historically overburdened by pollution. DEC and our agency partners released the Extreme Heat Action Plan last year under Governor Hochul’s directive and applaud the significant programs and efforts underway to protect lives and advance efforts to ensure our communities are better prepared to respond to severe weather.”

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “On Global Heat Action Day, New York State is strengthening its commitment to providing access to reliable, efficient, and affordable cooling solutions in communities across the state. The resources announced today show tremendous progress in implementing the Extreme Heat Action Plan, assuring all New Yorkers – including the most vulnerable – that relief will be available during the hottest months of the year.”

Staying Safe During Extreme Heat

The dangers of extreme heat can affect everyone, regardless of age, physical shape, or existing health conditions. The body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature during extreme heat and, without taking proper measures, this can lead to heat-related illness or even death.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme heat can be deadly, so it’s important that New Yorkers take it seriously. Governor Hochul has made addressing extreme heat a priority as multiple days of high temperatures are becoming more common here in New York. Our state agencies have worked together to make resources available for communities and residents, including free air conditioners to help those eligible keep their homes cool and a comprehensive online tool to assist individuals looking for cooling centers. I urge everyone to prepare now for the extreme temperatures coming our way this summer.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “As extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe due to climate change, it’s critical that we equip New Yorkers with the tools and resources they need to stay safe and healthy. These new initiatives will not only expand access to cooling centers and protect vulnerable populations, but also help build healthier, more resilient communities. We’re proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and our state partners to ensure that every New Yorker, especially those most at risk, can find relief from extreme heat.”

Information about what the public can do during hot weather and how to locate cooling centers can be found on DOH’s Extreme Heat website.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can also provide an air conditioning unit to income-eligible households that include someone with a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat, or households with young children or older adults. Applications will continue to be accepted until funding runs out. For more information, visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website or contact your local office for the aging at 1-800-342-9871.

Groups most at risk are:
- People who work outdoors or indoors without air conditioning
- Adults aged 60 years and older
- Infants, children, and those who are pregnant
- People with chronic health conditions
- Those with physical and cognitive disabilities
- Those with no access to air conditioning
- Individuals who live alone or are unhoused
- Athletes
- Pets and service animals
- People living in cities because asphalt and concrete store heat longer and release heat more slowly at night. This produces higher nighttime temperatures and is known as the “urban heat island effect.”
Another important heat safety tip is to never leave children or pets unsupervised in hot cars. There is a real and severe danger when leaving children or pets unsupervised in a car even when temperatures don’t “feel” hot. At 60 degrees outside, after just one hour a closed car can get as hot as 105 degrees.

Supporting Local Extreme Heat Action

New York State continues to make investments in programs to help mitigate extreme heat and other climate impacts. Currently, $22 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities grant program to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including for projects that help communities plan for and adapt to extreme heat. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2025. More information is available on DEC’s website.

New York State’s Climate Agenda

New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Delegation: Over $80 Million to Support ODOT’s Natural Disaster Recovery Efforts
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

June 02, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—announced the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving to $83,215,245 for work it completed to repair roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during natural disasters. The federal funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be used to reimburse ODOT for its vital work that was needed to ensure communities across the state can continue to recover from years of severe weather events.

“From the deadly 2020 Labor Day fires to last year’s ice storms, Oregonians in every corner of our state have faced deadly weather events in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the infrastructure needed to move safely,” said Merkley. “Supporting disaster recovery efforts should be a nonpartisan issue, and these critical federal funds will support ODOT’s work to repair and rebuild the roads and other important infrastructure that powers our communities. I will keep working to ensure Oregon has the tools needed to recover and become more resilient in the face of future storms while we take on the climate chaos that is intensifying these disasters.”

“The ongoing climate crisis continues to fuel more extreme weather events and wildfires every year,” said Wyden. “Reliable infrastructure is essential to ensuring that first responders and crews are able to effectively protect our communities and beautiful outdoor spaces. I applaud this federal award to ODOT for crucial infrastructure projects across Oregon, and will continue to advocate for more resources to keep our communities safe and connected.”

“Reliable roads are essential for safety, connections, and the economy,” said Bonamici. “This much-needed funding will make a significant difference in repairing important routes people use that were damaged by severe weather.”

“These Emergency Relief grants are crucial for getting our roads and bridges repaired after wildfires and ice storms, especially as climate change continues to make both summer and winter weather events more frequent and more extreme,” said Hoyle. “Communities have been waiting for this support, and I’m glad to see the Department of Transportation respond to our delegation’s call. This funding means safer travel, faster recovery, and stronger communities. I’ll keep fighting to make sure Oregon gets the resources it needs to rebuild and prepare for the future.”

“Wildfires, winter storms, and flash floods are becoming increasingly dangerous – and costly – for our communities,” said Salinas. “My Oregon colleagues and I have been working hard to secure the resources that our state needs to recover and rebuild from these disasters, including funding to repair damaged roads and highways. I’m glad that our efforts are paying off, and I look forward to seeing these dollars put to good use to improve the safety of all Oregonians.”

“Strong infrastructure is essential to keeping Oregonians connected,” said Dexter. “This funding will help us rebuild roads and bridges damaged by the natural disasters that have become far too common. Every community deserves a transportation system that’s safe, resilient, and reliable—for our families and our economy.”

“As wildfire seasons get worse and climate disasters happen more often, our communities and our constituents will need our help,” said Bynum. “We have to deliver the resources and support they need as soon as possible. This funding is critical in helping us rebuild the roads and infrastructure that Oregonians rely on for work, school, emergency services, and more.”

The federal investments for Oregon come through eight awards under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FHWA Emergency Relief Program, which helps communities hurt by natural disasters and catastrophic events by providing federal funding for them to repair damaged roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.

“Oregon, like every state, relies on the federal government to support our response to disasters,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “Having confidence in that support is critical to our ability to respond to crises at the scale they demand, repair our transportation system to keep Oregon’s economy moving, and to protect Oregonians from disasters like ice storms, wildfires and flash floods. I want to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden, the rest of Oregon’s federal delegation, and our federal partners for advocating for our state and for the safety of Oregonians.”

Details of the federal funding for ODOT’s natural disaster recovery are as follows:
- $30,735,975 to repair damages following the 2020 Labor Day fires. The wildfires statewide caused damage to federal-aid highways from fire, fallen trees, and falling rocks.
- $23,210,956 for work that repaired damages sustained during severe winter weather in December 2022. The significant rains across Western Oregon caused flooding and landslides. One landslide threatened to block I-84, and a large portion of a hillside came down and wiped-out Highway 101.
- $20,000,000 for infrastructure repairs following the January 2024 ice storm. This significant winter storm covered much of Oregon in ice, causing trees and power lines to come down across roads and damage signs. The same storm dropped several inches of rain in Southern Oregon, causing flooding and landslides.
- $3,164,000 to repair damages following a series of severe winter storms in December 2021. The storms brought excessive rain and high winds across the state of Oregon, lasting until January 10, 2022. Multiple large landslides occurred, temporarily limiting access to I-84, OR 138, OR 30, and several others. Culverts blew out, causing multiple roadway collapses.
- $2,765,399 for work to repair damages from severe storms in February 2019. The storms caused heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, flooding, landslides, and erosion in the southwestern and western parts of the state, resulting in critical transportation failures, loss of power and communications capabilities, and emergency mass care needs.
- $2,500,000 for repairs following a series of severe storms in December 2023. The storm system brought heavy rains, flooding, and landslides to five counties and was so severe it caused two roads to collapse—Miami Foley and Sandlake in Tillamook County. It also caused the temporary closure of State Highways 101 and 26. Other federal-aid roads were damaged by scour, washouts, debris flows, and mudslides.
- $538,915 for wildfire recovery efforts following the 2017 fire season. These fires significantly impacted transportation systems in the following counties: Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Linn, Marion, and Multnomah.
- $300,000 for infrastructure recovery efforts following an atmospheric river in January 2021. The severe storm brought heavy rain across Oregon, causing flooding, landslides, roads to wash out on US 30, I-84, and sinkholes on Hwy 101 and many other major highways across Oregon in early January 2021.
MIL OSI USA News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dornoch Common Good Fund enables completion of lifeboat station

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

Members of the Sutherland County Committee have today approved a revised budget for the Dornoch Common Good Fund which includes a grant of £25,000 to the East Sutherland Rescue Association.

The grant will be used to construct a concrete apron at Dornoch Lifeboat Station and install a water tank for firefighting in the vicinity of Dornoch Beach car park.

Chair of Sutherland County Committee, Councillor Richard Gale, said: “I am delighted that we have agreed a revised budget which will help support the completion of Dornoch Lifeboat Station. The station is a vital part of our community, and the volunteer team is a true asset to Sutherland.”

East Sutherland Rescue Association opened the new lifeboat station in 2022 which is a dedicated facility ready to respond to emergency callouts from HM Coastguard. The station covers approx. 50 miles of coastline from Helmsdale harbour to Balintore plus inland waters in Sutherland and Ross-shire.

Cllr Gale: “The new lifeboat station is a fantastic facility, and I’m pleased that the Dornoch Common Good Fund can play a part in funding some of the remaining small jobs still to be completed. The work to construct a new concrete apron at the front and side of the lifeboat station will not only help to make lifeboat operations safer but will also facilitate safe and improved access to the beach for pedestrians.”

The £35,000 grants and contributions budget for the Dornoch Common Good Fund was agreed in February 2025 and will now be increased to £60,000 to facilitate the additional grant to Dornoch Firth Independent Lifeboat.

2 Jun 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sutherland County Committee adopts Area Place Plan

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

Members of the Sutherland County Committee have today agreed to adopt the Sutherland County Area Place Plan.

They also agreed to support and promote the plan where possible, giving it consideration within other plans, strategies, development and funding opportunities across Sutherland.

Chair of Sutherland County Committee, Councillor Richard Gale, said: “The Area Place Plan aims to capture the aims and aspirations of our local communities to ensure that Sutherland can thrive as a sustainable, liveable and prosperous community. We will engage with local people to understand the issues and opportunities most important to them and work together to ensure this plan makes a real difference.”

The Sutherland Area Place Plan was developed in conjunction with the Sutherland Community Partnership (SCP), with the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust leading the review of existing priorities. Face-to-face consultation was carried out throughout the county followed by a series of community engagement sessions in Bettyhill, Kinlochbervie, Golspie, Lochinver and Bonar Bridge.

The emerging priorities of Sutherland have been categorised under three main pillars of People, Place and Prosperity in the Plan which will provide a stronger framework for communities and empower them to drive and deliver change in their areas. Priorities include access to healthcare, community resilience, housing, infrastructure, employment, education and tourism.

Cllr Gale continued: “Community engagement helps us to build a shared understanding of how a place-based approach can shape our vision for the future. By ensuring local voices are heard, we can establish a partnership approach to informing decisions on service delivery, encouraging community collaboration and making best use of the resources available to local people. Area Place Plans are community led, and I look forward to working together to determine how we can best deliver on the priorities that mean the most to the people of Sutherland.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Food in Schools project surveys underway

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

The Highland Council’s ‘Food in Schools’ project is a key component of the Council’s Delivery Plan and the Redesign Board Chaired by the Convener of the Council – Councillor Bill Lobban has today (Monday 2 June 2025) launched a range of surveys to better understand the various components of food provision in school settings.

