NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Travel Advisory: RIDOT Testing Paddles on I-195 East to Help Merging Traffic

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Starting, Friday night July 11, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will install traffic paddles along a section of I-195 East in Providence as part of a pilot to help traffic merge more efficiently. They will be located along a 500-foot section at the beginning of the highway, where drivers coming from I-95 North and South merge.

    The paddles, also called flexible delineators, will be installed in the center of the highway, allowing traffic in the two lanes from I-95 North and the two lanes from I-95 South to change lanes when vehicles are parallel to each other, which is more efficient.

    RIDOT will be monitoring the travel times after the paddles are installed to detect any changes in travel time and determine if any adjustments are needed, and if they will remain in place.

    Similar traffic paddles are in use and have been effective throughout the state.

    RIDOT continues to analyze options with the goal of reducing travel time and improving safety for these movements during the time the temporary traffic pattern is in place for the rebuild of the westbound Washington Bridge.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Live Entertainment CEO Indicted for Orchestrating Conspiracy to Rig Bidding Process for Public University Arena

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Timothy J. Leiweke, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oak View Group (OVG), for orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today. OVG develops and provides a variety of services to live entertainment venues.

    The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges that, from approximately February 2018 through at least June 2024, Leiweke conspired with the Chief Executive Officer of a competitor to rig the bidding for the development, management, and use of a multi-purpose arena that was to be located on the campus of a public university in Austin, Texas (the “Arena Project”).  

    “As outline in the indictment, the Defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold executives who cheat to avoid competition accountable.”

    “Unfair business practices, like those employed here, make it very difficult for the American people to pursue prosperity like our founders intended,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “In the Western District of Texas, we’re proud to work with our colleagues in the Antitrust Division on these types of cases, and we will do all we can to ensure those who engage in the type of conduct described in this case are held to account.”

    “Timothy Leiweke allegedly led a scheme designed to steer the contract for entertainment services at a public university’s arena to his company. Public contracts are subject to laws requiring an open and competitive bid process to ensure a level playing field,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “The FBI is determined to ensure that those who disregard fair competition principles do not benefit from a rigged bidding process targeting our communities and public institutions.”

    “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of corruption and illegal influence in the American workplace,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan R. Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast region. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”

    According to the indictment, in September 2017, Leiweke informed colleagues that he had learned another venue-services company was “bidding against us” for the Arena Project and wanted to “find a way to get [the competitor] some of the business” and “get them to back down.”  In November 2017, Leiweke informed others that he was “[m]ore than happy talking to [the competitor] about not bidding and [receiving certain subcontracts]” but had “no interest in working with them if they intend on putting in a bid.” In February of 2018, Leiweke ultimately reached an agreement with the competitor’s CEO, pursuant to which the competitor agreed that it would stand down and neither submit nor join an independent competing bid for the Arena Project. In exchange for the competitor’s agreement to stand down, Leiweke represented that the competitor would receive Arena Project’s subcontracts. Consistent with the bid-rigging agreement, the competitor did not submit a competing bid for the Arena Project. OVG ultimately submitted the sole qualified bid and won the Arena Project.  The arena opened to the public in April 2022, and OVG continues to receive significant revenues from the project to date.

    OVG and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million in penalties, respectively, in connection with the conduct alleged in the indictment against Leiweke.

    Leiweke is charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office are investigating the case.

    The Antitrust Division’s New York Office is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Too Much: Lena Dunham’s love letter to London, romance and the messiness of being a woman

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Steventon, Course Leader, BA (Hons) Screenwriting; Deputy Course Leader & Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Film Production, University of Portsmouth

    When HBO launched Lena Dunham’s Girls in 2012, it followed shows such as Buffy (1997-2003), Sex and the City (1998-2004) and Gossip Girl (2007-2012), which had all set a standard of shiny, sanitised female representation that was both attractive and palatable to a wide audience.

    The grubby realism of Dunham’s New York twentysomethings, on the other hand, offered a surprising authenticity for some. But for others it was too messy, too white, too privileged and too authored around Dunham’s own life.

    Although younger characters are often categorised by self-absorption and poor judgment, the “realness” of Girls was still challenging for many viewers. In particular they struggled with Dunham’s own character, Hannah Horvath, an aspiring writer frequently making personal and professional mistakes. She made for an unlikely – and often unlikable – heroine.

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    Much attention was also paid to Hannah’s nudity, which proved to be a talking point each season. Dunham is known for her bold and positive attitude to her body, which clearly does not conform to standard Hollywood beauty types. But this reaction to Hannah’s frequent nakedness was ultimately highlighted as misogynistic by the creative powers behind the series such as producer Judd Apatow and co-writer Jenni Konner, as well as Dunham herself.

    The same critics may have similar problems with Too Much. Though fresh 20-something protagonist, Jessica is played with gusto by TikTok star Megan Stalter, not Dunham herself. She’s known for her scene-stealing performance in comedy-drama Hacks (2021-).

    Too Much is still clearly written by Dunham. Jess’s relocation from NYC to London echoes her own move to the UK in 2021, where she met and married the Peruvian-British musician Luis Felber and settled in north London.

    The pair have co-created this “love letter to London”, with Dunham directing and and Felber providing the original music. The story takes in London pubs, creative agencies, Notting-Hill-the-movie aspirations and council-estate realities.

    Growing pains

    As Jess starts work in a London media agency, helmed by an excitable Richard E. Grant, she meets cerebral indie musician Felix (played convincingly and charmingly by Will Sharpe). Their instant connection means that Jess is thrust back into the world of dating, with all the Instagram anxiety and breakup PTSD that her last relationship produced.

    The tone is at once fresh and frivolous, but episode one feels contrived at times with the creaky set-up of post-relationship life and relocation.

    The familial scenes are the most enjoyable, with Dunham calling in all her celebrity cameo favours, including herself as Jessica’s mother (she snaffles some of the show’s best lines), and Rita Wilson playing her own mother. The small but mighty Rhea Pearlman grabs the great-grandmother role with gusto, flirting salaciously with Jess’s paramour while dispensing wicked wisecracks with bone-dry humour.

    As the story develops, so does the sophistication and thoroughbred quality of Dunham’s writing and directing. Glorious moments of obsession with skin, taste and touch in the early days of a relationship are convincingly conveyed by credible and well-crafted moments of intimacy, both physical and intellectual.

    As Jessica and Felix navigate the inevitable ups-and-downs of togetherness (dinner parties, red-flag paranoia and an unrequited “I love you”), Dunham reflects on love’s tumultuous and terrifying roller-coaster via brilliant dialogue and meaningful visual storytelling.

    A particularly thought-provoking moment of direction comes in the form of a long take at the end of episode three, where the duo cosy up together, ready for sleep, in silent closeness. Jess listens to music on headphones, potentially excluding Felix, but the inference is of acceptance and tenderness – a reassuring sign of potential longevity.

    The pitfalls on the road to love are frequently revealed in flashback from Jessica’s past relationship with Zev (Michael Zegen), who has moved on with a new partner. We go from the “meet-cute” and early days of infatuation between Jess and Zev, steadily giving way to less and less tolerance and emotional intimacy, until finally the betrayal with the new love becomes clear.

    Capitalising on the anxieties induced by social media, Dunham has Jess obsessively watching Zev’s new love Wendy (Emily Ratajkowski) on Instagram, where every desirable detail of her life plays out in perfection. When Wendy broadcasts the inevitable proposal on Instagram Live, Jess is sent spiralling and decides to flee to London.

    As the series progresses, Dunham’s goals become clearer and echo those of Girls. Both shows explore what it means to be “too much” – an accusation that many strong, ambitious and focused women have experienced.

    Being too much, it turns out, may be not such a bad thing. As Felix remarks at the close of episode four, after one of their first clashes, “too much” is not necessarily an insult – it can be a way of describing someone who is remarkable. It’s something that Dunham clearly believes – and wants us all to believe – about the tumultuous and chaotic experience of growing up.

    Too Much is a hopeful paean to womanhood, a declaration that messiness, failure and fear are all part of becoming a woman just as much as joy, love and intimacy. This show inspires and engages the more it reveals of its flawed and fallible protagonist amid the melting pot of London that Dunham so clearly adores.

