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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Pettersen’s Bill to Expand Access to Treatment, Combat Opioid Epidemic

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen’s bill – the Support for Patients and Communities Act – to reauthorize funding for critical prevention, treatment, and recovery substance use disorder (SUD) programs. 

    Pettersen’s own mother struggled with a decades-long battle with addiction after being overprescribed opioids. Inspired by her mom’s struggle, Rep. Pettersen has fought to expand access to treatment to help people like her mother receive the care they need, including passing a bill that directed Colorado to apply for a Section 1115 Waiverto cover residential and inpatient treatment for individuals struggling with addiction. In the first year alone, this waiver increased access to substance use disorder treatment by 60% and 48,000 Coloradans were able to get the care they needed. Colorado also saw a 35% decline in fentanyl-related deaths in this past year. 

    “At a time when the Trump administration is dismantling the agency that oversees treatment and recovery services and is taking away health care from people struggling with addiction, protecting these programs is more important than ever,” said Pettersen. “In my fight to save my mom’s life, I saw how broken our system is, and I’ve been working every day to fix it. Colorado has led the way by expanding treatment and making resources like Narcan widely available. We have to protect that progress and keep fighting to make sure people like my mom have the tools they need to rebuild their lives and live in recovery.” 

    Republicans struck down Pettersen’s amendment to protect Section 1115 Waivers which are currently on the chopping block in Republicans’ budget proposal. Pettersen’s amendment would have allowed states to use downstream savings to calculate budget neutrality for Section 1115 Waivers, or Medicaid Demonstration Programs. Substance use disorder patients who receive the care they need can save states thousands of dollars in the long-term. 

    “While I’m pleased to see this legislation move forward, I’m deeply disappointed that Republicans rejected my amendments to protect Section 1115 Waivers,” said Pettersen. “The disastrous Republican budget would completely decimate the progress we’ve made in combatting the opioid crisis in Colorado and leave people to die without access to the treatment they need to survive.” 

    Specifically, the Support for Patients and Communities Act will:

    • Expand access to naloxone for first-responders and community members; 
    • Provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for pregnant and postpartum women;
    • Address SUD workforce shortages by expanding loan repayment programs and fellowship opportunities for healthcare providers; 
    • Increase access to peer-led recovery support services; 
    • Fund Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers; and 
    • Promote the prevention of overdoses through prescription drug monitoring programs. 

    The legislation is endorsed by over 160 vital substance use disorder treatment and recovery organizations, including Faces and Voices of Recovery, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, and Mental Health Colorado.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Klobuchar Lead Senate Spotlight Forum on Devastating Impact of GOP SNAP Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Spotlight Forum Follows CBO Analysis Warning That Millions of Food-Insecure Americans Will Face Higher Food Costs;

    Lawmakers, Experts Warn of National Hunger Crisis and State Budget Shortfalls Under GOP Proposal

    More photos available HERE.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, led a Senate Spotlight Forum titled “Hunger by Design: The GOP’s Assault on SNAP,” bringing together national experts and advocates to highlight the dangerous consequences of Congressional Republicans’ proposal to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $300 billion.

    SNAP is a lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. The forum followed House Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Betrayal of American families – cutting SNAP by 30% – the largest cut in the program’s history. These cuts will raise grocery costs for more than 4 million Americans in need by taking away or reducing their food assistance.

    “The House Republican bill proposes the deepest cuts to SNAP in American history – gutting $300 billion in nutrition assistance and forcing states to take on more than $150 billion in costs. This would dismantle one of our most effective anti-poverty programs and hurt millions of Americans – including children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities,” said Senator Luján. “In New Mexico, I’ve heard directly from food banks, farmers, and families already stretched thin. These cuts would only make it harder for them to get by.

    “I was honored to lead this forum alongside Senator Klobuchar and to stand with my Democratic colleagues in fighting these extreme GOP cuts. I was especially proud to elevate the voice of Katy Anderson from Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico, who brought critical insight into how these cuts would impact communities on the ground. The testimony of our witnesses reminded us what’s really at stake – and why we have to keep fighting,” continued Senator Luján. 

    “House Republicans’ bill will rip the rug out from under families who count on SNAP to put food on the table. It will mean more seniors, children, veterans, and people with disabilities will go to bed hungry,” said Senator Klobuchar.

    “The House Republican bill will upend state budgets – forcing states to make impossible choices between food assistance and other priorities, like education, health, and public safety. It will devastate our farmers, who stand to lose $35 billion in revenue over the next decade. It will mean more food pantries with empty shelves. These cuts will cost jobs and wages for everyone who is a part of the food system – from truck drivers to local grocers. SNAP supports nearly 390,000 jobs and $20 billion in wages every year for workers. We are fighting this in the Senate every step of the way,” continued Senator Klobuchar.

    Witnesses warned that the House bill would reduce or terminate food assistance for millions and shift over $150 billion in costs to states, forcing them to cut benefits or restrict eligibility. These changes could strain state budgets, particularly when combined with similar proposed Medicaid cuts.

    The forum featured testimony from:

    • Dr. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Margaret Walker Alexander Professor, Northwestern University
    • Barbara C. Guinn, Commissioner, NY State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
    • Katy Anderson, Vice President of Strategy, Partnerships and Advocacy, Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico
    • Jade Johnson, Mother and Student

    “SNAP provides very important help to a very wide range of Americans who struggle to put food on the table. The provisions in the recently passed House bill would cause substantial harm to children, older Americans, and low-wage workers. This new requirement for states to pay for up to 25% of SNAP benefits would substantially reduce the effectiveness of the program in times of economic downturn,” said Dr. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach in her opening statement.

    “The cuts put forward by the recently passed House reconciliation bill would harm individuals and states nationwide by forcing billions of dollars in annual cost shifts alongside unprecedented administrative hurdles that will harm households that rely on SNAP,” said Barbara C. Guinn in her opening statement.

    “SNAP continues to be our country’s most important and effective anti-hunger program. It plays an important role in New Mexico, with 21 percent of the state’s residents relying on the program in order to ensure access to food. More than 61 percent of participants are in families with children, 31 percent are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled, and 43% are in working families. The vast majority of SNAP recipients in New Mexico and across the country are children and seniors,” said Katy Anderson in her opening statement. 

    “SNAP benefits are the only way we can regularly afford to put food on the table. I would never have time to work a third job to make up for the loss of my SNAP benefits and care for my child effectively. With costs going up on things like rent and other basic necessities, my income gets completely eaten up before I am able to even think about buying food,” said Jade Johnson in her opening statement. 

    The lawmakers and experts warned that an estimated 500,000 children would lose school meals tied to SNAP eligibility; emergency food providers, already stretched thin, would be unable to meet the increased demand; and farmers, rural grocery stores, and small businesses would see declines in revenue.

    Since its creation, SNAP has operated with a consistent national benefit structure that ensures Americans, no matter where they live, can access basic nutrition. The proposed changes would undermine that structure and deepen hunger across the country.

    Footage of the full forum can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road Closure – St Johns, Auckland

    Source: New Zealand Police


    District:

    Auckland City

    Due to a motor vehicle crash, St Johns Road, Auckland is closed between College Road and Felton Matthews Road.

    The road will be closed for at least 2 hours while Police enquiries into the crash occur.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sterling Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assaults on Federal Officers While Resisting Arrest

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Carl Emerson Travis, 52, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aggravated assaults on federal officers, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

    Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.

    According to court documents, on March 29, 2024, members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Team tried to arrest Travis, who was wanted in multiple jurisdictions. Travis resisted and attempted to escape with a moving car, endangering the surrounding officers. At the end of the struggle, Travis sped his car in reverse, dragging two officers and nearly running over another with his car. The officers sustained injuries during the assault. Travis only stopped resisting when his car slammed into a parked vehicle, pushing it through the wall of an occupied hotel room.

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2025. A conviction for assault on a federal officer carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan Ho and Eaton Brown are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ruiz and Imperial Valley Leaders Discuss the Future of Lithium Valley in Washington

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

    Washington, D.C. –Today, CongressmanRaul Ruiz (CA-25) attended Benchmarks Giga + USA. The two-day event explored the rise of USA’s lithium-ion battery gigafactory economy and the need to build secure, sustainable supply chains for lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt, manganese, rare earths, and other critical raw materials.

    Congressman Ruiz’s panel was titled, “Building a Vertically Integrated Lithium Ecosystem,” and he was joined by Jesus Eduardo Escobar, Supervisor, County of Imperial, Ryan Kelley, Supervisor, County of Imperial, and moderated by Bari Bean, Deputy CEO of Natural Resources and Lithium Ombudsman, County of Imperial.