The surveys will be issued by Head Teachers, on behalf of the Food in Schools project team, to current pupils (P1-S6), parents and carers, teachers and non-teaching staff (e.g. Pupil Support Assistants). The Council’s school catering staff and Councillors are also being invited to complete surveys to enable the project team to gather feedback and data for review by the Redesign Board.

Convener of the Council and Chair of Redesign Board, Cllr Bill Lobban said: “Food in Schools is a wide ranging project that cuts across several Council policy areas and services such as waste and recycling as well as school catering. The Redesign Board is fully supportive of the Food in Schools project which is a key part of the Council’s Delivery Plan, and we look forward to reviewing the findings and data from the surveys.”

The Council currently serves 18,000 lunches per day in 173 primary schools and 29 secondary schools and is moving gradually to an annual menu. From 2026 we will update our menus every 12 months after the Easter Break.

Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson added: “The Council is striving towards improving Food in Schools to help support pupils’ health and wellbeing but to also improve the take up of the food offering provided in schools and to reduce food waste. We continue to consult with pupils and staff to improve the food choices and recipes available.

“Food waste in our schools is a key area where we could see greater efficiencies as well as environmental benefits. I encourage our young people and families to support the ‘Food in Schools’ project by completing the surveys that will help shape positive changes.”

Stakeholders will be invited to take part in tailored surveys over the next two weeks, the results of which will be reported to a future meeting of the Redesign Board. Following an initial workshop with the Redesign Board, the focus of these surveys is take-up of school meals, including free school meals, our current operating model and learning from leading practice, and reducing the cost of food by reducing the amount of food waste. After the survey results have been analysed, further work will be undertaken to review the scope of the project and the range of inter-connected policy areas which support this important service for our young people.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Highland Council to trial ballot paper overlay to make voting more accessible

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

In a recent survey of blind and partially sighted people, only a quarter feel that the current system allows them to vote independently and in secret. We want to change that.

The Highland Council is trialling a new tactile aid, called a ballot paper overlay during the Ward 6, Cromarty Firth and Ward 10 Eilean a’ Cheò by-elections. This is a simple, cost-effective cardboard template which is placed over a ballot paper. The overlay has cut out areas which match up with the voting boxes on the ballot paper. There are braille and embossed areas next to each voting box which help the user find their way around the ballot paper. it can easily be separated from the ballot paper, after voting, to maintain secrecy.

When used alongside an audio reading of the ballot paper, the overlay can act as a self-service solution for blind and partially sighted voters to vote independently and in secret.

Returning Officer, Derek Brown said: “I am delighted that we will be trialling the ballot paper overlay when voters in Wards 6 and 10 go to the polls on Thursday 19 June. When everyone can cast their vote freely and confidently, we all move closer to a fairer, more representative society. Accessible voting isn’t just a right—it’s a powerful reminder that every person matters, and every vote shapes the future we share.”

The Highland Council is trialling this aid in advance of the Scottish Parliament elections to provide voter feedback and raise awareness of this new accessibility aid. There are other aids available in the polling station, including magnifiers and large print ballot paper copies, staff are there are support you when you vote.

If you, or someone you support needs assistance or information about what we can do to support you when vote in a polling station, please contact the Elections Team election@highland.gov.uk or visit Local Government By-election | Local Government Elections | The Highland Council

2 Jun 2025

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June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Boyle Slams Trump Administration for Closing Local Job Corps Centers

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s order to shut down every Job Corps center nationwide—including the Keystone Center in Hazelton, the Philadelphia Center, and the Red Rock Center in Lopez—by June 30, 2025:

“Job Corps centers are economic engines that support hundreds of good-paying local jobs, keep our communities thriving, and strengthen our broader economy. Closing them now delivers a devastating blow to working families, undermines the workforce pipeline Congress unanimously funded, and jeopardizes Pennsylvania’s economic health. I will continue fighting to keep these centers open, safeguard local jobs, and protect our state’s economic future.”

Background:

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor issued “Termination for Convenience” notices to all 99 Job Corps centers—ordering closures by June 30, 2025—despite funding having been appropriated through June 30, 2026. Since 2023, more than 4,200 Pennsylvania residents have enrolled at these centers, which collectively train over 1,350 young adults each year, sustain nearly 450 local jobs, and generate more than $67 million annually for our economy. The Philadelphia Center alone serves 400 students in eight in-demand career areas—Construction, Healthcare, Culinary Arts, and Renewable Resources—employs 92 local staff, and contributes roughly $17 million each year to the region.

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MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Transgender healthcare and the cross-border healthcare directive – E-002089/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002089/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Lynn Boylan (The Left)

Within Ireland, the transgender community regularly rely on Directive 2011/24/EU[1]. There is no national policy for transgender healthcare, and available services are limited within the country. The main publicly-funded gender clinic is estimated to have a 2000 person, 13 year waiting list for new referrals for assessment, and requires a complete assessment for all patients, including those previously diagnosed and receiving treatment from other services.

1.Considering the Directive and the case of W.W. v Poland – ECHR 31842/20, should patients who have been diagnosed and received treatment in other Member States, either publicly or privately, and who subsequently move to Ireland, be able to continue their care in Ireland, that is, without having to wait 13 years for a complete reassessment and without their treatment being interrupted while waiting?

2.Considering Article 8.5 and Article 8.6.d of the Directive, would a 13-year wait to begin assessment generally be considered timely and medically justifiable for cross-border healthcare to be approved for medically necessary healthcare?

3.Should private services, including private health insurance, accept referrals and diagnoses from medical professionals registered in other Member States, as they would from equivalent Irish-registered medical professionals?

Submitted: 23.5.2025

[1] Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, OJ L 88, 4.4.2011, p. 45, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/24/oj.
Last updated: 2 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Energy sovereignty and Turkish interference – how is Greece being protected? – E-001887/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001887/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

The energy sovereignty of EU Member States is a key element of both national security and the EU’s common energy strategy. Greece is facing continual external pressure from Türkiye, which is carrying out illegal exploration and drilling activities in maritime zones under Greek sovereignty or jurisdiction, in violation of international law.

Turkish interference in the Eastern Mediterranean not only undermines Greece’s sovereign rights, but also jeopardises energy stability and the European strategy for ending dependence on external energy providers. The Commission’s inaction in relation to this ongoing challenge raises legitimate concerns about its effectiveness in protecting the EU’s interests.

Can the Commission therefore answer the following:

1.How can it help to ensure Greece’s energy sovereignty while Türkiye is carrying out illegal drilling and research activities within the Greek continental shelf and EEZ?

2.What action has it taken to prevent non-EU countries from undermining the EU’s energy security, at a time when Greece is being confronted with constant pressure and disputes over its maritime sovereignty from Türkiye?

3.Does it consider that tolerating Turkish interference in the Eastern Mediterranean is compatible with the EU’s commitments to defending the sovereignty of the Member States and reinforcing the EU’s energy independence?

Submitted: 12.5.2025
Last updated: 2 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Sorbonne declaration: the EU prefers US researchers – E-002058/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002058/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Catherine Griset (PfE), Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), Virginie Joron (PfE), Gilles Pennelle (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE), Fabrice Leggeri (PfE), Séverine Werbrouck (PfE), Christophe Bay (PfE), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Pascale Piera (PfE)

On 5 May 2025, at the ‘Choose Europe for Science’ event at La Sorbonne, Ursula von der Leyen announced a EUR 500 million plan to woo US researchers to the EU in response to budget cuts by the Trump administration.

Emmanuel Macron has declared his support for this initiative, pledging EUR 100 million from France.

This initiative raises concerns given that French scientists regularly warn that national research is underfunded and young researchers are in a precarious position.

1.Can the Commission provide details of how this initiative will be funded and what criteria will be used to award the grants, notably how it will guarantee transparency and political neutrality when selecting the recipients?

2.What mechanisms will it put in place to ensure that this plan also benefits European researchers, especially those in the Member States most affected by brain drain and lack of funding?

3.What measures will it take to ensure that this initiative does not lead to unfair competition between European and foreign researchers, in particular as regards working conditions and funding?

Supporters[1]

Submitted: 22.5.2025

[1] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Julien Leonardelli (PfE)
Last updated: 2 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Plant for the desalination of brackish water from the sources of the River Tara – P-002102/2025
Source: European Parliament
Priority question for written answer P-002102/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Leoluca Orlando (Verts/ALE), Ignazio Roberto Marino (Verts/ALE)

The desalination plant on the River Tara[1], built using NRRP funds, poses a serious risk to the ecosystems of the Tara, the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo in Apulia. Apulia’s regional environmental agency and the Special Superintendency for the NRRP opposed its construction.

It fails to fully uphold the ‘do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principle and is at odds with key European environmental legislation, including: Directive 2000/60/EC, given that extracting water disrupts the natural flow of the River Tara, which has serious repercussions for ecosystem services; Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 2009/147/EC, as reducing water flow poses a threat to species of Community interest and protected species such as the otter (Lutra lutra); Directive 2011/92/EU (EIA Directive), as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, in the absence of an assessment of the cumulative effects of brine discharge in the Mar Grande, which would alter trophic cycles and undermine mussel farming; Regulation (EU) 2021/241 and (EU) 2020/852, with reference to the DNSH principle; Directive 2014/52/EU (amending Directive 2011/92/EU), as the EIA was not approved before the end of the single and final approval procedure joint meetings. What is more, no formal DNSH assessment was carried out in the environmental impact assessment.

In the light of the above:

1.Does the Commission think that those EU directives have been breached?

2.Does it believe the project was worthy of NRRP financing?

Supporter[2]

Submitted: 26.5.2025

[1] https://openpnrr.it/progetti/118664/.

[2] This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE)
Last updated: 2 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Risks of the Meta AI tool – E-001460/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The Commission is aware that certain aspects of Meta’s new Meta artificial intelligence (AI) feature fall within the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA)[1] and is closely monitoring its deployment.

Under the DSA, providers of designated Very Large Online Platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are required to diligently identify, analyse, assess, and mitigate systemic risks presented by their services in the EU.

These risk assessments are mandated at least annually and must also occur prior to deploying any functionalities that could significantly impact a platform’s risk profile[2].

The Commission’s DSA enforcement team is in continuous dialogue with Meta concerning the launch of their Meta AI feature. Meta is currently proactively cooperating with the Commission’s inquiries and is expected to submit to the Commission the related risk assessment report shortly.

Upon its receipt, the Commission will carefully analyse all relevant documentation to verify compliance with the DSA and follow-up accordingly as appropriate.

[1] Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1.

[2] Article 34(1) of the DSA.
Last updated: 2 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Introducing Bing Video Creator: Create videos with your words for free

Source: Microsoft

Headline: Introducing Bing Video Creator: Create videos with your words for free

Questions deserve answers, ideas beg for realization, and curiosity seeks satisfaction. Two years ago, we brought this belief forward with Bing Image Creator, helping users everywhere create whatever they can imagine through words—for free. Last month, we continued the next evolution of search with Copilot Search in Bing, blending the best of traditional and generative search to meet you where you are at in your discovery journey.

Today we’re taking the next leap with Bing Video Creator, allowing you to turn your ideas into videos, for free. Powered by Sora, Bing Video Creator transforms your text prompts into short videos. Just describe what you want to see and watch your vision come to life.