    Jane Steventon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Too Much: Lena Dunham’s love letter to London, romance and the messiness of being a woman – https://theconversation.com/too-much-lena-dunhams-love-letter-to-london-romance-and-the-messiness-of-being-a-woman-260528

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.M. Congressional Delegation Calls on President Trump to Grant State’s Major Disaster Declaration Request in Response to Severe Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    N.M. Delegation: “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss”
    RUIDOSO, N.M. — As families mourn the loss of the three lives taken in severe flash flooding, and as many New Mexicans are being forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are calling on President Donald Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
    In a letter to President Trump, New Mexico’s Congressional delegation wrote, “We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions.
    “Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts.  
    “The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.”
    A Major Disaster Declaration would open up access to Public Assistance and Individual Assistance funds from FEMA. Public Assistance supports the restoration and reconstruction of public infrastructure and lands. Individual Assistance supports families from losses suffered due to the flash flooding.
    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.
    The lawmakers added, “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss.”
    Read the full text of the letter below or by clicking here.
    Dear President Trump,  
    We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions. 
    Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts. 
    The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.
    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan. We ask that you expeditiously grant the declaration and make this federal assistance available as soon as possible for the State to have all the resources they need to mitigate and recover from the devastation of this weather system.  
    Beginning on June 23, 2025, a weather system swept across New Mexico, producing monsoonal rain patterns and causing overwhelming damage across the state. Exacerbated by the severe to exceptional drought conditions across much of the state, as well as the number of interacting burn scars in much of the impacted area, the heavy rains and thunderstorms led to devastating flash flooding. Since this weather system started, it has impacted approximately 675 homes, with hundreds more under immediate threat of ongoing flooding in burn scars, and tragically caused at least three fatalities. Additionally, 70 distinct pieces of critical infrastructure have been damaged, including roads and bridges having been blown out by the floods and debris flow and drainage systems, water control facilities, and at least eight public buildings being destroyed or receiving severe damage. Many New Mexicans have been forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, often with livestock and pets.
    It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss. 
    Thank you for your consideration of this important request. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.M. Congressional Delegation Calls on President Trump to Grant State’s Major Disaster Declaration Request in Response to Severe Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    N.M. Delegation: “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss”

    RUIDOSO, N.M. — As families mourn the loss of the three lives taken in severe flash flooding, and as many New Mexicans are being forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are calling on President Donald Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

    In a letter to President Trump, New Mexico’s Congressional delegation wrote, “We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions.

    “Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts.  

    “The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.”

    A Major Disaster Declaration would open up access to Public Assistance and Individual Assistance funds from FEMA. Public Assistance supports the restoration and reconstruction of public infrastructure and lands. Individual Assistance supports families from losses suffered due to the flash flooding.

    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.

    The lawmakers added, “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss.”

    Read the full text of the letter below or by clicking here.

    Dear President Trump,  

    We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions. 

    Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts. 

    The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.

    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan. We ask that you expeditiously grant the declaration and make this federal assistance available as soon as possible for the State to have all the resources they need to mitigate and recover from the devastation of this weather system.  

    Beginning on June 23, 2025, a weather system swept across New Mexico, producing monsoonal rain patterns and causing overwhelming damage across the state. Exacerbated by the severe to exceptional drought conditions across much of the state, as well as the number of interacting burn scars in much of the impacted area, the heavy rains and thunderstorms led to devastating flash flooding. Since this weather system started, it has impacted approximately 675 homes, with hundreds more under immediate threat of ongoing flooding in burn scars, and tragically caused at least three fatalities. Additionally, 70 distinct pieces of critical infrastructure have been damaged, including roads and bridges having been blown out by the floods and debris flow and drainage systems, water control facilities, and at least eight public buildings being destroyed or receiving severe damage. Many New Mexicans have been forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, often with livestock and pets.

    It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss. 

    Thank you for your consideration of this important request. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.M. Congressional Delegation Calls on President Trump to Grant State’s Major Disaster Declaration Request in Response to Severe Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    N.M. Delegation: “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss”

    RUIDOSO, N.M. — As families mourn the loss of the three lives taken in severe flash flooding, and as many New Mexicans are being forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are calling on President Donald Trump to approve a Major Disaster Declaration request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

    In a letter to President Trump, New Mexico’s Congressional delegation wrote, “We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions.

    “Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts.  

    “The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.”

    A Major Disaster Declaration would open up access to Public Assistance and Individual Assistance funds from FEMA. Public Assistance supports the restoration and reconstruction of public infrastructure and lands. Individual Assistance supports families from losses suffered due to the flash flooding.

    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan.

    The lawmakers added, “It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss.”

    Read the full text of the letter below or by clicking here.

    Dear President Trump,  

    We respectfully request that you take immediate action on the recent request for a major disaster declaration from the State of New Mexico in response to the severe weather system that produced unprecedented monsoonal rain statewide, causing severe thunderstorms and devastating flash flooding across multiple jurisdictions. 

    Yesterday and throughout the night, we watched Ruidoso leaders and staff, National Weather Service-Albuquerque staff, utility crews, first responders, medical providers, and rescue teams rally to save lives and help New Mexicans affected by the devastating flash flooding. We are immensely grateful for their heroic efforts. 

    The scale of this disaster demands an immediate and robust response. Lives, homes, and critical infrastructure have been upended by this devastation, and New Mexico should not have to face it alone. We urge you to act without delay and approve the State of New Mexico’s request for a major disaster declaration.

    The State is requesting Public Assistance, Category A through G, including Direct Federal Assistance for Lincoln County, Chaves County, Otero County, and Valencia County, as well as Individual Assistance, including Housing Assistance, Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, Serious Needs Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, Disaster Unemployment, and Displacement Assistance for Lincoln County and Valencia County. The State is also requesting Hazard Mitigation statewide, as facilitated by New Mexico’s Natural Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan. We ask that you expeditiously grant the declaration and make this federal assistance available as soon as possible for the State to have all the resources they need to mitigate and recover from the devastation of this weather system.  

    Beginning on June 23, 2025, a weather system swept across New Mexico, producing monsoonal rain patterns and causing overwhelming damage across the state. Exacerbated by the severe to exceptional drought conditions across much of the state, as well as the number of interacting burn scars in much of the impacted area, the heavy rains and thunderstorms led to devastating flash flooding. Since this weather system started, it has impacted approximately 675 homes, with hundreds more under immediate threat of ongoing flooding in burn scars, and tragically caused at least three fatalities. Additionally, 70 distinct pieces of critical infrastructure have been damaged, including roads and bridges having been blown out by the floods and debris flow and drainage systems, water control facilities, and at least eight public buildings being destroyed or receiving severe damage. Many New Mexicans have been forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, often with livestock and pets.

    It is imperative that the federal government provides full support needed for New Mexico communities to respond and recover. Anything less would leave families vulnerable and prolong the suffering of those already facing unimaginable loss. 