    “Today’s event is yet another indicator that we have an incredible opportunity with Lithium Valley. The area holds one of the largest known lithium reserves in the U.S., and we have the chance to extract it in a way that’s cleaner and more sustainable, using a closed-loop system that pulls lithium from geothermal brine with minimal environmental impact,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “The Department of Energy has found that this region could produce enough lithium to power millions of electric vehicles, which would help drive our transition to a clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs in the Imperial Valley.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard responds to vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 06/04/2025 05:00 PM EDT

    News Release

    		  

    U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska
    Contact: 17th District Public Affairs
    Office: (907) 463-2065
    After Hours: (907) 463-2065
    17th District online newsroom

     

    06/04/2025 04:39 PM EDT

    KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard is responding to a vessel fire approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Wednesday.   Watchstanders at the Seventeenth Coast Guard District command center received a distress alert Tuesday at approximately 3:15 p.m. reporting a fire aboard the cargo ship Morning Midas, a 600-foot U.K.-flagged cargo vessel with 22 crew members and reportedly carrying several thousand vehicles. Watchstanders immediately issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast requesting assistance from vessels in the vicinity of the Morning Midas. Three good Samaritan vessels responded to the incident.  Watchstanders also diverted the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) to the area, directed the launch of a C-130J Super Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, and positioned an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew in Adak. All 22 crew members aboard the Morning Midas evacuated the ship aboard a life raft and were subsequently rescued by the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, one of the good Samaritan vessels on scene, with no reported injuries. The status of the fire is currently unknown, but smoke is still emanating from the vessel. “As the search and rescue portion of our response concludes, our crews are working closely with the vessel’s parent company, Zodiac Maritime, to determine the disposition of the vessel,” said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District. “We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives.” The Morning Midas is estimated to have approximately 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) onboard. They are also reportedly carrying a total of 3,159 vehicles, with 65 being fully electric vehicles and 681 being partial hybrid electric vehicles. This is based on reports to the Coast Guard and is subject to change pending the development of any new information.  The Coast Guard is working with the Morning Midas’s parent company Zodiac Maritime to coordinate recovery efforts of the vessel. Zodiac Maritime can be contacted via email at operations@navigateresponse.com or by phone at 44-20-7283-9915 or 65-6222-6375.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Presidential Message on the 83rd Anniversary of the Battle of Midway

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today marks the 83rd anniversary of America’s seminal victory at the Battle of Midway—a watershed moment in World War II that set the Allied Forces on the path to ultimate triumph over forces of evil.
    After the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Imperial Japan surged across the Pacific—dealing Allied forces a series of defeats from the fall of the Philippines, to the capture of Hong Kong and Singapore, to devastating air raids over Australia.  With the U.S. Navy still reeling from the surprise attack, Japan’s ruthless push for regional dominance seemed unstoppable. 
    By the summer of 1942, Japan set its sights on Midway Island—a tiny American outpost with massive strategic value, just over 1,000 miles from Hawaii.  The Japanese plan was clear: lure what remained of the battered U.S. Pacific Fleet out of Pearl Harbor, destroy it, and capture Midway, from where they would launch further offensives across the Pacific.
    President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew our Armed Forces had to act decisively.  He tasked Admiral Chester Nimitz, a submariner and newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, with launching a full-scale effort to restore the Navy’s remaining ships to fighting condition.  With vital intelligence from American codebreakers, the Allies stayed one step ahead, anticipating the major elements of Japan’s strategy.
    At dawn on June 4, 1942, the U.S. Navy struck back.  Despite facing a larger enemy force and suffering heavy losses, the U.S. fleet under the command of Admirals Jack Fletcher and Raymond Spruance fought with unmatched resolve.  In the course of twenty-four hours, they sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, destroyed a heavy cruiser, and crushed Japanese hopes of advancing deeper into the eastern Pacific—paving the way for our Nation’s acceptance of Japan’s unconditional surrender and the end of World War II in 1945.
    Today, former enemies stand united as allies.  The United States and Japan have forged an enduring partnership built on the shared values of freedom, sovereignty, and an abiding commitment to peace across the Indo-Pacific.  Together, we are advancing the causes of safety, security, prosperity, and liberty—all while confronting threats from China and North Korea.
    The epic Battle of Midway stands to this day as a glorious reminder that, even in the face of long odds, perilous danger, and tremendous uncertainty, no challenge is too great for the strength of the American spirit.  As our Nation commemorates this legendary battle, we honor the grit of our servicemen, we pay tribute to the sacrifice of our veterans, and we vow to carry forward the legacy of the fallen heroes who secured victory over tyranny in the Pacific 80 years ago.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: “Artek” is the standard of quality children’s recreation in Russia and around the world

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    A festive concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the International Children’s Center “Artek” was held at the National Center “Russia”. The participants were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that this marked the start of a large marathon of festive events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Artek.

    “We, born in the USSR, of course, have special feelings when we say the word “Artek”. We understand that this international children’s recreation center is a standard of quality for all Russians and for the whole world. Over 100 years, more than 2 million children from 150 countries have experienced this and have become Artek members forever. Here they participated in educational programs, improved their health, played sports and were creative, but most importantly, as our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin says, “Artek teaches friendship,” he emphasized.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko added that the President had ordered the creation of an organizing committee, which had prepared a large-scale program of festive events, including the launch of a rocket, the filming of documentaries, the release of jubilee medals, commemorative postage stamps, and much more. And the culmination of the celebrations will be the final grand event, which will take place on June 16 in Artek itself.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to everyone who contributes to the development of the education system.

    For the anniversary of Artek, the honorary badge “Counselor of Russia” was established, and a competition of the same name will soon be launched.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the first badge “Counselor of Russia” for significant contribution to the education and enlightenment of the younger generation. The award was received by the excellent public education worker of the Russian Federation, the counselor of “Artek” in 1965-1966 Roza Yakovlevna Shatyro from the Republic of Tatarstan.

    In her response, Roza Yakovlevna noted that during her work as a counselor, she gave her heart to thousands of children.

    “You and I are very happy people because we are friends and carry this friendship throughout the world. Thanks to Artek, I have friends all over the planet. I keep in touch with everyone, we congratulate each other on holidays,” she added.

    Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov took to the stage with Valentina Nikolaevna Cherkasova. As a child, she survived the siege of Leningrad, and after the war, in 1949, she vacationed in Artek. Together they performed the song “Artek Oath”, written by journalists of “Pionerskaya Pravda” Vladimir Boganov and Anatoly Anufriev.

    “Today, Artek is the best international children’s center. Artek counselors are the best counselors in the world. Everyone who has ever been to Artek becomes an example for their peers. And just like 100 years ago, today all children strive to get to the center. We continue to support and develop Artek, its branches operate in the Zaporizhzhya region and in Sevastopol. The center trains school directors’ advisors on education. And we will do everything so that a piece of Artek is in the soul of every schoolchild,” noted Sergey Kravtsov.

    Guests of the anniversary concert were representatives of 89 regions of Russia. Among them were ministers of education, heads of subjects, children recognized as stars of “Artek” in different years, veterans of the International Children’s Center “Artek”. In addition, the event was attended by foreign delegations from about 30 countries.

    “People from all over Russia and the world have gathered here in Moscow today – representatives of all regions, different ages and cultures. Artek has always been a symbol of childhood, dreams and international cooperation. And today it has once again proven its strength, bringing together those who believe in goodness, mutual understanding and common values. Schoolchildren and adults, counselors and guests – everyone brought their own history, traditions and energy here, creating a unique atmosphere of Artek warmth,” emphasized Konstantin Fedorenko, Director of the International Children’s Center “Artek”.

    On June 16, 2025, the International Children’s Center “Artek” will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Earlier, the State Duma and the Federation Council hosted thematic photo exhibitions. An important event was the publication of the decree of President Vladimir Putin on awarding the Artek team with the Order of Honor.

    Five films were shot for the anniversary, including the film “100 Years of Happy Childhood”, the premiere of which was organized in January 2025. Together with Samara University and the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations, a branded small spacecraft was launched into space, and on February 28, a launch vehicle with the anniversary logo of “Artek” was launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. At the end of May, the anniversary shift started at the children’s center, which will last until June 17-18.

    On June 5, there will be a press screening of the adventure film “Artek. Through the Centuries”, which was filmed on the territory of the International Children’s Center. On June 9, the GUM (Moscow) will host the opening of an exhibition under the slogan “Artek at 100!”, where unique archival materials will be presented. Guests will also enjoy an interactive program from the camp counselors. On June 12, the International Children’s Festival “Let There Always Be Sunshine” will start.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road Closure, State Highway 1, Cambridge

    Source: New Zealand Police

    The north bound carriage way of State Highway 1, south of Cambridge is closed.

    A vehicle crash has ocurred and is blocking the north bound carriageway.

    The road closure is expected to last for at least 45 minutes, until the road is cleared of vehicles and debris.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator John Albers Highlights Life-Saving Impact of Organ Transport Legislation Signed into Law in May

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (June 4, 2025) — Today, Sen. John Albers (R–Roswell) recognized the life-saving impact of legislation he authored earlier this year, Senate Bill 58, the Georgia Transporting Life-Saving Organs and Personnel Act, which was signed into law by Governor Brian P. Kemp on May 9, 2025.

    The measure creates a legal framework for licensing and operating emergency organ transport vehicles in Georgia, formally recognizing them as ambulance services and authorizing their use on public roads during time-sensitive transplant procedures. The legislation ensures these vehicles can move efficiently and safely without regulatory delays, removing bureaucratic barriers that could otherwise cost lives.

    “This legislation means the world to me—not just as a lawmaker, but as a father,” said Sen. Albers. “After donating a Kidney to my son in 2021 I understand and know the urgency that families feel in those moments. When a match is found, every second counts. This law gives patients and medical teams a better chance to succeed.”

    SB 58 exempts emergency organ transport vehicles from certain regulatory hurdles such as the Emergency Medical Systems Communications (EMSC) Program and medical adviser requirements. It also ensures appropriate insurance coverage and compliance with Department of Public Health standards, while streamlining coordination between healthcare providers and emergency responders.

    “By treating these specialized vehicles as essential emergency services, we are modernizing our healthcare system in a meaningful way,” Sen. Albers added. “Whether it’s a kidney, liver, heart with a team of surgeons rushing to save a life, Georgia now ensures that every tool necessary for an organ transplant has a clear and direct path to where it’s needed most.”

    Sen. Albers, Chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, has consistently advocated for public safety and healthcare reforms that put people first. SB 58 is a testament to his commitment to addressing real-world challenges with practical solutions and to his deep personal connection to the issue of organ donation. Senator Albers worked with the GA Department of Public Safety, “NORA” Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance, LifeLink of Georgia, and the Georgia Transplant Foundation to make this a reality.

    The law took effect immediately upon its signing in May. Read more about the bill here.