[embedded content]
Bing, as your AI-powered search and answer engine, not only helps you find what you need, but gives you the freedom to create exactly what you’re looking for.

Bing Video Creator is free and is rolling out starting today on the Bing Mobile App and coming soon to desktop and within Copilot Search. To get started, download the Bing Mobile app.

Bringing creation to your fingertips

Bing Video Creator represents our efforts to democratize the power of AI video generation. We believe creativity should be effortless and accessible to help you satisfy your answer-seeking process.

Whether you’re letting your imagination run wild, bringing a story to life, or looking for that perfect video to communicate what you’re thinking, Bing Video Creator puts the power of video creation at your fingertips. We’re excited to empower anyone to turn their words into wonder through an AI-generated video.

How to use Bing Video Creator

Getting started with Bing Video Creator is easy. Open Video Creator within the Bing Mobile app by clicking on the menu in the bottom right corner and selecting “Video Creator.” You can also type directly into the Bing mobile app search bar “Create a video of…” for quick access to video creation. Once Bing Video Creator becomes available on desktop, you can visit Bing.com/create.

Open the Bing app and click on the menu in the bottom right corner, then select “Video Creator.”

Then, simply type in a description of the video you want to create in the prompt box. The best prompts provide additional context, description, and detail. Click “Create” and let AI generate your video. Feel free to continue dreaming up new videos – you’ll receive a notification when your video is ready to view.

Check out this fun prompt below: “In a busy Italian pizza restaurant, a small otter works as a chef and wears a chef’s hat and an apron. He kneads the dough with his paws and is surrounded by other pizza ingredients.”

Videos are 5 seconds long and can be created in 9:16 format with 16:9 format coming soon. You can also queue up to three video generations at a time. If all three slots are in use, you’ll need to wait for one to finish before starting another.

Once your video is done generating, you’ll receive a convenient notification informing you your video is ready. You can choose to download the video, share it via email or via your favorite social media platforms, or copy and a share a direct link to the video.

Your creations are stored for up to 90 days, giving you plenty of time to download, share, or refine your prompts.

Video creation is free to all users, with the ability to choose between Fast and Standard generation speeds. Start with 10 Fast creations to let your imagination come to life in seconds. After that, keep the creative juices flowing uninterrupted by redeeming 100 Microsoft Rewards points for each Fast creation or continue with Standard creation speeds.*

Bing Video Creator is rolling out starting today Worldwide (Excluding China and Russia).

Use cases and inspiration

Bing Video Creator is for anyone with a story to tell. Here are some ways you can use it:

1. Special moments: Need a quick, compelling visual to commemorate a special moment? Generate a short video that brings it to life!

2. Communication: Turn your idea into something easy to understand, a joke into a lasting memory, or add a customized experience to your everyday conversations. Or stand out in the scroll by sharing your creation to social media.

3. Discover: Brainstorming is now easier than ever with the ability to test creative directions, explore different styles, bring to life objects, build mood boards, and more. It’s a great way to let your curiosity roam free and discover what you can imagine.

Tips and tricks

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your AI-generated videos, these tips will help you unlock the full potential of Bing Video Creator.

1. Be Descriptive with Your Prompts
The more vivid and specific your prompt, the better the results. Instead of “a person walking,” try “a young woman in a red coat walking through a snowy forest at sunrise.” The more detail, the better. Including camera angles and lighting also helps the model deliver what you are looking for.

2. Use Action-Oriented and Scene-setting Language
Verbs like “dancing,” “exploring,” or “transforming” help the AI understand motion and intent, resulting in more dynamic visuals. Adjectives like “cinematic,” “sunny,” or “dreamy,” help craft the overall feeling of the video.

3. Experiment with Tone and Style
Want something cinematic? Add “in the style of a movie trailer.” Looking for something playful? Try “animated like a cartoon.” Prompt modifiers can dramatically shift the aesthetic

Responsible AI

At Microsoft, our teams are guided by our Responsible AI principles and the Responsible AI Standard to help them develop and deploy AI systems responsibly. To curb the potential misuse of Video Creator, we have utilized OpenAI’s existing Sora safeguards and incorporated additional protections to deliver an experience that encourages responsible use of Video Creator. For example, we have put controls in place that aim to limit the generation of harmful or unsafe videos. When our system detects that a potentially harmful video could be generated by a prompt, it blocks the prompt and warns the user. For each video created using Bing Video Creator we have implemented content credentials and provenance based on the C2PA standard to help users identify AI generated videos.

Try Bing Video Creator today

We’re excited to see what you create with Bing Video Creator. We’re continuing to refine and evolve the experience as we bring video generation to more users. Try Bing Video Creator today: https://aka.ms/TryBingVideoCreator

The Bing team

*Up to 10 Fast creations per user. Thereafter, creations will be processed at the Standard speed. To continue using Fast creations, users may redeem 100 Microsoft Rewards points for each video. Learn more about earning Rewards points here.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Crow Leads Bipartisan Effort to Expand ALS Research, Protect National ALS Registry

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) is leading a bipartisan effort to support critical medical research funding for Americans living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease.

Crow’s letter, signed by 61 bipartisan Members of Congress, highlights the importance of expanding ALS research and the National ALS Registry and Biorepository in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations budget bills.

His effort calls for an expansion of funding for the U.S. Department of Defense’s ALS Research Program to improve drug development and also calls for robust support for the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) efforts to develop a new new research initiative focused on ALS and veteran care. The letter requests an increase in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide treatment with investigational drugs to foster new approaches to ALS research, and calls for authorizing full funding for the FDA Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program created through the ACT for ALS Act passed in the 117th Congress.

“You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases,” the Members write.

The Members continue: “To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies.”

The letter calls for backing research to support people living with ALS and their families, improve patient’s quality of life and prevent future Americans from getting ALS.

ALS can affect anyone – and with no current cure and few treatments, an ALS diagnosis leaves individuals with a 2-5 year life expectancy. It is estimated that up to 20,000 Americans suffer from ALS at any given time. Veterans are twice as likely as civilians to be diagnosed with ALS.

This letter builds on Congressman Crow’s previous work to support ALS research and advocate for patients and families. Congressman Crow previously led a bipartisan effort to champion ALS research for active-duty servicemembers and veterans, and backed the elimination of a five-month waiting period on insurance benefits for ALS patients. He also introduced a resolution designating May as ALS Awareness Month, and co-launched the bipartisan ALS Caucus with his colleagues in the House.

A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:

May 2, 2025

Dear Chairs Aderholt, Calvert, and Harris and Ranking Members DeLauro, McCollum, and Bishop:

Thank you for your continued strong support of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research. Your support for ALS research is instrumental in speeding the development of new treatments and a cure for ALS at the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ALS Research Program (ALSRP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National ALS Registry and Biorepository, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program.

As you know, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can affect anyone, at any time, and progressively destroys a person’s ability to control muscle movement. As the disease advances, people become trapped inside a body they can no longer control. Their minds, however, often remain sharp so that they are aware of their surroundings, the people in their lives, and what is happening to them. The average life expectancy for a person living with ALS is just 2-5 years after diagnosis. There is no cure and few treatments that delay but do not stop disease progression. Our veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as civilians.

You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases. To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies.

DEFENSE SUBCOMMITTEE

Department of Defense ALS Research Program

We request $80 million for the ALS Research Program (ALSRP). It is especially vital to active military members and veterans who are twice as likely to develop and die from ALS, regardless of the era they served. DOD’s ALSRP is unique. The program is well positioned to expand its portfolio into early-phase clinical trials to bridge the so-called “valley of death” in ALS drug development between promising preclinical research and human studies. These additional funds are vital to increase preclinical research and early phase ALS clinical trials that can accelerate the development of new treatments and a cure. We believe it continues to be important for the DOD to identify and research all diseases that may be related to service in the U.S. military, including ALS.

Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding to $80 million to maintain the pre-clinical research in the ALS Research Program (ALSRP) and expand the program to grant funds in support of clinical trials. We recognize military veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, regardless of the era they served. The ALSRP has a unique ability to fund clinical trials for new ALS treatments and cures with additional funding while making an impact in pre-clinical research. Since FY07, the ALSRP has funded 222 projects that has led to 5 new treatments currently being tested in clinical trials or in preclinical development.

LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE

National Institutes of Health (NIH)-ALS Research

Currently NIH spends $143 million on ALS clinical research each year. We request an increase in funding to $180 million at NIH to increase ALS research that leads to measurable differences in the health of people living with ALS. We also request maintaining $75 million for Expanded Access Grants to provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79). Lastly, we request full funding for Section 3 and 5 of that law at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to foster new approaches to research for ALS.

Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding for extramural research to $180 million to reduce the burdens of people by ALS as quickly as possible. It is crucial for people living with ALS and people diagnosed with ALS in the future, that NIH dramatically grows its ALS research portfolio and the research workforce. This additional funding should focus not only on new drugs for ALS but also on ALS diagnosis protocols, enhancing the quality of care, and studying new ALS biomarkers. NIH ALS research can lead the country to measurable changes in the lives of people living with ALS.

The Committee recommends funding at $75 million as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS, (P.L. 117-79) Expanded Access Grants for the development of ALS research and treatments. Expanded Access Grants provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data. We recommend NINDS continue to prepare ALS clinics across the country to qualify as expanded access sites to ensure a broad geographic distribution of grants. Furthermore, after the review and awards of eligible applications under Section 2, the Committee recommends NIH apply any unused funds to programs authorized under ACT for ALS including Section 3 public-private research partnership and Section 5 Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program at FDA.

CDC National ALS Registry and Biorepository

The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding will ensure that critical research into risk factors and the prevention of ALS is supported, that biological samples are collected and made available to private and governmental researchers, and that people living with ALS are informed about new clinical trial opportunities. Most importantly, we urge the CDC to fund research and activities that will lead to the prevention of ALS, including funding translational research on ALS risk factors and risk reduction strategies. In addition, we recognize that active military personnel and veterans are at increased risk to develop ALS. We are directing the CDC to initiate new a research initiative with an additional $5 million over FY24 levels, to research causes and prevention strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans.

Report Language: The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at CDC to maintain the National ALS Registry and Biorepository. We urge the CDC to continue its investment in research to reduce the incidence of ALS through ALS prevention and risk mitigation strategies among civilians, active military personnel and veterans in the United States. Additionally, we urge the CDC to collaborate with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide a publicly available report on the incidence and prevalence of ALS among military veterans. This report, due 1-year after enactment, must include a strategy to develop and test risk reduction strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans.

AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE

Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program-

The ACT for ALS Act established the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program for clinical grants ALS and other diseases. The FDA has already demonstrated admirable focus and speed in the projects it supported through partial funding of the ACT for ALS. Congress should provide the full authorized funding for this law and allocate $25 million for research that can further accelerate the approval of new therapies and cures for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Report Language: The Committee recommends $25 million as authorized in Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79) to fund research grants in Section 5 of the law, the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program. We recognize the importance of FDA’s Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program research into regulatory science tools to expedite the development and approval of new drugs and devices. The Committee also directs the FDA to fund Section 3 of ACT for ALS, the HHS PublicPrivate Partnership for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases to foster a network of research with funds also from HHS and NIH.