    Thank you for your consideration of this important request. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Works to Mitigate Flood Risks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, are working to mitigate flood risk and improve water quality by ensuring farmers, landowners, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can work together to restore and maintain floodplains.
    The bipartisan Restoring America’s Floodplains Act would make clear that the USDA can assist landowners in maintaining floodplain easements in the Emergency Watershed Protection Program by taking part in restoration activities like removing levees and replanting native species that are critical for reducing flood risk and improving natural habitat.  
    “I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impacts flooding can have on our communities in Iowa, and my heart goes out to all those who have been impacted by destructive natural disasters,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to be working on a bipartisan solution to proactively reduce these impacts that will use existing tools at no additional cost to taxpayers while also improving water quality and protecting our valuable land.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act will give USDA the tools it needs to help Colorado farmers and landowners reduce flood risk across the state,” said Senator Bennet. “The growing weather challenges we face are putting more pressure on our watersheds and farmland. Investing in natural infrastructure is a common-sense way to mitigate damage and improve our floodplains for future generations.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act is a real opportunity for farmers and landowners working to restore impacted floodplains and enhance stewardship of vulnerable landscapes to provide wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, and cleaner water,” said Anna Gray, Public Policy Director and Counsel at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. “INHF supports the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act because it will provide producers critical relief in the face of flooding disasters and options for recovery and restoration that have cascading benefits for Iowa’s land, water, wildlife and communities.”
    “As Iowans look for solutions to mitigate flood impacts and improve water quality, we need look no further than nature,” said Amber Markham, Director of External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. “Nature-based solutions like floodplain restorations provide countless benefits to Iowans and we support legislation that advances these goals.” 
    “Floodplain easements are voluntary, incentive-based tools that enable landowners to restore natural floodplains that lower the risk of flooding, improve water quality and soil health, and preserve waterfowl habitat,” said Chris Fox, Ducks Unlimited Iowa State Policy Chair. “It’s a perfect example of natural infrastructure solutions that benefit people, our communities, and wildlife, and we thank Sens. Ernst and Bennet for introducing the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act.”
    Background:
    While in the Iowa National Guard, Ernst deployed multiple times to help Iowans recover from devastating floods and has long worked to cut government red tape so disaster victims can better access the tools they need. Most notably, she called for a one-stop shop that connects America’s rural communities to federal resources, now known as the Rural Partnership Network, a direct line of communication that helps coordinate hundreds of rural-focused federal support programs. Following last year’s flooding in Iowa, Ernst called for full resources to support thoseimpacted. She visited the Iowa communities affected and met directly with local leaders and emergency response officials to support recovery efforts. She also conducted oversight of FEMA to ensure recovery efforts remain free from politicization.
    Ernst has long held that farmers are the original conservationists and pushed to remove red tape from USDA conservation programs to make these tools more accessible.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Works to Mitigate Flood Risks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, are working to mitigate flood risk and improve water quality by ensuring farmers, landowners, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can work together to restore and maintain floodplains.
    The bipartisan Restoring America’s Floodplains Act would make clear that the USDA can assist landowners in maintaining floodplain easements in the Emergency Watershed Protection Program by taking part in restoration activities like removing levees and replanting native species that are critical for reducing flood risk and improving natural habitat.  
    “I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impacts flooding can have on our communities in Iowa, and my heart goes out to all those who have been impacted by destructive natural disasters,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to be working on a bipartisan solution to proactively reduce these impacts that will use existing tools at no additional cost to taxpayers while also improving water quality and protecting our valuable land.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act will give USDA the tools it needs to help Colorado farmers and landowners reduce flood risk across the state,” said Senator Bennet. “The growing weather challenges we face are putting more pressure on our watersheds and farmland. Investing in natural infrastructure is a common-sense way to mitigate damage and improve our floodplains for future generations.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act is a real opportunity for farmers and landowners working to restore impacted floodplains and enhance stewardship of vulnerable landscapes to provide wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, and cleaner water,” said Anna Gray, Public Policy Director and Counsel at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. “INHF supports the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act because it will provide producers critical relief in the face of flooding disasters and options for recovery and restoration that have cascading benefits for Iowa’s land, water, wildlife and communities.”
    “As Iowans look for solutions to mitigate flood impacts and improve water quality, we need look no further than nature,” said Amber Markham, Director of External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. “Nature-based solutions like floodplain restorations provide countless benefits to Iowans and we support legislation that advances these goals.” 
    “Floodplain easements are voluntary, incentive-based tools that enable landowners to restore natural floodplains that lower the risk of flooding, improve water quality and soil health, and preserve waterfowl habitat,” said Chris Fox, Ducks Unlimited Iowa State Policy Chair. “It’s a perfect example of natural infrastructure solutions that benefit people, our communities, and wildlife, and we thank Sens. Ernst and Bennet for introducing the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act.”
    Background:
    While in the Iowa National Guard, Ernst deployed multiple times to help Iowans recover from devastating floods and has long worked to cut government red tape so disaster victims can better access the tools they need. Most notably, she called for a one-stop shop that connects America’s rural communities to federal resources, now known as the Rural Partnership Network, a direct line of communication that helps coordinate hundreds of rural-focused federal support programs. Following last year’s flooding in Iowa, Ernst called for full resources to support thoseimpacted. She visited the Iowa communities affected and met directly with local leaders and emergency response officials to support recovery efforts. She also conducted oversight of FEMA to ensure recovery efforts remain free from politicization.
    Ernst has long held that farmers are the original conservationists and pushed to remove red tape from USDA conservation programs to make these tools more accessible.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Works to Mitigate Flood Risks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, are working to mitigate flood risk and improve water quality by ensuring farmers, landowners, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can work together to restore and maintain floodplains.
    The bipartisan Restoring America’s Floodplains Act would make clear that the USDA can assist landowners in maintaining floodplain easements in the Emergency Watershed Protection Program by taking part in restoration activities like removing levees and replanting native species that are critical for reducing flood risk and improving natural habitat.  
    “I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impacts flooding can have on our communities in Iowa, and my heart goes out to all those who have been impacted by destructive natural disasters,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to be working on a bipartisan solution to proactively reduce these impacts that will use existing tools at no additional cost to taxpayers while also improving water quality and protecting our valuable land.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act will give USDA the tools it needs to help Colorado farmers and landowners reduce flood risk across the state,” said Senator Bennet. “The growing weather challenges we face are putting more pressure on our watersheds and farmland. Investing in natural infrastructure is a common-sense way to mitigate damage and improve our floodplains for future generations.”
    “The Restoring America’s Floodplains Act is a real opportunity for farmers and landowners working to restore impacted floodplains and enhance stewardship of vulnerable landscapes to provide wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, and cleaner water,” said Anna Gray, Public Policy Director and Counsel at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. “INHF supports the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act because it will provide producers critical relief in the face of flooding disasters and options for recovery and restoration that have cascading benefits for Iowa’s land, water, wildlife and communities.”
    “As Iowans look for solutions to mitigate flood impacts and improve water quality, we need look no further than nature,” said Amber Markham, Director of External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. “Nature-based solutions like floodplain restorations provide countless benefits to Iowans and we support legislation that advances these goals.” 
    “Floodplain easements are voluntary, incentive-based tools that enable landowners to restore natural floodplains that lower the risk of flooding, improve water quality and soil health, and preserve waterfowl habitat,” said Chris Fox, Ducks Unlimited Iowa State Policy Chair. “It’s a perfect example of natural infrastructure solutions that benefit people, our communities, and wildlife, and we thank Sens. Ernst and Bennet for introducing the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act.”
    Background:
    While in the Iowa National Guard, Ernst deployed multiple times to help Iowans recover from devastating floods and has long worked to cut government red tape so disaster victims can better access the tools they need. Most notably, she called for a one-stop shop that connects America’s rural communities to federal resources, now known as the Rural Partnership Network, a direct line of communication that helps coordinate hundreds of rural-focused federal support programs. Following last year’s flooding in Iowa, Ernst called for full resources to support thoseimpacted. She visited the Iowa communities affected and met directly with local leaders and emergency response officials to support recovery efforts. She also conducted oversight of FEMA to ensure recovery efforts remain free from politicization.
    Ernst has long held that farmers are the original conservationists and pushed to remove red tape from USDA conservation programs to make these tools more accessible.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece, at a nomination hearing.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Remarks as prepared for delivery:
    It is my honor to introduce my good friend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
    Kimberly is a deeply experienced attorney, a nationally-respected commentator on politics and public policy, and strategist.
    Throughout her career, she has excelled in both the private sector and in public service roles.
    Indeed, her distinguished background and long-standing commitment to public engagement make her an excellent candidate to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
    Ms. Guilfoyle worked as a broadcaster at Fox News where she co-hosted The Five and Outnumbered and previously appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, ABC News, and Court TV.
    Earlier in her career, Kimberly served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and as Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles, where she garnered national recognition for her legal acumen.
    Her academic and civic credentials further support her nomination—having graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Davis, and earned a J.D. from the University Of San Francisco School Of Law.
    She is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing her legal work, public service, and advocacy—including the Heritage of Hope Award from the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Special Civil Rights Award from the City of New York.
    Most recently, in January she was awarded what’s known as an Emblematic Icon by the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America commemorating the spiritual and cultural bonds between Greece and the United States.
    Ms. Guilfoyle’s strong expertise and experience—as well as her deep ties to the Greek-American community—make her extremely well-qualified to represent the United States in Greece.
    On a very personal note, as I moved from my prior post as U.S. Ambassador to Japan and into the U.S. Senate, Kimberly was there for me.
    She joined me for the kick off of my senate campaign in my small hometown in Tennessee, so I feel like she has been with me since the very beginning of this current chapter in my life.
    I am honored to support her as she opens the next chapter in hers!
    I urge my colleagues on this Committee to support her nomination as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece, at a nomination hearing.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Remarks as prepared for delivery:

    It is my honor to introduce my good friend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

    Kimberly is a deeply experienced attorney, a nationally-respected commentator on politics and public policy, and strategist.

    Throughout her career, she has excelled in both the private sector and in public service roles.

    Indeed, her distinguished background and long-standing commitment to public engagement make her an excellent candidate to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

    Ms. Guilfoyle worked as a broadcaster at Fox News where she co-hosted The Five and Outnumbered and previously appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, ABC News, and Court TV.

    Earlier in her career, Kimberly served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and as Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles, where she garnered national recognition for her legal acumen.

    Her academic and civic credentials further support her nomination—having graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Davis, and earned a J.D. from the University Of San Francisco School Of Law.

    She is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing her legal work, public service, and advocacy—including the Heritage of Hope Award from the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Special Civil Rights Award from the City of New York.

    Most recently, in January she was awarded what’s known as an Emblematic Icon by the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America commemorating the spiritual and cultural bonds between Greece and the United States.

    Ms. Guilfoyle’s strong expertise and experience—as well as her deep ties to the Greek-American community—make her extremely well-qualified to represent the United States in Greece.

    On a very personal note, as I moved from my prior post as U.S. Ambassador to Japan and into the U.S. Senate, Kimberly was there for me.

    She joined me for the kick off of my senate campaign in my small hometown in Tennessee, so I feel like she has been with me since the very beginning of this current chapter in my life.

    I am honored to support her as she opens the next chapter in hers!

    I urge my colleagues on this Committee to support her nomination as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece, at a nomination hearing.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Remarks as prepared for delivery:

    It is my honor to introduce my good friend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

    Kimberly is a deeply experienced attorney, a nationally-respected commentator on politics and public policy, and strategist.

    Throughout her career, she has excelled in both the private sector and in public service roles.

    Indeed, her distinguished background and long-standing commitment to public engagement make her an excellent candidate to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

    Ms. Guilfoyle worked as a broadcaster at Fox News where she co-hosted The Five and Outnumbered and previously appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, ABC News, and Court TV.

    Earlier in her career, Kimberly served as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and as Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles, where she garnered national recognition for her legal acumen.

    Her academic and civic credentials further support her nomination—having graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Davis, and earned a J.D. from the University Of San Francisco School Of Law.