    # # # #

    Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton County. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at John.Albers@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey, Rep. Cohen Introduce Legislation to Make America’s Streets Safer for Everyone

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (June 4, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today reintroduced the Complete Streets Act, which would transform America’s public roads. The bill would require states to direct a portion of their federal highway funding toward the creation of a Complete Streets Program. A “Complete Street” provides safe and accessible transportation options for children, seniors, and people with disabilities by prioritizing infrastructure for pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users. The bill would also require future construction projects on public roads to be designed for the safety of all its road users.

    “The skyrocketing number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in our country is a crisis. This moment calls for us to ensure our roads are designed with safety – not speed – as our top priority,” said Senator Markey. “I am grateful for Representative Cohen’s partnership to ensure we prioritize roadway safety and accessibility over a reliance on fast, fossil-fueled vehicles. Let’s build complete streets and complete communities and accelerate into a safer, more accessible future for all.”

    “In recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles, especially in Memphis. Our country is seeing a national safety crisis on our roads. We need streets that can accommodate all means of transportation, from foot traffic and strollers to bicycles, scooters, cars, light trucks and 18-wheelers. The Complete Streets Act will transform communities and make it safer for everyone to make ‘complete’ use of our roadways and adjacent infrastructure,” said Congressman Cohen.

    The Complete Streets Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and in the House by Representatives Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Dina Titus (NV-01).

    Under the Complete Streets Act, eligible local and regional entities can use funds from their state’s Complete Streets Program for technical assistance and capital funding to build safe street projects such as sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and bus stops. The legislation would also phase in a requirement for states to incorporate Complete Streets elements into all new construction and reconstruction.

    The legislation is endorsed by the National Complete Streets Coalition, Transportation for America, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, GreenLatinos, and the League of American Bicyclists.

    Senator Markey and Representative Cohen first introduced the Complete Streets Act in 2019. Elements of the Complete Streets Act were incorporated into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which created the Safe Streets for All grant program. In 2024, Massachusetts received $25 million in funding from the Safe Streets for All program to make roads safer in communities like Lynn, Boston, Fitchburg, and Haverhill.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How a Childhood Telescope Launched a NASA Career

    Source: NASA

    Christina Zeringue remembers being 10 years old, looking to the sky through her new telescope to view the Moon and planets on Christmas night. It opened her eyes to space and inspired her journey from the backyard to NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
    “I became fascinated with astronomy and learning about stars and constellations, the solar system and planetary orbits, solar and lunar eclipses, and challenging myself to find stars and nebula at different distances from Earth,” Zeringue said. “I was able to do and learn so much just from my own yard.”
    She became obsessed with following the development and images produced from the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched on a space shuttle that featured three main engines tested at NASA Stennis.
    Zeringue desired to learn more about the universe and find a way to be part of the effort to continue exploring. The Kenner, Louisiana, native ultimately made her way to NASA Stennis following graduation from the University of New Orleans.
    As the NASA Stennis chief safety and mission assurance officer, Zeringue is responsible for safety and mission success of all site activities. These include both rocket propulsion testing and operation of the NASA Stennis federal city, where NASA and more than 50 federal, state, academic, public, and private aerospace, technology, and research organizations located onsite share in operating costs while pursuing individual missions.

    “I have a broad range of responsibilities, which allows me to work with many talented people, pushes me to learn and develop new skills, and keeps my work interesting every day,” Zeringue said.
    Zeringue’s work has supported NASA’s Artemis campaign to return astronauts to the Moon through her contributions to RS-25 engine testing and Green Run testing of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) core stage ahead of the successful launch of Artemis I.
    The Pearl River, Louisiana, resident often encounters engineering or safety challenges where there is not a clear answer to the solution.
    “We work together to understand new problems, determine the best course of action, and create new processes and ways to handle every challenge,” she said.
    In total, Zeringue has worked 28 years at NASA Stennis – 14 as a contractor and 14 with NASA.
    As a contractor, Zeringue initially worked as test article engineer for the Space Shuttle Main Engine Program. She followed that by serving as the quality systems manager, responsible for the quality engineering and configuration management of various engine systems, such as the space shuttle main engine, the RS-68 engine or Delta IV vehicles, and the J-2X upper stage engine.
    Zeringue transitioned to NASA in 2011, first as a facility systems safety engineer and then as chief of the operations support division within the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate. 
    Her proudest career moment came early when working on final inspection of a new high pressure fuel turbopump. She noted a piece of contamination lodged behind the turbine shroud, which had been missed in previous inspections. Ultimately, the part was returned for disassembly before its next flight.
    “While our post-test inspections can sometimes become routine, that day still stands out to me as a way that I really knew I directly contributed to the safety of our astronauts,” she said.
    From the time Zeringue first looked through her new telescope, to her role as NASA Stennis chief safety and mission assurance officer, each moment along the way has contributed to the advice Zeringue shares with anyone considering a career with NASA. “Stay curious, invest in your own development, share your expertise with others, and try something new every day,” she said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Verizon Business launches Vehicle-to-Everything connected-driving platform with multiple customers

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon Business launches Vehicle-to-Everything connected-driving platform with multiple customers

    Edge Transportation Exchange is an integrated mobile-network vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication platform that allows a vehicle to communicate with other connected vehicles, road users, and infrastructure around it. Volkswagen Group of America, The Arizona Commerce Authority, Delaware Department of Transportation, and Rutgers University CAIT are already signed on as commercial users.

    What you need to know:

    • Edge Transportation Exchange leverages Verizon’s 5G and LTE networks, low-latency mobile edge computing (MEC), and geolocation technology to send alerts, messages and data between connected vehicles and infrastructure in near real time.
    • Acts as an ecosystem enabler, offering automakers, technology developers, and governments a foundation for the development of intelligent transportation use cases.
    • Current use cases include vulnerable road user awareness, roadway and weather condition alerts, and intersection traffic-signal information to help improve traffic efficiency and enable safer road use.
    • Uses a virtual architecture that reduces the need for costly physical roadside units, alleviating financial burdens for DOTs and municipal governments.

    NEW YORK, NY — Verizon Business has commercially launched Edge Transportation Exchange, a mobile-network vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication platform for connected vehicles, with multiple customers already signed on. Following a successful 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) joint demonstration, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), and Volkswagen Group of America (VW) have begun using the platform.

    The Edge Transportation Exchange solution allows vehicles to communicate and share important data with each other, pedestrians, and connected roadway infrastructure such as traffic signals, in near real time. The 5GAA joint demonstration included use cases such as informing drivers about vulnerable road users, dangerous weather and roadway conditions, and traffic signal phase and timing at intersections.

    In addition to these capabilities, Edge Transportation Exchange serves as an API-driven platform for collaborative innovation between automakers, technology developers, and municipal governments, who can leverage the mobile-network V2X technology to scale existing connected solutions or innovate new technology for road-user safety and satisfaction. Development and collaboration is convenient and centralized through the Verizon ThingSpace IoT platform.

    “Cars are evolving from mechanical vehicles to software-defined mobile devices with the ability to leverage incredible connected technology. Edge Transportation Exchange leverages that technology to give automakers, governments, and tech developers a robust platform for building out the cellular-connected future of transportation — with visibility and reliability for all road users top of mind,” said Shamik Basu, Vice President, Strategic Connectivity & IoT, Verizon Business.

    The robust integrated solution combines Verizon’s 5G and LTE mobile networks, Verizon 5G Edge mobile edge compute, and geolocation technology enhanced with Verizon Hyper Precise Location. It uses a virtual architecture that reduces the need for costly physical roadside radio units, alleviating financial burdens for DOTs and municipal governments. The data and communication capabilities from these combined technologies and environments contribute to a feature-rich, mobile network-based V2X ecosystem that users can leverage for near term applications and long term innovation at scale.

    How Users are Deploying Edge Transportation Exchange

    ACA was first to sign on as a platform partner for Edge Transportation Exchange, advancing from trial use to production. ACA is Arizona’s leading economic development organization, working collaboratively with the University of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Transportation, and the Maricopa County Department of Transportation and state and local agencies to develop new use cases and leverage existing ones — including pedestrian detection and upcoming work zone notifications — to make Arizona roadway users safer and better connected.

    DelDOT is conducting technical testing across multiple communication technologies and architectures to optimize V2X message delivery. Primary use cases being studied include red-light warnings, water-on-road warnings, and vulnerable road user (VRU) alerts to drivers.

    VW will explore use cases such as pedestrian awareness and payment applications for expedited tolling.

    Rutgers University CAIT is deploying Edge Transportation Exchange at the DataCity Smart Mobility Testing Ground, a collaborative program with Middlesex County and in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The 2.5-mile living laboratory is equipped with self-driving-grade sensing, computing, and V2X communication technologies to facilitate the testing of Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) and Smart City technologies. Rutgers CAIT is using the platform to further develop virtualized cellular messaging architectures for cost-effective support of multiple CAV applications, including intersection safety, congestion mitigation, queue warning, and incident and work zone management.

    Rutgers CAIT is also researching school-zone safety applications, utilizing Edge Transportation Exchange to help deliver near real-time alerts to pedestrians and incoming vehicles at intersections with heavy school crossings, improving safety for K-12 students, their families, and crossing guards.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Completion of Affordable Housing Development in Albany

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of 35 Broadway, a 67-unit affordable housing development in the village of Menands, Albany County. More than half of the apartments at the $26 million development are reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness and in need of support services. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has financed more than 4,700 affordable homes in the Capital Region, including nearly 1,000 in Albany County. 35 Broadway continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

    “Our investments are creating more homes across the state and ensuring our most vulnerable populations, especially those who have served our country, have the opportunity to find an affordable, secure place to live,” Governor Hochul said. “The new 35 Broadway development is a perfect example of our comprehensive approach to addressing the housing crisis in New York. We are bringing new homes to the Capital Region and providing veterans experiencing homelessness access to the services needed to stabilize their lives.”