CONCLUSION

We appreciate your consideration of our FY2026 appropriations requests for ALS research. People living with ALS urgently need these investments in research to eradicate the disease. We need new treatments and cures, and more preclinical research projects for successful clinical trials. These endeavors will help people living with ALS to live longer, improve quality of life for people living with ALS and their families, prevent loved ones from getting ALS in the future, and allow Americans to live longer in a world without ALS.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER STATEMENT ON COMPLETION OF ALSTOM’S $75 MILLION, 250+ JOB EXPANSION AT HORNELL CAR BODY SHELL PRODUCTION FACILITY; SENATOR SECURED $3.4 MILLION IN FED FUNDING TO BRING EXPANSION TO LIFE &…

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today released the following statement on the completion of Alstom’s Plant 4, a new $75 million, 250+ job expansion at its Hornell campus, to house a new state-of -art, car body shell production facility to support production of 200 new multi-level commuter cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System, and enhance the company’s competitiveness for future projects in Hornell. In 2021, Schumer helped secure $3.4 million in critical federal funding to make the construction of Alstom’s Plant 4 a reality.

“It’s full steam ahead for Plant 4, Alstom’s new Hornell cutting-edge manufacturing facility! I was proud to secure $3.4 million in federal funding to put Alstom on the fast track to expand and house this new manufacturing facility. The opening of Plant 4 today is a win-win-win for American manufacturing leadership, the Southern Tier economy, and Alstom’s powerhouse union workforce, getting even stronger with 250 new good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “Today, Alstom solidifies the Southern Tier and New York State as the beating heart for its North American operations. I’ve long fought to support Alstom’s growth in Steuben County and will continue to fight to ensure Hornell has the resources it needs to be one of the nation’s main hubs for rolling stock manufacturing.”

In 2021, after his direct advocacy, Schumer announced a $3.4 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Hornell IDA to make improvements to the Shawmut Park site to pave the way for Alstom’s facility expansion. Schumer explained that the project allowed Alstom to build one of the only U.S.-based manufactured rail car shell operations, onshoring manufacturing from overseas and bolstering the rolling stock domestic supply chain. Schumer also helped support Alstom’s successful bid to make passenger rail cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System at its Hornell facility.

Schumer, a long-standing fighter for Alstom, its workers, and the City of Hornell, has worked tirelessly to support growth at its Steuben County facility, a site that for more than 170 years has been manufacturing and servicing high-quality trains in Hornell. Through his efforts, the workforce has doubled, and the facility has expanded, cementing Alstom and Hornell’s future as a leader in rail car manufacturing in North America. He led the charge, urging USDOT to green light Amtrak’s efforts to buy brand new Next Generation High-Speed trains, a necessary step to keep Alstom’s Acela contracting opportunity on track, paving the way for them to compete and win the prestigious contract to build a replacement fleet of Acela high speed trains, adding an estimated 400 jobs at Alstom in Hornell and helping attract over 50 other supplier companies.

Most recently, he successfully delivered nearly $16 million to the Steuben County IDA, who in partnership with Alstom, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Binghamton University’s New Energy New York (NENY) consortium, will develop next generation battery technology for more energy-efficient trains.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Cyprus

Source: IMF – News in Russian

June 2, 2025

Growth is expected to decelerate to 2.5 percent in 2025 and stabilize at 3 percent in the medium term as Cyprus shifts towards more investment-driven growth.
The fiscal surplus reached an impressive 4.3 percent of GDP in 2024, while public debt declined to 65 percent of GDP. Fiscal policy should continue to prioritize debt reduction to further build buffers against potential shocks.
The banking sector boasts substantial capital and liquidity buffers, with financial risks appearing well-contained. The recent tightening of the macroprudential policy stance, will further enhance these financial buffers.

Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for Cyprus and endorsed the staff appraisal without a meeting.[1] The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2]

In 2024, Cyprus’s growth accelerated to 3.4 percent—one of the highest rates in the euro area (EA)—driven by a strong tourism season, continued Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector expansion, and robust public and private consumption. While inflation has remained volatile, it has generally decreased, with headline inflation falling to 2.1 percent by March 2025. Fiscal performance continues to be very strong, with the fiscal surplus increasing to 4.3 percent of GDP in 2024, supported by robust tax revenues. As a result, public debt has declined to 65 percent of GDP by the end of 2024, while cash buffers remain large. Financial conditions remain tight, accompanied by subdued credit growth. Nevertheless, the banking sector possesses sizable capital and liquidity buffers, and overall banking sector risks appear contained.

Growth is expected to moderate to 2.5 percent in 2025 before reaching 3 percent in the medium term, driven by higher investment and structural reforms. Inflation is anticipated to hit the 2 percent target later this year, supported by moderating growth and lower oil prices. Near-term risks are tilted to the downside, including from elevated uncertainty from global trade tensions. In contrast, longer-term risks are more balanced, with risks on insufficient progress on structural reforms acting against the upside potential of Cyprus’s evolving business model.

Executive Board Assessment

In concluding the 2025 Article IV consultation with Cyprus, Executive Directors endorsed staff’s appraisal, as follows:

Cyprus has demonstrated remarkable economic resilience, with growth among the highest in the EA. This strong performance is underpinned by robust service exports and domestic consumption. The labor market remains tight, characterized by a declining unemployment rate and elevated job vacancy levels. While uncertainties persist, there are indications of potential overheating in the economy. This, along with tariff-related trade disruption, will lead growth to moderate this year. While volatile, inflation is projected to stabilize around 2 percent by the end of the year. The current account deficit is estimated to have moderated in 2024, but the external position is assessed to be weaker than the level implied by fundamentals.

The immediate outlook presents downside risks, while longer-term risks appear more balanced. An escalation of trade conflicts—particularly if this broadened to include services trade and FDI—poses an important downside risk. An escalation of regional tensions, and possible new energy price shocks, could affect FDI, tourism, and inflation. Domestically, there are concerns about further overheating, which may arise from a more accommodative fiscal policy. In the medium-to-long term, investment-driven growth will rely on continuous progress in structural reforms. On the upside, Cyprus’s agile and dynamic economy offers substantial potential for growth.

Cyprus’s strong fiscal position has reduced vulnerabilities. In 2024, the primary fiscal surplus reached 5.6 percent, fueled by significant revenue growth that more than compensated for increased public wages and social transfers. As a result, public debt decreased to 65 percent of GDP by the end of 2024, with substantial cash reserves supporting liquidity. This further increased resilience, built policy space for future shocks, and improved investor sentiment.

Fiscal policy should continue to prioritize debt reduction. Given overheating risks, it is crucial to avoid new discretionary measures that would ease fiscal policy and add to inflationary pressures. Instead, efforts should focus on reducing debt well below 60 percent of GDP, thereby ensuring a robust buffer against potential shocks. The authorities’ commitment to maintaining fiscal surpluses through 2028, as specified in the MTFSP under the new EU economic governance framework, supports this goal.

As spending pressures increase, careful management of fiscal space is essential. The financial commitments required for achieving climate and digital transitions will persist beyond the end of EU RRP funding. Additionally, an aging population will necessitate higher expenditures on pensions and healthcare, alongside other long-term expenditures. As a result, the scope for fiscal loosening in the medium term is constrained.

Public spending should emphasize investment while retaining flexibility in response to economic shocks. Capital expenditures should take precedence to enhance potential growth and facilitate the climate transition. At the same time, expanding current spending—such as increasing public wages, broadening subsidies, or introducing untargeted social programs—should be avoided. Specifically, the authorities should resist further increases to the COLA indexation or new ad-hoc salary increases to contain the existing substantial public-private wage gap and prevent additional pressure on real wage growth.

The banking sector boasts substantial capital and liquidity buffers, with financial risks appearing well-contained. Profitability metrics have reached record highs for the second consecutive year, and capitalization levels are now among the highest in Europe. Despite elevated interest rates, asset quality continues to improve, supported by strong economic growth. Nonetheless, ongoing vigilance is essential, particularly concerning the real estate sector.

Recent tightening of the macroprudential policy stance will enhance financial buffers further. The announced increase in the CCyB will bolster resilience by securing already high capital buffers without adversely affecting credit availability or economic growth. In the future, careful calibration of macroprudential policies should continue to strike a balance between financial stability and effective credit intermediation.

Although legacy NPLs continue to decrease, they remain at elevated levels. Most NPLs have been successfully transitioned away from the banking sector and do not pose a significant issue for financial stability. The ongoing resolution of legacy NPLs is expected to accelerate, given the full operationalization of the foreclosure framework and a strong uptake of the mortgage-to-rent scheme. Resolving legacy NPLs is expected to help mobilize domestic capital.

Structural reforms aimed at enhancing judicial efficiency and boosting labor productivity are vital for fostering long-term growth. With employment levels already high, capital deepening will increasingly drive growth. Consequently, policies must create a stable and streamlined business environment conducive to investment. Additional efforts are required in the judicial sector to strengthen the institutional framework for insolvency and creditor rights and to improve court efficiency. Labor policies should focus on addressing skill gaps and mismatches and engaging remaining segments of the labor force, particularly among youth and the long-term unemployed.

Key energy projects and reforms must be expedited to reduce energy costs, enhance energy security, and fulfill climate commitments. Completing the LNG terminal and improving electricity interconnectedness would represent significant progress toward these objectives. Additionally, increasing competition in the electricity market would help lower costs and emissions through market forces. The planned introduction of green taxation would further facilitate the energy transition.

Maintaining a strong AML framework is vital for mitigating reputational risks and business uncertainty. Ongoing efforts to broaden the definition of obliged entities for AML supervision are commendable. Furthermore, the proposed establishment of the National Sanctions Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Finance will enhance clarity for reporting entities regarding compliance with sanctions.