    She is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing her legal work, public service, and advocacy—including the Heritage of Hope Award from the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Special Civil Rights Award from the City of New York.

    Most recently, in January she was awarded what’s known as an Emblematic Icon by the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America commemorating the spiritual and cultural bonds between Greece and the United States.

    Ms. Guilfoyle’s strong expertise and experience—as well as her deep ties to the Greek-American community—make her extremely well-qualified to represent the United States in Greece.

    On a very personal note, as I moved from my prior post as U.S. Ambassador to Japan and into the U.S. Senate, Kimberly was there for me.

    She joined me for the kick off of my senate campaign in my small hometown in Tennessee, so I feel like she has been with me since the very beginning of this current chapter in my life.

    I am honored to support her as she opens the next chapter in hers!

    I urge my colleagues on this Committee to support her nomination as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT CHECK: Social Security War Room Debunks Latest Social Security Administration Lies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 09, 2025
    Social Security leadership touts false “milestones” while beneficiaries struggle with long wait times, tech glitches
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), part of Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, debunked misleading claims that Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration (SSA) touted in a recent press release.
    “Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration is a customer service disaster. Commissioner Bisignano should stop rewriting history and focus on making it easier for Americans to get help with their monthly checks,” said Senator Warren.
    The SSA claimed it “achieved key milestones” in a so-called “customer service transformation.” In reality, beneficiaries have struggled with hours-long wait times, online glitches, and persistent threats of mass staff firings and field office closures.
    SSA CLAIM #1: “Complet[ed] over 3.1 million payments to all who were entitled under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) five months ahead of schedule.”
    FACT: Reporting revealed that SSA forced employees to stop working on critical issues including overpayment reconsideration, updating direct deposit information, checking on monthly payment rates, and Medicare billing related issues in order to complete SSFA payments. Employees warned that thousands of Americans could see delays or even stopped checks as a result of the backlog.
    SSA CLAIM #2: “Continuing to upgrade SSA’s telephone technology nationwide, deploying the platform to 841 field offices, representing 70 percent of field offices nationwide.”
    FACT: SSA’s new phone system has created new challenges for Americans trying to get help. Beneficiaries have reported AI doom loops and glitches that have prevented them from getting help.
    SSA CLAIM #3: “Reducing the average speed of answer (ASA) on the 800 Number to 13 minutes, a 35 percent reduction compared to this time last year and over a 50 percent reduction compared to last year’s annual average.”
    FACT: A recent Social Security War Room investigation revealed that SSA’s public claims about wait times are false — the actual average wait time on the 800 number is 102 minutes, nearly eight times higher than SSA’s claims. SSA’s claim that call times are just 13 minutes is even inconsistent with its own data, which shows that just 7.6 % of callers wait less than 15 minutes, and over half of callers wait more than two hours—if their call gets answered at all. 
    SSA CLAIM #4: “Optimizing technology on the 800 Number so that 90 percent of calls handled are now served via automated self-service options or convenient callbacks, minimizing hold times.”
    FACT: SSA’s own data shows only 40.7% of calls are currently handled through automation — not 90%.
    SSA CLAIM #5: “Upgrading the mySocial Security online portal to provide uninterrupted, 24/7 access to customers starting mid-July.”
    FACT: This “upgrade” comes after months of intermittent service blackouts — including glitches that told millions of beneficiaries that they were no longer receiving benefits.
    Senate Dems’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT CHECK: Social Security War Room Debunks Latest Social Security Administration Lies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 09, 2025

    Social Security leadership touts false “milestones” while beneficiaries struggle with long wait times, tech glitches

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), part of Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, debunked misleading claims that Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration (SSA) touted in a recent press release.

    “Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration is a customer service disaster. Commissioner Bisignano should stop rewriting history and focus on making it easier for Americans to get help with their monthly checks,” said Senator Warren.

    The SSA claimed it “achieved key milestones” in a so-called “customer service transformation.” In reality, beneficiaries have struggled with hours-long wait times, online glitches, and persistent threats of mass staff firings and field office closures.

    SSA CLAIM #1: “Complet[ed] over 3.1 million payments to all who were entitled under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) five months ahead of schedule.”

    FACT: Reporting revealed that SSA forced employees to stop working on critical issues including overpayment reconsideration, updating direct deposit information, checking on monthly payment rates, and Medicare billing related issues in order to complete SSFA payments. Employees warned that thousands of Americans could see delays or even stopped checks as a result of the backlog.

    SSA CLAIM #2: “Continuing to upgrade SSA’s telephone technology nationwide, deploying the platform to 841 field offices, representing 70 percent of field offices nationwide.”

    FACT: SSA’s new phone system has created new challenges for Americans trying to get help. Beneficiaries have reported AI doom loops and glitches that have prevented them from getting help.

    SSA CLAIM #3: “Reducing the average speed of answer (ASA) on the 800 Number to 13 minutes, a 35 percent reduction compared to this time last year and over a 50 percent reduction compared to last year’s annual average.”

    FACT: A recent Social Security War Room investigation revealed that SSA’s public claims about wait times are false — the actual average wait time on the 800 number is 102 minutes, nearly eight times higher than SSA’s claims. SSA’s claim that call times are just 13 minutes is even inconsistent with its own data, which shows that just 7.6 % of callers wait less than 15 minutes, and over half of callers wait more than two hours—if their call gets answered at all. 

    SSA CLAIM #4: “Optimizing technology on the 800 Number so that 90 percent of calls handled are now served via automated self-service options or convenient callbacks, minimizing hold times.”

    FACT: SSA’s own data shows only 40.7% of calls are currently handled through automation — not 90%.

    SSA CLAIM #5: “Upgrading the mySocial Security online portal to provide uninterrupted, 24/7 access to customers starting mid-July.”

    FACT: This “upgrade” comes after months of intermittent service blackouts — including glitches that told millions of beneficiaries that they were no longer receiving benefits.

    Senate Dems’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT CHECK: Social Security War Room Debunks Latest Social Security Administration Lies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 09, 2025

    Social Security leadership touts false “milestones” while beneficiaries struggle with long wait times, tech glitches

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), part of Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, debunked misleading claims that Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration (SSA) touted in a recent press release.

    “Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration is a customer service disaster. Commissioner Bisignano should stop rewriting history and focus on making it easier for Americans to get help with their monthly checks,” said Senator Warren.

    The SSA claimed it “achieved key milestones” in a so-called “customer service transformation.” In reality, beneficiaries have struggled with hours-long wait times, online glitches, and persistent threats of mass staff firings and field office closures.

    SSA CLAIM #1: “Complet[ed] over 3.1 million payments to all who were entitled under the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) five months ahead of schedule.”

    FACT: Reporting revealed that SSA forced employees to stop working on critical issues including overpayment reconsideration, updating direct deposit information, checking on monthly payment rates, and Medicare billing related issues in order to complete SSFA payments. Employees warned that thousands of Americans could see delays or even stopped checks as a result of the backlog.

    SSA CLAIM #2: “Continuing to upgrade SSA’s telephone technology nationwide, deploying the platform to 841 field offices, representing 70 percent of field offices nationwide.”

    FACT: SSA’s new phone system has created new challenges for Americans trying to get help. Beneficiaries have reported AI doom loops and glitches that have prevented them from getting help.

    SSA CLAIM #3: “Reducing the average speed of answer (ASA) on the 800 Number to 13 minutes, a 35 percent reduction compared to this time last year and over a 50 percent reduction compared to last year’s annual average.”

    FACT: A recent Social Security War Room investigation revealed that SSA’s public claims about wait times are false — the actual average wait time on the 800 number is 102 minutes, nearly eight times higher than SSA’s claims. SSA’s claim that call times are just 13 minutes is even inconsistent with its own data, which shows that just 7.6 % of callers wait less than 15 minutes, and over half of callers wait more than two hours—if their call gets answered at all. 

    SSA CLAIM #4: “Optimizing technology on the 800 Number so that 90 percent of calls handled are now served via automated self-service options or convenient callbacks, minimizing hold times.”

    FACT: SSA’s own data shows only 40.7% of calls are currently handled through automation — not 90%.

    SSA CLAIM #5: “Upgrading the mySocial Security online portal to provide uninterrupted, 24/7 access to customers starting mid-July.”

    FACT: This “upgrade” comes after months of intermittent service blackouts — including glitches that told millions of beneficiaries that they were no longer receiving benefits.

    Senate Dems’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • PM Modi calls for stronger ties, deeper Global South cooperation in Namibia Parliament address

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the Parliament of Namibia during his state visit, calling for closer cooperation between the two democracies and reiterating India’s commitment to the progress of Africa and the Global South.

    Speaking at the invitation of National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa, the Prime Minister described the opportunity to speak before the Namibian lawmakers as a “special gesture” that added meaning to his trip.

    Addressing the Parliament, the PM conveyed greetings from the “Mother of Democracy” and the world’s largest democracy to the members of the House and the people of Namibia. Recalling the historic bonds between the two nations and their parallel struggles for freedom, PM Modi paid homage to Namibia’s founding President Dr. Sam Nujoma, calling him a towering figure in the global fight for liberation and justice.