    Apartments at 35 Broadway are available to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. There are 35 supportive apartments reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness eligible for services. Support services provided on-site include case management, medical care coordination, mental health and addiction service coordination, legal services, workforce placement, and financial education.

    The fully-electric building features electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, energy recovery ventilation for improved indoor air quality, energy-efficient appliances, and electric vehicle charging stations. There are landscaped seating areas, a community gardening area, a contemplation garden, and an on-site columbarium to honorably house the remains of resident veterans who pass on without family.

    Beacon Communities and Soldier On are co-developers, and Soldier On is providing the support services.

    35 Broadway is supported by HCR’s Federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits programs that generated $15 million in equity, $5 million from its Supportive Housing Opportunity Program, and $368,500 from its Clean Energy Initiative program, created partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Community Preservation Corporation is providing $3.7 million in permanent financing. The project is also supported by the federal 45L New Energy Efficient Home Credit program which generated $61,600 in equity. Additional funding includes $55,000 from NYSERDA’s Clean Heat Rebate program and $36,000 from its EV Make-Ready Rebate program. Operating funding for the supportive apartments is provided by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “With the opening of 35 Broadway, we are delivering much-needed affordable, modern, and energy-efficient homes to Albany County. Not only is our $26 million investment creating 67 new apartments, but this development will give veterans experiencing homelessness access to on-site services that can keep them securely housed and living independently. We thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to building more affordable housing across the state, and appreciate the work of our development partners at Beacon Communities and Soldier On for making this project a reality.”

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “New York’s commitment to creating a clean and modern built environment improves the quality of life for residents and future generations, while helping us progress toward a clean energy economy. The completion of 35 Broadway demonstrates how the adoption of low-emission building solutions and energy efficient features, such as electric heat pumps and electric vehicle charging stations, can benefit our diverse neighborhoods and populations, including New York’s veteran community.”

    New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued support of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and her unwavering commitment to supporting the well-being of New York’s veterans. 35 Broadway will provide veterans who have experienced homelessness with safe, affordable apartments they can call home, as well as onsite access to the essential services they need to live stable, independent lives in the community. Thank you to Beacon Communities Services, Soldier On, and all the state and local partners who supported the development of this much-needed project.”

    New York State Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner Viviana M. DeCohen said, “A safe, stable home is the foundation for healing, dignity, and hope. This development at 35 Broadway is more than housing — it is a promise kept to Veterans who have served with honor and deserve nothing less in return. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued focus on ensuring that access to affordable housing remains an integral part of our state’s commitment to Veterans and their families.”

    Senator Charles Schumer said, “Our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us in service to this country should never experience homelessness. Every veteran and every family in the Capital Region deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. I’m proud that the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit that I worked hard to protect and expand has delivered millions to help build 67 new homes in the village of Menands. These brand new homes, some of which are reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness, will be all-electric and offer the community support services and new outdoor spaces, including a gardening area. High housing costs are a key driver of inflation so we must build more housing for working people to bring down those high prices. I applaud Governor Hochul’s work increasing access to affordable housing in the Capital Region and across New York, and I will continue working to deliver federal resources to ensure that every New Yorker has a roof over their heads.”

    Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy said, “I would like to thank Governor Hochul and New York State Homes and Community Renewal for their continued dedication to our Veterans in Albany County. Providing stable, affordable housing is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor their service. Today marks an important step in ensuring that every Veteran has a safe place to call home.”

    Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said, “The combination of deeply affordable housing and services like addiction and mental health counseling is a proven formula for ending chronic homelessness, and that’s something we need more of – locally, as well as across our state and nation – in the face of a mounting homelessness crisis. I am proud to have the opportunity to work with Soldier On to help those who served our country but have fallen on hard times. Veterans have more than earned the kind of support and security this important project will provide.”

    Menands Mayor Brian Marsh said, “This building represents more than walls, windows, and doors—it symbolizes community, stability, and new beginnings. Menands stands proud as a partner with this organization to create spaces where individuals can thrive, find purpose, and feel supported. Welcome to Menands, Welcome Home.”

    Beacon Communities CEO Dara Kovel said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of this significant affordable housing community in the Capital Region alongside our partners at Soldier On and the state and local officials and funders who made it a reality. Supportive housing is a proven way to end chronic homelessness. Now these veterans who so bravely served our country, as well as other low-income households, will have a safe, stable place to call home with services they need to rebuild their lives.”

    Solider On CEO Bruce Buckley said, “Soldier On is thrilled to have completed and occupied 35 units of supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans at 35 Broadway in Menands. This 67-unit affordable housing property, developed with our partner, Beacon Communities, illustrates how government, nonprofit, and for-profit entities can better combine their strengths to end homelessness. I extend my heartful thanks to the state of New York, HCR, ESSHI, Albany County, the Village of Menands, and Beacon Communities for their support and dedication in making this possible. Thirty-five formerly homeless veterans now have a place they can call home – a home they not only deserve but have earned through their sacrifices. Most importantly, they are now surrounded by a family of support that will ensure they have the care, community, and resources they need to thrive.”

    The Community Preservation Corporation Senior Vice President Jaime Tuozzolo said, “The completion of 35 Broadway is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when public, private, and nonprofit partners come together with a shared commitment to housing and human dignity. This development not only brings much-needed affordable homes to Menands—it also creates a stable and supportive environment for our veterans who deserve the strongest possible foundation for the next chapter of their lives. We’re proud to have played a role in helping to finance this important development, and we thank our friends at Beacon Communities, HCR, NYSERDA, and SoldierOn for their partnership and dedication.”

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

    Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY 2026 Enacted Budget included more than $1.5 billion in new state funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. In addition, as part of the FY 2023 Enacted Budget, the Governor announced a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. Nearly 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

    The FY 2025 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro-Housing certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $750 million in discretionary funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have been certified.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California leads the nation — again — with most Fortune 500 companies

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 4, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – For the second year in a row, California ranks highest on Fortune 500’s list as the state with the most corporations generating the largest revenues. As host to 58 Fortune 500 companies, California leads the nation – followed by Texas with 54 and New York with 53.

    The new rankings, based on fiscal year 2024 revenue, were compiled before the implementation of President Trump’s tariff slump, which is estimated to cost the state $16 billion in lost revenue. 

    “There’s nowhere better for innovation and growth than the 4th largest economy in the world that attracts and retains world-class dreamers and doers – as illustrated by the 58 Fortune 500 companies that call California home.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    California’s economic dominance

    Last month, Governor Newsom announced that California is now the 4th largest economy in the world, with a nominal GDP of nearly $4.1 trillion. California’s per capita GDP is the second largest among large economies.

    California is home to 33 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, high-impact research and education institutions, and a quarter of the technology’s patents and conference papers. With an increasing state population and recent record-high tourism spending, California is the nation’s top state for new business starts, access to venture capital funding, and manufacturing, high-tech, and agriculture.

    But even as a tentpole of the nation’s economy, California has not been immune to the economic damage created by President Trump’s chaotic tariff policies. The state is estimated to have lost a resulting $16 billion in revenue, and in April, Governor Newsom announced a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s authority to unilaterally enact tariffs.

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    Jun 3, 2025

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (4 June 2025) | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    Senior Personnel Appointment    
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Sudan
    South Sudan
    Libya
    Bangladesh
    Yemen
    Human Rights/Climate
    International Day
    Programming Note

    SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT    
    The Secretary-General is appointing Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. We expect him to take up his position on the 24th of June.
    Major General Abagnara succeeds Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain.  The Secretary-General extends his sincere gratitude to Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz for his dedication, for his leadership of UNIFIL during one of the mission’s most challenging periods.
    Major General Abagnara brings to the position over 36 years of military service, including extensive leadership roles within the Italian Armed Forces.  
    Most recently, he served as Commander and Chair of the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon, where he oversaw multinational coordination efforts in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces. 

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, today urged Israel to open all of the crossings into Gaza, let in lifesaving aid at scale from all directions, and lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in. 
    He noted that dozens of Gazans were declared dead at hospitals yesterday after Israeli forces said they had opened fire. Mr. Fletcher said this is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive.  
    Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us the latest figures indicate that in the past three weeks, more than 100,000 people were forced to flee in the governorates of North Gaza and Gaza. 
    UN partners working in health say that more medical facilities are suspending their operations.
    On Monday, the remaining staff and patients at the Indonesian Hospital, in North Gaza, were evacuated.
    As a result, not a single hospital remains functional in North Gaza.  
    Today in Gaza City, Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Suzanna Tkalec visited Al Ahli hospital, which has sustained multiple attacks since the beginning of the war. Ms. Tkalec heard from staff about the challenges they are facing every day. They stressed that preventable deaths are occurring due to shortages of critical supplies, including antibiotics. The Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator called for the protection of health facilities, the unrestricted flow of assistance into Gaza, and support for our work and our partners’ work to deliver at scale to alleviate the suffering of people.
    Meanwhile, we and our partners continue to send supplies to Kerem Shalom crossing, where the Israeli authorities scan them before they can enter Gaza.
    For today, we submitted over 130 pre-cleared truckloads for a second and final Israeli clearance, but only 50 of them – which were carrying flour – were approved to enter the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing. 
    UN teams on the ground are also working hard to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom and bring them closer to the people who need them inside Gaza. But these attempts are facing major hurdles. Just yesterday, one attempt was denied access altogether and another one did manage to retrieve just over a dozen truckloads carrying flour. Overall, since the crossing reopened, we’ve been able to collect fewer than 400 truckloads, even though every day we have tried to coordinate access and secure safe routes through the Israeli-militarized zone in the south. 
    And that denied attempt to access Kerem Shalom was one of the six access denials our teams faced just yesterday across the Gaza Strip, out of a total of 13 attempts. These denials prevented our teams from carrying out interventions as critical as trucking water to those who need it. 
    Another of yesterday’s six denied access attempts was to retrieve fuel, which is so urgently needed. OCHA warns that without immediate access to fuel that is already inside Gaza but located in hard-to-reach areas that are either militarized or subject to displacement orders, more critical services will have to suspend operations soon.  
    And as you know, this afternoon at 4 p.m., the members of the Security Council of the United Nations will meet not far from here to discuss the situation in Gaza.

    Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=04%20June%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7x3xY06V9s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Potential revision of combustion-enhancing fuel additives under Directive 98/70/EC – E-001384/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Delivering on the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and the climate neutrality target by 2050, enshrined in the European Climate Law[1], call for ambitious policies and action to ensure a swift and sufficient decrease in emissions from all sectors, including transport.

    This transition will also contribute to reducing Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. The transport sector needs to contribute to such objectives with a reduction of 90% of its emissions by 2050.

    Concerning certain fuel additives, which might have combustion enhancing properties, they would not be able to deliver the necessary emissions reductions.

    The Fuel Quality Directive[2] (FQD) aims to ensure a single market for fuels used in the European Union for both road vehicles and non-road mobile machinery, as well as a high level of environmental and health protection in the use of those fuels.

    The FQD regulates requirements for fuels by setting limitations in Articles 3 and 4 and corresponding Annexes I and II for certain parameters and chemical compounds, without any other restriction to the chemical composition of fuels.

    The Commission conducted a technical study[3] in 2023, which did not identify a need for regulatory changes as regards additives.

    Finally, the Commission fosters innovation through a broad range of financial and regulatory means aimed at advancing zero-emission mobility and the decarbonisation of transport fuels and energy sources, such as the Renewable Energy Directive[4].

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020PC0080.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01998L0070-20181224&from=EN.
    • [3] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0dd983bf-ee82-11eb-a71c-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.
    • [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng.
    Last updated: 4 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dedicated road marking team mobilised throughout the Highlands

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Highland Council’s dedicated road marking team has been fully mobilised to carry out road marking across the Highland region.

    Chair of Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said: “The Council has invested significantly in road maintenance as part of a broader program to improve Highland roads and the dedicated road marking team will help us to improve road safety for our communities. I’m delighted to see that the newly established team has made the most of the recent good weather to cover a lot of ground in the north-west and Skye, despite the challenging geography. Our new vehicles are also ensuring that the work is carried out quickly and effectively with minimal disruption for local people.”

    Since April, the team has completed approx. 150km of white lines across Sutherland, Caithness and the Isle of Skye, with a further 190km of white lining works planned for over the summer months across the other areas of the Highlands, including Lochaber, Ross and Cromarty, Badenoch and Inverness. Exact timings will be weather-dependent, but we aim to give communities advance notice on social media wherever possible.

    The operation requires a team of four operatives using two lorries. A feeder lorry is used to preheat and deliver the thermoplastic lining material to the lining lorry which then applies the hot material to the road surface as either an edge or centre line. Immediately after the line is applied, another nozzle adds reflective glass beads, followed by a final nozzle spraying clean water onto the line to cool the material, allowing traffic to flow immediately.

    The road marking programme forms part of The Council’s £2.1 billion Highland Investment Plan which will provide 20 years of funding for roads and transport, schools, offices and community facilities throughout the Highlands.

    A836 gills bay

    B8084 broadford to elgol

    4 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lunenburg County — Man faces multiple charges after he fled from police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A Nine Mile River man has been charged with multiple offences after he fled from police.

    On May 29, at approximately 11:50 a.m., an officer from Lunenburg County District RCMP observed a grey Honda civic with no license plate on Hwy. 103 near Chester Basin. The officer activated his emergency lights and sirens and attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver increased speed and did not stop. The officer deactivated his emergency equipment and did not pursue the vehicle in the interest of public safety.

    The vehicle was then observed driving westbound in the eastbound lane of Hwy. 103 near Exit 9 for a short distance. Additional RCMP officers and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources air services were engaged.

    Through the investigation, officers learned the driver was a man wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation led by Shelburne District RCMP, and that there was a passenger in the vehicle.

    At approximately 1:15 p.m., officers located the vehicle parked near Oakland Rd. in Oakland. Both the driver, 23-year-old Justin Oakley, and youth passenger were outside the vehicle. Officers safely arrested Oakley. No one was physically injured in the incident.

    Oakley has been charged with Flight from Peace Officer and Dangerous Operation in relation to this incident. He has also been charged with Flight from Peace Officer (two counts), Dangerous Operation and Assault with a Weapon in relation to an incident on May 27 in Barrington Passage, which is being investigated by Shelburne District RCMP.

    On May 27, at approximately 8:49 p.m., an officer from Shelburne District RCMP observed a grey Honda civic with no license plate and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle On Highway 330 in Barrington. The civic pulled over, but when the officer opened his door to exit his police vehicle, the civic backed up toward the officer then drove away. The officer did not pursue the vehicle in consideration of public safety.

    Through the investigation, officers were able to identify the driver as Oakley.

    Oakley appeared in Bridgewater Provincial Court on May 30 and was released on conditions. He is scheduled to appear again in Bridgewater Provincial Court on July 9 at 9:30 a.m.

    File # 2025-736441, 2025-727047

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal Crash – Stillwater

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A person has died following a crash yesterday evening in Stillwater, Auckland.

    Two cars collided on East Coast Road just before 7pm.

    Sadly one person has died at the scene. Another person suffered moderate injuries.

    The Serious Crash Unit attended and an investigation is underway.

    Our thoughts and sympathies are with the deceased person’s family at this extremely difficult time.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Homicide Suspect Arrested by U.S. Marshals With Assistance From Bedford Heights Police K9

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Bedford Heights, OH – Today, the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Tyrell Chandler, 28. Chandler was wanted by the Bedford Police Department for aggravated murder.

    On March 7, 2025, officers with the Bedford Police Department located Clarence Houston inside a vehicle on Northfield Road near Rockside Road. Houston had suffered a gunshot wound and was transported via EMS to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

    Tyrell Chandler was later identified as being involved in this deadly incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Today, members of the NOVFTF and the Bedford Heights Police Department arrested Chandler at an apartment in the 5900 block of Bear Creek Drive, Bedford Heights, Ohio. A Bedford Heights Police Department K9 was utilized during the search of the apartment and ultimately located and apprehended Chandler.

    U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Today’s arrest is another example of the outstanding partnerships in northern Ohio between our fugitive task force and local police departments. At a moment’s notice, the Bedford Heights Police Department deployed officers, including a K9, to assist our task force during the arrest of this violent fugitive.”

    Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon DEQ opens application period for clean truck and infrastructure grants

    Source: US State of Oregon

    tarting today, diesel fleet and equipment owners can apply for a variety of grants to support efforts to reduce dirty transportation emissions across the state under the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s 2025 Clean Trucks and Infrastructure program.

    Details on the clean truck and infrastructure grants are as follows:

    • Diesel Emissions Mitigation Grants and Federal Diesel Emissions Reduction Funding
      • Total: Approximately $9 million
      • Focus: To swap older diesel vehicles, engines or equipment for similar, newer, cleaner zero-emission vehicles, technologies or retrofit exhaust controls.
      • Eligibility: Oregon businesses, organizations, local governments and individuals with medium- and heavy-duty diesel fleets, model year 1992 – 2009.
      • Contact: Rhett Lawrence, AQ program analyst: rhett.lawrence@deq.oregon.gov
    • Oregon DEQ Clean Trucks Grant Program
      • Total: Approximately $4.8 million
      • Focus: To scrap and replace diesel vehicles with new zero-emission vehicles.
      • Eligibility: Oregon businesses, organizations, local governments and individuals with medium- and heavy-duty diesel fleets, model year 1992 and newer.
      • Contact: Rhett Lawrence, AQ program analyst: rhett.lawrence@deq.oregon.gov
    • Oregon Zero-Emission Fueling Infrastructure Grants
      • Total: Approximately $3 million
      • Focus: To develop plans and install charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emissions vehicle fleets.
      • Eligibility: Oregon businesses, organizations, local governments and individuals planning to install private and/or public charging infrastructure.
      • Contact: Tracie Weitzman, AQ program analyst: tracie.weitzman@deq.oregon.gov

    More than $34 million is available to help purchase new zero-emissions trucks, replace or retrofit older, more polluting diesel engines, or develop medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure projects. Total funding includes approximately $17 million available for the new Zero-Emissions Rebates for Oregon Fleets program, also known as the ZERO Fleet Program, which will announce its open application period soon. Submissions for programs opening today are due by 5 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.

    “We recognize that transitioning from older diesel vehicles to cleaner technologies can be challenging for many companies,” said Oregon DEQ Air Quality Transportation Strategies Section Manager Rachel Sakata. “This significant investment will support that transition, reduce harmful air pollution and help protect the health of communities across the state.”

    Owners of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles requiring retrofits under DEQ’s Diesel Retrofit Compliance Program may also apply for funding to support the installation of diesel particulate filters. In addition, non-road equipment and fleet owners, i.e., those with diesel-powered machinery or vehicles involved in construction, may be interested in applying for a grant. If the project is awarded funding, it will improve the emissions profile for pursuing certification under DEQ’s Diesel Emissions Identification Program.

    DEQ is offering two opportunities for applicants to learn more about the grants and process through two virtual webinars. They are as follows:

    • Clean Truck and Infrastructure Grants Webinar #1
      • Wednesday, June 11, 2025
      • 10 – 11 a.m. (PDT)
      • Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now
        • Meeting ID: 234 081 780 139 3
          • Passcode: KB6ES9Jo
        • Phone #: 503-446-4951
          • Phone conference ID: 720 897 622#
    • Clean Truck and Infrastructure Grants Webinar #2
      • Wednesday, June 18, 2025
      • 3 – 4 p.m. (PDT)
      • Microsoft Teams: Join the meeting now
        • Meeting ID: 271 031 021 708 6
          • Passcode: 6tT9o2CC
        • Phone #: 503-446-4951
          • Phone conference ID: 925 484 402#

    Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, as there will be a Q&A section.