Table 1. Cyprus: Selected Economic Indicators, 2021–2030
	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030
					Projections
Real Economy	(Percent change, unless otherwise indicated)
Real GDP	11.4	7.2	2.8	3.4	2.5	2.7	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
Domestic demand	5.6	8.5	5.2	0.7	4.6	3.6	3.6	3.5	3.4	3.2
Consumption	5.7	8.5	4.8	3.3	3.2	2.6	2.8	2.9	2.8	2.8
Private consumption	4.7	9.8	5.9	3.8	2.8	2.9	3.2	3.2	3.2	3.1
Public consumption	8.9	4.7	1.2	1.5	4.4	1.4	1.2	1.7	1.7	1.7
Gross capital formation	5.0	8.5	6.6	-9.5	10.5	7.8	7.0	6.0	5.5	4.5
Foreign balance 1/	5.8	-1.1	-2.3	3.0	-1.9	-0.9	-0.7	-0.5	-0.4	-0.3
Exports of goods and services	27.2	27.1	-2.8	5.3	4.0	4.1	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0
Imports of goods and services	19.6	29.7	-0.7	2.4	6.1	5.1	4.6	4.5	4.4	4.2

Potential GDP growth	5.5	6.1	4.4	3.3	3.0	2.9	2.9	3.0	3.0	3.0
Output gap (percent of potential GDP)	0.9	2.0	0.4	0.6	0.2	-0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

HICP (period average, seasonally-adjusted)	2.3	8.1	3.9	2.3	2.2	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
HICP (end of period, seasonally-adjusted)	4.8	7.6	1.9	3.1	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
GDP deflator	3.0	6.7	3.8	3.5	4.7	1.6	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.6
Unemployment rate (percent, period average)	7.2	6.3	5.8	4.9	4.8	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Employment growth (percent, period average)	3.5	5.0	2.8	1.5	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8
Labor force	3.0	4.0	2.3	0.4	0.8	1.0	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8

Public Finance	(Percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)
General government balance	-1.6	2.7	1.7	4.3	3.8	3.5	2.4	2.1	1.9	1.6
Revenue	41.0	40.6	43.7	44.3	44.7	44.3	43.3	43.2	43.2	43.2
Expenditure	42.6	38.0	42.0	40.0	40.9	40.8	40.8	41.1	41.4	41.6
Primary Fiscal Balance	0.1	4.0	3.0	5.6	5.2	4.8	3.8	3.4	3.1	2.9
General government debt	96.5	81.1	73.6	65.1	60.2	54.9	49.7	44.5	41.2	38.3

Balance of Payments

Current account balance	-5.4	-5.4	-9.7	-6.1	-7.1	-7.7	-8.2	-8.7	-9.1	-9.4
Trade Balance (goods and services)	4.7	3.6	1.0	3.6	2.5	1.8	1.1	0.5	0.2	0.0
Exports of goods and services	90.8	105.6	97.2	96.7	95.8	97.4	98.4	99.5	100.5	101.5
Imports of goods and services	86.1	102.0	96.1	93.1	93.2	95.6	97.3	98.9	100.3	101.6
Goods balance	-16.9	-19.7	-23.7	-20.4	-20.4	-21.4	-22.4	-23.3	-24.2	-24.9
Services balance	21.6	23.3	24.7	24.0	22.9	23.2	23.5	23.9	24.4	24.9
Primary income, net	-8.9	-7.9	-9.6	-8.9	-8.6	-8.5	-8.4	-8.3	-8.3	-8.3
Secondary income, net	-1.2	-0.7	-1.1	-0.8	-1.0	-1.0	-1.0	-1.0	-1.0	-1.0

Capital account, net	0.2	0.1	-0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1

Financial account, net	-7.6	-6.2	-8.7	-5.9	-6.9	-7.5	-8.2	-8.6	-9.1	-9.3
Direct investment	-3.3	-27.2	-21.0	-18.0	-18.0	-18.1	-18.3	-18.3	-18.5	-18.6
Portfolio investment	3.9	3.9	11.0	4.9	5.8	3.6	4.2	3.5	1.5	2.6
Other investment and financial derivatives	-9.6	16.8	1.2	7.2	5.3	7.0	5.9	6.2	7.9	6.7
Reserves ( + accumulation)	1.4	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Program financing 2/	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	-1.0	-2.7	-2.5	-2.4	-2.4	-2.0
Errors and omissions	-2.5	-0.9	1.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Saving-Investment Balance
National saving	13.8	14.9	11.8	14.4	13.7	13.6	13.4	13.3	13.2	13.1
Government	1.8	5.8	6.7	7.9	7.8	7.3	6.3	6.1	6.1	5.8
Non-government	12.0	9.0	5.1	6.5	5.9	6.3	7.1	7.2	7.1	7.3
Gross capital formation	19.2	20.3	21.4	20.5	20.8	21.3	21.7	22.1	22.4	22.5
Government	3.5	3.2	5.0	3.6	3.9	3.8	3.9	4.1	4.2	4.2
Private	15.8	17.1	16.4	16.9	16.9	17.4	17.7	18.0	18.1	18.2
Foreign saving	-5.4	-5.4	-9.7	-6.1	-7.1	-7.7	-8.2	-8.7	-9.1	-9.4

Memorandum Item:
Nominal GDP (billions of euros)	25.7	29.4	31.3	33.6	36.0	37.6	39.3	41.1	42.9	44.9
Structural primary balance	-0.4	3.3	2.6	5.3	5.2	4.8	3.8	3.4	3.1	2.9
External debt	994.1	879.7	828.3	767.6	706.8	669.0	631.4	595.8	564.1	534.0
Net IIP	-105.7	-95.2	-92.7	-98.5	-99.3	-102.6	-106.9	-111.7	-114.6	-118.8
Sources: Cystat, Eurostat, Central Bank of Cyprus, and IMF staff estimates.
1/ Contribution to real GDP growth
2/ Program financing (+ purchases, – repurchases) is included under the Financial Account, with consistent sign conversion

[1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board. The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when the Board agrees that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

[2] Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the www.imf.org/cyprus page.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Boris Balabanov

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/02/pr-25171-cyprus-imf-concludes-2025-art-iv-consultation

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 3, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: What are Canada’s governing Liberals going to do about AI?

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jake Pitre, PhD Candidate in Film & Moving Image Studies, Concordia University

Fresh off his election victory, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been focused on standing up to Donald Trump’s claims on Canada as the 51st state and American tariffs. But while that political drama unfolds, one topic that seems to have quietly slipped under the radar is the rise of artificial intelligence.

Despite its transformative impact on everything from jobs to national security, AI received surprisingly little attention during the campaign and in the first weeks following Carney’s victory. The consequences of that lack of attention are already starting to show, as emissions and electricity costs continue unabated without a clear vision of where AI fits in.

Read more:
Anxious over AI? One way to cope is by building your uniquely human skills

Although Carney has appointed former journalist Evan Solomon as Canada’s first-ever AI minister, it’s not yet clear what action the Liberal government plans to take on AI.

The Liberals’ “Canada Strong” plan outlining the prime minister’s proposals is scarce on details. Still, it provides some clues on how the Liberals see AI and what they believe it offers to the Canadian economy — and also what they seem to have misunderstood.

Economy of the future?

First, the plan includes some robust initiatives for improving Canada’s digital infrastructure, which lags behind other leading countries, especially in terms of rural broadband and reliable cell service.

To accomplish these goals, the Liberals say they’ll incentivize investment by “introducing flow-through shares to our Canadian startup ecosystem…to raise money faster” for AI and other technologies.

In other words, they will reuse the model of mining and oil companies whereby investors can claim a tax deduction for the same amount as their investment. A major question is whether Canada’s investment ecosystem has enough big players willing to take these risks.

The plan gets less promising as it comes to the implementation of AI within “the economy of tomorrow.”

The Liberals say they plan to build more data centres, improve computing capacity and create digital supply chain solutions “to improve efficiency and reduce costs for Canadians.”

All that that sounds OK — so far. But how will they do this?

Connecting AI with Armed Forces

The Liberals plan to establish the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Science (BOREALIS), linking AI development directly to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Communications Security Establishment Canada, which provides the federal government with information technology security and foreign signals intelligence.

This approach to AI is focused on what it offers to Canada’s defence, whether by manufacturing semiconductors or improving intelligence gathering, so that it can rely less on the U.S. Similarly, Canadian defence tech firms will access funding to help reduce dependence on American suppliers and networks.

The Liberals are pledging sovereignty and autonomy for Canada’s defence and security, all enabled by “the construction and development of AI infrastructure.”

What goes unsaid is the intense power needs of data centres, and the consequences for emissions and climate action of “building the next generation of data centres” in Canada.

Climate concerns

New data centres cannot be built without also constructing more renewable energy infrastructure, and none of this addresses emissions or climate change.

If the centres crop up in big numbers as planned, Canadians could also see their electricity costs go up or become less reliable.

That’s because finding space within the existing grid is not as easy as it may sound when AI data centres require over 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity demand versus five to 10 MW for a regular centre.

With the rapidly evolving market for AI-based data centres, Canadian policymakers need to provide clear guidance to utilities in terms of their current decisions on competing industrial-scale demands. As the Canadian Climate Institute points out: “Anything less risks higher rates, increased emissions, missed economic opportunities — or all of the above.”

So far, the Liberal plan fails to address any of these concerns.

A Canadian department of efficiency?

What else does the “economy of tomorrow” hold?

Apparently, it means more efficient government. According to the Liberal plan, AI “is how government improves service delivery, it is how government keeps up with the speed of business, and it is how government maximizes efficiency and reduces cost.”

Despite otherwise clashing with the Trump administration, this language is reminiscent of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has also centred its use of AI.

Read more:
DOGE’s AI surveillance risks silencing whistleblowers and weakening democracy

The Liberals will open an Office of Digital Transformation, which aims to get rid of red tape and “reduce barriers for businesses to operate in Canada.”

They don’t seem to really know what this would actually look like, however. They say: “This could mean using AI to address government service backlogs and improve service delivery times, so that Canadians get better services, faster.”

Their fiscal plan points out that this frame of thinking applies to every single expenditure: “We will look at every new dollar being spent through the lens of how AI and technology can improve service and reduce costs.”

The economy will also benefit, the government argues, from AI commercialization, with $46 million pegged over the next four years to connect AI researchers with businesses.

This would work alongside a tax credit for small and medium-sized businesses to “leverage AI to boost their bottom lines, create jobs, and support existing employees.”

But a new report by Orgvue, the organizational design and planning software platform, shows that over half of businesses that rushed to impose AI just ended up making their employees redundant without clear gains in productivity.

Creating a tax credit for smaller companies to introduce AI seems like a recipe for repeating the same mistake.

Protect Canadians with good AI policy

Much of the Liberal plan seems to involve taking risks. There’s a shortsightedness on this rapidly advancing technology that requires significant guardrails.

The government seem to view AI as a solutions machine, buying into the hype around it without taking the time to understand it.

As policy is properly hashed out in the weeks and months to come, the Liberals’ feet will have to be held to the fire on the issue of AI. Canadians must benefit from its limited uses and be protected from its abuses.

Jake Pitre 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 are Canada’s governing Liberals going to do about AI? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-canadas-governing-liberals-going-to-do-about-ai-257537

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth means business at UKREiiF 2025

Source: City of Plymouth

By Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council

This May, I had the privilege of leading Plymouth’s delegation to the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds – and what a week it was.

We went to UKREiiF with a clear purpose: to shout loud and proud about Plymouth’s ambition, our potential, and our readiness for growth. We weren’t just there to attend – we were there to lead, to connect, and to inspire. Because for Plymouth, growth isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a necessity. It’s about jobs, homes, innovation, and opportunity. It’s about building a city that works for everyone.

From the moment we arrived, the energy was electric. Day one kicked off with a bang – our stand was buzzing with interest, and we hit the ground running with meetings, networking, and a strong presence across the event. We were there alongside major cities and regions, but we made sure Plymouth’s voice was heard. We’re not just a coastal city – we’re a city of ideas, of resilience, and of bold ambition.

One of the highlights was our panel session, where we brought together key voices to talk about the future of cities like ours. We spoke about the power of place, the importance of sustainable development, and the need for long-term investment in infrastructure and skills. I was proud to see Plymouth leading that conversation – not just reacting to change, but shaping it.

Throughout the week, we met with investors, developers, government officials, and partners from across the UK. We showcased our major regeneration opportunities – from the Freeport and Oceansgate to the city centre and waterfront. We talked about our strengths in marine, defence, digital, and clean energy. And we made it clear: Plymouth is open for business.But UKREiiF wasn’t just about promotion – it was about connection.

It was about building relationships that will unlock real benefits for our city. We had meaningful conversations that we’re already following up on – conversations that could lead to new investment, new jobs, and new opportunities for our residents.