    The Prime Minister said that the democratic values championed by the founding fathers of both India and Namibia continue to illuminate the path of development. He also lauded Namibia’s efforts in strengthening its democratic institutions, and the role played by its government and citizens in deepening democracy.

    PM Modi expressed gratitude to the people of Namibia for conferring on him the country’s highest national honour. Calling it a tribute not just to him but to the achievements of Indian and Namibian democracies, the PM described both nations as “sentinels of freedom, equality and justice.”

    The Prime Minister urged the two countries to work closely for the betterment of the Global South and to ensure that the voices, hopes and aspirations of its people are fully realized. 

    Citing India’s G-20 presidency, during which the African Union was granted permanent membership, PM Modi said the move underscored India’s long-standing commitment to Africa’s rise.

    “India will always work for the progress of Africa,” PM Modi said, adding that New Delhi is proud to share its development experiences with Namibia and other countries on the continent. He reaffirmed India’s support for Africa’s Agenda 2063 and said that the partnership will focus on building capacity, developing skills, encouraging local innovation, and fostering inclusive growth.

    Thanking the Namibian Speaker for the honour of addressing the House, the Prime Minister made a pitch for enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. “Let our children not only inherit the freedom we fought for, but also the future we will build together,” he said.

  • PM Modi calls for stronger ties, deeper Global South cooperation in Namibia Parliament address

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the Parliament of Namibia during his state visit, calling for closer cooperation between the two democracies and reiterating India’s commitment to the progress of Africa and the Global South.

    Speaking at the invitation of National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa, the Prime Minister described the opportunity to speak before the Namibian lawmakers as a “special gesture” that added meaning to his trip.

    Addressing the Parliament, the PM conveyed greetings from the “Mother of Democracy” and the world’s largest democracy to the members of the House and the people of Namibia. Recalling the historic bonds between the two nations and their parallel struggles for freedom, PM Modi paid homage to Namibia’s founding President Dr. Sam Nujoma, calling him a towering figure in the global fight for liberation and justice.

    The Prime Minister said that the democratic values championed by the founding fathers of both India and Namibia continue to illuminate the path of development. He also lauded Namibia’s efforts in strengthening its democratic institutions, and the role played by its government and citizens in deepening democracy.

    PM Modi expressed gratitude to the people of Namibia for conferring on him the country’s highest national honour. Calling it a tribute not just to him but to the achievements of Indian and Namibian democracies, the PM described both nations as “sentinels of freedom, equality and justice.”

    The Prime Minister urged the two countries to work closely for the betterment of the Global South and to ensure that the voices, hopes and aspirations of its people are fully realized. 

    Citing India’s G-20 presidency, during which the African Union was granted permanent membership, PM Modi said the move underscored India’s long-standing commitment to Africa’s rise.

    “India will always work for the progress of Africa,” PM Modi said, adding that New Delhi is proud to share its development experiences with Namibia and other countries on the continent. He reaffirmed India’s support for Africa’s Agenda 2063 and said that the partnership will focus on building capacity, developing skills, encouraging local innovation, and fostering inclusive growth.

    Thanking the Namibian Speaker for the honour of addressing the House, the Prime Minister made a pitch for enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. “Let our children not only inherit the freedom we fought for, but also the future we will build together,” he said.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Collaboration Between NREL and CubicPV Pushes Perovskite Minimodule Performance to New Heights

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL and CubicPV researchers collaborated on a record-setting perovskite minimodule. Photo by Shuai You, NREL

    A collaborative effort between NREL and CubicPV has yielded a perovskite minimodule that belongs in the record books.

    The 24.0% certified efficiency marks the first time a U.S. effort has set a record in the perovskite minimodule category.

    The researchers at NREL and at CubicPV, a company based in the Boston area, made the minimodule consisting of multiple interconnected cells, with several steps in the fabrication sequence done at each location.

    Kai Zhu, a senior scientist in NREL’s Chemistry and Nanoscience Center has previously collaborated with CubicPV. Zhu said the complementary expertise of the two organizations is a testament not only to technical excellence, but to the accelerated impact of combining complementary strengths.

    “It’s really the strength from both parties that creates the environment for record setting,” he said. “Both teams can achieve great results —but collaboration amplifies our impact and sets new device benchmarks.” CubicPV’s focus is on tandem solar devices, using perovskites on top of silicon to make a solar panel that captures more photons and continues to lower the cost of energy, while NREL’s focus is on advancing manufacturing, durability, and efficiency of perovskite-enabled tandems. The collaboration amplifies each partner’s strengths.

    Unlike silicon, perovskites are created by using a low-temperature (less than 200°C) ink-based printing or vacuum coating process with primarily earth-abundant materials. The technology has proven to be efficient at small scale, and work to improve durability and efficiency on larger-area devices, which are prerequisite for commercial adoption, continues. Perovskites hold the promise of diversifying the supply chain and increasing domestic production of solar photovoltaic modules.

    Adam Lorenz, chief technology officer of CubicPV, said future efforts will focus on demonstrating durable performance outdoors and producing larger area perovskite modules. “We are committed to leveraging U.S. technical leadership and collaborating with the top researchers in the world to drive cutting-edge perovskite science toward scalable, commercially viable, and durable products,” he said.

    The previous record for a perovskite minimodule, published in May 2025, was 23.9%. The solar cell efficiency tables are published twice a year in the journal Progress in Photovoltaics. The next iteration will appear near year’s end, which gives NREL and CubicPV time to surpass their current record.

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office funded the research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Bondi, Secretary McMahon Announce DOJ Suit Against California for Violating Title IX

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.

    Related:

    Press Release: Justice Department Sues California for Violating Title IX, Denying Girls Athletic Opportunities

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Hosts International Rig IQ Showdown

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Hosts International Rig IQ Showdown

    The IADC Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Student Chapter recently hosted the International Rig IQ Showdown (IRIS) 2025. This remarkable flagship competition brought together bright minds from universities across Malaysia to compete in a test of drilling knowledge, strategy, and innovation. Competing teams joined from UCSI University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). 

    Over the course of 3 days, students participated in:

    • An insightful training session on drilling well control 
    • A written test to showcase their grasp of well control fundamentals
    • An engaging well control simulator hands-on training
    • A practical exam on the Well Control Simulator

    Congratulations to the winners! 

    1st place: ODOM Drilling (UTP)
    1st Runner-up: Top Drive (UTP)
    2nd Runner-up: UiTM DRILLGEIST (UiTM)

    The IADC UTP Student Chapter expressed: 

    “A massive congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding performance, and to every team for showcasing incredible skill, determination, and teamwork throughout the competition.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Drew Acosta’s Story

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Drew Acosta’s Story

    The following is part of IADC’s 85th anniversary campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice,” which aims to showcase the real human stories behind the drilling industry. 

    The following story is from Drew Acosta, former IADC Missouri S&T Student Chapter Vice President, 2024 IADC Student Chapter scholarship recipient and Drilling Engineer at Chevron.

    Growing up in rural East Texas, I always associated oil and gas with opportunity. However, I never anticipated the impact it would have on my life. As a kid, I dreaded the smell of crude oil that filled the dry desert air during trips to Odessa to visit my cousins. Watching family and friends leave for a few weeks to work on rigs was a routine part of life.

    My introduction to IADC came in spring 2022, during my second semester at Missouri S&T. I had just transferred to play baseball and study petroleum engineering after spending two years studying business at another university. Encouraged by friends, I attended the IADC Annual General Meeting in Austin in fall 2023. The warm welcome I received from the IADC community was unforgettable and unlike any other conference experience I had as a student. It was then that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in drilling.

    I took on a leadership role within my university’s IADC chapter and never looked back. The fellowship and support I got from IADC was invaluable. In 2024, IADC awarded me a scholarship that was crucial in helping me complete my education as a first-generation college student. Additionally, I organized a WellSharp certification class for fellow students, with IADC providing the necessary resources.

    In February 2025, I began my full-time role as a Drilling Engineer at Chevron in Houston. This position allows me to stay involved in events for young professionals and attend many more conferences in the future. Now, I’m the family or friend heading out to the rig for a few weeks, eagerly waiting for the plane to land at the Midland airport so I can feel the sandy, crude-scented wind and continue working on the next phase of my career.

    Reflecting on my journey, IADC has been a pivotal factor in bridging those two points of my life, supporting me every step of the way. 

    Drew at the IADC Annual General Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in November 2024.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Attorney General Bondi, Secretary McMahon Announce DOJ Suit Against CA for Violating Title IX

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phx3jXwbclg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Kennedy in the New York Post: The clock is ticking on the Senate to chop $9.4 billion of waste

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in the New York Post urging the Senate to approve President Trump’s rescission request to permanently cut funding to wasteful foreign aid programs and public broadcasting.

    Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

    “Under former President Joe Biden, our federal government agreed to spend $3 million on an Iraqi version of ‘Sesame Street,’ $3 million on circumcisions and vasectomies in Zambia, $500,000 on electric buses in Rwanda and $67,000 to feed insect powder to children in Madagascar. You read that right. Insect powder.

