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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Seeks Answers to Devastating Dragon Bravo Wildfire at the Grand Canyon

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement in response to the devastating Dragon Bravo Wildfire at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon:

    The North Rim of the Grand Canyon continues to burn out of control, with nearly 9,000 acres ablaze and over 70 structures destroyed, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

    As the dean of the Arizona congressional delegation and the Chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I have a responsibility to obtain answers to questions related to the policy and resource mismanagement decisions that led to the Dragon Bravo Wildfire to burn uncontrolled.

    Today, I sent a letter to United States Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum requesting prompt collaboration to identify the policies that exacerbated the rapid spread of the Dragon Bravo Wildfire, and the immediate actions needed to correct any improper resource management that may have intensified the wildfire rather than it being extinguished.  In that regard, I am seeking answers from the Department of Interior to the following questions:

    • Which federal agencies are involved in the response to the Dragon Bravo Wildfire?
    • Who made the decision to treat the Dragon Bravo Wildfire as a controlled burn versus deploying the assets to immediately extinguish it? 
    • What is the projected economic impact of the closure of the North Rim, loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge, and temporary closure of recreational trails? 
    • Had hazard mitigation and fuel reduction operations been conducted at the North Rim prior to the start of wildlife seasons? 
    • Are new hazard mitigation techniques being considered, including logging on park lands?
    • Who was responsible for monitoring atmospheric and weather changes that facilitated the rapid spread of the flames?
    • When was the North Rim Water Treatment Facility identified as a risk for loss of fire retardant prior to its capture in the fire? 

    I cannot be silent as the wildfire continues to burn uncontrolled.  I have an obligation to conduct congressional oversight and obtain answers for all Arizonans including the brave firefighters risking their lives to control this inferno,” concluded Congressman Paul Gosar.

    A copy of the full text of the letter can be read by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Announces Congressional App Challenge for Middle and High School Students

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Bullhead City, AZ – Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), announces the following information regarding the start of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge:

    Registration is now underway for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. The competition is open to all middle school and high school students who live in Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District.

    The annual competition is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students can register for the 2025 competition by clicking HERE and begin coding their apps. The competition deadline is October 30, 2025.

    Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete with their peers by creating an application or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices.  Since its inception, the challenge has inspired over 40,000 students across all 50 states to code for Congress.

    The winner from the Ninth Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us, and the winning app will also be on display at the U.S. Capitol for a year, honoring the winners from across the country.

    For more information or questions, visit the official Congressional App Challenge website or email my District Director, Penny Pew at penny.pew@mail.house.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Reentry; Faces Deportation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elio Yoel Cardona-Torres, age 43, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced on July 17, 2025, to time-served (five months in prison) by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for illegally reentering the country after having previously been removed.  Cardona-Torres had pleaded guilty to the charge. 

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Cardona-Torres was arrested during targeted enforcement in Sayre, Pennsylvania, on February 22, 2025.  Cardona-Torres had previously been removed from the United States pursuant to court order in 2006, 2008 and 2010.  Cardona-Torres again faces deportation proceedings.

    The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).    

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Juries Charge Three Mexican Nationals with Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments charging three Mexican nationals with violating Title 8 U.S. Code (USC) 1326, illegal reentry. Additionally, one defendant was charged with using fraudulent documents. These are separate cases and not related.

    Raul Samano-Fuerte, 49, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has been previously removed from the United States four times with the most recent being March 10, 2009. On June 23, 2025, he was found in Norwalk, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.

    Gonzalo Diaz-Resendiz, 29, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has been previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Sept. 6, 2013. On June 30, 2025, he was found in Ottawa, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.

    Cesar Ramirez-Velazquez, aka Cesar Ramirez-Rincon, 44, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has two previous removals from the United States with the most recent being June 7, 2009. He was again found in the country on March 19, 2024, in Norwalk, Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security to be readmitted. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a fraudulent identification document for possessing a fraudulent permanent resident card and a fraudulent Social Security card in violation of Title 18 USC 1546 (a). Additionally, the defendant is charged with misuse of a Social Security Number, in violation of Title 42, USC 408 (a)(7)(B).

    The investigations preceding the indictments were conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Rotell Dustin is leading the prosecution.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: José Adolfo “Fito” Macías Villamar, Leader of Los Choneros Transnational Criminal Organization Extradited to Brooklyn Federal Court to Face International Drug and Gun Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BROOKLYN, NY – José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” a citizen of Ecuador, will be arraigned today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn for crimes committed as the leader of Los Choneros, a transnational criminal organization based in Ecuador that is responsible for significant drug trafficking into the United States, firearms trafficking from the United States, and acts of extreme violence.  Macías Villamar will be arraigned on a seven-count superseding indictment charging him with international cocaine distribution conspiracy; international cocaine distribution; using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; smuggling firearms from the United States; and straw purchasing of firearms conspiracy.  Macías Villamar will be arraigned before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon after being extradited yesterday from Ecuador to the Eastern District of New York.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); L.C. Cheeks, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division (ATF); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), announced the extradition and arraignment.

    “As alleged, the defendant served for years as the principal leader of Los Choneros, a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization, and was a ruthless and infamous drug and firearms trafficker.  The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “This case demonstrates our Office’s commitment to identifying and targeting the leadership of such organizations, wherever they may be located, and bringing them to face justice here in the United States.”

    “José ‘Fito’ Macias thought he could traffic poison into our country, smuggle American weapons back to his killers, and further his criminal enterprise using chaos and bloodshed. He was wrong,” stated DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy.  “Today, the kingpin of Los Choneros faces justice on U.S. soil for his crimes.”

    “ATF remains dedicated to working with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt the shooting cycle by focusing on those individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the gun violence that plagues our neighborhoods,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Cheeks.  “ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to address violent gang and drug-related activity that endangers the safety of our communities.  Our joint efforts are essential in bringing accountability to violent offenders, combatting threats to the public, and reducing violent crime.”

    As alleged in the indictment and other public filings, from at least 2020 to 2025, Macías Villamar was the principal leader of Los Choneros, the most violent and powerful transnational criminal organization in Ecuador.  As the principal leader of Los Choneros, Macías Villamar employed members of the organization to carry out serious acts of violence on the organization’s behalf. At Macías Villamar’s direction, Los Choneros committed violent acts toward Ecuadorean law enforcement, Ecuadorian politicians, attorneys, prosecutors, and civilians.  Los Choneros obtained many of its firearms and weapons by illegally trafficking and exporting them from the United States to Ecuador.  As alleged, the defendant specifically employed individuals who purchased firearms, firearms components, and ammunition in the United States and then illegally smuggled them to Ecuador for use by Los Choneros.

    In 2011, Macías Villamar went to prison in Ecuador on murder, robbery, weapons possession, and drug trafficking charges.  He escaped in 2013 before being recaptured months later.  During his second imprisonment in Ecuador, Macías Villamar used contraband cell phones and the internet to continue to direct the activities of Los Choneros and publish external communications and threats on Los Choneros’ behalf.  In January 2024, he escaped from Ecuadorian prison a second time—just two days ahead of his planned move to a maximum-security facility. In response to his escape, Ecuador erupted in violence—including prison riots, gang attacks, kidnappings, and bombings—and the government of Ecuador declared a state of emergency.  Ecuadorian authorities recaptured Macías Villamar on June 25, 2025, and he was extradited from Ecuador yesterday.

    Macías Villamar and members and associates of his organization used firearms in furtherance of their weapon and drug trafficking activities, including machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, and grenades.  Macías Villamar and the Los Choneros organization have also been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Ecuadorian authorities provided substantial assistance to secure the extradition of Macías Villamar.  This marks Ecuador’s first extradition of an Ecuadorian national since an April 2024 popular referendum amended Ecuador’s constitution to allow for the extradition of Ecuadorian nationals.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to life.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force.  Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour, Lorena Michelen, and David Berman are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    JOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”)
    Age:  45
    Ecuador

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 25-CR-114 (FB)

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Arrests Murderers, Pedophiles, and Rapists Over the Weekend

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is working around-the-clock to remove the worst of the worst from American communities

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the names and rap sheets of criminal illegal aliens arrested over the weekend—including murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. 

    “Over the weekend, our brave ICE agents arrested more depraved criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, and three child pedophiles. These are the types of barbaric criminals our ICE law enforcement is arresting and removing from American communities every day,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Despite an 830 percent surge in assaults against our ICE law enforcement officers, they continue to put their lives on the line to make American communities safer every day.”