For example, we had a fantastic conversation with Homes England. Earlier this year, we launched a bold new plan together to deliver up to 10,000 new homes in the heart of Plymouth. This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about creating a vibrant, liveable city centre that supports our growing workforce and attracts new talent. At UKREiiF, we built on this momentum with strategic conversations about other key sites.

Marcus Ralling from Homes England was clear: Plymouth offers one of the most compelling investment stories in the country. With the right partners, we can deliver high-quality homes, strong returns, and transformational change. This partnership is already bearing fruit – and it’s only just beginning.

What struck me most was the shared sense of purpose in all our conversations. Across the country, councils are grappling with similar challenges – housing, climate change, economic resilience. But there was also a shared optimism. A belief that with the right partnerships, the right vision, and the right leadership, we can build better places. And Plymouth is absolutely part of that story.

So what do we hope to get out of it? Tangible outcomes. We want to see investment flow into our city. We want to accelerate delivery of key projects. We want to bring partners on board who share our vision for inclusive, sustainable growth. And we want to keep raising Plymouth’s profile – nationally and internationally – as a city that’s going places.

UKREiiF 2025 was a milestone for us. It showed that Plymouth belongs on the national stage. It showed that we have the ambition, the assets, and the leadership to drive real change. And it reminded me – once again – why I’m so proud to lead this city.

Growth matters. Not for its own sake, but because of what it means for people. For families looking for a decent home. For young people seeking opportunity. For businesses ready to expand. For communities that deserve investment and pride in place.

Plymouth is ready. And we’re just getting started.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: $21.6M Awarded to Support NY Dairy Farms
Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced nearly $21.6 million has been awarded to 103 farms across the state through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program to support New York’s dairy industry. The funding, first announced in the Governor’s 2024 State of the State address, will help New York’s dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives invest in new equipment, expand storage capacity, and strengthen their operations, particularly as they face extreme weather events, providing a critical boost to New York’s dairy industry. The announcement comes as the State officially kicks off the celebration of Dairy Month this June.

“New York’s dairy industry is the backbone of our agricultural economy, supporting thousands of jobs across our rural communities,” Governor Hochul said. “With this $26 million investment through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program, we’re giving hardworking dairy farmers and cooperatives the tools they need to grow, innovate and lead in a changing market. This is how we honor our agricultural legacy — by making sure it has a strong and sustainable future.”

The awards were announced this morning at a special event at Glory Days Farm, a 120-cow dairy farm in Lowville, Lewis County. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball was joined by partners from the Farm and Food Growth Fund (FFGF), who administer this grant program on behalf of the Department, in addition to other North Country dairy farm awardees, Lowville Producers Dairy Cooperative Inc., New York Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District, and elected officials to celebrate these awardees.

As part of the program, Glory Days Farm, a New York State Grown & Certified participant, will now be able to install new equipment needed on the farm, including a 3,000-gallon bulk tank, washer, two new compressors, and a permanent generator to maintain power supply in the event of extreme weather. The project will improve storage capacity, which will prevent dumped milk and provide a cost savings to Glory Days Farm by allowing them to move to every-other-day milk pickup and reducing stop and hauling costs. New cooling technology will help the farm save energy and ensure milk quality, while the on-demand generator will allow for milk transfer in the event of disruptions.

A regional breakdown of the awards made across the State is listed below. A complete list of projects awarded for a total of $21.57 million can be found here.
- Capital Region: nine farms were awarded a total of nearly $1.8 million.
- Central New York: 18 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.9 million.
- Finger Lakes: 20 farms were awarded a total of more than $4.3 million.
- Mid-Hudson: One farm was awarded more than $147,000.
- Mohawk Valley: 11 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.1 million.
- North Country: 15 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.3 million.
- Southern Tier: 13 farms were awarded a total of nearly $2.6 million.
- Western New York: 13 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.7 million.
The Dairy Modernization Grant program awarded eligible applicants for projects to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve the transportation and storage of milk, and strengthen the dairy industry. The program supports the needs of dairy farmers by facilitating the installation of critical technological and infrastructural improvements that will improve dairy supply chain efficiency and avoid the need for raw milk dumping during emergency events.

Funding for the Dairy Modernization Grant Program is a part of Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State and her overarching commitment to the dairy industry, including additional funds dedicated in the FY26 Enacted Budget to support a $10 million second round of the program, and further funding dedicated to research and to implement climate-resilient practices on dairy farms.

This investment builds on the commitment that Governor Hochul has made to support sustainability in the agricultural industry, including for dairy farms. Under the Governor’s leadership, the FY26 Enacted Budget provides an additional $5.25 million from the Environmental Protection Fund over the previous year for agricultural programs and initiatives that also benefit New York dairy farms, such as the Climate Resilient Farming grant program and the Agricultural Non-Point Source Abatement and Control program, that are helping farms to implement environmentally sustainable practices and combat climate change. Additional allocations for the Farmland Protection Program and the State’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts will also support the New York dairy community.

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has made significant strides in expanding the dairy manufacturing sector in New York. In the last few years, New York has celebrated investments across the state, including a $650 million fairlife production plant in Webster, the $518 million Great Lakes Cheese packaging and manufacturing facilities in Franklinville, and a $30 million expansion to the Agri-Mark cheese manufacturing facility in Chateaugay, helping New York continue to be the leading producer of milk in the Northeast. Most recently, the Governor announced Chobani, which opened its first U.S. plant in 2005 in New York, will build a 1.4 million square foot, $1.2 billion facility in Rome, Oneida County, capable of producing over one-billion pounds of high-quality dairy products per year. There are currently nearly 300 world-recognized dairy processing plants across New York.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of New York agriculture and our state’s dairy industry, which is so critical to our agricultural economy. Our dairy farmers and processors are second to none when it comes to the care they give to the land and their animals and the quality of their milk products. I am so pleased to see this funding being awarded to these deserving farms, who will now have the additional resources they need to ensure that they can continue to provide the very best milk and dairy products, and keep operations and the supply chain going, even in the event of severe weather or emergency events.”

Farm and Food Growth Fund President and CEO Todd Erling said, “New York State is the country’s fifth largest dairy producing state, with almost 3,000 farms. The majority are family-run and generational operations which this grant program largely benefits. Ensuring efficient and updated infrastructures will not only strengthen and safeguard the supply chain, but will also help to build forward-looking opportunities for the next generation of dairy farmers. Thanks to our hard working farm families, and with the support of Governor Hochul, New York continues to be a leader in our regional food system.”

Glory Days Farm Owners The Beyer Family said, “Our aspiration is for our farm and farms like ours to remain viable for future generations. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program gives farms like ours the opportunity to progress and innovate, and continue being the lifeblood of our communities. This program encourages the adoption of efficient technology that improves food safety with more consideration to environmental impacts, securing the future of dairy in New York.”

State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York is in the top five of dairy states producing some of the best products in the country. Dairy is our largest agricultural sector and a powerful contributor to our state and local economies, which is why supporting this leading industry is a major state priority. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program helps our dairy farmers and processors future-proof their operations, ensuring that New York dairy maintains its high standards while advancing efficiency and resiliency. I’m proud to have helped champion this grant program in our state agriculture budget and want to congratulate all of the local dairies and processors, including Uplands Farm in Millbrook, that received funding awards!”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “In order for New York to maintain its prominence as a leading dairy state, we have to make important infrastructure investments. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program provides needed technology and upgrades for our dairy farms and cooperative dairies. I am thankful that all of our partners in state government recognize and support the hardworking men and women who make up New York’s largest agricultural sector.”

Northeast Dairy Producers Association Executive Vice President Tonya Van Slyke said, “For generations, New York’s family dairy farms have been leaders in progressive, science-based management practices that improve efficiencies in the barns, the fields, and the milking parlors, along with storing and transporting milk. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program helps address challenges family dairy farms face and will make a significant impact by providing solutions for increased on-farm milk storage capacity, new technology, and improved efficiencies in transportation for the farms that were awarded grant opportunities. We appreciate the Governor’s continued investment in our family dairy farms, as we work together to protect New York’s food security and cement the state’s position as a leader in dairy.”

New York State Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “New York’s dairy industry is critical to the agricultural and economic health of our state. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program is not only a significant step in improving operations for farmers across New York, but also in making a commitment to agricultural sustainability. With Dairy Month upon us, we celebrate dairy farms of all sizes and the farmers who bring fresh, nutritious products to the table every day.”

About the Dairy Industry in New York State

New York State has roughly 3,000 dairy farms that produce over 16 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth-largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the state’s economy by generating nearly half of the state’s total agricultural receipts and providing some of the highest economic multipliers. New York’s unique and talented dairy producers and processors contribute significantly to the state’s agriculture industry, economy and the health of our communities.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: President Donald J. Trump Appoints Joseph H. Thompson Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – Joseph H. Thompson, who has served as a federal prosecutor for sixteen years, has been appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota.

“I am honored and humbled to be asked to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota,” said Mr. Thompson. “I look forward to continuing our office’s work combatting violent crime, the scourge of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, and the shocking and unacceptable levels of fraud in our state government programs.”

Mr. Thompson has served as a federal prosecutor for more than sixteen years, first in the Northern District of Illinois and since 2014 in the District of Minnesota. In that time, Mr. Thompson has investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases, many of which involve matters of national and international significance. Most recently, Mr. Thompson has served as the Chief of the Fraud & Public Corruption section. In this role, Mr. Thompson has overseen an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute fraud against state and federal government programs, including as the lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future investigation, which has been recognized by the Department of Justice as the largest Covid-19 fraud in the United States.

From 2023 to 2024, Mr. Thompson served on the Special Counsel team investigating the mishandling of classified documents found at the Penn-Biden Center in Washington, DC, and the personal residence of President Joseph R. Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.

Mr. Thompson previously served as a federal prosecutor in Chicago from 2009 to 2014, where he prosecuted street gangs, drug cartels, corrupt politicians, and domestic terrorists.

Mr. Thompson has tried more than twenty jury trials in every major area of federal prosecution. Mr. Thompson has briefed and argued more than a dozen cases before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Thompson has received numerous awards and accolades for his work as a federal prosecutor, including the 2024 Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work as the lead prosecutor on one of the largest elder fraud cases in the country.

For more than a decade, Mr. Thompson taught law school, including an advanced criminal law course at the University of Minnesota Law school. Mr. Thompson has also taught trial advocacy to new AUSAs from around the country at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center in South Carolina.

Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Mr. Thompson worked in private practice in Chicago. He also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and for the Supreme Court of the Republic of Palau.

Mr. Thompson was born and raised in Minnesota. He earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Gustavus Adolphus College, and his law degree, with distinction, from Stanford Law School.

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Duo Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Cyberstalking For Scheme That Resulted In A Victim’s Death

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Trysten Anthony Cullon, 26, of South Carolina, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez and pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking for a scheme targeting a vulnerable victim and his immediate family members using extortive and threatening text messages, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Previously, on April 10, 2025, Jade Ashlynn Stone, 25, of South Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking.

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to the indictment, filed plea documents, and the court hearings, from September 5 to September 8, 2024, the defendants conspired to engage in a cyberstalking conspiracy that targeted a victim identified in court documents as C.T. C.T. had an intellectual disability and was classified as Educable Mentally Disabled. Because of his disability, C.T. was extensively supported by his immediate family and did not live on his own. C.T. was also employed at a fast-food restaurant chain in Charlotte.