    “It wasn’t all bugs, though. A group of male prostitutes in Haiti got $3.6 million to run free pastry-cooking classes, cyber cafés and ‘dance focus groups.’

    “These spending decisions make Americans want to jump out of a moving car.”

    . . . 

    “The House of Representatives already approved these spending cuts. It’s the Senate’s turn now — and we must move quickly: The Impoundment Control Act only gives Congress 45 days to approve a rescission request. We need to get this to the president’s desk by July 18. 

    “If my colleagues still think this spending is necessary, they should vote no on his request. But here on planet Earth, the American people know they could be spending this money far better than the deeply weird, woke bureaucrats they’ve already voted out of office.”

    Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: One Big Beautiful Bill Will Help Make U.S. Energy Dominant

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    07.07.25

    Senator Outlines OBBB Policies to Help Stabilize the Grid, Secure the Future of American Energy

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today held a press conference with Representative Julie Fedorchak and Senator Kevin Cramer, where Hoeven outlined how the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) will help make the U.S. energy dominant. The senator discussed how the legislation incentivizes the coal and oil and gas industries to work together to help stabilize the electrical grid and produce more energy from America’s abundant resources. The bill:

    • Unlocks access to taxpayer-owned oil, gas and coal reserves. To this end, the legislation requires the Interior Department to:
      • Hold quarterly lease sales for oil and gas.
      • Take prompt action on new coal lease applications.
      • Open for leasing an additional 4 million acres of known recoverable federal coal reserves.
    • Rolls back Green New Deal policies imposed under the Biden administration, including:
      • Stopping the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) fee on oil and gas production, also known as the Natural Gas Tax, for 10 years. Hoeven led the effort in the Senate to block implementation of President Biden’s Natural Gas Tax.
      • Reducing federal royalty rates for oil, gas and coal production to their pre-IRA levels.
      • Aligning incentives to encourage partnerships between coal and oil producers, helping coal-fired power plants to stay online longer, while maximizing the potential of oil and gas wells, including in the Bakken.

    “Between the regulatory and tax relief we’ve provided in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, we’re securing the future of energy production in North Dakota, supporting the stability of our electrical grid by keeping our coal plants online and helping make the U.S. truly energy dominant,” said Hoeven. “Importantly, we’re stopping the Green New Deal policies from the last administration and taking the handcuffs off of energy production on federal lands. At the same time, we’re supporting partnerships between coal, oil and gas producers that will secure the future of energy production in North Dakota and across the nation. That’s how you ensure we can meet the demands of emerging industries, like AI, while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for American consumers and businesses.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: USDA to Begin Accepting Applications for Weather-Related Ag Disaster Assistance On July 10

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    07.09.25

    Senator Secured Funding to Help Producers Recover from Wildfire, Disaster Losses in 2023 and 2024

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications on July 10 for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which will provide $16 billion to help producers recover from weather-related losses occurring in 2023 and 2024. The program comes as part of the $33.5 billion in disaster relief funding that Hoeven secured in the year-end legislation passed in December.

    SDRP stage one is open to producers with eligible crop losses who received assistance either under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) during 2023 and 2024.

    • Prefilled applications are being mailed to producers today, which then may be submitted in person at county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices starting tomorrow.
      • This follows Hoeven’s work encouraging Agriculture Secretary Rollins to utilize a streamlined application process to help ensure an efficient and timely process.
    • Stage one payments are based on the coverage level the producer purchased for the crop.
      • A payment factor of 35% will be applied to all stage one payments. If additional SDRP funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.
    • Eligible disasters include wildfires, floods, winter storms, excessive moisture and qualifying drought, among other events.

    SDRP stage two covers eligible shallow or uncovered losses, with signup beginning in early fall. Additional information on the weather-related assistance can be found on FSA’s website here.

    “Our farmers faced severe hardship from disasters over the past two years, which are compounded by the difficulties resulting from challenging markets and trade negotiations. As such, this weather-related disaster assistance that we worked to fund and advance will be a welcome relief,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, the improvements we secured to the farm safety net will build upon this assistance, while reducing the need for future ag disaster funding. That’s a win for both producers and taxpayers over the long-term.”

    Today’s announcement builds upon the market-based assistance and livestock assistance that Hoeven worked to fund and advance, for which applications and payments continue to be processed. North Dakota producers have since received more than $570 million under the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) and more than $11 million under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

    The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems.  The Department will accept TAP applications from July 9 to August 29. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 149 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP.

    Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.

    “As a TAP Pilot Tribe, the Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Suzanne Drywater, Senior Director of Justice Services for the Cherokee Nation.  “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support, our tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty, and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.”            

    For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.

    To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following:

    • A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
    • A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
    • A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
    • A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.

    TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Tags that help players identify accessibility features now available across all digital Xbox experiences

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Tags that help players identify accessibility features now available across all digital Xbox experiences

    Created in collaboration with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Electronic Arts, Google, Nintendo of America, Ubisoft and other gaming companies as part of the newly formed Accessible Games Initiative, the Accessible Games Initiative tags help the more than 429 million players with some form of disability identify the accessibility features available in a specific game, before they make a purchase.

    This transition to the new Accessible Games Initiative tags is a continuation of the work Xbox started in 2021 by releasing the Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags.  Any Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags that do not have equivalent Accessible Games Initiative tags will remain on our platform. This new combination of tags will make it even easier for players with disabilities to learn about available accessibility features and find their next great game. 

    We caught up with Brannon Zahand, Senior Technical Program Manager at Xbox, and Steve Saylor, content creator and gaming accessibility advocate, to discuss the work towards greater standardization of accessibility in games, what these tags mean for players today, and why this work is important.

    You can also head over to the Microsoft Game Developer Blog to check out an interview with Phil Crabtree, Technical Director & Co-founder of Kaizen Game Works, about his team’s work designing games with accessibility in mind and the importance of the Accessibility Game Initiative tags.

    Interview with Brannon Zahand, Senior Technical Program Manager at Xbox, and Steve Saylor, Content Creator and Gaming Accessibility Advocate

    Today’s a big day! What does it mean to you, on a personal level, to have the new Accessible Games Initiative tags available across all digital Xbox experiences?

    Brannon Zahand: This work has been over half a decade in the making, so finally seeing these new tags in our store experiences is incredibly exciting. And it’s been amazing to see not just the positive community sentiment, but the rapid adoption we’ve had from game developers.

    Steve Saylor: I’m very excited! As more and more accessible games are being released, being able to find them via tags that cater to my accessibility needs is fantastic. I’ll be able to find my next favourite game or find that rare gem that I would’ve missed.

    Where exactly can players find these new tags, and will the Xbox Game Accessibility Feature Tags still be available?

    Zahand: On console, these tags can be found in many places, including the Xbox Store and filters in “My Games & Apps.” They are also available in the Xbox PC app, Xbox Mobile app, as well as on Xbox.com. In total, players will find more than 4,000 tags across all these experiences, which we’re really proud of. As for the original Xbox Game Accessibility Tags, we kept the tags which didn’t have Accessible Games Initiative equivalents as we heard from the community that they still found these very helpful. Those tags are “Accessibility on launch,” “On-demand tutorials,” “Pausable,” “Adjustable input sensitivity,” and “Single stick gameplay.”

    Why are these new tags being introduced, when Xbox already had its own tagging system?

    Zahand: Obviously, we love our Xbox Game Accessibility Tags. Developers and consumers alike both told us they gained a lot of value from them. But, at Xbox, we really view accessibility through the lens of collaboration, not competition. We realized we can do more good for our community and the developers that support them if we can align with other industry leaders to create a consistent language for developers to share information about what accessibility features their games have, regardless of platform or storefront. It reduces the amount of effort developers have to make to try to support different tagging systems, and makes it easier for the community by reducing the number of tagging systems they have to learn.

    As a founding member of the Accessible Games Initiative, what was it like to work with not only the ESA, but other industry partners, on these tags?

    Zahand: It was such an amazing experience. There are so many passionate accessibility experts and advocates in our industry now, and having the opportunity to tackle such a transformative initiative with them was so rewarding. My sincere thanks go out to each and every one of them for all the effort they poured into making the Accessible Games Initiative a reality.

    The Accessible Games Initiative marks a significant step in the standardization of accessibility in video games. Why is this important?

     Zahand: For years, people spoke about accessibility using similar terms but with very different meanings and expectations. For example, a long time back, I remember seeing a game that advertised itself as having subtitles. I was excited to try it out until I realized the subtitles were white text… and a decent chunk of the game was played in a snowy environment. There were points where it was impossible to read the text. Now, I was fortunate that I didn’t need the subtitles; for me, they were a “nice to have.” But I can imagine that those who rely on subtitles, like players in from the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, were likely frustrated by this. With these new tags, individuals buying a game tagged with “Large & Clear Subtitles” can be certain that the subtitles will have an adjustable background ensuring they’ll be able to read text regardless of the  game environment in the background. And if you think about it, this makes it easier for game developers as well. It gives them a clear place to start when they think about what types of accessibility features they may want to implement and the “minimum bars” that make those features useful and enjoyable.