    The 2025 application period is the only opportunity this year to apply for the clean truck and infrastructure grants. Previous award recipients can apply for additional funds.

    DEQ has approximately $72 million in funding assigned for grants through the Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund after Volkswagen was found to have cheated on emissions standards. There is $8 million available for this year’s Diesel Emissions Mitigation Grants. In addition, last summer, DEQ was awarded the Climate Equity and Resilience Through Action Grant, which provides additional funding for the Clean Trucks and Zero-Emission Fueling Infrastructure grants and the ZERO Fleet Rebates.

    Links to a helpful User Guide on each grant’s web page. Applications, regardless of the grant, should be submitted through the DEQ Grants web portal. Submissions for programs opening today must be received by DEQ no later than 5 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.

    For more information specifically on the grants, please contact the program analysts listed above or email dieselgrants@deq.oregon.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Russia has been working on creating drones that ‘call home’, go undercover and start fires. Here’s how they work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marcel Plichta, PhD Candidate in the School of International Relations, University of St Andrews

    Russia launched its largest single drone attack of the war against Ukraine’s cities on June 1. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they faced 472 unmanned one-way attack (OWA) drones overnight.

    The record may not stand for long. The prior record was on May 26, when Moscow launched some 355 drones. The day before Russia had set a record with 298 Shaheds, which itself surpassed the May 18 tally.

    Russia’s enormous OWA drone attacks came as a surprise to politicians and the general public, but it’s the culmination of years of work by the Russia military. Initially purchased from Iran, Russia began building factories in 2023 to assemble and then manufacture Shaheds (Iranian-designed unmanned drones) in Russia. Greater control over production gave Russia the opportunity to expand the number of Shaheds quickly.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    It also helps them gradually upgrade their drones. Investigations into downed Shaheds show that Russia has been coating the drones in carbon, which resists detection by radar by absorbing incoming waves instead of reflecting them back. They have also been adding SIM cards to transmit data back to Russia through mobile networks.

    Shaheds also had their warheads upgraded. On May 20 the Ukrainian media reported that Shaheds were using newer incendiary and fragmentation warheads which start fires and spread large volumes of shrapnel respectively to increase their effectiveness.

    Russia hit Kyiv with its biggest ever drone strike a few days ago.

    These upgrades were simple in order to keep the cost of the drone, its major advantage over a missile, under control. These drones are both inexpensive and long-range.

    This means that an attacker such as Russia can launch hundreds every month at targets across Ukraine with little concern about how many are lost along the way. Meanwhile, the defender is stuck figuring out how to shoot all incoming drones down at a reasonable cost indefinitely.

    The problem is made even more complicated by the fact that air defence systems are sorely needed at the front line to shoot down hostile aircraft, making it a difficult trade-off.

    Adding to the problem is the recent production of decoy Shaheds. While they carry no warhead and pose little threat by themselves, Ukrainian air defence cannot always tell the decoy from the real thing and still need to shoot them down. In late May, Ukrainian officials told the media that up to 40% of incoming Shaheds were decoys.

    Consequently, Russia’s 472-drone attack reflects all of Russia’s innovations so far. These have improved the number of drones that survive, increased lethality, while using decoys alongside armed drones to ensure as many as possible reach their target.

    What are the challenges for Ukraine?

    Ukraine shoots most incoming Shaheds down. Even the 472-drone attack still had 382 claimed interceptions, a rate of 81%. However, the relatively high interception rate disguises the Shahed’s benefits for Russia.

    Shaheds are cheap by military standards, so launching constant attacks is a disproportionate burden for Ukrainian air defence units. Kyiv has mobilised an enormous amount of resources to protect its cities, from mobile units in trucks to counter-Shahed drones that function like a cheaper anti-aircraft missile.

    That said, these systems often have short ranges, which means that the savings per interception are somewhat offset by the need to maintain many hundreds of systems across a country as large as Ukraine. Ukraine also has the option of trying to strike Russia’s Shahed factories, which they have attempted a few times.

    Despite Ukraine’s evolving air defence, Russia still sees military benefits to constant Shahed attacks. In a study I contributed to last year, we found that Russia’s initial OWA drone strategy in 2022 and 2023 did little to force Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war on terms favourable to Russia.

    That may still be the case now, but the volume of drones and the high tempo of attacks means that Russian strategy could well be aimed at systematically exhausting Ukrainian air defence.

    As Ukraine grapples with unpredictable US military support, Kyiv is more vulnerable to running out of ammunition for its more advanced air defence systems. This means that constant Shahed attacks make it more difficult for Ukraine to stop incoming missiles, which carry much larger warheads.

    Ukraine’s drone strike this week.

    Of course, Ukraine has its own versions of the Shahed, which it uses to routinely launch strikes against Russian military and oil facilities. Less is known about Ukraine’s OWA drones, but they often use many similar features to Shaheds such as satellite navigation.



    Read more:
    Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    For Russia’s Vladimir Putin, using Shaheds is not all about military benefit. Politically, he has increasingly used Shahed attacks to project a sense of power to his domestic audiences. On May 9, Russia paraded Shaheds through Moscow’s streets as part of its annual Victory Day celebrations, which had not been done in years past.

    Ukraine has begun employing its own OWA drones as part of the “Spiderweb” operation to attack military and oil infrastructure across Russia.

    Russia’s 472-drone attack is unlikely to remain its largest attack for long. Putin has shown a determination to expand the scale and tempo of its drone campaign and resist Ukaine’s calls for a permanent “ceasefire in the sky”, but this week Ukraine’s drone strategy has shown that prolonging the drone war can also have serious and unexpected effects for Moscow.

    So long as the conflict continues, Ukraine’s defenders will find themselves facing more, and better, drones aimed at their cities. But increasingly it looks like Russia must worry about Ukraine’s drone capabilities too.

    Marcel Plichta works for Grey Dynamics Ltd. as an intelligence instructor.

    – ref. Russia has been working on creating drones that ‘call home’, go undercover and start fires. Here’s how they work – https://theconversation.com/russia-has-been-working-on-creating-drones-that-call-home-go-undercover-and-start-fires-heres-how-they-work-257699

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Children need the freedom to play on driveways and streets again – here’s how to make it happen

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Debbie Watson, Professor In Child and Family Welfare, University of Bristol

    BearFotos/Shutterstock

    Children no longer play freely in driveways, on their streets or in urban parks and courtyards. In many places, children’s freedom to roam has been diminishing for generations, but the pandemic has hastened the decline of this free play.

    Since the pandemic, children’s physical activity has become ever more structured. It now mostly happens in after-school or sports clubs, while informal, child-led play continues to decline.

    In many cases, children don’t have easy access to purpose-built spaces like playgrounds. They need adults to get them there. Without the use of more informal spaces to spend time with other children, this means they often lack daily opportunities for play.

    Unstructured play happens when children are given the opportunity to behave freely in spaces with other children. They will often need support from adults – such as through supervision – to help them play safely.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Play – and especially unstructured opportunities for play – is essential for children. Beyond providing opportunities for physical activity, play is good for children’s development. It helps them to push boundaries, find ways of exploring friendships and resolving conflicts, and to stretch their imagination and creativity.

    Schools are important for encouraging play. They can, for instance, combine play with potential benefits for physical activity levels, and with compassion for the environment and an interest in climate change and biodiversity.

    But they are not the sole solution. Supporting play needs to reach beyond the school gates.

    Urban play

    The charity Playing Out has been working in Bristol, where we are based, and in many other cities across the UK to champion community-led “play streets”. Residents apply to their local council for temporary road closures, which allows them to let their children play on the street without fearing passing cars. Parents and carers supervise resident children to play outside their houses.

    Finding ways to encourage children to play in places such as driveways, courtyards, and on their streets can also help with their independence in the outdoors. The three of us have worked on a variety of research projects on children’s interaction with the urban environment.

    Lydia is involved with children and families living in an urban area of Bristol, exploring how to get children to play in these urban pockets of space. The “OK to play” project intends to create a toolkit to help families enhance these small threshold areas, such as driveways, into play spaces.

    The experience of COVID lockdowns worldwide emphasised the importance of green spaces and nature for all of us in maintaining good levels of physical and mental health. This was often particularly challenging for children who lived in cities without easy access to gardens or green spaces.

    Debbie has worked with artists and primary-aged children on the “What does nature mean to me” project. The children explored green spaces in Bristol, collecting natural materials for collages as well as painting, drawing and taking photographs.

    The children were fascinated to see that nature resides even in the most urban places. Making art as well as spending time freely in natural spaces gave the children opportunities to explore big ideas: their hopes and fears for the future and what their role might be in the climate crisis.

    Helping play happen

    Adults have a crucial role in making being outside safer for children’s play. What the projects we’ve worked on have in common is willing adults who see the value of unstructured play, who can enthuse children, put in place structures to make being outside safer and support each other in enabling more children to engage in their right to play.

    Unstructured play is important for children’s development.
    MPH Photos/Shutterstock

    If you’re a parent or carer, you can take action. You could start by considering how you prioritise how your children spend their time. This might mean signing up to one less activity class, and instead using that regular time to supervise your children – and perhaps offering to supervise friends or neighbours’ children, too – as they play freely in your driveway, courtyard or other urban pocket.

    Perhaps you could

    – ref. Children need the freedom to play on driveways and streets again – here’s how to make it happen – https://theconversation.com/children-need-the-freedom-to-play-on-driveways-and-streets-again-heres-how-to-make-it-happen-254543

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Top places to see snow this winter

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Corin Forest Mountain Resort offers Canberrans plenty of family fun.

    • There are plenty of places to see snow near Canberra.
    • Some locations are closer than you might expect.
    • This article includes a list of locations, as well as things you should do to plan for your trip.

    One of the best things about Canberra is that we get to experience all four seasons. Our winters are frosty, which means that snow is well within our reach.

    The snow bunnies among us may flock to our neighbouring snowfields.

    However, one of our best kept secrets is that the ACT experiences some good snowfalls right in our own backyard.

    We’ve put together a list of locations for your next snow-filled weekend adventure – you don’t even need to travel far from home.

    Here are our picks of places to see snow this winter in the ACT:

    Corin Forest Mountain Resort
    Location: 1268 Corin Rd, Paddys River.
    Accessibility: A 50-minute drive from the city centre.

    Corin Forest has man-made snow, making it a reliable and popular choice for families.

    Activities include:

    • an alpine slide
    • snow play
    • skiing
    • snowboarding.

    Visit the Corin Forest website to book.

    Square Rock, Namadgi National Park
    Location: 1268 Corin Rd, Paddys River.
    Accessibility: A one-hour drive from the city centre, then 10.5km hike.

    Beyond the chance of building a snowman, highlights of this walk include massive granite boulders, Alpine Ash forests and Snow Gum woodlands. Once you get to Square Rock Lookout, enjoy breathtaking mountain views.

    Mount Franklin, Namadgi National Park
    Location: Mount Franklin Road 
    Accessibility: A 90-minute drive from the city centre.

    Be sure to visit the Franklin Shelter on your hike. While the building itself is closed to the public, the surrounding area has signage with information about Canberra’s alpine heritage. Tables, chairs and benches provide spots to rest and soak up the scenery. Head to the summit for beautiful views. Road access is often closed in heavy snowfall, so be sure to stay up to date with road closures.

    This spot is perfect for a family adventure.

    Nestled in a pristine mountain setting, the geothermal pool stays naturally heated at a soothing 27°C year-round.

    The main pool gently cascades into a shallow children’s wading area, making it ideal for all ages. There’s a picnic area next to the pool, as well as change rooms and toilets.

    In winter, the experience becomes truly magical. Visitors can float in the warm, steaming waters while surrounded by snow-covered landscapes.

    Don’t forget to pack a towel, your swimmers, and a thermos of hot chocolate.

    This unforgettable spot offers a unique mix of relaxation and discovery the whole family will love.

    Find more ideas about how to enjoy Canberra’s winter.

    Plan ahead
    Before you grab your puffer jacket and beanie, there are a few important things to know:

    • Inclement weather and snowfalls can affect road conditions. Please drive carefully and observe all road closures. Stay up to date with the latest road closures through the City Services website.
    • Closures to some parks and reserves, including Namadgi National Park and campgrounds, may occur at short notice. Before travelling, visit the Parks ACT website.
    • If you’re travelling to the snow, remember your snow chains for your vehicle. Make sure you have the right size and know how to equip them to your vehicle.
    • Adjust your speed to the weather. Slow down when the conditions deteriorate. Be particularly careful in fog, snow, or ice conditions.
    • Drive with your headlights on low beam during daytime to make it easier for other road users to see you. Lighting can be poor around mountains, especially in winter.

    Get ACT news and events delivered to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Masaya Llavaneras Blanco, Assistant Professor of Development Studies, Huron University College, Western University

    On May 9, Lourdia Jean-Pierre, a 32-year-old Haitian migrant woman, died after giving birth in her rural home in El Ceibo, Dominican Republic. The cause of death was a postpartum hemorrhage, according to a news report in The Haitian Times.

    Despite needing medical attention, Jean-Pierre was reportedly afraid to go to the hospital. Why? She feared being deported.

    Jean-Pierre was not wrong to be afraid. Soon after her death, paramedics arrived with police officers to check on the newborn and detain her husband, Ronald Jean. Jean left the newborn with a relative as he waited to be deported.

    Between April 21 and the end of May this year, 900 lactating or pregnant women were deported from the Dominican to Haiti. They are part of the new, extreme tough-on-immigration policies in the Dominican Republic. In May alone, 22,778 Haitians were deported to Haiti.

    A new wave of mass deportations

    Last October, the Dominican government initiated a new wave of mass deportations as President Luis Abinader ordered a quota of 10,000 Haitians deported per week. On April 6, he announced new extraordinary measures to control immigration.

    The rollout of this policy began on April 21. Migration officials were assigned to work in hospitals and required migrants to show their documents before receiving medical care or face deportation.

    The new protocol does not specify pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, it effectively targets them in hospitals. Evidence of this is the fact that the policy was immediately implemented in the 33 hospitals “that report the largest number of pregnant migrant women — mainly those of Haitian origin.”

    The targeting of pregnant women is not new

    The targeting of pregnant migrants in the DR isn’t new. In September 2021, the Ministry of the Interior and Police announced a protocol to limit pregnant migrant women’s access to health care in the DR.

    Dozens of deportation raids were carried out in maternity wards in the capital and other large urban centres. According to immigration officials, attendance at pre-natal appointments fell by 80 per cent by the end of 2021.

    Deportation raids in maternity wards slowed down between 2022 and 2024, but women were still afraid to go for their check-up appointments. Pre-natal care is essential in preventing maternal deaths.

    According to a media report, the Dominican’s National Health System estimates that Haitian women accounted for 56 per cent of maternal deaths in the first half of 2022.

    No documents, no health care

    There are almost no ways for Haitians in the Dominican Republic to apply for or renew visas. And Dominican consulates in Haiti have been closed since September 2022.

    There is a long history of a lack of documentation among Dominicans of Haitian ancestry, exacerbated by the denationalization of up to 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian ancestry in 2013. That means Dominican-Haitians are also at risk of being deported when accessing health care.

    This happened to Mirryam Ferdinad who, according to community reports, went to a hospital for a programmed Caesarean section and was instead detained in Haina, the country’s largest migrant detention centre. Ferdinad was released one week on Saturday May 31st. Is it possible to add that update with this link? https://www.instagram.com/p/DKWAD44N_N7/?igsh=cXY5a21xY2pud2tp

    Deportations are expected to occur after people recover from their ailments. But human rights organizations report that deportations regularly take place in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, in trucks filled beyond capacity.

    Structural racism

    Elena Lorac, co-founder of Reconocido, an advocacy group of denationalized Dominicans of Haitian descent, said the situation is exacerbated by structural racism.

    Anti-Black racism and anti-Haitianism runs through the politics of the Dominican Republic, whereby Blackness is associated with undesirable cultural and physical traits, and linked to neighbouring Haiti.

    In contrast, DR’s nationalist groups, such as the Antigua Orden Dominicana, emphasize their colonial Spanish roots.

    Reproductive health rights under attack

    Haitian pregnant women are between a rock and a hard place. Hemorrhages and unsafe abortions are among the main causes of maternal mortality. Most of these cases are preventable if pregnant people have access to health services.

    Haiti has the highest maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere.

    Maternal mortality in the DR is lower. But its mistreatment of pregnant migrants, and its criminalization of abortion in all circumstances, pose significant risks for women.

    Haiti: A country in humanitarian crisis

    Deported migrants usually have no family or social networks in the locations they are deported at. And they have limited to no access to health services and social services.

    Dominican-Haitians also get deported because they have no legal documents despite having lived there their whole lives. They often have never been to Haiti, and barely speak Haitian Creole.

    In Haiti, about 40 per cent of primary health care was funded by the now almost completely defunded United States Agency for International development (USAID).

    Though there are some groups supporting deportees, global cuts to humanitarian agencies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration are affecting personnel on the ground. The humanitarian conditions in Haiti are increasingly challenging.

    Financial cuts worsen the extremely precarious living conditions. Nine per cent of the population is internally displaced. More than half the population is expected to experience acute food insecurity by June.

    Protesting violence

    On May 28, 13 organizations led a demonstration in front of the Dominican Republic Health Ministry. Peasant women, domestic workers, artists and feminists demanded an end to deportation raids in maternity wards and the removal of immigration officials from hospitals.

    Sirana Dolis, co-founder of Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women MUDHA, said of the situation:

    “Haitian women and women of Haitian descent are a people who love life, but under these circumstances, reproduction is like a death sentence.”

    Masaya Llavaneras Blanco receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

    – ref. For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’ – https://theconversation.com/for-haitian-migrants-in-the-dominican-republic-reproduction-is-like-a-death-sentence-257427

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Raskin, Keating, Foushee, Balint Introduce Resolution Urging the Immediate Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Becca Balint (VT-AL) are today introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.

    “Innocent civilian lives — children and babies — can be saved by ensuring that much-needed aid gets to Gazans,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “This humanitarian crisis is man-made and can be solved by allowing aid trucks to enter Gaza. Every diplomatic tool in our toolbox must be used to ensure that this happens.”

    “Each passing day brings new suffering to people in Gaza, who are experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Congressman Raskin. “Our Resolution recognizes that America must act now to save countless lives in the region. Just as the time is long overdue to bring all the remaining Israeli hostages home from their captivity at the hands of Hamas, it is time to assure the delivery of desperately needed food and humanitarian aid into Gaza to end the prolonged humanitarian crisis of Palestinians living there.”

    “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and devastating. The entire U.S. government must urgently use all diplomatic tools available to bring about the release of the hostages in Gaza, facilitate the delivery of food and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and work towards an end to the conflict in Gaza which moves us closer to a two-state solution,” said Congressman Keating. “This important bicameral resolution sends a strong message that we believe the U.S. must immediately do more to end the suffering in Gaza.”

    “The entire Gaza Strip is facing acute levels of hunger after a nearly two-and-a-half-month blockage on humanitarian aid. Although this blockade was recently lifted, aid groups do not have the resources or food available to properly provide immediate support to the millions of people facing starvation,” said Congresswoman Foushee. “I’m proud to join my fellow colleagues in introducing this resolution that will help address the dire situation in Gaza, and I implore my colleagues to support this critical step towards ensuring an enduring ceasefire that will alleviate suffering, save lives, and return the hostages safely to their families.”

    “It is indisputable that death is imminent for hundreds of thousands in Gaza and the level of starvation for children is catastrophic. We cannot waste another minute, aid must get to Gaza now,” said Rep. Becca Balint. “We must use every tool at our disposal to pressure to alleviate this crisis. The United States may not remain complicit in the face of the unimaginable suffering and dire need for aid and supplies.”

    The entire population of Gaza, an estimated 2,200,000 people, is facing acute levels of hunger. Over two months ago, Israel began a blockade on aid into the Gaza Strip. While some food is now being allowed into Gaza, it is not being allowed to do so fast enough to save lives. Since the start of the conflict, at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and 120,000 have been injured.

    The resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), André Carson (IN-08), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway Jr. (NJ-03), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Jim Himes (CT-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John B. Larson (CT-01), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Doris Matsui  (CA-07), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), James P. McGovern (MA-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Bennie G. Thompson  (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek T. Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Nydia M. Velazquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

    This resolution is endorsed by 18 Million Rising, 99 Coalition , A New Policy , Action Corps, ActionAid USA, American Friends of Combatants for Peace, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International USA, Arab American Institute (AAI), Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Center for Victims of Torture, Charity & Security Network, Church World Service, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), DAWN, Demand Progress, Doctors Against Genocide , Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Hindus for Human Rights, Historians for Peace and Democracy, Human Rights Watch, IfNotNow Movement, International Refugee Assistance Project, J Street, KinderUSA, MADRE, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), Migrant Roots Media, MoveOn, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for Just Futures, Muslims United PAC, National Council of Churches, New Israel Fund, New Jewish Narrative, No Dem Left Behind, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Oxfam America, Partners for Progressive Israel, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, Sisters of Mercy of the America – Justice Team, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, The Borgen Project, United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), UNRWA USA National Committee, Win Without War, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US), CAIR Washington, Christian-Jewish Allies for a Just Peace for Israel/Palestine, Church Women United in New York State, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights , FOSNA Pittsburgh, Harrisburg Palestine Coalition, Historians for Peace and Democracy, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, MARUF CT, Minnesota Peace Project, Nepa for Palestine, Northern California Friends of Sabeel (NorCal Sabeel)Sabeel), Oasis Legal Services, Peace Action WI, Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!, Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom DC-Metro Action Group, UPTE Members for Palestine, Valley View Church.

    Senator Peter Welch (VT) is leading the resolution in the Senate with the support of nearly all Democrats.

    The full text of the resolution can be read here.

    Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Milestone for the Raising London Circuit Project

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    London Circuit east has reopened to vehicles in both directions.

    In brief:

    • London Circuit has reopened to motorists, between Constitution Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue
    • Canberrans should note there is a new, raised intersection with Commonwealth Avenue, and new traffic lights.
    • This article gives an overview of the project and outlines what is still to come.

    The Raising London Circuit Project has reached a significant milestone.

    London Circuit east has reopened to vehicles in both directions.

    Motorists are now driving on the newly raised intersection at London Circuit, between Constitution Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue.

    Please be aware there are new traffic lights at this intersection.

    Reopening the road has reduced traffic pressure on Constitution Avenue.

    It has also eased peak-hour congestion on the eastern side of the city.

    What does this mean for buses, pedestrians and cyclists?

    Buses no longer need to detour around Vernon Circle. This makes bus trips more direct.

    Pedestrians, cyclists and scooter-riders will also benefit. New accessible footpath links and dedicated cycle lanes will open in June.

    [Story continues below]

    Why raise London Circuit?

    To create a level intersection with Commonwealth Avenue, London Circuit has been raised by six metres.

    A raised London Circuit better connects the city with the lake. In doing so, it:

    • improves active travel connections across the city
    • creates more attractive and useable public spaces
    • builds opportunities for diverse land use
    • prepares the city for the extension of light rail.

    What has happened so far?

    Around 60,000 cubic metres of fill – primarily soil – was used to raise London Circuit to meet Commonwealth Avenue.

    This came from a Barton construction site. This reuse of materials aligns with the project’s focus on sustainability.

    In building the raised intersection, the works undertaken have included:

    • removal, relocation and installation of utilities
    • construction of embankments and side tracks to allow for traffic staging
    • construction of new retaining walls
    • installation of new streetlighting and traffic signals
    • tree planting and landscaping.

    How is this part of extending light rail?

    A raised London Circuit is an important foundation for extending Canberra’s light rail.

    It provides a level and more accessible intersection for pedestrians and active travellers in the area. This includes future light rail passengers.

    Construction on Light Rail Project 2A is underway and will add three new light rail stops. These will be at:

    • Edinburgh Avenue
    • City south
    • Commonwealth Park.

    Light Rail Project 2B will follow, taking the light rail to Woden.

    It is the largest transport infrastructure project in Canberra’s history.

    It will deliver improved public transport for decades.

    What else is happening in the city?

    Construction continues on London Circuit.

    • Finishing and landscape works on the Raising London Circuit project will continue on London Circuit between Constitution Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue.
    • London Circuit west remains closed to on-road traffic between Edinburgh Avenue and Northbourne Avenue.
    • Sections of London Circuit east between Northbourne Avenue and Theatre Lane also remain closed to motorists and on-road cyclists.
    • Weekend closures of Parkes Way will be in place in late June and early July as works get underway on Canberra’s first light rail bridge.
    • Work is being completed in stages to minimise impact.
    • Shared paths are in place for cyclists, pedestrians and other active travellers.
    • There is signage to help you follow safe detours.

    Stay up to date on travel impacts

    You can find details on road changes and other impacts on the online construction impacts map.

    Visit the Builtforcbr website to stay up to date on all travel impacts.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Endangered North Carolina Frog Gets a Head Start 

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Endangered North Carolina Frog Gets a Head Start 

    Endangered North Carolina Frog Gets a Head Start 
    jejohnson6

    KURE BEACH

    Carolina gopher frog populations declining in the wild are getting a leg up through the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) head starting initiative. Led by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), head starting is one focus of their Gopher Frog Conservation Plan with NCAFF and other partners. NCAFF is one of three Aquariums and a pier operated by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR).
     

    The Aquarium implemented the initiative in 2011 to augment  wild populations of these state endangered amphibians. The NCWRC team collects small portions of each egg mass and delivers them to the Aquarium team for care until frogs emerge. This year’s crop, now in tadpole stage, is from Southport near the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point. Staff divided 444 tadpoles among 12 mesocosms, controlled small-scale ecosystems designed to mimic natural environments. The next step is to release the frogs to this same location.

    HEADSTARTING

    NCAFF aquarists suggested the plan after monitoring egg masses in Holly Shelter Game Land alongside NCWRC staff for several years. The number of frogs appeared low—as few as six to eight egg masses deposited in some years. Because of drought conditions, the pond had just enough water to stimulate the frogs to breed, but would not hold water long enough for the tadpoles to fully develop. Head starting gives them the right environment to go from tadpole to frog in their journey back into the wild.

    “We have continued to receive great support for our head starting work through the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission for the Carolina Gopher Frog and we look forward to a successful release in the coming weeks,” said Ryan McAlarney, husbandry curator, NCAFF. “The conservation of this species is important to the mission of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.” 

    HISTORY AND HABITAT

    The gopher frog, Rana capito, requires both appropriate breeding ponds and upland terrestrial habitat. Breeding ponds must be large enough to retain water throughout the tadpole stage, but shallow enough to dry periodically, because the gopher frog does not tolerate fish. Additionally, these ponds must be relatively open canopy with plenty of grasses where gopher frogs deposit their egg masses and developing tadpoles feed.

    POPULATION DECLINE

    The gopher frog was once found in many ponds across the southeastern Coastal Plain, ranging from North Carolina through South Carolina and Georgia, across Florida and into Alabama. However, many of these wetlands, or the uplands they are associated with, are gone. Historically found in at least 23 populations in North Carolina among 53 ephemeral ponds, the species is now only found in seven populations, with only 14 of those historical ponds still being used by gopher frogs. Most of these ponds have been destroyed or altered significantly; for example, deepened and stocked with fish.
    CALL TO ACTION

    • Service vehicles regularly to avoid leaking toxic fluid into waterways or wetlands.
    • Put bug spray on before you go into a wildlife habitat so that you don’t introduce it into the animal’s home.
    • Don’t touch frogs or toads. Their skin is very thin, and they can absorb anything from your skin, and it may be toxic to them.
    • Choose environmentally friendly pesticides and herbicides.
    • Drive extra carefully during and after spring rains, when amphibians are most likely to be crossing roads as they travel to breeding ponds.

    ###

    About the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher  
    The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is just south of Kure Beach, a short drive from Wilmington on U.S. 421 and less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. The Aquarium is one of three Aquariums and a pier that make up the North Carolina Aquariums, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The mission of the Aquarium is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. The Aquarium features a 235-000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, an albino alligator, a bald eagle, a loggerhead sea turtle habitat and two families of mischievous Asian small-clawed otters.

    Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission: $12.95 ages 13-61; $10.95 children ages 3-12; $11.95 seniors (62 and older) and military with valid identification; NC EBT card holders*: $3. Free admission for children 2 and younger and N.C. Aquarium Society members and N.C. Zoo members. *EBT rate is applicable to a maximum of four tickets.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    May 30, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU will support raw materials projects outside the EU

    Source: European Union 2

    The Commission has given the green light to 13 projects that will help it access raw materials located outside the EU. The projects will also boost local value creation in third countries. We need raw materials to build electric vehicles, batteries, high-performance magnets and much more.

    MIL OSI Europe News –