As Cullon and Stone admitted in court, they used a stolen phone to send C.T.’s family members multiple harassing and intimidating text messages demanding money and threatened to provide derogatory and embarrassing information to C.T.’s employer unless they were paid, including salacious claims that C.T. was a pervert, that he harassed girls, and that he paid girls for sexual pictures. As a result of the substantial emotional distress caused by the extortive and threatening text messages sent by the defendants, C.T. died by suicide.

Cullon and Stone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Cullon and Stone are both in custody. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of this case and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for its substantial assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI: Granite Credit Union Announces Grand Opening Celebration of New Sandy Branch

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SALT LAKE CITY, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Granite Credit Union is excited to announce the official grand opening of its new Sandy Branch, located at 9383 S 700 E, Sandy, Utah 84070. The celebration will take place on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The community is invited to enjoy food from local food trucks, GirlsWhoSmash and Udder Rivals, music, prize drawings, giveaways, and activities for all ages, including a cash machine.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of our new branch with our members and the community,” said Charlotte Toone, branch manager. “This location offers exceptional convenience, centrally located near shopping and in one of Sandy’s fastest-growing areas. It’s a place where members can connect with our team for personalized financial guidance and support in achieving their financial goals.”

The new Sandy Branch features a modern, open design that creates a welcoming and innovative environment for members to manage their finances. Granite Credit Union offers various services, including savings and checking accounts, insurance, investments, automobile loans, ITIN loans, real estate, commercial, and business lending.

As Granite Credit Union continues to celebrate its 90^th anniversary, it remains grounded in its core values and focused on the future. Whether through expanded access to financial products, deeper community engagement, or its pledge to serve the underserved, Granite Credit Union is—and always will be—”always there…so you can make life happen.”

To learn more about the event, please visit Granite Credit Union.

About Granite Credit Union

Founded in 1935, Granite Credit Union serves over 37,000 members and has nearly $900 million in assets. Committed to helping members achieve their financial goals, Granite Credit Union offers a variety of financial products and services, including competitive rates, flexible lending options, and personalized financial guidance. With a vision of “always there… so you can make life happen,” the credit union strives to empower members with the tools and support they need to succeed financially. Members enjoy access to secure mobile banking services, online tools, and personalized in-branch assistance at locations across Utah. Granite Credit Union is dedicated to positively impacting its communities through financial education, trusted relationships, and exceptional service. Granite Credit Union is always there…so you can make life happen. Learn more at granite.org.

Media Contact:
marketing@granite.org

The MIL Network –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech

Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025

Minister Smyth addressed the Royal College of Physicians annual conference

Since 1948, this organisation has been one of the greatest allies advocating for universal access to health care, high standards in clinical practice, and evidence based medicine.

And today, I really want to thank our members for everything that you have done over the past 14 years to hold our NHS together.

Through no fault of your own, you’ve been through the worst crisis in the history of the NHS waiting list at historic highs, patient satisfaction at record lows, people struggling to see a GP, ambulances not turning up on time. Any department is full to bursting.

That founding promise that the NHS will always be there for us when we needed it, broken.

But as someone who had my own career 30 years ago in the health service, I completely understand how demoralising this has been for so many staff, how powerless people have felt desperately trying to stop standards slipping or holding a broken system together.

That’s how I felt as an NHS leader locally, watching the disastrous 2012 reorganisation imposed from the top down, despite all the warnings from frontline leaders and staff. And since then we’ve also had to deal with underinvestment and the global pandemic.

But while those blows may have left the NHS broken, it’s not beaten.

Every day there are amazing people delivering outstanding and compassionate care.

Despite all of those challenges, day in, day out, you show up for work and you fight to deliver the very best care possible for your patients.

Since coming into office, this government has done everything we can to support you. To restore that basic founding principle that the NHS should always be there for us when we need it. With our Plan for Change, we have hit the ground running.

As our first step, we promised two million more appointments in our first year.

Promise made, promise kept: we delivered our promise seven months early and we’ve reached our target, delivering not two, but three million more appointments since July and counting.

We’ve got waiting lists down by over 200,000 people.

We ended the strike within three weeks and have now delivered two above-inflation pay rises for NHS staff.

We’ve invested an extra £26 billion in health and care.

We’ve recruited 1,500 more GPs, and agreed a GP contract for the first time since the pandemic.

We’ve delivered the biggest investment to hospitals in a generation.

The biggest expansion of carer’s allowance since the 1970s.

A boost for older and disabled people through the Disabled Facilities Grant.

The biggest real-terms increase to the Public Health Grant in nearly a decade.

We’ve given pharmacies the biggest funding uplift in a generation.

For patients, we’ve frozen prescription charges.

We’ve struck a new deal that will mean women will be able to get the morning-after-pill from pharmacies across the country, absolutely free of charge.

A lot done, but we know, a hell of a lot more left to do.

But from day one, we have been clear that investment must come with reform.

Our job is twofold.

First, to get the NHS back on its feet, treating patients on time again, and second, to reform the service for the long term, so it is fit for the future.

This summer we will publish our 10 Year Plan for Health.

Shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospital and into the community with more investment in primary and community care.

Bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, arming staff with modern equipment and cutting edge technology.

And thirdly, turning our sickness service into a preventative health service to help people live well for longer and tackle the biggest killers.

We’re supporting the effort of prevention through our Smoking and Vapes Bill, to protect children and the most vulnerable to make this generation of kids the first smoke-free generation, and to save untold billions spent on their future care.

The ban on junk food advertising targeted at children will be a first step in addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity, and those same kids are benefiting from breakfast clubs, so they start school with hungry minds and not hungry bellies.

Our Mental Health Bill will stop the disgraceful incarceration of learning-disabled adults.

We’re working with health unions, councils and employers to deliver the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for social care staff.

And Louise Casey is leading the Commission on Social Care, which will finally get a grip on a system that is broken for too many families.

Because, as you all know so well, the pressures facing hospitals don’t start in hospitals, just as the problems facing the NHS don’t necessarily start in the NHS, they are a reflection of wider society.

Fixing broken Britain will require more than fixing a broken NHS.

After this speech, I’m going to add my own post-it note to your interactive map.

When my team asked me to think about the most pressing issue in my constituency of Bristol South, I was very quick to answer. Poverty.

The health service can fix people when they’re broken, but we don’t want people broken.

The factors that make my constituents unwell are wide ranging, socioeconomic and environmental.

In other words, the conditions in which we are born, grow, live and work. Secure jobs. Fair pay. Decent housing. Safe streets. Clean air. Accessible transport. The time and affordable facilities to exercise and nutritious food.

These are the essential building blocks of a healthy life.

And that’s why this government is focused on economic growth and improving healthy life expectancy for all, while halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England.

And it’s why reform of the health service is so important, because every pound we spend on the health service is a pound that can’t be spent on what you and I call the social determinants of ill health.

But what everyone else calls feeding hungry children, building warm homes and cleaning up our water and the air that we breathe.

The NHS has often been compared to an oil tanker that has immense capacity but is slow to change direction. Shifting the focus of our health service will be an immense task, and one that we can only accomplish with your help.

We’ve already been clear that we’re embarking on a decade of national renewal and that’s why we’re launching a 10 Year Plan.

Since coming into office, we’ve sought to reset the relationship with medics to improve working lives and restore value.

This government was never going to be able to completely reverse a decade and a half of decline in only ten months, but this year’s pay awards, the second above inflation pay rise in a row, demonstrates our commitment to rebuilding the NHS and rebuilding the pay conditions and morale of all NHS staff.

When I joined the NHS 30 years ago, I saw the NHS at what I thought was the worst.

I remember later on working with the team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on urgent care, discussing those awful trolley waits, coming into work every day, people trying to find a space or somewhere to discharge people from A&E, conversations that, sadly, are all too familiar again today.

But I also saw, especially in the years leading up to 2010, the pride people have when they’re working in an improving, well-run system.

When you’re able to go home at the end of the day, knowing that your patients received the best possible care and the pride, you know that you’re working at the top of your license as part of a team rebuilding a healthier Britain.

The NHS cannot be saved by one person sitting behind a desk in Whitehall.

We will only succeed if this is a team effort. From the Prime Minister to the 1.5 million people who work in the service, and the millions of us who use it to take decisions needed to lead healthier, more active lives.

Turning the NHS around will take time.

It really won’t be easy, but the prize, the prize available to us is huge and if we get this right, we will be able to say that we were the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet and made it fit for future generations.

Updates to this page

Published 2 June 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: JOHN P. HEEKIN SWORN IN AS U. S. ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John P. “Jack” Heekin took the oath of office this morning from Chief District Judge Mark E. Walker to become the 42^nd U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Mr. Heekin was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi as the interim United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida on May 6, 2025, and was nominated to that office by President Donald Trump that same day. Mr. Heekin succeeds Michelle Spaven, who was named Acting U.S. Attorney in early February of 2025.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am deeply honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and look forward to working alongside our outstanding prosecutors, support staff, and law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe. Together, we will fulfill the commitment to public safety advanced by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, and we will make the Northern District of Florida the safest place in America to live, work, and raise a family.”

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Heekin is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of Florida, which includes Florida’s 23 panhandle counties, from Escambia in the west to Alachua in the east. The district has offices in Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Gainesville. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, health care fraud, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Heekin recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and General Counsel to U.S. Senator Rick Scott (FL) in Washington, D.C., covering a legislative policy portfolio related to the federal judiciary, immigration, law enforcement & criminal justice, and constitutional issues, and advising the Senator on judicial and executive nominations.

Prior to that, USA Heekin served in the administration of Governor Rick Scott as his Chief Deputy General Counsel, and later as Deputy Chief of Staff, overseeing the Governor’s criminal justice agencies, including the Florida Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the Commission on Offender Review. He also served as the Governor’s Executive Clemency Advisor and oversaw the execution of death warrants for Florida’s death row inmates. He acted as Chief Counsel to the Governor’s Financial Emergency Board for Opa-locka and served as the General Counsel to the Governor and Florida Cabinet sitting as the Administration Commission and the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission. He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting criminal offenses for the 15^th Judicial Circuit of Florida in Palm Beach County.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University, and his Juris Doctor with a certificate in Comparative and International Law from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, where he graduated cum laude. While in law school, he authored two published works: “Leashing the Internet Watchdog: Legislative Restraints on Electronic Surveillance in the U.S. and U.K.,” published in The American Intelligence Journal (Vol. 28, No. 1 (Fall 2010)), and “ADHD and the New Americans with Disabilities Act: Expanded Legal Recognition for Cognitive Disorders,” published in The William & Mary Policy Review (Vol. II, No. 1 (Fall 2010)).

He is a member of the Florida Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the Federalist Society, and the Republican National Lawyers Association.

U.S. Attorney Heekin recognized Ms. Spaven for her exemplary service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida and North Florida communities. Ms. Spaven will continue her career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

His primary office will be in Tallahassee.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Jury Convicts Murder-For-Hire Conspirators, Face Life in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MIAMI – A federal jury convicted three South Florida men for their involvement in a murder-for-hire plot carried out in August 2019.

On May 21, Rolando Ramirez, 52, of Doral, and Rasheed “Fresh” Ali, 39, of Miami, were found guilty of solicitation of a crime of violence (interstate stalking), interstate stalking, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm, discharging a firearm in furtherance of interstate stalking, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and murder for hire. Tamrat “Shifta” Mason, 41, of Miami, together with Ramirez and Ali, was also found guilty of tampering with the investigation that resulted in their arrest in August 2024.

According to court records and evidence introduced during trial, Ramirez and the victim, a local businessman, had a contentious federal lawsuit involving various issues related to their business arrangement, including a non-competition clause. The victim won the right to continue to compete. During settlement negotiations, Ramirez told the victim, “In due time, I will kill you.”

Ali and Mason had a marijuana distributor in New York, Jaime Serrano. Serrano had an outstanding debt to Ali and Mason, which Ali told Serrano he could clear by executing a hit for his friend. Serrano testified that Ali told him the target was a former business partner, who “snitched” on his friend in court. Ali added that Ramirez considered himself “Cuban Mafia.” On August 28, 2019, Serrano, together with Julian Jimenez, carried out the near-fatal shooting of the victim.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Ramirez, Ali, and Mason tampered with the investigation to cover up their involvement or knowledge of the crime.

As part of a separate case, Jimenez pled guilty to interstate stalking, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime. A federal jury found Serrano guilty of the same charges. Jimenez and Serrano were sentenced to 35 and 50 years in prison, respectively.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 5, before U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman. Ramirez and Ali face a sentence of up to life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated this case, with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael Gilfarb of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

The charges contained in an information are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20341.

###

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Atlanta Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Heroin

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

FLORENCE, S.C. — Demetrius Stepp, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on three occasions in April and May 2022, a confidential informant working with Myrtle Beach Police Department purchased narcotics from Stepp. On each occasion, Stepp claimed to sell the confidential informant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine. Lab testing later revealed that the substances sold by Stepp were not crack cocaine and heroin, but crack cocaine and fentanyl. Additional investigation showed that for years, Stepp had been involved in trafficking crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin throughout Horry County, often making multiple drug sales per day.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Stepp to 70 months imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Matthew Ellis are prosecuting the case.

###

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: In the Wake of Colorado Terrorist Attack Allegedly Committed by Illegal Alien, DHS Announces Revamping of ICE Tip Line

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS is revamping resources and personnel to get terrorists, gang members, sex offenders, and violent criminal illegal aliens out of the country

WASHINGTON – In the wake of the most recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado—allegedly committed by illegal alien Mohamed Soliman—the Department of Homeland Security is revamping its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tip line.

The 24-hour tip line gives Americans the ability to report suspicious criminal activity by illegal aliens including terrorist activity, gang related crimes, and suspected sex trafficking. The tip line is manned by highly trained specialists who take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on the more than 400 laws enforced by ICE. Secretary Noem will be providing more resources and personnel to this tip line to ensure DHS is able to quickly identify, locate, and arrest these criminal illegal aliens.

“For four years, the Biden Administration allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens—including terrorists, gang members, and other violent criminals—to pour into our country. Yesterday’s terrorist attack by a suspect illegally in our country, underscores the importance of getting these illegal aliens out of our country,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Secretary Noem is revamping ICE’s illegal alien tip line to devote more resources and personnel to help remove these criminal illegal aliens from our country. To report suspicious criminal activity, call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423)— help President Trump, Secretary Noem and our brave law enforcement remove these public safety threats from our communities and to make America safe again.”

To report suspicious criminal activity, call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

###

MIL Security OSI –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI: Quantum eMotion Closes Brokered LIFE Financing of $12,000,000

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

MONTREAL, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantum eMotion Corp. (“QeM” or the “Corporation”) (TSX.V: QNC; OTCQB: QNCCF; F: 34Q0) is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced best efforts brokered private placement for total gross proceeds of $12,000,000 (the “Offering”), consisting of the issuance of 8,000,000 units of the Corporation (each a “Unit”) at a price of $1.50 per Unit (the “Offering Price”), pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption (the “LIFE Exemption”) under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”). A.G.P. Canada Investments ULC (the “Agent”) acted as sole bookrunner for the Offering and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as the sole U.S. agent to the Corporation in connection with the Offering.

Each Unit consists of (i) one common share in the capital of the Corporation (a “Share”), and (ii) one common share purchase warrant (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles its holder to acquire one additional common share (a “Warrant Share”) of the Corporation at a price of $1.82 for a period of 3 years from the date of issuance.

The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds raised from the Offering to accelerate the pace of its research and development (“R&D”) efforts, expand the R&D team, hire staff for the commercialization initiatives underway and for general working capital purposes.

Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with NI 45-106, the securities issued pursuant to the LIFE Exemption are expected to be immediately freely tradeable and will not be subject to a hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws.

There is an offering document related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Corporation’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Corporation website at https://www.quantumemotion.com/.

As consideration for their services, the Agent has received an aggregate cash fee equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. In addition, the Corporation issued to the Agent non-transferable warrants (the “Agent Warrants”) representing 4.0% of the aggregate number of Units issued pursuant to the Offering. Each Agent Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Corporation at price of $1.66 for a 30-month period from the date of issuance.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

About QeM

The Corporation’s mission is to address the growing demand for affordable hardware and software security for connected devices. QeM has become a pioneering force in classical and quantum cybersecurity solutions thanks to its patented Quantum Random Number Generator, a security solution that exploits the built-in unpredictability of quantum mechanics and promises to provide enhanced protection for high-value assets and critical systems.

The Corporation intends to target highly valued Financial Services, Healthcare, Blockchain Applications, Cloud-Based IT Security Infrastructure, Classified Government Networks and Communication Systems, Secure Device Keying (IOT, Automotive, Consumer Electronics) and Quantum Cryptography.

For further information, please visit our website at https://www.quantumemotion.com/ or contact us at: info@quantumemotion.com

Marc Rousseau, Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (514) 886-0045
Email: info@quantumemotion.com
Website: www.quantumemotion.com

Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which is based upon the Corporation’s current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Corporation’s expectations with respect to the use of proceeds and the use of the available funds following completion of the Offering, and the completion of the Corporation’s business objectives, and the timing, costs, and benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information relate to future events and future performance and include statements regarding the expectations and beliefs of management based on information currently available to the Corporation. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “potential”, “is expected”, “anticipated”, “is targeted”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating risks inherent to the cybersecurity industry, the value of the Corporation’s intangible assets, completing proof of concept studies, protecting intangible assets rights, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms or at all, the possibility that future results will not be consistent with the Corporation’s expectations, increases in costs, changes in legislation and regulation, changes in economic and political conditions and other risks involved in the cybersecurity industry and inherent to new technologies, such as risk of obsolescence, slow adoption and competing technological advances; and those risks set out in the Corporation’s public documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that could cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. For more information on the Corporation and the risks and challenges of its business, investors should review the Corporation’s annual filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. The Corporation provides no assurance that forward-looking statements or forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The MIL Network –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI: Snail Games Celebrates ARK Franchise’s 10-Year Anniversary with New Content and Global Community Events
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) (“Snail Games” or the “Company”), a leading global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment, is proud to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of ARK: Survival Evolved (“ASE”), its flagship title and a pillar of its long-term success. Since its debut in Early Access in 2015, ARK has evolved into what we believe to be a world-renowned franchise with a massive player base, strong commercial performance, and an enduring presence in the sandbox survival gaming ecosystem.

With an install base of over 92.1 million for ARK: Survival Evolved and more than 3.7 billion hours of total playtime logged on Steam, the original title remains one of the most enduring and beloved survival games in the genre. ASE recorded 1.1 million Steam peak daily active users (DAU), a reflection of its global reach and dedicated community.

The next-generation remake, ARK: Survival Ascended (“ASA”), continues this legacy with a 4.2 million install base since launch in 2023 and more than 275 million hours played to date on Steam. ASA’s peak DAU of 308,000 illustrates the strong adoption of the UE5-powered game, with more content, performance enhancements, and cross-platform innovations planned for future growth.

In December 2024, ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition launched globally. The mobile mode effectively reduces hardware barriers and extends the reach of the ARK franchise to a broader international and mobile-first audience. Since its release, the mobile title has exceeded 6.1 million downloads across iOS and Android platforms. With additional premium expansion maps slated for the rest of 2025, Snail Games continues to enhance the mobile experience and reinforce its commitment to growing the ARK franchise on mobile platforms.

IGN Live 2025

As part of ARK’s 10^th anniversary campaign, Snail Games will also be exhibiting at IGN Live, which will be held from June 6th through June 8th. ARK will be featured both through an interactive booth experience and a dedicated developer panel, providing a platform to engage directly with fans and highlight one of ARK’s next chapters ARK: Aquatica. At the booth Snail will be hosting a contest with a $10,000 prize pool, stop by for more details!

Upcoming Content Releases

To mark the 10-year milestone, Snail Games is launching a series of content and community activations across platforms:
- ARK: Survival Ascended Anniversary Event – Scheduled to span across June 2nd – June 12^th; Includes an Egg Incubator, Birthday Suit cosmetics, Surprise Cake item, new event skins, emotes, and additional celebratory in game content.
- ASA: Astraeos Update – The first major update of Astraeos introduces Lemnokis, a vast new island featuring diverse biomes from snowy and warm redwoods to valleys, forests, and glacier caves, the game’s first duo-minibosses Kalydonios and Erymanthian (two colossal boars wielding fire and poisonous gas), as well as new deep-sea zones rich in resources and a mysterious oceanic location known as The Maelstrom.
- ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition – Genesis Part 1 is becoming available for mobile players on June 3rd.
- ARK: Lost Colony pre-orders start June 18, 2025 – a full-sized canonical expansion pack that continues the ARK saga with a massive, danger-filled city, new creatures, items, structures, exotic tames, advanced building systems, unique gear, powerful character abilities, and a storyline that bridges ARK: Extinction, ARK: Genesis, and ARK 2.
- ARK: Ragnorak – The fan favorite ancient battleground of beasts and myth awakens again June 18th, fully remastered in ARK Survival: Ascended.
- ARK: Aquatica DLC – Luminati Suns’ track “On My Way” sets the tone for underwater playground DLC ARK: Aquatica.
  Listen to “On My Way” on Steam!
  Watch the Luminati Suns “On My Way” Behind the Scenes Video
For creators interested in collaborative opportunities reach out to creatordirect@noiz.gg.

About Snail, Inc.
Snail, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNAL) is a leading, global independent developer and publisher of interactive digital entertainment for consumers around the world, with a premier portfolio of premium games designed for use on a variety of platforms, including consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. For more information, please visit: https://snail.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “may,” “predict,” “continue,” “estimate” and “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding certain of the Company’s upcoming plans to celebrate and commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Company’s flagship title and a pillar of its long-term success: ARK: Survival Evolved, which includes a proposed exhibition at IGN Live, which will be held from June 6th through June 8^th, 2025. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed by the Company with the SEC on March 26, 2025 and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s Forms 10-Q filed with the SEC. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Investor Contact:
John Yi and Steven Shinmachi
Gateway Group, Inc.
949-574-3860
SNAL@gateway-grp.com

The MIL Network –
June 3, 2025

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Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025

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