    Saylor: It’s important because right now accessibility information about a game is rare. We get some info here and there, but we often won’t know if a game is accessible until we buy it and play it ourselves. With these tags it’s a great step forward for the industry to at least have a baseline of information so we can make our purchasing decisions wisely.

    What do you hope these tags signal to the rest of the industry?

    Zahand: I hope these tags are a reminder to developers, publishers, and consumers alike that accessibility is a win-win. Accessible games are good for everyone. For gamers, they give those who need these features an opportunity to take part, and those who simply enjoy customizing their gaming experience more options to do so. For developers, it allows their art to be enjoyed by more people. And since the use of these tags and implementation of these features isn’t mandatory, it gives them the freedom to do what they think is best for their game and players.

    Saylor: I hope it’s a signal to the industry that accessibility is not a daunting thing. Yes, it can be a lot of work. But, instead of being a mysterious thing, developers can look at the tags and say, “Oh that’s how you do it? That can totally be done.” It’s not the whole picture but it at least sets a standard going forward.

    If I am a game developer hearing about these tags for the first time, how can I get involved?

    Zahand: For Xbox developers, I’d recommend checking out our developer documentation on both the Accessible Games Initiative tags and Xbox Accessibility Feature Tags at https://aka.ms/afts. And for those developing on other platforms, a great place to get started is the Accessible Games Initiative website at https://www.accessiblegames.com. 

    Finally, are there any games that have surprised and delighted you with their accessibility options, and how are those represented in the new AGI tags?

    Zahand: It’s amazing to see how many titles have adopted these tags since they became available. I was really happy to see that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages all implemented some great accessibility features, including features covered by both the Accessible Games Initiative tags and Xbox Accessibility Feature tags.

    Saylor: A game that surprised me the most this year was Atomfall. Not only is it a great game to play on Game Pass, but it has a large amount of accessibility that made it so much fun to play. It has multiple tags already that include Clear and Large Text, Large and Clear Subtitles, Playable with Keyboard, or Touch controls, and more. I definitely recommend giving it a try!

    Visit www.accessiblegames.com to explore the tags and learn more. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Microsoft Edge sets a new standard for speed and responsiveness

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft Edge sets a new standard for speed and responsiveness

    Microsoft Edge is continuing to blaze a trail toward an even faster and more responsive browser UI, and through a cumulation of efforts of the past few months, we have reached a major milestone of achieving a global First Contentful Paint (FCP) below 300ms1.

    We set this ambitious performance target because industry research shows that waiting longer than 300 to 400ms for the initial content can significantly impact user satisfaction. By meeting this critical threshold, we ensure that the most used browser features appear almost instantly, letting you engage with the content sooner.

    This achievement not only aligns with widely recognized web performance standards but also underscores our commitment to delivering industry-leading speed. With Microsoft Edge, you get a smooth, enjoyable online experience with minimal delays, faster access to content, and a real sense of instant responsiveness.

    Since our previous blog post, we have dramatically reduced load times by an average of 40%, and achieved greater responsiveness, for 13 browser features, such as:

    • Settings: you can now more quickly load and navigate to the browser settings and customize your browsing experience.
    • Read aloud: to experience AI-powered reading of webpages in more languages, accents, and voices—all with reduced startup time and smoother playback.
    • Split screen: effortlessly switch between tasks and windows with near-instant navigation and less loading delays.
    • Workspaces: from the moment you open a page, tasks feel more responsive and intuitive, allowing you to dive into your work without delay.

    To get a better sense for the improvements, here is a video showing how much faster the Settings UI now loads in Microsoft Edge:

    Looking ahead

    While we’re proud of these advancements, our work is far from finished. In the coming months, expect additional performance improvements across more features, including Print Preview, Extensions, and more.

    Every update is designed to ensure a browsing experience that remains fast, fluid, and enjoyable—whether you’re working, playing, or exploring online.

    We’d love you to try Microsoft Edge and let us know what you think. Tell us about your experience by sending feedback directly from Edge: go to Settings and more (…) > Help and feedback > Send feedback.

    Happy browsing!

    FCP measures how quickly the various feature UIs of Microsoft Edge visually load.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Microsoft unveils Elevate, putting people first in AI transformation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft unveils Elevate, putting people first in AI transformation

    For a student wondering what to study, a teacher rethinking how to teach, or a business owner managing a workforce—artificial intelligence is no longer theoretical. It’s personal. And it’s why we believe some of the most important work ahead isn’t just building smarter machines—it’s ensuring those machines help people thrive.

    That’s why today we’re announcing Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute—to ensure that as AI transforms our world, we’re putting people first by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to thrive with AI.

    Microsoft Elevate brings into one organization our technology support, donations, and sales for schools, community colleges, and nonprofit organizations. It is the successor to and expands upon the longstanding work of Microsoft Philanthropies and the Tech for Social Impact team that supports nonprofits.

    More broadly, this represents our next chapter for corporate philanthropy and our non-commercial business model. As we have with Tech for Social Impact, we will run this new business with commitments to reinvest a share of our profits into nonprofit programs. We are announcing today that over the next five years, we will donate on a global scale more than $4 billion in cash and AI and cloud technology to K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits to help advance their missions.

    Microsoft Elevate will also pursue the next phase of our global skilling programs and initiatives. Through the Microsoft Elevate Academy, it will help bring AI education and skills to people around the world. In the next two years, the Microsoft Elevate Academy will help 20 million people earn an in-demand AI skilling credential ranging from foundational fluency to advanced technical training. Working in close coordination with other groups across Microsoft, including LinkedIn and GitHub, Microsoft Elevate will deliver AI education and skilling at scale. And it will work as an advocate for public policies around the world to advance AI education and training for others.

    Microsoft will partner with governments on a national, state, and local basis, as we have with the largest state in Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia. It will focus on advancing AI education and training with schools, community colleges, and nonprofits. It will launch new and innovative initiatives, including the support we’re announcing today for a new “Hour of AI” with Code.org. It will build on our existing partnerships with leading labor organizations, as we announced yesterday with the American Federation of Teachers. And we will pursue many more partnerships to come. Put together, these efforts represent a bold step to create the skilling infrastructure the world will need to put AI to work.

    A moment to reflect

    Today’s tech sector is in an AI race—with some aiming to be the first to reach artificial general intelligence or even superintelligence. But what do we really hope to create at the supposed finish line?

    The best time to ask hard questions about AI’s future is now—before it becomes even more powerful and pervasive. History shows that technology can empower creativity, expand knowledge, and connect people. But it can also deepen divides. Nearly 150 years after Thomas Edison lit his first light bulb, hundreds of millions still lack electricity. And in just 15 years, social media has gone from what people saw as a promising tool to spread democracy to a weapon of disinformation.

    As we look ahead, we must ask ourselves: Are we building machines to replace people, or to help people thrive? Are we trying to create AI that will outsmart humanity—or elevate it?

    At Microsoft, we’re putting a clear stake in the ground: we believe in advancing AI by putting people first.

    Elevating the humanity of work

    This initiative is part of a broader commitment to help people shape the future of work, not just react to it.

    Work has always been more than a paycheck. It’s how people contribute, grow, and find meaning in their lives. It’s a source of identity, purpose, and dignity. This isn’t a new idea. Two thousand years ago, Aristotle called it eudaimonia—the ability to flourish through purposeful activity. That idea still resonates today, especially as AI begins to reshape the nature of work itself.

    AI is a powerful tool that can help us learn and be more productive. But as with any tool, it needs to be used in the right ways and with a broad perspective. This is one of the lessons from the use of social media. We’ve probably all experienced someone connecting on their phone with a friend far away while ignoring a family member sitting in the same room. We need to use AI to think more, not less. And this is a function not only of technology but culture and habits. It will require thoughtful conversations in homes, schools, and in the workplace about how we make the best use of AI.

    Ultimately, the conversation about AI and jobs must begin with people—not just productivity. Machines can process data, but only humans can exercise judgment. Machines can mimic language, but only humans can offer empathy. Machines can optimize, but only humans can care. The goal isn’t to build machines that replace us—it’s to build machines that help us do more and do it better.

    One key to success will be partnerships, so a broad array of stakeholders can have input into where AI is going. That means working with governments, educators, labor unions, employers, and community leaders to ensure AI reflects human values and serves human needs.

    This is why we have been deepening our partnerships with labor organizations like the AFL-CIO and, as announced yesterday, with the American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, to deliver AI training to union members, apprenticeship instructors, and educators—including a new National Academy for AI Instruction and a summer skilling series across the building trades. We’re also working with policymakers to encourage public policies that support lifelong learning, workforce readiness, and equitable access to AI education.

    A new corporate think tank: Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute

    It’s important to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers to the new questions that AI will pose for societies around the world. No one does.

    To support our work with deeper research and policy insight, Microsoft Elevate will work in close coordination with the Microsoft AI Economy Institute. We started work this past January on what is a new kind of corporate think tank—one designed to bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact.