    Below are some of the criminal illegal aliens arrested over the weekend:

    • ICE Dallas arrested Jose Arinaga-Ramirez, a 58-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in San Antonio, TX. 
    • ICE Los Angeles arrested Chue Vue, a 37-year-old illegal alien from Laos, convicted of attempted murder and seven counts of assault with deadly weapon/instrument non-firearm that produced great bodily injury in Riverside, CA. 
    • ICE Philadelphia arrested Gil Salinas-Anaclo, a 35-year-old illegal alien from Peru, convicted of larceny in Northampton County, PA. 
    • ICE Houston arrested Gilmer Vertiz-Bustemante, a 37-year-old illegal alien from Mexico convicted of murder in Tarrant County, TX. 
    • ICE Buffalo arrested Andra Adams Scott, a 30-year-old illegal alien from Jamaica, convicted of attempted robbery in Queens County, NY. 
    • ICE Los Angeles arrested Henry Jose Marquez, a 55-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela, convicted of smuggling cocaine in Tampa, FL. 
    • ICE Boston arrested Jovinnel Giron Meneses, a 29-year-old illegal alien from the Philippines convicted of aggravated rape of a child, rape of a child with force, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 in Middlesex, MA. 
    • ICE Philadelphia arrested Juan Ramirez-Velasquez, a 27-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala, convicted of rape of a victim under 12 years old in Dover, DE. 
    • ICE Atlanta arrested Emmanuel Evariste, a 39-year-old illegal alien from Haiti, convicted in the United States District Court, Boston District of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. 
    • ICE Buffalo arrested Sakir Akkan, a 22-year-old illegal alien from Turkey, convicted of rape three: anal sexual contact with a person incapable consent in Albany County, NY. 
    • ICE St. Louis arrested Nodir Negmatov, an illegal alien from Uzbekistan, who was attempting to pick up U.S. Department of State International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controlled Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits, which convert unguided bombs into all-weather precision-guided munitions, at a Boeing plant in St. Charles, Missouri. 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Congresswoman Barragán’s Statement on House Republicans Voting to Defund Public Broadcasting

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 18, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov


    Congresswoman Barragán’s Statement on House Republicans Voting to Defund Public Broadcasting 

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) released the following statement:

    “House Republicans voted to defund public broadcasting — and Southern California families will feel the impact. They’re taking back $4.3 million from PBS SoCal, which provides trusted educational programming, like Sesame Street, and free learning materials from over 1 million children under the age of 5 in our region.

    It also eliminates funding for stations like KCRW in Santa Monica and KUSC in Los Angeles, jeopardizing access to local news, cultural programming, and emergency alerts that keep our communities safe and informed.

    I voted AGAINST this power grab that takes away money Congress has already allocated. This isn’t about saving money — it’s about silencing voices and access to programming that thin-skinned Donald Trump and his Rubber Stamp Republicans don’t like. That’s about as un-American as you can get.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Travel Advisory: Route 6 East on-ramp in Johnston to Close Two Nights for Paving

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    For two nights, Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. both nights, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will temporarily close the on-ramp from Hartford Avenue to Route 6 East. During the closure, RIDOT will mill and resurface this deteriorated roadway and provide a smoother driving surface.

    During this closure, drivers can use the following detours:

    Hartford Avenue Eastbound: Remain on Hartford Avenue past the closed ramp. Turn left onto Killingly Street and use the on-ramp there to Route 6 East.

    Hartford Avenue Westbound: Remain on Hartford Avenue past the closed ramp. Turn left onto Atwood Avenue (Route 5) and follow it to the on-ramp to Route 6 East.

    All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.

    These pavement repairs are made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Hassan Introduce Bill to Help First Responders Fight the Opioid Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced their Halting the Epidemic of Addiction and Loss (HEAL) Act, which would expand access to new opioid overdose reversal agents in addition to naloxone by updating guidance and grant language from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

    “The opioid crisis is ravaging communities across the nation, and far too many Texans have lost their lives as a tragic consequence,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This bill would help first responders save more lives by expanding access to new, life-saving overdose reversal medicines, and I urge my colleagues to pass it without delay.”  

    “Fentanyl has devastated communities across New Hampshire, and first responders deserve the most advanced and up-to-date tools to fight this epidemic,” said Sen. Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will help more first responders get access to new types of overdose reversal agents, giving those on the front lines of responding to the fentanyl crisis all of the tools that they need to help save more lives.”

    Companion legislation passed the House of Representatives in June as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act.

    Background:

    For the first time in years, new data revealed overdose deaths decreased nearly 30% from the previous year to more than 80,000 deaths in 2024, with 60% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. As the U.S. continues to grapple with the opioid crisis, access to overdose reversal agents like naloxone is essential to preventing overdoses and deaths. Current HHS guidance and grant language has inadvertently created a monopoly by limiting regulations, guidance, and grants to naloxone, which restricts access to other FDA-approved and potential “next-generation” overdose reversal agents.

    Sen. Cornyn has long spearheaded the fight in the Senate to combat the fentanyl crisis and has held half a dozen events across Texas to raise awareness of the perils of this drug, including in Dallas, Austin, Carrollton, DFW, and San Antonio. He has also introduced legislation aimed at combatting illegal pill presses. Sen. Cornyn serves as chair of the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control for the 119th Congress.

    The HEAL Act would:

    • Ensure that whenever HHS issues a regulation or guidance for any grant program addressing opioid misuse and use disorders, any reference to an opioid overdose reversal agent, such as naloxone, is inclusive of any opioid overdose reversal agent that has been approved or otherwise authorized for use by the FDA.
    • Update naloxone-specific references to be “molecule agnostic” in regulation, guidance, and specific grant programs, including the State Opioid Response Grant (SOR) and the Tribal Opioid Response Grant (TOR).
    • Provide states, local governments, tribes, and nonprofits that receive HHS and SAMHSA grant funding or guidance the opportunity to use the product that best meets the needs of their communities.

    This legislation is endorsed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Addiction Policy Forum, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Association for Addiction Professionals, National Association for Children Impacted by Addiction, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors (NASADAD), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, Office of Recovery & Reentry, and 30 others.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting community-led responses to the illegal toxic drug and overdose crisis in Atlantic Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Funding will prioritize urgent needs at community level

    July 21, 2025 | Fredericton, New Brunswick | Health Canada

    Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced $2.8 million in funding from the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) to support four projects in Atlantic.

    These investments will directly support communities in Fredericton and Miramichi, New Brunswick, in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

    The ETF is part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to help communities rapidly respond to emerging, critical needs related to the overdose crisis faced by municipalities and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. It provides support for a wide range of urgent interventions to bolster local capacity to help the most affected populations.

    Minister Michel highlighted a mobile outreach project led by the City of Fredericton and the John Howard Society. This project will expand outreach efforts in Fredericton, New Brunswick, by adding overnight services to support vulnerable populations by delivering supplies, providing transport to critical services, distributing naloxone, and offering overdose support and weather warnings year-round. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Million Reasons to Celebrate Landsat 9

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Breadcrumb

    1. News

    One Million Reasons to Celebrate Landsat 9

    The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center archive now contains more than one million Landsat 9 Level-1 products (that’s over 1 billion megabytes of Earth observation data)!

    Since its launch on September 27, 2021, the Landsat 9 satellite has circled the Earth more than 20,000 times. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) onboard capture around 750 medium-resolution images each day. 

    This image of Alaska’s northern shoreline near the Canadian border is one of hundreds that were captured and processed on July 13, 2025—the day the millionth image was added to the archive.

    Landsat 9, as along with its counterpart Landsat 8, holds a vital role in understanding and managing America’s natural resources. Areas that benefit from Landsat include water and food security, agriculture, disaster response, land use/land change science, and energy and mineral development,. 

    All Landsat products can be downloaded at no charge from the USGS EROS archive. Visit the Landsat Data Access webpage to explore download options. 

    The Landsat program is a partnership between USGS and NASA. Landsat satellites have been observing Earth for over 50 years—making it the longest-running continuous global record of the Earth’s surface. Visit the Landsat Satellite Missions webpage to learn more about the partnership in Earth observation that started in 1972. 

    Return to all Landsat Headlines

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman, Bill Nye Discuss Importance of Protecting Public Broadcasting, Condemn Trump’s Rescissions Package

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Goldman is Co-Chair of the Public Broadcasting Caucus  

    Rescissions Package Strips All Federal Funding for Corporation of Public Broadcasting  

    Watch the Discussion Here 

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) hosted renowned kids’ science education advocate Bill Nye, “the Science Guy,” to highlight the vital role public broadcasting plays in K–12 education and community resilience. Following the Senate’s narrow approval earlier this week, House Republicans this morning passed President Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package, which eliminates all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). 

    Congressman Goldman led an amendment to strike the proposed cuts to CPB, an effort co-sponsored by 34 Democratic colleagues. House Republicans rejected the amendment, voting instead to gut critical support for public media that millions of Americans rely on for educational, cultural, and emergency programming. 

    The Republican-backed rescissions package deals a devastating blow to our democratic institutions at home, American leadership abroad, and the countless American citizens who rely on public broadcasting for emergency alerts, local news, and educational programming.  

    CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99.7% percent of the American population, and its funding finances over 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, supporting approximately 20,000 local jobs. 

    In addition to emergency response systems and local journalism, federal funding for CPB also enables public broadcasting to support educational content that parents nationwide rely on to help their children learn, averaging 16 million monthly users and more than 350 million monthly streams across digital platforms, allowing people at all income levels and from all parts of the country to access consistent, high-quality, educational content for free. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Prolific week for entrepreneurs

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has declared this a “historic week” for entrepreneurs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

    She was addressing the Startup20 Midterm Engagement Group Meeting held in Gauteng on Monday.

    The meeting kicks off a busy week, with Global Trade Promotion Organisations holding a parallel meeting hosted by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), together with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

    “They will consider how the global trade system is being reconfigured, and how MSMEs can build resilience and pivot towards new markets,” Ndabeni said.

    Later this week, the department will host the Global SME ministerial meeting with the International Trade Centre.

    “This meeting will see Ministers, Deputy Ministers and officials from more than 60 countries, as well as various multilateral organisations, converge to discuss entrepreneurship and MSME policy, and look at ways to scale global support for MSMEs, especially in underserved countries,” Ndabeni explained.

    The Global SME ministerial meeting will take aim at:

    • How to bridge the digital divide to empower MSMEs and startups with the infrastructure, skills, and tools needed to compete globally;
    • How to unlock capital access, especially for women- and youth-led businesses, through inclusive financial ecosystems;
    • How to position MSMEs as key actors in the green economy, supporting sustainable practices and circular innovation, and
    • How to foster inclusive trade policies that ensure MSMEs have a seat at the global economic table.

    “The outcome will be a Call to Action, endorsed by the 60 plus countries, which will contain practical policy measures and reforms that will be championed in the UN system and which we can integrate with our G20 MSME agenda.

    “Building on the work started in Brazil, as South Africa we want a dedicated G20 MSME and Startup Working Group, and this week’s deliberations will greatly assist us craft clear terms of reference and agenda for this working group,” Ndabeni said.

    The ministerial meeting will also allow opportunities for inputs from the Startup20 Midterm engagement.

    “Some of you… will be given space to share your thinking with the delegates at the ministerial meeting.

    “Together, we will build a more equal and sustainable future led by MSMEs and startups,” Ndabeni said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hayes Mabweazara, Senior Lecturer in Sociological & Cultural Studies (Media, Culture & Society), University of Glasgow

    Media capture happens when media outlets lose their independence and fall under the influence of political or financial interests. This often leads to news content that favours power instead of public accountability.

    Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance is a new book edited by news media scholars Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara and Bethia Pearson. It explores how this dynamic plays out in the global south and how journalists and citizens are resisting it. We asked them four questions.

    What is media capture and how has it reshaped itself in recent times?

    Media capture describes how media outlets are influenced, manipulated or controlled by powerful actors – often governments or large corporations – to serve their interests. It’s an idea that helps us understand how powerful groups in society can have a negative influence on news media. While this idea isn’t new, what has changed is how subtly and pervasively it now operates.

    These groups include big technology organisations that own digital media platforms – such as X, owned by xAI (Elon Musk), and Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta. But it’s also important to consider Google as a large search engine that shapes the news content and audience of many other platforms.

    This matters because the media are important for the functioning of democratic societies. Ideally, they provide information, represent different groups and issues in society, and hold powerful actors to account.

    For example, one of the key roles of the media is to provide accurate information for citizens to be able to decide how to vote in elections. Or to decide what they think about important issues. One big concern, then, is the effect of inaccurate or biased information on democracy.

    Or it might be that accurate information is harder to access because algorithms and platforms make it easier to access inaccurate or biased information. These can be intended and unintended consequences of the technology itself, but algorithms can amplify misinformation and fake news – especially if this content has the potential to go viral.

    So, what’s particular about media capture in the global south?

    This is a really interesting question that is still being investigated, but we have some ideas.

    First of all, it’s useful to know that media capture scholarship from the global north emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. The influence of financial institutions on business journalists was one of the first areas of study. Since then, research in the US has focused on the capture of government-funded media organisations like Voice of America. And on how digital platforms like Google and Facebook can lead to capture.

    In the global south, scholars have drawn attention to the importance of large media corporations in understanding media capture. For example, in Latin America, there’s a high level of what’s called “media concentration”. This is when many media outlets are owned by a few companies. These companies often own companies in other sectors, which means that critical reporting on business interests presents a conflict of interest.



    Read more:
    Public trust in the media is at a new low: a radical rethink of journalism is needed

    But to focus on Africa, scholars have drawn attention to governments as a source of pressure on journalists and editors. This can be through direct pressure or what we might call “covert” pressure. Withholding advertising that helps to fund media outlets is an example, or offering financial incentives to stop investigating certain topics.

    Researchers are also concerned about the influence of big tech in Africa. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook can shape the news and information that citizens have access to.

    Can you share some of the studies from the book?

    Our book includes many interesting studies – from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico in Latin America to Ethiopia and Morocco in Africa. We’ll share a few African cases here to give an overview of the issues.

    The book’s contribution on Ghana warns us that although more overt “old” types of media capture may have subsided, transitional democracies can feature messier, more nuanced forms of media control. This can be evident in government pressures and through capture of regulators.

    In the Morocco chapter, we see the threat to media freedom presented by digital platforms owned by global tech giants. This is known as “infrastructural capture”. It means news organisations become dependent on tech giants to set the rules of the game for democratic communication.

    Another compelling case is Nigeria, where researchers explore ties between media ownership and political patronage. The authors argue that the Nigerian press is failing in its democratic duty because of its reliance on advertising and sponsorship income from the state. Added to this are ineffective regulatory mechanisms and close relationships with some big businesses that own newspapers and printing presses.

    How can media capture be resisted in the global south?

    The studies in the book show some ways forward and we do think it’s important to be optimistic! Resistance takes many forms. Sometimes it comes through legal and policy reform aimed at increasing transparency and media diversity. In other cases, it’s driven by social movements, investigative journalists and independent media who continue to operate under pressure.

    The chapter on Uganda shows that journalist groups working with media advocacy organisations can strategically act to resist government media capture and harmful regulations. For example, to push back against one legislative change, several groups formed a temporary network called Article 29 (named after the article in the Ugandan constitution protecting free speech) and the African Centre for Media Excellence produced a report criticising the proposed changes.



    Read more:
    Western media outlets are trying to fix their racist, stereotypical coverage of Africa. Is it time African media did the same?

    One of the chapters on Ghana also shows how networks such as journalists, media associations, human rights groups and legal organisations can mobilise to push back against government influence. Organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association have played key roles in, for example, taking the media regulator to court to overturn laws that would have led to censorship. These findings are echoed in Latin America, where research on Mexico and Colombia also found professional journalism to be a strong source of resistance.

    The conversation must also include rethinking how we define capture itself. If we frame it only as total control, we risk missing the everyday ways influence operates – and the spaces where it can be resisted. We would also say it’s really important that citizens are aware and alert to the issues when they think about how they access news media and what platforms they use. This is sometimes called “media literacy” and is about people being more knowledgeable about where trustworthy news comes from.

    You can listen to a podcast about the book over here.

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

    – ref. African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends – https://theconversation.com/african-media-are-threatened-by-governments-and-big-tech-book-tracks-the-latest-trends-258017

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS, First Lady Anna Stein Celebrate Launch of Unshame NC, A Public Awareness Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Promote Evidence-Based Care for Substance Use Disorder

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS, First Lady Anna Stein Celebrate Launch of Unshame NC, A Public Awareness Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Promote Evidence-Based Care for Substance Use Disorder

    NCDHHS, First Lady Anna Stein Celebrate Launch of Unshame NC, A Public Awareness Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Promote Evidence-Based Care for Substance Use Disorder
    jawerner
    Fri, 07/18/2025 – 15:10

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and First Lady Anna Stein, in collaboration with Shatterproof, announced the launch of the Unshame North Carolina (Unshame NC) campaign to end stigma related to substance use disorder. Unshame NC has two primary goals: to increase knowledge and awareness of substance use disorder and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) as a treatment option.

    “Stigma is deeply rooted and causes real harm to people and communities across North Carolina,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Unshame NC is part of a collaborative effort from all of us to end stigma, build acceptance and increase support for treatment for people on their path to recovery.”

    Many people struggling with substance use don’t seek help because of stigma,” said North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein. “This campaign will highlight the stories of people who have experience with substance use disorder and recovery and bring greater awareness to effective methods of treatment for opioid use disorder.”

    NCDHHS and First Lady Stein launched Unshame NC this morning at the Wake County Drug Overdose Prevention Coalition meeting. The website, https://www.unshamenc.org/ includes testimonials from North Carolinians sharing their personal stories of substance use, hope and recovery. Facebook and Instagram content will help drive users to the website, which provides links to resources, including information on how to find the right treatment center, and guidance for providers and for family members seeking care for a loved one. NCDHHS contracted with national non-profit Shatterproof to develop and implement the Unshame NC campaign.

    Recent data from a statewide survey indicates 57% of North Carolinians know someone with opioid use disorder. Despite this widespread issue, only 34% of North Carolina residents know how to find quality treatment for themselves or their loved ones. Additionally, only one in five adults in North Carolina recognizes that opioid use disorder is a medical condition. These findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive education that connects people to lifesaving resources and treatment.

    “There’s no better evidence that recovery is real than a life changed,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW LCSW, NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “We’re pairing the stories of people in recovery with a statewide effort to increase access to MOUD, so more people can benefit from evidence-based care. Real access means supporting people on the recovery journey that makes sense for them, without judgment—and offering them every opportunity for lifesaving treatment, that includes MOUD.”

    Unshame NC focuses on the voices and experiences of North Carolinians impacted by substance use disorder. Through storytelling, education, and grassroots activation, the campaign demonstrates that people with substance use disorder are valued members of our communities—our family, neighbors, and coworkers—and highlights actionable ways we can ensure everyone has the support they need to thrive.

    “While most North Carolinians believe that people with SUD can recover with treatment, stigma and misinformation can create barriers to care,” said Courtney McKeon, Senior Vice President for Shatterproof’s National Stigma Initiative and longtime resident of The Research Triangle. “We see this often regarding medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), a gold standard of care. Through the stories of North Carolinians, we have the opportunity to increase understanding of all treatment options and support individuals on their path to improved health and wellness.”

    “It’s not just about overdoses. It’s not just about lives that were lost or lives that were saved,” says Michael, one of Unshame NC’s story sharers. “It’s also about how we treat the people who went through it and how we bring them out of the shadows. How do we welcome them back into society? How do we get them back to where we need to be? And that requires a lot of folks like me to speak out and help break the stigma.”

    People with substance use disorder flourish in environments that offer both community support and multiple pathways for treatment. If you want to share your story with NCDHHS and Unshame NC, you can get involved by filling out a Story Sharer Interest Form or joining the Unshame NC coalition. 

    Follow @UnshameNC on Facebook and Instagram or visit us at www.UnshameNC.org to hear people’s stories and learn more.

    If you or someone you know is in crisis, NCDHHS provides somewhere to go, someone to talk to and someone to respond. You can find the help that is right for you 24/7 on the NCDHHS Crisis Services website.

    The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available to everyone 24/7 by call, text, or chat.

    North Carolinians can call the 24/7 Peer Warmline at 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) to speak with a Peer Support Specialist. Peer Support Specialists (or “peers”) are people living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who provide support to others who may have similar life experiences and can benefit from their lived experiences. 

    The NC Recovery Helpline (800-688-4232) offers support and referrals for treatment and resources.

    ###

    About Shatterproof

    Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused on guiding communities, removing systemic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending stigma in the United States. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, X, and YouTube or follow us on Instagram. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Primera Dama Anna Stein, en colaboración con Shatterproof, anunciaron el lanzamiento de la campaña Unshame North Carolina (Unshame NC) para poner fin al estigma relacionado con el trastorno por consumo de sustancias. Unshame NC tiene dos objetivos principales: aumentar el conocimiento y la conciencia del trastorno por consumo de sustancias y los medicamentos para el trastorno por consumo de opioides (MOUD) como opción de tratamiento.

    “El estigma está profundamente arraigado y causa un daño real a las personas y comunidades de Carolina del Norte”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “Unshame NC es parte de un esfuerzo de colaboración de todos nosotros para poner fin al estigma, generar aceptación y aumentar el apoyo para el tratamiento de las personas en su camino hacia la recuperación”.

    Muchas personas que luchan con el uso de sustancias no buscan ayuda debido al estigma”, dijo la primera dama de Carolina del Norte, Anna Stein. “Esta campaña destacará las historias de las personas que tienen experiencia con el trastorno por consumo de sustancias y la recuperación y generará una mayor conciencia sobre los métodos efectivos de tratamiento para el trastorno por consumo de opioides”.

    NCDHHS y la Primera Dama Stein lanzaron Unshame NC esta mañana en la reunión de la Coalición de Prevención de Sobredosis de Drogas del Condado de Wake. El sitio web, https://www.unshamenc.org/ incluye testimonios de habitantes de Carolina del Norte que comparten sus historias personales sobre el uso de sustancias, la esperanza y la recuperación. El contenido de Facebook e Instagram ayudará a dirigir a los usuarios al sitio web, que proporciona enlaces a recursos, incluso la información sobre cómo encontrar el centro de tratamiento adecuado, y orientación para los proveedores y para los familiares que buscan atención para un ser querido. NCDHHS contrató a la organización nacional sin fines de lucro Shatterproof para desarrollar e implementar la campaña Unshame NC.

    Datos recientes de una encuesta estatal indican que el 57% de los habitantes de Carolina del Norte conocen a alguien con trastorno por consumo de opioides. A pesar de este problema generalizado, solo el 34% de los residentes de Carolina del Norte saben cómo encontrar un tratamiento de calidad para ellos o sus seres queridos. Además, solo uno de cada cinco adultos en Carolina del Norte reconoce que el trastorno por uso de opioides es una afección médica. Estos hallazgos resaltan la necesidad urgente de una educación integral que conecte a las personas con recursos y tratamientos que salvan vidas.

    “No hay mejor evidencia de que la recuperación es real que una vida cambiada”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW LCSW, Directora de NCDHHS de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias. “Estamos combinando las historias de las personas en recuperación con un esfuerzo estatal para aumentar el acceso a medicamentos para el trastorno por uso de opioides (MOUD, por sus siglas en inglés), para que más personas puedan beneficiarse de la atención basada en la evidencia. El acceso real significa apoyar a las personas en el viaje de recuperación que tiene sentido para ellas, sin juzgarlas, y ofrecerles todas las oportunidades para un tratamiento que salve vidas, esto incluye MOUD”.

    Unshame NC se centra en las voces y experiencias de los habitantes de Carolina del Norte afectados por el trastorno por consumo de sustancias. A través de la narración de historias, la educación y la movilización popular, la campaña demuestra que las personas con trastorno por uso de sustancias son miembros valiosos de nuestras comunidades (nuestra familia, vecinos y compañeros de trabajo) y destaca las formas prácticas en que podemos garantizar que todos tengan el apoyo que necesitan para prosperar.

    “Si bien la mayoría de los habitantes de Carolina del Norte creen que las personas con trastornos por uso de sustancias (SUD, por sus siglas en inglés) pueden recuperarse con tratamiento, el estigma y la desinformación pueden crear barreras para la atención”, dijo Courtney McKeon, vicepresidenta senior de la Iniciativa Nacional de Estigma de Shatterproof (Shatterproof’s National Stigma Initiative) y habitante desde hace mucho tiempo del Research Triangle. “Vemos esto a menudo con respecto a los medicamentos para el trastorno por uso de opioides (MOUD), un estándar de oro de atención. A través de las historias de los habitantes de Carolina del Norte, tenemos la oportunidad de aumentar la comprensión de todas las opciones de tratamiento y apoyar a las personas en su camino hacia una mejor salud y bienestar”.

    “No se trata solo de sobredosis. No se trata solo de vidas que se perdieron o de vidas que se salvaron”, dice Michael, uno de los participantes de la historia de Unshame NC. “También se trata de cómo tratamos a las personas que pasaron por eso y cómo las sacamos de las sombras. ¿Cómo los recibimos de nuevo a la sociedad? ¿Cómo conseguir que vuelvan a estar a donde tenemos que estar? Y eso requiere que mucha gente como yo hable y ayude a romper el estigma”.

    Las personas con trastorno por uso de sustancias prosperan en entornos que ofrecen tanto apoyo comunitario como múltiples vías de tratamiento. Si quiere compartir su historia con NCDHHS y Unshame NC, puedes participar completando un Formulario de interés para compartir historias o uniéndose a la coalición Unshame NC. 

    Siga @UnshameNC en Facebook y Instagram o visítenos en el sitio web; www.UnshameNC.org para escuchar las historias de las personas y obtener más información.

    Si usted o alguien que conoce está en crisis, NCDHHS proporciona un lugar a donde ir, alguien con quien hablar y alguien quien responde. Puede encontrar la ayuda adecuada para usted las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana en el sitio web de Servicios de crisis de NCDHHS.

    La línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis (988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) es gratuita, confidencial y está disponible para todos 24/7 por llamada, mensaje de texto o chat.

    Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte pueden llamar a la Línea de Ayuda de Pares al 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762) para hablar con un Especialista en Apoyo de Pares. Los especialistas en apoyo entre pares (o “pares”) son personas que viven en recuperación con enfermedades mentales y/o trastornos por uso de sustancias quienes brindan apoyo a otras personas que pueden tener experiencias de vida similares y pueden beneficiarse de sus experiencias vividas. La línea de ayuda para Recuperación NC (NC Recovery Helpline) (800-688-4232) ofrece apoyo y referencias para tratamiento y recursos.

    ###

    Acerca de Shatterproof

    Shatterproof es una organización nacional sin fines de lucro dedicada a revertir la crisis de adicción en los EE. UU. Shatterproof se centra en guiar a las comunidades, eliminar las barreras sistémicas para la recuperación, movilizar al país para abogar por el cambio y poner fin al estigma en los Estados Unidos. Encuentra Shatterproof en Facebook, X y YouTube o síguenos en Instagram. Para obtener más información, visita www.Shatterproof.org.

    Jul 21, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano Added to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

    Source: US FBI

    In June 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a federal arrest warrant for Mosquera Serrano after he was charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the U.S.

    Formed in the early 2010s, TdA has recently exploded in membership and criminal activity in the U. S.

    “At first, TdA was primarily composed of former inmates and individuals from Venezuela,” said Soyez. “Over time, the gang and the organization evolved. They became a more structured and powerful criminal group involved in various activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and human trafficking.”

    The gang’s influence has spread throughout Latin America and into the U.S., and they have established major networks for drug distribution, weapons trafficking, and human trafficking—and have even partnered with other criminal organizations.

    For law enforcement trying to protect their communities, this transnational organized crime system creates a challenge.

    “What we’ve seen over time, as we look back in our history dealing with transnational organized crime, is how quickly these criminal organizations can spread,” said Soyez. “We know the instability they can cause to our cities and our communities, and so I think from the FBI’s perspective, it’s something we want to be ahead of.”

    The FBI and law enforcement partners are focused on finding these dangerous criminals and bringing justice to victims of their crimes. Adding Mosquera Serrano to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list provides an opportunity for law enforcement to work with the public in fighting transnational organized crime across the country.

    “With TdA, we’ve seen instances of extreme violence and intimidation, causing a terror in our communities,” said Soyez. “Naming Mosquera Serrano as a Top Ten fugitive really highlights TdA and shows our aggressiveness to go after its leadership.”

    Mosquera Serrano is 37 years old and has black hair and brown eyes. He is a Venezuelan national and speaks Spanish. Aliases include Jhovanni San Vicente, “El Viejo,” and Jhovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano.

    Investigators believe that Mosquera Serrano may be in Venezuela or Colombia and that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

    “The FBI, along with our federal partners and international partners, can seek justice in foreign countries, and so, we would encourage those with any information, whether it’s inside the U.S. or another country, to please report that information because the FBI has the ability to bring justice and arrest Mosquera Serrano, even if it’s not within the United States,” said Soyez.

    If you have any information about Mosquera Serrano, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate or call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or contact the FBI via WhatsApp at 571-379-3951. WhatsApp is neither a government-operated nor a government-controlled platform.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General highlights new opportunity for support at Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting

    Source: NATO

    On Monday (21 July 2025) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte took part in an online meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG). The meeting was hosted by the German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, and the UK Defence Secretary, John Healey.

    Speaking to Defence Ministers who joined for the meeting, the Secretary General highlighted the initiative that he and US President Donald J Trump announced last week to boost support for Ukraine by opening additional US assets to Ukraine through investment by Allies in Europe and Canada. This new initiative is open-ended and has already seen numerous Allies express interest in contributing. It complements a range of other initiatives through which Allies support Ukraine and provides new access to US equipment and technology that Ukraine has requested for urgent delivery. This voluntary effort will be coordinated by NATO, given the experience and infrastructure the Alliance provides, including through its command in Wiesbaden, Germany – NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) – that is already coordinating support for Ukraine and has logistical hubs in the eastern part of the Alliance. The UDCG will also continue to play a vital role.

    This initiative and others bring together the three key decisions made by leaders at the NATO Summit in The Hague just a few weeks ago: increasing defence investment, ramping up defence production, and supporting Ukraine. The aim of all Allied security assistance to Ukraine is to bring the conflict to a just and lasting end as quickly as possible.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Crypto Futures Made Simple: BexBack Offers No KYC, 100x Leverage and Double Deposit Bonus to All New Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin’s price fluctuating above $120,000, many analysts predict a prolonged period of high volatility in the crypto market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

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    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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    The MIL Network –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hayes Mabweazara, Senior Lecturer in Sociological & Cultural Studies (Media, Culture & Society), University of Glasgow

    Media capture happens when media outlets lose their independence and fall under the influence of political or financial interests. This often leads to news content that favours power instead of public accountability.

    Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance is a new book edited by news media scholars Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara and Bethia Pearson. It explores how this dynamic plays out in the global south and how journalists and citizens are resisting it. We asked them four questions.

    What is media capture and how has it reshaped itself in recent times?

    Media capture describes how media outlets are influenced, manipulated or controlled by powerful actors – often governments or large corporations – to serve their interests. It’s an idea that helps us understand how powerful groups in society can have a negative influence on news media. While this idea isn’t new, what has changed is how subtly and pervasively it now operates.

    These groups include big technology organisations that own digital media platforms – such as X, owned by xAI (Elon Musk), and Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta. But it’s also important to consider Google as a large search engine that shapes the news content and audience of many other platforms.

    Palgrave Macmillan

    This matters because the media are important for the functioning of democratic societies. Ideally, they provide information, represent different groups and issues in society, and hold powerful actors to account.

    For example, one of the key roles of the media is to provide accurate information for citizens to be able to decide how to vote in elections. Or to decide what they think about important issues. One big concern, then, is the effect of inaccurate or biased information on democracy.

    Or it might be that accurate information is harder to access because algorithms and platforms make it easier to access inaccurate or biased information. These can be intended and unintended consequences of the technology itself, but algorithms can amplify misinformation and fake news – especially if this content has the potential to go viral.

    So, what’s particular about media capture in the global south?

    This is a really interesting question that is still being investigated, but we have some ideas.

    First of all, it’s useful to know that media capture scholarship from the global north emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. The influence of financial institutions on business journalists was one of the first areas of study. Since then, research in the US has focused on the capture of government-funded media organisations like Voice of America. And on how digital platforms like Google and Facebook can lead to capture.

    In the global south, scholars have drawn attention to the importance of large media corporations in understanding media capture. For example, in Latin America, there’s a high level of what’s called “media concentration”. This is when many media outlets are owned by a few companies. These companies often own companies in other sectors, which means that critical reporting on business interests presents a conflict of interest.

    Read more: Public trust in the media is at a new low: a radical rethink of journalism is needed

    But to focus on Africa, scholars have drawn attention to governments as a source of pressure on journalists and editors. This can be through direct pressure or what we might call “covert” pressure. Withholding advertising that helps to fund media outlets is an example, or offering financial incentives to stop investigating certain topics.

    Researchers are also concerned about the influence of big tech in Africa. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook can shape the news and information that citizens have access to.

    Can you share some of the studies from the book?

    Our book includes many interesting studies – from Colombia, Brazil and Mexico in Latin America to Ethiopia and Morocco in Africa. We’ll share a few African cases here to give an overview of the issues.

    The book’s contribution on Ghana warns us that although more overt “old” types of media capture may have subsided, transitional democracies can feature messier, more nuanced forms of media control. This can be evident in government pressures and through capture of regulators.

    In the Morocco chapter, we see the threat to media freedom presented by digital platforms owned by global tech giants. This is known as “infrastructural capture”. It means news organisations become dependent on tech giants to set the rules of the game for democratic communication.

    Another compelling case is Nigeria, where researchers explore ties between media ownership and political patronage. The authors argue that the Nigerian press is failing in its democratic duty because of its reliance on advertising and sponsorship income from the state. Added to this are ineffective regulatory mechanisms and close relationships with some big businesses that own newspapers and printing presses.

    How can media capture be resisted in the global south?

    The studies in the book show some ways forward and we do think it’s important to be optimistic! Resistance takes many forms. Sometimes it comes through legal and policy reform aimed at increasing transparency and media diversity. In other cases, it’s driven by social movements, investigative journalists and independent media who continue to operate under pressure.

    The chapter on Uganda shows that journalist groups working with media advocacy organisations can strategically act to resist government media capture and harmful regulations. For example, to push back against one legislative change, several groups formed a temporary network called Article 29 (named after the article in the Ugandan constitution protecting free speech) and the African Centre for Media Excellence produced a report criticising the proposed changes.

    Read more: Western media outlets are trying to fix their racist, stereotypical coverage of Africa. Is it time African media did the same?

    One of the chapters on Ghana also shows how networks such as journalists, media associations, human rights groups and legal organisations can mobilise to push back against government influence. Organisations including the Ghana Journalists Association and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association have played key roles in, for example, taking the media regulator to court to overturn laws that would have led to censorship. These findings are echoed in Latin America, where research on Mexico and Colombia also found professional journalism to be a strong source of resistance.

    The conversation must also include rethinking how we define capture itself. If we frame it only as total control, we risk missing the everyday ways influence operates – and the spaces where it can be resisted. We would also say it’s really important that citizens are aware and alert to the issues when they think about how they access news media and what platforms they use. This is sometimes called “media literacy” and is about people being more knowledgeable about where trustworthy news comes from.

    You can listen to a podcast about the book over here.

    – African media are threatened by governments and big tech – book tracks the latest trends
    – https://theconversation.com/african-media-are-threatened-by-governments-and-big-tech-book-tracks-the-latest-trends-258017

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 84 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 84 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week:

    • On July 11, Nicolas Duarte-Moreno, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Duarte-Moreno was arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers after he attempted to enter the U.S. in a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder through a Sentri lane at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with an undocumented immigrant hiding in the vehicle. Officers found the immigrant from Guatemala concealed in the cargo area where the convertible top retracts. While CBP officials dismantled the cargo area by removing bolts and speakers to find and extricate the immigrant, he complained that he could not breathe. He was immediately taken to a hospital.
    • On July 15, Luis Angel Galvez Alvarez, Julio Cesar Oros Castro and Francisco Javier Castro Acosta, all Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the trio attempted to enter the U.S. about the same time, each driving a Freightliner tractor through the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped each vehicle; they found about 29 pounds of cocaine concealed in the walls behind the beds of each tractor. The complaint said all three drivers admitted they were employed by the same trucking company.
    • On July 16, Jorge Ismael Valencia-Julian, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Valencia-Julian was arrested by a Border Patrol agent who tracked his footprints for five hours as the defendant tried to escape in rough terrain. Valencia-Julian was previously deported in March 2024 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

    Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

    • On July 11, 2025, Ricardo Velez-Torres, a Mexican National who was previously convicted of Burglary in the First Degree in 2006 and Illegal Reentry in 2002, was sentenced in federal court to 21 months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
    • On July 18, Julio Leyva-Solis, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of the felony facilitation of human smuggling, felony theft of property on three occasions, and felony possession of methamphetamine, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months plus one day in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

    Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

    The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    The UK and 25 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Joint statement by:

    • foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
    • EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

    The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

    We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.

    We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

    We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

    We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose.  We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

    We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.

    This statement has been signed by: 

    • The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK 

    • The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James F. Holden, Professor of Microbiology, UMass Amherst

    A submersible, which travels to the seafloor to collect rock and microbe samples, is lifted by the arm of a research vessel. James F. Holden

    People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system – like Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus – may contain deep, salty liquid oceans under an icy shell. Seafloor volcanoes could heat these moons’ oceans and provide the basic chemicals needed for life.

    Similar deep-sea volcanoes found on Earth support microbial life that lives inside solid rock without sunlight and oxygen. Some of these microbes, called thermophiles, live at temperatures hot enough to boil water on the surface. They grow from the chemicals coming out of active volcanoes.

    Because these microorganisms existed before there was photosynthesis or oxygen on Earth, scientists think these deep-sea volcanoes and microbes could resemble the earliest habitats and life on Earth, and beyond.

    To determine if life could exist beyond Earth in these ocean worlds, NASA sent the Cassini spacecraft to orbit Saturn in 1997. The agency has also sent three spacecraft to orbit Jupiter: Galileo in 1989, Juno in 2011 and most recently Europa Clipper in 2024. These spacecraft flew and will fly close to Enceladus and Europa to measure their habitability for life using a suite of instruments.

    A diagram of the interior of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which may have hot plumes beneath its ocean.
    Surface: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute; interior: LPG-CNRS/U. Nantes/U. Angers. Graphic composition: ESA

    However, for planetary scientists to interpret the data they collect, they need to first understand how similar habitats function and host life on Earth.

    My microbiology laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studies thermophiles from hot springs at deep-sea volcanoes, also called hydrothermal vents.

    Diving deep for samples of life

    I grew up in Spokane, Washington, and had over an inch of volcanic ash land on my home when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. That event led to my fascination with volcanoes.

    Several years later, while studying oceanography in college, I collected samples from Mount St. Helens’ hot springs and studied a thermophile from the site. I later collected samples at hydrothermal vents along an undersea volcanic mountain range hundreds of miles off the coast of Washington and Oregon. I have continued to study these hydrothermal vents and their microbes for nearly four decades.

    Crewed submarines travel deep underwater to collect samples from hydrothermal vents.
    Gavin Eppard, WHOI/Expedition to the Deep Slope/NOAA/OER, CC BY

    Submarine pilots collect the samples my team uses from hydrothermal vents using human-occupied submarines or remotely operated submersibles. These vehicles are lowered into the ocean from research ships where scientists conduct research 24 hours a day, often for weeks at a time.

    The samples collected include rocks and heated hydrothermal fluids that rise from cracks in the seafloor.

    The submarines use mechanical arms to collect the rocks and special sampling pumps and bags to collect the hydrothermal fluids. The submarines usually remain on the seafloor for about a day before returning samples to the surface. They make multiple trips to the seafloor on each expedition.

    Inside the solid rock of the seafloor, hydrothermal fluids as hot at 662 degrees Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) mix with cold seawater in cracks and pores of the rock. The mixture of hydrothermal fluid and seawater creates the ideal temperatures and chemical conditions that thermophiles need to live and grow.

    Plumes rising from hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean.
    P. Rona / OAR/National Undersea Research Program; NOAA

    When the submarines return to the ship, scientists – including my research team – begin analyzing the chemistry, minerals and organic material like DNA in the collected water and rock samples.

    These samples contain live microbes that we can cultivate, so we grow the microbes we are interested in studying while on the ship. The samples provide a snapshot of how microbes live and grow in their natural environment.

    Thermophiles in the lab

    Back in my laboratory in Amherst, my research team isolates new microbes from the hydrothermal vent samples and grows them under conditions that mimic those they experience in nature. We feed them volcanic chemicals like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur and iron and measure their ability to produce compounds like methane, hydrogen sulfide and the magnetic mineral magnetite.

    The thermophilic microbe Pyrodictium delaneyi isolated by the Holden lab from a hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. It grows at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) on hydrogen, sulfur and iron.
    Lin et al., 2016/The Microbiology Society

    Oxygen is typically deadly for these organisms, so we grow them in synthetic hydrothermal fluid and in sealed tubes or in large bioreactors free of oxygen. This way, we can control the temperature and chemical conditions they need for growth.

    From these experiments, we look for distinguishing chemical signals that these organisms produce which spacecraft or instruments that land on extraterrestrial surfaces could potentially detect.

    We also create computer models that best describe how we think these microbes grow and compete with other organisms in hydrothermal vents. We can apply these models to conditions we think existed on early Earth or on ocean worlds to see how these microbes might fare under those conditions.

    We then analyze the proteins from the thermophiles we collect to understand how these organisms function and adapt to changing environmental conditions. All this information guides our understanding of how life can exist in extreme environments on and beyond Earth.

    Uses for thermophiles in biotechnology

    In addition to providing helpful information to planetary scientists, research on thermophiles provides other benefits as well. Many of the proteins in thermophiles are new to science and useful for biotechnology.

    The best example of this is an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which is used to artificially replicate DNA in the lab by the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA polymerase first used for polymerase chain reaction was purified from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus in 1976. This enzyme needs to be heat resistant for the replication technique to work. Everything from genome sequencing to clinical diagnoses, crime solving, genealogy tests and genetic engineering uses DNA polymerase.

    DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays an essential role in DNA replication. A heat-resistant form from thermophiles is useful in bioengineering.
    Christinelmiller/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    My lab and others are exploring how thermophiles can be used to degrade waste and produce commercially useful products. Some of these organisms grow on waste milk from dairy farms and brewery wastewater – materials that cause fish kills and dead zones in ponds and bays. The microbes then produce biohydrogen from the waste – a compound that can be used as an energy source.

    Hydrothermal vents are among the most fascinating and unusual environments on Earth. With them, windows to the first life on Earth and beyond may lie at the bottom of our oceans.

    James F. Holden receives funding from NASA.

    – ref. Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet – https://theconversation.com/microbes-in-deep-sea-volcanoes-can-help-scientists-learn-about-early-life-on-earth-or-even-life-beyond-our-planet-260977

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James F. Holden, Professor of Microbiology, UMass Amherst

    A submersible, which travels to the seafloor to collect rock and microbe samples, is lifted by the arm of a research vessel. James F. Holden

    People have long wondered what life was first like on Earth, and if there is life in our solar system beyond our planet. Scientists have reason to believe that some of the moons in our solar system – like Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus – may contain deep, salty liquid oceans under an icy shell. Seafloor volcanoes could heat these moons’ oceans and provide the basic chemicals needed for life.

    Similar deep-sea volcanoes found on Earth support microbial life that lives inside solid rock without sunlight and oxygen. Some of these microbes, called thermophiles, live at temperatures hot enough to boil water on the surface. They grow from the chemicals coming out of active volcanoes.

    Because these microorganisms existed before there was photosynthesis or oxygen on Earth, scientists think these deep-sea volcanoes and microbes could resemble the earliest habitats and life on Earth, and beyond.

    To determine if life could exist beyond Earth in these ocean worlds, NASA sent the Cassini spacecraft to orbit Saturn in 1997. The agency has also sent three spacecraft to orbit Jupiter: Galileo in 1989, Juno in 2011 and most recently Europa Clipper in 2024. These spacecraft flew and will fly close to Enceladus and Europa to measure their habitability for life using a suite of instruments.

    A diagram of the interior of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which may have hot plumes beneath its ocean.
    Surface: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute; interior: LPG-CNRS/U. Nantes/U. Angers. Graphic composition: ESA

    However, for planetary scientists to interpret the data they collect, they need to first understand how similar habitats function and host life on Earth.

    My microbiology laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studies thermophiles from hot springs at deep-sea volcanoes, also called hydrothermal vents.

    Diving deep for samples of life

    I grew up in Spokane, Washington, and had over an inch of volcanic ash land on my home when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. That event led to my fascination with volcanoes.

    Several years later, while studying oceanography in college, I collected samples from Mount St. Helens’ hot springs and studied a thermophile from the site. I later collected samples at hydrothermal vents along an undersea volcanic mountain range hundreds of miles off the coast of Washington and Oregon. I have continued to study these hydrothermal vents and their microbes for nearly four decades.

    Crewed submarines travel deep underwater to collect samples from hydrothermal vents.
    Gavin Eppard, WHOI/Expedition to the Deep Slope/NOAA/OER, CC BY

    Submarine pilots collect the samples my team uses from hydrothermal vents using human-occupied submarines or remotely operated submersibles. These vehicles are lowered into the ocean from research ships where scientists conduct research 24 hours a day, often for weeks at a time.

    The samples collected include rocks and heated hydrothermal fluids that rise from cracks in the seafloor.

    The submarines use mechanical arms to collect the rocks and special sampling pumps and bags to collect the hydrothermal fluids. The submarines usually remain on the seafloor for about a day before returning samples to the surface. They make multiple trips to the seafloor on each expedition.

    Inside the solid rock of the seafloor, hydrothermal fluids as hot at 662 degrees Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) mix with cold seawater in cracks and pores of the rock. The mixture of hydrothermal fluid and seawater creates the ideal temperatures and chemical conditions that thermophiles need to live and grow.

    Plumes rising from hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic Ocean.
    P. Rona / OAR/National Undersea Research Program; NOAA

    When the submarines return to the ship, scientists – including my research team – begin analyzing the chemistry, minerals and organic material like DNA in the collected water and rock samples.

    These samples contain live microbes that we can cultivate, so we grow the microbes we are interested in studying while on the ship. The samples provide a snapshot of how microbes live and grow in their natural environment.

    Thermophiles in the lab

    Back in my laboratory in Amherst, my research team isolates new microbes from the hydrothermal vent samples and grows them under conditions that mimic those they experience in nature. We feed them volcanic chemicals like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur and iron and measure their ability to produce compounds like methane, hydrogen sulfide and the magnetic mineral magnetite.

    The thermophilic microbe Pyrodictium delaneyi isolated by the Holden lab from a hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. It grows at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) on hydrogen, sulfur and iron.
    Lin et al., 2016/The Microbiology Society

    Oxygen is typically deadly for these organisms, so we grow them in synthetic hydrothermal fluid and in sealed tubes or in large bioreactors free of oxygen. This way, we can control the temperature and chemical conditions they need for growth.

    From these experiments, we look for distinguishing chemical signals that these organisms produce which spacecraft or instruments that land on extraterrestrial surfaces could potentially detect.

    We also create computer models that best describe how we think these microbes grow and compete with other organisms in hydrothermal vents. We can apply these models to conditions we think existed on early Earth or on ocean worlds to see how these microbes might fare under those conditions.

    We then analyze the proteins from the thermophiles we collect to understand how these organisms function and adapt to changing environmental conditions. All this information guides our understanding of how life can exist in extreme environments on and beyond Earth.

    Uses for thermophiles in biotechnology

    In addition to providing helpful information to planetary scientists, research on thermophiles provides other benefits as well. Many of the proteins in thermophiles are new to science and useful for biotechnology.

    The best example of this is an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which is used to artificially replicate DNA in the lab by the polymerase chain reaction. The DNA polymerase first used for polymerase chain reaction was purified from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus in 1976. This enzyme needs to be heat resistant for the replication technique to work. Everything from genome sequencing to clinical diagnoses, crime solving, genealogy tests and genetic engineering uses DNA polymerase.

    DNA polymerase is an enzyme that plays an essential role in DNA replication. A heat-resistant form from thermophiles is useful in bioengineering.
    Christinelmiller/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    My lab and others are exploring how thermophiles can be used to degrade waste and produce commercially useful products. Some of these organisms grow on waste milk from dairy farms and brewery wastewater – materials that cause fish kills and dead zones in ponds and bays. The microbes then produce biohydrogen from the waste – a compound that can be used as an energy source.

    Hydrothermal vents are among the most fascinating and unusual environments on Earth. With them, windows to the first life on Earth and beyond may lie at the bottom of our oceans.

    James F. Holden receives funding from NASA.

    – ref. Microbes in deep-sea volcanoes can help scientists learn about early life on Earth, or even life beyond our planet – https://theconversation.com/microbes-in-deep-sea-volcanoes-can-help-scientists-learn-about-early-life-on-earth-or-even-life-beyond-our-planet-260977

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Timiebi Aganaba, Assistant Professor of Space and Society, Arizona State University

    A group of people gaze up at the Moon in Germany. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

    “India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasn’t just a scientific one, but a cultural one.

    India’s successful lunar landing prompted celebrations across the country, like this one in Mumbai.
    AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

    Over the past decade, many countries have established new space programs, including multiple African nations. India and Israel – nations that were not technical contributors to the space race in the 1960s and ‘70s – have attempted landings on the lunar surface.

    With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants.

    We are a team of researchers based across four countries with expertise in space policy and law, ethics, geography and anthropology who have written about the difficulties and importance of inclusion in space.

    Major players like the U.S., the European Union and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable and democratic.

    We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry.

    Continuing inequalities among space players

    Not all countries’ space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often don’t have the same resources behind them that large, established players do.

    The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow.

    Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation – and ultimately gain relevance.

    Small satellites, called CubeSats, are becoming relatively affordable and easy to develop, allowing more players, from countries and companies to universities and student groups, to have a satellite in space.
    NASA/Butch Wilmore, CC BY-NC

    In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige.

    Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives

    Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia.

    Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife.

    Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth.

    Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like “Dark and Quiet Skies”, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all.

    Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is “pay to play,” commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support.

    The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environment – both on Earth and beyond – even harder.

    The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars and beyond.

    It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all.

    The amount of space junk in orbit has increased dramatically since the 1960s.

    What is space exploration for?

    Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space – making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower “big player” approach, which would restrict who can go to space.

    The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanity’s shared future.

    But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space.

    Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action.

    Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses.

    Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies.

    However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies.

    Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative.

    To return to the question if we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward.

    Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesn’t share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale.

    Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).

    Adam Fish, Deondre Smiles, and Timiebi Aganaba do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty – https://theconversation.com/democratizing-space-is-more-than-just-adding-new-players-it-comes-with-questions-around-sustainability-and-sovereignty-257306

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Timiebi Aganaba, Assistant Professor of Space and Society, Arizona State University

    A group of people gaze up at the Moon in Germany. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

    “India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasn’t just a scientific one, but a cultural one.

    India’s successful lunar landing prompted celebrations across the country, like this one in Mumbai.
    AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

    Over the past decade, many countries have established new space programs, including multiple African nations. India and Israel – nations that were not technical contributors to the space race in the 1960s and ‘70s – have attempted landings on the lunar surface.

    With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants.

    We are a team of researchers based across four countries with expertise in space policy and law, ethics, geography and anthropology who have written about the difficulties and importance of inclusion in space.

    Major players like the U.S., the European Union and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable and democratic.

    We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry.

    Continuing inequalities among space players

    Not all countries’ space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often don’t have the same resources behind them that large, established players do.

    The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow.

    Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation – and ultimately gain relevance.

    Small satellites, called CubeSats, are becoming relatively affordable and easy to develop, allowing more players, from countries and companies to universities and student groups, to have a satellite in space.
    NASA/Butch Wilmore, CC BY-NC

    In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige.

    Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives

    Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia.

    Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife.

    Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth.

    Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like “Dark and Quiet Skies”, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all.

    Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is “pay to play,” commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support.

    The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environment – both on Earth and beyond – even harder.

    The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars and beyond.

    It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all.

    The amount of space junk in orbit has increased dramatically since the 1960s.

    What is space exploration for?

    Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space – making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower “big player” approach, which would restrict who can go to space.

    The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanity’s shared future.

    But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space.

    Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action.

    Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses.

    Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies.

    However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies.

    Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative.

    To return to the question if we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward.

    Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesn’t share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale.

    Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).

    Adam Fish, Deondre Smiles, and Timiebi Aganaba do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘Democratizing space’ is more than just adding new players – it comes with questions around sustainability and sovereignty – https://theconversation.com/democratizing-space-is-more-than-just-adding-new-players-it-comes-with-questions-around-sustainability-and-sovereignty-257306

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why is heart cancer so rare? A biologist explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Julie Phillippi, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh

    When heart cancer does happen, it can be particularly serious. Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images

    Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

    Why is heart cancer so rare? – Jackson, age 12, Davis, California

    You probably know someone who is affected by cancer. This disease results when cells divide uncontrollably and can make a person sick, sometimes very seriously.

    Cancer can occur anywhere in the body because every tissue and organ is made up of billions or even trillions of cells. But there are some parts of the body where cancer doesn’t happen as often, such as the heart. Studies show 3 in 10,000 people develop heart cancer. In comparison, 1 in 20 women are expected to develop breast cancer. Why is that?

    I’m a biologist who specializes in the blood vessels of the cardiovascular system. A big part of my work focuses on how cells interact with their environment to regulate the function of tissues and organs. Disease can develop when things go wrong.

    Turns out, heart cells have unique features that make them super resistant to cancer.

    How cancer starts

    Cells produce more cells to grow, replace older or worn-out cells or to repair damaged tissues. This process is called cell division. Each type of cell in the body divides at different rates based on multiple factors, including what their function is and a person’s age.

    For example, the cells of a growing human embryo divide extremely fast, undergoing four divisions in three days. The cells that make up the skin, nails and hair regularly replenish across your lifespan. Bone cells divide at a rate that will give you an entirely new skeleton approximately every 10 years.

    Whether and how often a cell divides is tightly regulated by a series of molecular checkpoints. During cell division, genes within DNA are duplicated and evenly distributed into two daughter cells. Damage to these genes caused by exposure to harmful chemicals, ultraviolet light or radiation can result in mutations that cause disease. Mutations can just happen randomly, too. When there are mutations on the genes regulating cell division, cancer can develop.

    Cells move through a series of checkpoints before division.
    OpenStax, CC BY-SA

    What protects heart cells from cancer?

    Even though the heart is the first organ to form and start working during early development, cells in the adult heart divide very few times after birth, with division dramatically declining after age 20. In fact, less than 50% of heart cells are replaced over the course of an average human life. That means half of the heart cells you’re born with will be helping pump blood for your entire life.

    This low rate of cell division in the adult heart likely serves as its primary defense against cancer. The less often a cell divides, the fewer opportunities there are for mistakes during DNA replication.

    The heart’s location in the body gives it more protection from certain cancer-causing factors.
    OpenStax, CC BY-SA

    The heart is also less directly exposed to cancer-causing factors, such as UV light on the skin or inhaled substances in the lung, due to its protected location in the chest.

    Unfortunately, the heart’s low rate of cell division has some downsides, such as a reduced ability to repair and replace cells damaged by disease, injury or aging.

    Why heart cancer still happens

    Even with the heart’s resistance to cancer, tumors may still form.

    When cancer is found in the heart, it’s often the result of cancer cells migrating from another part of the body to the heart. This process is called metastasis. Certain types of skin cancers or cancers in the chest are more likely to spread to the heart, though this is still rare.

    When they do happen, heart tumors can be quite serious and more aggressive than other cancers. A study analyzing more than 100,000 heart cancer cases in the United States found that patients who underwent surgery and chemotherapy to treat their heart cancer survived longer than those who did not.

    Successful cancer care spans multiple areas of medicine. These include palliative care, which focuses on relieving pain and addressing symptoms, and integrative medicine, which considers the mind-body-spirit connection.

    Heart cancer holds clues to heart regeneration

    Understanding how heart cells divide and what causes that process to change offers clues about disease and shapes ideas for new treatments.

    For example, research into how heart cells divide helps scientists better understand why the heart doesn’t heal well after a heart attack. Researchers found that although failing hearts have more dividing cells than healthy hearts, they need help to recover fully.

    New technologies, such as the ability to reprogram blood cells into heart cells, have allowed researchers to develop new heart disease models to study and one day achieve heart regeneration. This opens doors for new treatments for heart diseases, including cancer.

    Understanding why cancer doesn’t happen is just as important for developing new and better treatments as knowing why it does. The answers to both questions lie truly at the heart.

    Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

    And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

    Julie Phillippi receives funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

    – ref. Why is heart cancer so rare? A biologist explains – https://theconversation.com/why-is-heart-cancer-so-rare-a-biologist-explains-256055

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Rouge National Urban Park Celebrates 10 Years

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Milestone anniversary for Canada’s first national urban park

    July 21, 2025                                  Markham, Ontario                                       Parks Canada

    Rouge National Urban Park, Canada’s first national urban park and one of the largest protected urban parks in the world, offers easy access to residents of Canada’s largest urban centre to explore a rich assembly of forests, creeks, farms and trails as well as marshland, a beach on Lake Ontario and human history spanning 10,000 years.

    Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, celebrated this important milestone at an event honouring Indigenous partners, volunteers, farmers, advocates, and local stakeholders who have helped shape the vision of the park. The ceremony highlighted key achievements from the past decade, including major land assembly and legislation, the completion of the park’s first management plan, the development of a multi-species action plan, the completion of 137 restoration projects with partners and collaborators, the addition of 23 km of new trails and a $21 million investment in the future visitor, learning and community centre.

    Since its establishment in 2015, Rouge National Urban Park has become a globally recognized model for conservation in an urban setting. Spanning over 79 square kilometres, an area 1.3 times larger than the city of Manhattan, the park protects a remarkable diversity of natural, cultural, and agricultural landscapes and continues to evolve through Indigenous leadership, community stewardship, restoration efforts, and collaboration across all levels of government.

    Parks Canada will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rouge National Urban Park throughout 2025. Weekly features on the park’s Facebook page will highlight key moments of its history, while on-site anniversary programming will offer visitors opportunities to reflect on the park’s past, share their own stories, and contribute to a collective vision for the future of Canada’s first national urban park. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tennessee Man Sentenced to Prison for Operating Investment Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Tennessee man was sentenced to 71 months in prison after being convicted of running a $1.9 million Ponzi scheme.

    According to court documents, Alcides Roman, 66, of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
    Roman defrauded victims in Kansas, New York, Texas, and in Canada by soliciting their participation in purportedly high-yield investment programs. In truth, these investment opportunities were fraudulent. Roman did not invest the funds and failed to redeem the investments upon the victims’ requests. Rather, he left the funds in bank accounts he controlled and used the money for his own and others’ benefit. Roman induced victims to make additional or larger investments by making payments to them, ostensibly as returns on investment. Those payments, however, were from the same victim’s prior principal investments or another victim’s investments.

    Roman used funds from the scheme to pay for his personal living expenses, to buy vehicles and land, and to send money to numerous foreign and domestic companies. The total known loss to victims was $1,977,857.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Moomoo And New York Mets Unveil Display at Citi Field: A Bold New Presence at The Ballpark

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — moomoo, the global investment and trading platform, has unveiled a new, 36-foot high, double-sided display at Citi Field as part of its multi-year collaboration with the New York Mets. First displayed on July 18, the vibrant orange moomoo logo now adds a bright pop of color to the ballpark’s dynamic visual landscape. This prominent signage, complemented by the moomoo mascot, ribbon displays, and immersive billboard advertisements, significantly amplifies moomoo’s brand visibility and recognition among millions of baseball fans at Citi Field.

    Caption: Moomoo’s prominent 36-foot high signage lights up Citi Field

    With an average attendance of over 38,603 fans per game and 80 home games this season, the stadium brings extensive brand exposure to moomoo. Announced in April, the cross-sector collaboration between moomoo and the Mets also gives thousands of baseball fans the opportunity to watch the game in the moomoo Suite throughout the season. With this opportunity, fans have access to premium seats while enjoying best in class in-game entertainment, top tier dining options and exciting on-field performance.

    Since the start of the baseball season, moomoo has seen a significant increase in app downloads, brand visibility in various channels, and welcomes the opportunity to provide advanced tools and features, a global community of over 26 million investors, and free educational resources to beginner and advanced investors alike.

    Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz stars in a new commercial for moomoo, where the All-Star reliever details similarities between closing and stock trading: reading the game, analyzing opportunities, timing the moment, and moving with accuracy.

    “During this exciting season, moomoo is continuing its engagement with New York communities, and we have gained more opportunities to do investor education. We are delighted to see more and more people getting to know moomoo and understand our business philosophy through our collaboration with the Mets,” said Neil McDonald, CEO at Moomoo Financials Inc. “We believe that through learning and practice on the moomoo platform, which offers a variety of investment tools, investors can ultimately invest like professional investors.”

    “This new signage marks an exciting next step in the growth of our partnership with moomoo and will help enhance their brand visibility around the ballpark,” said Brenden Mallette, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at the New York Mets. “We’ve seen great engagement from our fans over the past few months and look forward to bringing more exciting moments to moomoo investors and Mets fans.”

    For every Mets win, $10,000 will be added to a special fund, culminating in a potential $1 million grand prize for one lucky moomoo investor if the team reaches 100 regular season victories*. In addition to organizing special events, moomoo offers various giveaways. These include 500 free game tickets on “moomoo Mondays” throughout the season for moomoo users** and the opportunity to score exclusive Mets x moomoo merch.

    *Terms and conditions apply (https://terms.easypromosapp.com/t/68294).

    ** Limited to Moomoo Financial Inc customers residing in tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT, and PA). Terms and conditions apply (https://www.moomoo.com/us/support/topic4_591?_ftsdk=1747041092307575 ).

    About moomoo

    Moomoo is a leading global investment and trading platform dedicated to empowering investors with user-friendly tools, data, and insights. Our platform is designed to provide essential information and technology, enabling users to make more-informed investment decisions. With advanced charting tools, pro-level analytical features, moomoo evolves alongside our users, fostering a dynamic community where investors can share, learn, and grow together.

    Founded in the US, moomoo operates globally, serving investors in countries such as the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia. As a subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings (FUTU), we take pride in our role as a global strategic partner of the Nasdaq, earning numerous international accolades from renowned industry leaders such as Benzinga and Fintech Breakthrough. Moomoo has also received multiple awards in the US, Singapore, and Australia for its innovative, inclusive approach to investing.

    Contact:

    For more information, please visit moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com or contact us at pr@moomoo.com

    For the New York Mets questions, please contact:

    Katie Agostin
    Manager, Communications
    New York Mets
    kagostin@nymets.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0159404-1710-4d0e-a6f8-ed195a0a3723

    The MIL Network –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Report Reveals Gaming and Travel Are Top Crypto Payment Interests

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has released its third Onchain Report—Crypto Payment Use Cases—providing a detailed look into how global users want to spend their digital assets. Based on a survey of 4,599 crypto wallet users conducted in early 2025, the report highlights that gaming (36%), daily purchases (35%), and travel bookings (35%) are the top categories where users express the strongest interest in paying with crypto. The results point to a demand for practical, day-to-day applications of digital assets in both online and offline environments.

    The report captures preferences across generational cohorts. Gen Z (aged 18–29) shows strong interest in social and entertainment-driven use cases, including gaming and gifting. Millennials (30–44) express more diversified use across travel, subscriptions, and digital goods. Gen X (45+) favors high-value or essential categories such as travel (40%), digital products, and real estate. This distribution reflects the need for flexible and secure crypto payment experiences tailored to different life stages and priorities.

    Regional analysis reveals varied motivations shaped by infrastructure and local behavior. Southeast Asia ranks highest for gaming (41%) and gifting, reflecting a young, mobile-first population and strong adoption of digital wallets and play-to-earn models. In East Asia, daily purchases and digital product spending both reached 41%—the highest globally—supported by robust QR payment systems and e-commerce integration. Africa stands out for education-related payments (38%), a reflection of crypto’s role in improving access to cross-border services in underbanked environments. Latin America leads in digital product purchases (38%) and online shopping (35%), pointing to crypto’s utility in inflation-prone markets. Meanwhile, the Middle East shows distinct demand for luxury and lifestyle-related purchases, with 31% interested in buying high-end goods and 29% in cars with crypto.

    “Crypto payments are no longer a fringe behavior — they’re becoming embedded in how people transact across regions and age groups,” said Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet. “What users are asking for is reliability, compatibility, and control. Whether it’s a QR code at checkout or a stablecoin-powered purchase online, the expectation is that spending crypto should feel as seamless as spending cash. The challenge for wallets is to meet that expectation without compromising the principles of self-custody.”

    Bitget Wallet is expanding its PayFi infrastructure to meet this demand, most recently with the rollout of a crypto-linked card powered by Mastercard, enabling users to spend digital assets at over 150 million merchants worldwide. The non-custodial wallet also supports QR-based payments across blockchain-native systems such as Solana Pay and national QR standards in select markets, allowing users to pay in crypto while merchants receive fiat. Through its in-app Shop section, users can directly purchase lifestyle goods, mobile top-ups, game credits, digital subscriptions and book flight tickets and hotels using stablecoins like USDT or USDC.

    To read to full report, please visit Bitget Wallet blog.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad0a7007-06f3-4d01-b461-4009d622f569

    The MIL Network –

    July 22, 2025
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