    Housed within the AI for Good Lab and building on the best traditions of Microsoft Research, the Institute sponsors and convenes researchers to explore how AI is reshaping work, education, and productivity. It’s focused on turning those insights into real-world solutions that inform Microsoft’s strategy and public policy engagement.

    The Institute supports academic research that explores the transformative potential of AI around the world. Current projects, representing academics from universities across the globe, began earlier this year and span from investigating how generative AI can drive transdisciplinary academic innovation to addressing policy gaps in African higher education to evaluating the real-world labor market value of AI skills and micro-credentials. This work underscores the Institute’s commitment to inclusive, evidence-based insights that shape responsible and globally relevant AI futures. With fast publication cycles and a commitment to open collaboration, the Institute ensures that its research reaches not only internal teams but also the public and policymakers around the world.

    The Institute’s work will directly inform Microsoft Elevate’s skilling programs and initiatives, helping to create the training programs, partnerships, and policy frameworks needed to prepare people for the AI economy.

    Through workshops, convenings, and applied research, the AI Economy Institute is poised to become a leading voice in the global conversation on AI and economic transformation—ensuring that the benefits of AI are broadly shared and that the infrastructure for inclusive growth is built alongside the technology itself.

    This is part of an even broader ongoing effort to advance AI as a tool for good around the world. This will include the evolution of our AI for Good Lab, which advances applied research projects to use AI to meet societal needs. It also includes our support for responsible AI with a wide variety of partners, including universities, nonprofits, and the AFL-CIO and its members. It also includes faith-based organizations, including the Vatican and its Rome Call for AI Ethics. And important intergovernmental organizations, including key United Nations agencies.

    Building on a 50-year legacy

    More than any other tech company, Microsoft’s 50-year history gives us a unique appreciation for what it takes for people and technology to flourish together. Because the PC and our operating systems have always functioned as open platforms, we understand how to support a broad global ecosystem of software developers and innovators. And because Microsoft strived early on to put “a computer on every desk and in every home” when that seemed like an implausible dream, we appreciate what technology success truly requires. It’s based not only on great innovations but also critical work to make these innovations accessible and to equip people with the skills needed to use them in their daily lives.

    This is the work ahead—not just building the next generation of AI but building the next generation of opportunity. With Microsoft Elevate, we’re investing in people, institutions, and ideas that will ensure AI serves everyone. Because AI shouldn’t strip away the humanity of work—it should elevate it.

    Tags: AI, digital skills

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: The power of game-based learning with Minecraft Education

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The power of game-based learning with Minecraft Education

    Engage students through game-based learning with Minecraft Education—explore this collection of subject-spanning, skill-building learning experiences.

    Engaging students across subjects can be challenging. Game-based learning with Minecraft Education offers a powerful way to bridge that gap and create real-world impact. Minecraft Education helps educators connect students’ passion with purpose—making learning feel like play. With ready-to-use, standards-aligned resources in coding and AI, science, history, math, and more, this immersive platform brings lessons to life through creativity, collaboration, and exploration.

    Minecraft Education promotes critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving while helping students develop digital skills for their future. It can also help motivate learning, improve attendance, and build student agency. Educators use it for everything from building AI literacy through immersive lessons to sustainable design challenges and esports programs.

    Explore this collection of Minecraft Education experiences designed to support your instruction, boost engagement, and inspire creativity in the classroom. Parents and caregivers can also support their child’s learning outside of school with Minecraft Education. With materials like a digital safety family toolkit, you’ll find ways to use Minecraft to explore important topics at home, too. Discover Minecraft Education resources for parents and families today.

    Digital citizenship, coding, and AI

    Today’s students are growing up in a world shaped by digital tools, AI, and rapid technological change. Minecraft Education helps prepare them to navigate that world responsibly and confidently. With Minecraft Education, students can engage in hands-on experiences that help them strengthen digital citizenship, explore responsible AI use, and build coding fluency all within a familiar and playful learning space that connects to their everyday lives.

    Check out these Minecraft Education worlds designed to help students explore, create, and grow as digital citizens.

    Discover CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper
    • CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper – Build digital citizenship and AI literacy skills with CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper. This engaging adventure challenges students to go beyond the surface and explore responsible AI, critical thinking, and data literacy. Don’t just accept AI at face value—dig deeper and discover the power of mindful technology use!
    • Hour of Code: The Show Must Go On – Step into a vibrant theater world to help save the day in Minecraft’s Hour of Code 2024: The Show Must Go On. In this adventure, students will explore the theater to find the missing star, the Agent, while solving fun coding puzzles and interacting with lively characters. They’ll unlock hidden gags, customize the show, and plan an unforgettable performance.
    • GameCode – Empower creative coding with this dynamic curriculum where students create their own arcade-style mini-games and learn computer science along the way. This immersive and innovative approach to coding will ignite the passion for programming in students as they become inventive game designers, empowered to shape their digital landscapes.

    These experiences introduce students to essential digital concepts while allowing them to iterate and build in a safe, creative environment. Demystify complex subjects like AI and coding with your students through game-based learning with Minecraft.

    Core subjects and STEM

    It can be challenging to make abstract academic concepts feel exciting, relevant, and accessible. That’s where Minecraft Education comes in. These standards-aligned experiences are designed to help students connect with core instruction in ways that are hands-on and meaningful. From environmental science and astronomy to math and history, these worlds help students engage deeply with content through inquiry, experimentation, and creativity.

    Explore these worlds to help your students apply academic concepts across subject areas.

    Explore Ocean Heroes
    • Ocean Heroes – Embark on a marine conservation adventure in Ocean Heroes, presented by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Voice of the Ocean. Students will investigate ocean ecosystems alongside scientists and help them tackle environmental challenges in mangrove forests, coral reefs, and kelp forests. Along the way, they’ll encounter amazing creatures, enhance their ocean literacy, and develop critical problem-solving skills.
    • Data Explorers – Build data science and sustainability skills in this world, created by ReWrite Edu in collaboration with NetApp and World’s Largest Lesson. This choose-your-next-path style game takes students across five different ecosystems in search of scientists who help them use data to solve specific environmental problems. Along the way, students can hone their data collection and analysis skills, as well as see how scientists apply data to real-world problems.
    • Ratio Riddles – Introduce the concepts of ratio, proportion, fractions, and scale through a series of three engaging games designed for students ages 8-14. This is an easy-to-teach lesson designed to engage learners in foundational mathematics principles while fostering curiosity and confidence.
    • Peter is Here: AI for Cultural Heritage – Step into the heart of history! Peter is Here: AI for Cultural Heritage is a captivating experience where students journey through 2,000 years of architectural innovation. Inspired by real-world preservation efforts, this immersive project lets young explorers use simulated AI tools to restore ancient wonders, from Roman engineering to Baroque masterpieces, and explore the history of St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City.
    • James Webb Space Telescope Challenge – Explore the universe with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia (NSW) science curricula, this immersive lesson lets students learn about the telescope’s mission, star formation, and galaxies, culminating in a solar system build challenge. Inspire future astronomers with this cosmic adventure!

    These experiences support cross-curricular connections and help students build a deeper understanding of academic content and inspire curiosity through game-based learning. Get started and explore immersive content in core subjects for students of all ages.

    Creative classroom fun

    Sometimes the best learning happens when students are free to explore, experiment, and play. Minecraft Education’s open-ended experiences empower students to express themselves, collaborate with peers, and build creative confidence. These activities are perfect for community-building, project-based learning, or moments when your classroom needs a spark of joy.

    Try these student-centered worlds to foster classroom culture and creativity.

    Spin the Wheel of Steve
    • Wheel of Steve – Spin the Wheel of Steve in this educational adventure inspired by A Minecraft Movie. Created for students aged 8-14, Wheel of Steve supports play for up to eight learners at a time. Two teams will compete against each other in five cooperative minigames designed to strengthen key skills including creativity, collaboration, communication, community, and critical thinking.
    • Renewtopia – Explore a unique island and learn about four different types of renewable energy: solar, tidal, wind, and geothermal. This interactive build challenge teaches learners about sustainable energy sources by building an exhibit for a sustainable energy fair. Their goal is to teach others about one or more of the renewable power sources found on the island.

    These experiences are great for building relationships, strengthening classroom community, and letting students lead their own learning in joyful, meaningful ways. Engage your students’ creativity and strengthen future-ready skills in your classroom.

    Get support and inspiration for game-based learning with Minecraft

    No matter where you are in your Minecraft Education journey, there’s a community and a collection of free resources ready to help you succeed. Connect with fellow educators, participate in special events, and explore learning modules, challenges, and ideas to bring Minecraft into your classroom:

    Whether you’re helping students understand responsible technology use, reinforce academic content, or build a thriving classroom culture, Minecraft Education offers immersive worlds that make learning engaging and meaningful. These experiences aren’t just lessons—they’re launchpads for curiosity, creativity, and confidence.

    Get started with Minecraft Education

    Check out Minecraft Education to explore the full collection of lessons, access educator resources, and start teaching with the power of play today.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –