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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again Donald Trump and his senior team are unhappy with their press coverage. Here’s the US president, fresh from his triumph in The Hague, having persuaded Nato’s leaders to open their wallets and agree to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP (apart from Spain, that is, which can expect to hear of triple-digit tariffs coming its way in the near future) – and do the media focus on Trump’s tour de force? Do they hell. Instead they focus on whether his strikes against Iran had been as successful as he claimed.

    As you can imagine, this would have been irksome in the extreme for the president, who might reasonably have expected that the story of the day would be his victory in getting pledges from virtually all Nato’s members to pull their weight in terms of their own defence. Certainly the Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, could appreciate the scale of his achievement. Even before the summit, Rutte was talking it up.

    “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote in a message to Trump as the US president prepared to fly to The Netherlands. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

    The fact that Trump promptly posted this message to his TruthSocial website suggests how important praise is to the the US president. It’s something that many world leaders (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin who have become past-masters at pouring honey in the president’s ear) have recognised and are willing to use as a diplomatic tool when dealing with the man Rutte calls “Daddy”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    But while flattery as a tactic seems to be effective with the US president, Andrew Gawthorpe, a political historian from Leiden University, cautions that flattery, appeasement and compliance are a flawed approach when dealing with a man like Trump. For a start, he writes it means that not much actually gets done and that problems are often merely avoided rather than solved.

    But more worryingly, simply capitulating in the face of Trumpian pressure or ire risks giving this US president the idea that he can do anything he wants. “When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile,” writes Gawthorpe. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from its victims.



    Read more:
    Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    We got a taste of what the US president’s anger at being defied sounds like as he prepared to fly to The Netherlands for the Nato summit. Asked about the ceasefire he had negotiated between Israel and Iran, he lashed out at both countries who had breached the peace within hours of agreeing to stop firing missiles at each other. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he told reporters as he walked to the presidential helicopter.

    Psychologist Geoff Beattie, of Edge Hill University, believes this was no accidental verbal slip. Trump wanted to let the world know how angry he was and chose to use the “f-bomb” as a way of showing it. Beattie looks at what this can tell us about the character of the US president – and how it might reflect a tendency to make rapid decisions based on emotional reactions.



    Read more:
    Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    And so to Nato

    What was remarkable about the Nato summit was that it was condensed to one fairly short session which focused solely on the issue of Nato members’ defence budgets. Usually there’s a much broader agenda. Over the past couple of years the issue of Ukraine has been fairly high on the list, but this time – perhaps to avoid any potential divisions – it was relegated to a side issue.

    Perhaps the biggest success for Nato, writes Stefan Wolff, is that they managed to get Trump to the summit and keep him in the room. After all, less than a fortnight previously he walked out of the G7 leaders’ meeting in Canada a day early before authorising the bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear installations (of which more later).

    Wolff, an expert in international security from the University of Birmingham (and a regular contributor to this newsletter) believes that the non-US members realised they had little choice but to comply – or at least to be seen to be complying. There’s a significant capability deficit: “European states also lack most of the so-called critical enablers, the military hardware and technology required to prevail in a potential war with Russia.”

    So keeping the US president onside – and inside Nato with a remaining commitment to America’s article 5 mutual defence pledge – was top of the list this year and something they appear to have pulled off.



    Read more:
    At June’s Nato summit, just keeping Donald Trump in the room will be seen as a victory

    The fact is, writes Andrew Corbett, a defence expert at King’s College London, that Europe and the US have different enemies these days. Europe is still focused on the foe it faced across the Iron Curtain after 1945, against which Nato was designed as a defensive bulwark.

    The US is now far more focused on the threat from China. This means it will increasingly shift the bulk of its naval assets to the Pacific (although the Middle East seems to be delaying this shift at present). This inevitably means downgrading its presence in Europe, something of which European leaders are all-too aware.

    The importance of continuing US involvement in European defence via Nato was underlined, as Corbett highlights, by a frisson of unease when it appeared that the US president might be preparing to reinterpret article 5, which requires that members come to the aid of another member if they are attacked.

    So there was relief all round when the US president reaffirmed America’s commitment to the principle of collective defence. But one feels Rutte will need to use all his diplomatic wiles to keep things that way.



    Read more:
    How Nato summit shows Europe and US no longer have a common enemy

    The trouble with Iran

    Rutte, who has the nickname “Trump whisperer”, is clever enough to know that emollient words will have been just what the US president was looking for given the stress of the past couple of weeks. The decision to launch strikes against Iran was controversial even within his own base as we noted last week.

    But by directly engaging in hostility against Iran, Trump risked embroiling the US in the “forever war” that he always promised his supporters he would avoid. The move was freighted with risk. Nobody knew how Iran might retaliate or how the situation could escalate. There was (and remains) the chance that an angry Iran could try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the world’s most important waterways though which 20% of the world’s oil transits. This would have huge ramifications for the global economy, seriously damaging Iran’s Gulf neighbours and angering China, which gets much of its oil from the region.



    Read more:
    Iran is considering closing the strait of Hormuz – why this would be a major escalation

    For now it appears that Iran has contented itself with performative strikes against US bases in Iraq and Qatar, having given advance warning. This token retaliation was made shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated. Despite a defiant message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran is reported to be making noises about coming to the negotiating table. A deal to restore calm to the region would be an achievement indeed.

    But legal questions remain about the US decision to launch strikes. For a start, Article 2(4) of the UN charter strictly forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”.

    But, as Caleb Wheeler, an expert in international law from the University of Cardiff writes, it’s a rule that has rarely been either observed or enforced. He points out that the Korean War, when following a resolution of the UN security council, a number of countries went to war with North Korea to defend its southern neighbour which had been attacked in violation of article 2(4), was the high watermark of compliance with the UN on conflict.

    In most other international conflicts since, the use of vetoes by one or another of the permanent members of the security council has effectively prevented the UN acting the way it was supposed to.

    Now, writes Wheeler, there can be little doubt the US has violated article 2(4) by bombing Iran, particularly as Trump expressed his opinion that a regime change might be appropriate. Given that the US is one of the leading lights of the UN, Wheeler thinks you could reasonably expect a degree of condemnation from other world leaders. He worries that the absence of criticism could seriously lower the bar for aggression in the future.



    Read more:
    Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    And if, as remains unclear at present, Iran’s nuclear programme was not set back by years, as the US claims, but merely by months, then you could expect Tehran to redouble its efforts to acquire a bomb. The Islamic Republic will be mindful of the fact that there has been little talk of bombing North Korea in recent years, for example. Possession of a nuclear deterrent means exactly what it says.

    So, conclude David Dunn and Nicholas Wheeler, these strikes which were conducted on what they feel was the false premise of defence against an “imminent” threat from a nuclear Iran, could actually have the opposite effect of encouraging Iran to rapidly develop its own bomb.



    Read more:
    US attack on Iran lacks legal justification and could lead to more nuclear proliferation

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

    After Israel began its latest campaign of airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, the government moved to restrict internet access around the country to discourage criticism of the regime and make it difficult for protesters to organise. But in June 14 in response to a plea over social media, Elon Musk announced, appropriately on X, that he would open up access to his Starlink satellite system.

    Joscha Abels, a political scientist at the University of Tübingen, recalls that Starlink became very popular in Iran during the protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and which really rocked the regime to its core. He also points to the use of Starlink by Ukraine as a vital communications tool in its defence against Russia over the past three years.

    But Abels warns that what is given is also too easily switched off, as Musk did in Ukraine in 2023. At the time a senior Starlink executive warned that the tool was “never intended to be weaponized”. The concern is that such an important tool, which can make or break a regime or cripple a country’s defence, could be a risk in the hands of a private individual.



    Read more:
    In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous – https://theconversation.com/why-flattering-donald-trump-could-be-dangerous-259940

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Dingell & Nunn Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Abusers From Targeting Survivors with Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    June 26, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Representative Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, today reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent domestic abusers from using technology to stalk, harass or control survivors. 
    With today’s rapidly growing digital environment, technology-enabled abuse has taken many forms, including social media platforms, phone-based apps, and specialty spyware programs. Because of the diversity of platforms in today’s growing digital environment, it’s clear that abuse does not require huge financial resources or sophisticated understanding of technology, and survivors rarely have the tools they need to recognize and prevent abuse.   
    The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act would provide new grant funding to clinics and other partnerships focused on domestic violence and technology-enabled abuse prevention. It would also support new training that would give organizations the specialized services necessary to help survivors with a range of experiences.
    “As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics of abusers who are grossly leveraging many different platforms to stalk, harass and control survivors of domestic violence – from tracking them on social media to hacking into their email,” Wyden said. “Survivors deserve support and the tools to protect against abuse in any shape or form. More education, training, and health care clinics are needed.”
    “It’s critical that we recognize domestic abuse and sexual harassment often extend beyond physical violence,” Dingell said. “To fully protect survivors, we must keep up with the many ways that abusers can use technology to stalk, harass, control, or otherwise endanger their victims. This legislation will support specialized education and resources for advocates and victim service providers to recognize, prevent, and combat tech-enabled abuse.”
    “In the Iowa statehouse, I led efforts to protect survivors from the growing threat of digital abuse. Now, we’re taking that work nationwide,” Nunn said. “This bill strengthens community-based networks that are on the frontlines, giving them the tools to recognize and address tech-enabled abuse and help victims secure their devices. Survivors deserve both safety and support, and this legislation delivers both.”
    The legislation would take two steps in combating technology-enabled domestic abuse:

    It would authorize a pilot project run by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to establish more tech-enabled abuse clinics. The program would provide $2 million grants for up to 15 clinics and other organizations that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence who are experiencing technology-enabled abuse.

    It would establish another grant program, which is also under the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, to ensure nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions develop and implement  training and technical assistance for groups working to prevent tech-enabled abuse. 

    The text of the bill is here.
    The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act is endorsed by National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Legal Momentum, Clinic to End Tech Abuse, EndTAB, New Beginnings, Natalie Dolci of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity), Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault Support Services of Oregon, Center for Hope and Safety of Oregon, and the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.
    “Technology facilitated abuse is one of the fastest growing threats victims and survivors face today. The reintroduction of the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act is a vital step toward ensuring survivors have the expert support they need to stay safe in an increasingly digital world. We’re deeply grateful to Rep. Dingell, Rep. Nunn, and Senator Wyden for their leadership in advancing meaningful, survivor-centered solutions to this urgent issue,” said Marium Durrani, Vice President of Policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. 
    “Legal Momentum is proud to endorse the Tech Safety for Victims Act to help ensure that survivors of technology facilitated abuse receive the support and services they need and deserve. As technology makes it easier than ever to upend people’s lives, it’s crucial that survivors are protected not just in their homes and communities, but also in the digital spaces where abuse occurs more and more frequently. This legislation would provide critical resources to help survivors reclaim and rebuild their lives after the trauma of cyber abuse,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director at Legal Momentum.
    “People experiencing tech-enabled abuse often don’t know where to turn. Our clinic has helped hundreds of New Yorkers over the last few years, but survivors around the country urgently need assistance. This Act could expand access to similar support services and develop knowledge about evolving forms of tech-enabled abuse,” said Thomas E. Kadri, Legislative & Policy Director of the Clinic to End Tech Abuse.
    “Programs that serve survivors of gender-based violence need additional support and technical assistance to keep up with increasingly pervasive tech abuse. Failure to provide this enhancement to victim services infrastructure will compromise the safety of survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault,” said Natalie Dolci, of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity).
    “Technology can be weaponized to cause harm or by victims seeking safety. I have heard countless stories about various forms of tech being used to harass, stalk and control someone by abusive partners. This bill is needed to further address all forms of technology and the intersection with violence. It will provide anti-domestic violence organizations with needed funding to further develop Safety planning resources technology and be able to respond effectively to the ever changing tech landscape,” said Keri Moran-Kuhn, Executive Director of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Building security that lasts: Microsoft’s journey towards durability at scale

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Building security that lasts: Microsoft’s journey towards durability at scale

    In this blog you will hear directly from Microsoft’s Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Azure and operating systems, Mark Russinovich, about how Microsoft operationalized security durability at scale. This blog is part of an ongoing series where our Deputy CISOs share their thoughts on what is most important in their respective domains. In this series you will get practical advice and forward-looking commentary on where the industry is going, as well as tactics you should start (and stop) deploying, and more.

    In late 2023, Microsoft launched its most ambitious security transformation to date, the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI).  An initiative with the equivalent of 34,000 engineers working across 14 product divisions, supporting more than 20,000 cloud services on 1.2 million Azure subscriptions, the scope is massive. These services operate on 21 million compute nodes, protected by 46.7 million certificates, and developed across 134,000 code repositories. 

    At Microsoft’s scale, the real challenge isn’t just shipping security fixes—it’s ensuring they’re automatically enforced by the platform, with no extra lift from engineers. This work aligns directly to our Secure by Default principle. Durable security is about building systems that apply fixes proactively, uphold standards over time, and engineering teams can focus on innovation rather than rework. This is the next frontier in security resilience.

    Learn more about the Secure Future Initiative

    Why “staying secure” is harder than getting there 

    SFI April 2025 report blog

    Read the blog ›

    When SFI began, Microsoft made rapid progress: teams addressed vulnerabilities, met key performance indicators (KPIs), and turned dashboards green. Over time, sustaining these gains proved challenging, as some fixes required reinforcement and recurring patterns like misconfigurations and legacy issues began to re-emerge in new projects—highlighting the need for durable, long-term security practices. 

    The pattern was clear: security improvements weren’t durable. 

    While key milestones were successfully achieved, there were instances where we did not have a clearly defined ownership or built-in features to automatically sustain security baselines. Enforcement mechanisms varied, leading to inconsistencies in how security standards were upheld. As resources shifted post-delivery, this created a risk of baseline drift over time. 

    Moving forward, we realized that our teams need to establish explicit ownership, standardize enforcement design, and embed automation at the platform level because it is essential to ensure long-term resilience, reduce operational burden, and prevent regression. 

    Read the latest SFI report

    Engineering for endurance: The making of Microsoft’s durability strategy 

    To transform security from a reactive effort into an enduring capability, Microsoft launched a company-wide initiative to operationalize security durability at scale. The result was the creation of the Security Durability Model, anchored in the principle to “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, and Validate Green.” This framework is not a slogan—it is a foundational shift in how Microsoft engineers build, enforce, and sustain secure systems across the enterprise. 

    At the core of this effort are Durability Architects—dedicated Architects embedded within each division who act as stewards of persistent security. These individuals champion a “fix-once, fix-forever” mindset by enforcing ownership and driving accountability across teams. One example that catalyzed this effort involved cross-tenant access risks through Passthrough Authentication. In this case, users without presence in a target tenant could authenticate through passthrough mechanisms, unintentionally breaching tenant boundaries. The mitigation initially lacked durability and resurfaced until ownership and enforcement were systemically addressed. 

    Microsoft also applies a lifecycle framework they call “Start Green, Get Green, Stay Green, Validated Green.” New features are developed in a secure-by-default posture using hardened templates, ensuring they “Start Green.” Legacy systems or existing features are brought into compliance through targeted remediation efforts—this is “Get Green.” To “Stay Green,” ongoing monitoring and guardrails prevent regression. Finally, security is verified through automated reviews, and executive reporting—ensuring enduring resilience. 

    Automating for scale and embedding security into engineering culture 

    What is Azure Policy?

    Learn more

    Recognizing that manual security checks cannot scale across an enterprise of this size, Microsoft has heavily invested in automation to prevent regressions. Tools such as Azure Policy automatically enforce best practices like encryption-at-rest or multifactor authentication across cloud resources. Continuous scanners detect expired certificates or known vulnerable packages. Self-healing scripts autocorrect deviations, closing the loop between detection and remediation. 

    To embed durability into the operational fabric, review cadences and executive oversight play a critical role. Security KPIs are reviewed at weekly or biweekly engineering operations meetings, with Microsoft’s top leadership, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs), and engineering leaders receiving regular updates. Notably, executive compensation is now directly tied to security performance metrics—an accountability mechanism that has driven measurable improvements in areas such as secret hygiene across code repositories. 

    Rather than building fragmented solutions, Microsoft focuses on shared, scalable security capabilities. For example, to maintain a clean build environment, all new build queues will now default to a virtualized setup. Customers will not have the option to revert to the classic Artifact Processor (AP) on their own. Once a build is executed in the virtualized CloudBuild environment, any previously allocated resources in the classic CloudBuild will be either decommissioned or reassigned. 

    Finally, durability is now a built-in requirement at development gates. Security fixes must not only remediate current issues but be designed to endure. Teams must assign owners, undergo gated reviews or durability, and build enforcement mechanisms. This philosophy has shifted the mindset from one-time patching to long-term resilience.  

    The path to durable security: A maturity framework 

    Durable security isn’t just about fixing vulnerabilities—it’s about ensuring security holds over time. As Microsoft learned during the early days of its Secure Future Initiative, lasting protection requires organizations to mature operationally, culturally, and technically. The following framework outlines how to evolve toward security durability at scale: 

    1. Stages of security durability maturity: Security durability evolves through distinct operational phases that reflect an organization’s ability to sustain and scale secure outcomes, not just achieve them temporarily. 

    • Reactive: Durable outcomes are rare. Fixes are implemented manually and inconsistently. Drift and regressions are common due to a lack of enforcement or oversight. 
    • Define: Security fixes are codified in basic processes. Teams may implement fixes, but durability is still dependent on individual vigilance rather than systemic support. 
    • Managed: Security controls are embedded in standardized workflows. Durable design patterns are introduced. Baseline drift is measured, and early automation begins to prevent regression. 
    • Optimized: Durability becomes part of engineering culture. Secure-by-default templates, guardrails, and metrics reduce variance. Real-time enforcement prevents security drift. 
    • Autonomous and predictive: Systems proactively enforce durability. AI-assisted controls detect and self-remediate regressions. Durable security becomes self-sustaining and adaptive to change. 

    2. Dimensions of security durability: To embed durability across the enterprise, organizations must mature along five integrated dimensions: 

    • Resilience to change: Security controls must remain stable even as infrastructure, tools, and organizational structures evolve. This requires decoupling controls from fragile, manual systems. 
    • Scalability: Durable security must scale effortlessly across expanding environments, including new regions, services, and team structures—without introducing regressions. 
    • Automation and AI readiness: Durability depends on machine-powered enforcement. Manual reviews alone cannot guarantee persistence. AI and automation provide speed, consistency, and fail-safes. 
    • Governance integration: Durability must be wired into governance platforms to provide traceability, accountability, and risk closure across the control lifecycle. 
    • Sustainability: Durable security solutions must be lightweight and operationally viable. If controls are too burdensome, teams will circumvent them, undermining long-term resilience. 

    3. Key milestones in security durability evolution: Microsoft’s implementation of durable security revealed critical transformation points that signal organizational maturity: 

    • Establish durable security baselines (identity hygiene, patching, config hardening).
    • Enforce controls through automated policy and self-healing. 
    • Build durability-aware platforms like Govern Risk Intelligent Platform (GRIP) to track regressions and closure loops. 
    • Embed durability reviews into engineering checkpoints and risk ownership cycles.
    • Drive a durability mindset across teams—from development to operations. 
    • Create feedback loops to evaluate what holds and what regresses over time. 
    • Deploy AI-powered agents to detect drift and initiate remediation. 

    Each milestone builds a stronger foundation for durability and aligns incentives with sustained security excellence. 

    4. Measuring security durability: Tracking the stickiness of security work requires a shift from traditional risk metrics to durability-focused indicators. Microsoft uses the following to monitor progress: 

    • Percentage of controls enforced automatically versus manually 
    • Baseline drift rate (how often known-good states erode) 
    • Mean time to regress (how quickly fixes unravel)
    • Volume of self-healing actions triggered and resolved 
    • Percentage of fixes that meet “never regress” criteria 
    • Durability metadata coverage in systems like GRIP (ownership, status, and closure) 
    • Percentage of engineering teams integrated into durability reporting cadences 

    Results: From short-term wins to sustained gains 

    By February 2025, the durability push resulted in: 

    • 100% multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement or legacy protocol removal remained stable for months. 
    • Teams use real-time dashboards to catch any KPI dips—addressing them before they spiral. 

    Where previous improvements faded, new ones held firm—validating the durability model. 

    Get the latest Secure Future Initiative updates

    Lessons for any enterprise 

    Microsoft’s journey offers valuable takeaways for organizations of all sizes. 

    Durability requires programmatic support 

    Security doesn’t persist by accident. It needs: 

    • Roles for durability and accountability.
    • Durable design patterns. 
    • Empowering technologies (automation and policy enforcement). 
    • Regular leadership and architect reviews. 
    • Standardized workflows. 

    Teams across security, development, and operations must be aligned and coordinated—using the same metrics, tools, and gates. 

    Culture and leadership matter 

    Security must be everyone’s job—and leadership must reinforce that relentlessly. At Microsoft, security became part of performance reviews, executive dashboards, and everyday conversation. 

    As EVP Charlie Bell put it: “Security is not just a feature, it’s the foundation.” 

    That mindset—combined with consistent leadership pressure—is what transforms short-lived security into long-term resilience. 

    Security that endures 

    The Secure Future Initiative proves that durable security is achievable—even at hyperscale.  

    Microsoft is showing that lasting security can be achieved by investing in: 

    • People (clear ownership and champions). 
    • Processes (repeatable metrics and reviews). 
    • Platforms (shared tooling and automation). 

    The playbook isn’t just for tech giants. Any organization—whether you’re securing 20 cloud services or 20,000—can adopt the principles of security durability 

    Because in today’s cyberthreat landscape, fixing isn’t enough.  

    Secure Future Initiative

    A new world of security.

    Learn more with Microsoft Security

    To see an example of the Microsoft Durability Strategy in action, read this case study in the appendix below. Learn more about the Microsoft Security Future Initiative and our Secure by Default principle.  

    ​​To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. 

    Appendix: 

    Security Durability Case Study 

    Eliminating pinned certificates: A durable fix for secret hygiene in MSA apps 

    SFI Reference: [SFI-ID4.1.3] 
    Initiative Owner: Microsoft Account (MSA) Engineering Team 

    Overview 

    As part of the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), the Microsoft Account (MSA) team addressed a critical weakness identified through Software Security Incident Response Plans (SSIRPs): the unsafe use of pinned certificates. By eliminating this legacy pattern and embedding preventive guardrails, the MSA team set a new bar for durable secrets management and secure partner onboarding. 

    The challenge: Pinned certificates and hidden fragility 

    Pinned certificates were once seen as a strong trust enforcement mechanism, ensuring that only specific certificates could be used to establish connections. However, they became a security and operational liability: 

    • Difficult to rotate: If a pinned certificate expired or was compromised, coordinating a fast and seamless replacement across services was challenging. 
    • Onboarding risk: New services had no safe, scalable path to onboard without replicating this fragile pattern. 
    • Lack of durability: Without controls, the risk of regression and repeated misuse remained high. 

    The durable fix: Secure by default and enforced by design 

    The MSA team implemented a durability-first solution grounded in engineering enforcement and operational pragmatism: 

    Strategy  Action 
    Code-Level Blocking  All code paths accepting pinned certificates were hardened to prevent adoption. 
    Temporary Allow Lists  Existing apps using pinned certificates were allow-listed to prevent immediate outages. 
    Default Deny Posture  New apps are automatically blocked from using pinned certificates, enforcing secure defaults. 

    This “fix-once, fix-forever” approach ensures the issue doesn’t resurface—even as new partners onboard or systems evolve. 

    Sustained impact and lifecycle integration 

    To maintain progress and ensure no regression, the MSA team aligned remediation with each partner’s SFI KPI milestones. Services were removed from the allow list only after completing their transition, closing the loop with full compliance and operational readiness. 

    This work reinforced several Security Durability pillars: 

    • Preventive guardrails 
    • Owner-enforced controls 
    • Security built into the engineering lifecycle 

    Lessons and model for the future 

    This case is a model for how Microsoft is shifting from reactive security work to systemic, enforceable, and scalable durability models. Rather than patching the same issue repeatedly, the MSA team eliminated the root cause, protected the ecosystem, and created a repeatable blueprint for other risky cryptographic practices. 

    Key takeaways 

    • Eliminating pinned certificates reduced fragility and boosted long-term resilience. 
    • Durable controls were enforced via code, not just process. 
    • Gradual deprecation through partner alignment ensured no disruption. 
    • This sets a precedent for eliminating insecure patterns across Microsoft platforms. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Introduces STRONG Act to Support Small Businesses with Greater Access to SBA-Backed Lending

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04), the Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations, introduced the Supporting Trade and Rebuilding Opportunity for National Growth (STRONG) Act.

    The STRONG Act will give American small businesses greater access to financing to create jobs, support existing workers, and invest in their communities by increasing the maximum value threshold of SBA 7(a) and 504 loans.

    “We’re proud to introduce the STRONG Act to ensure American small businesses not only survive but thrive,” said Congressman Alford. “After four years of being crushed by inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and overregulation under the Biden Administration, our small businesses are on the brink. Job creators and entrepreneurs desperately need support, including greater access to SBA lending, to help them make ends meet and stay in business. This critical legislation will work in concert with the One Big, Beautiful Bill and other initiatives from the Small Business Committee to finally put Main Street before Wall Street.”

    Read the text of the legislation here.

    Background:

    • The STRONG Act raises the maximum value threshold of 7(a) and 504 loans from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000.
    • The upper limit for 7(a) and 504 was last updated in 2010 and has not been adjusted for inflation since then.
    • The bill also provides an increase on the total limit of 504 loans SBA is able to issue, allowing more small businesses to access long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets.

    What are 7(a) and 504 loans?

    • SBA 7(a) loans offer flexible, government-backed financing up to $5 million for small businesses, which can be used for a wide range of purposes including working capital, equipment, or buying a business, with terms and rates negotiated between the borrower and lender.
    • 504 loans provide long-term, fixed-rate financing for small businesses to purchase major fixed assets like real estate or equipment, typically with a 50-40-10 structure (50% from a private lender, 40% from a Certified Development Company backed by the SBA, and 10% from the borrower).
    • The programs are subsidy free and are paid for by fees on SBA partnered lenders.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean Announces Launch of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge

    Source: US Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    Contact: Riley Pingree

    (June 26, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, N.J. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. announced the opening of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, one of the most prestigious app competitions for middle and high school students across the country. 

    The Congressional App Challenge is designed to engage student creativity and encourage participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education fields. This nationwide event allows middle and high school students from across the country to compete against their peers by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app.” Students can use any programming language (such as Python, JavaScript, C++, Ruby, or block code) and any platform (including PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile).

    The submission portal is now open, and students may register and submit their apps through October 30, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET. Students can compete individually or in teams of up to four. All eligible students are encouraged to participate, regardless of prior coding experience.

    “The Congressional App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for the next generation of innovators to showcase their creativity and technical talent,” said Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. “Every year, I am inspired by the students of our district, and I look forward to seeing the innovative and impactful apps they create this year. Their work has the potential to give back to our communities, solve real-world problems, and inspire even more young people across New Jersey to pursue careers in STEM.”

    The winning app from New Jersey’s 7th District will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and featured on the official House of Representatives website. Winning students will also be invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, D.C. Runners-up will also be selected for recognition.   

    Learn more and register for the Congressional App Challenge by visiting kean.house.gov/services/congressional-app-challenge-2025.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The General Assembly of the World Federation of International Music Competitions was held in China for the first time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    HARBIN, June 26 (Xinhua) — The 69th General Assembly of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) opened Thursday in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, bringing together representatives of the world’s leading music competitions to promote in-depth international cooperation in the music field.

    For the first time since its inception, the federation is holding its annual general assembly in a Chinese city.

    WFIMC President Peter Paul Kainrath noted that Harbin is known for its openness to the world and serves as a window into China’s musical life.

    He said the federation sees itself as a bridge builder and hopes that the current assembly will provide inspiration and impetus to WFIMC’s future collaborations with cultural institutions across China.

    Harbin Deputy Mayor Wang Bo pointed out that Harbin hosted China’s first symphony concert, the country’s first music school and symphony orchestra, and is known as the cradle of modern Chinese music.

    Wang Bo recalled that the Alice and Eleanor Shenfeld International String Competition, which was the first Chinese competition to join the federation, has been successfully held four times and has become an influential international music event.

    The vice mayor added that Harbin hopes to establish a closer cooperation mechanism with WFIMC to promote the prosperity and development of global music culture.

    Xue Suli, Chairman of the Sisters Shenfeld International Music Society and the Alice and Eleanor Shenfeld International String Competition, stated that the A. and E. Shenfeld Competition has become an important bridge connecting Eastern and Western musical cultures since 2014.

    Xue Suli expressed the hope that WFIMC will take advantage of this assembly to strengthen cooperation between all parties and promote exchanges and integration in the world music culture.

    According to federation officials, this year’s assembly will examine how music can contribute to building mechanisms for cross-border dialogue, expand its target audience and achieve innovative development in line with the trends of technological change in the current complex geopolitical situation and accelerated digital transformation.

    Founded in 1957, WFIMC is a global network of more than 120 international music competitions and 20 prestigious music associations and organizations representing 111 cities in 39 countries. The Federation assists young musicians in their international careers. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: About 20 people died as a result of a stampede at a school in the capital of the Central African Republic

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BANGUIE, June 26 (Xinhua) — A stampede at a high school in the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui on Wednesday left about 20 people dead and many others injured, the CAR National Assembly (parliament) said in a statement Thursday.

    It is reported that on Wednesday, a power transformer exploded at the Barthélemy Boganda Secondary School in Bangui. At the time of the incident, about 5,300 schoolchildren were taking an exam. Panic broke out at the scene, which led to a mass stampede during the evacuation. The dead and wounded were taken to several medical facilities in the capital. The final death toll cannot yet be determined.

    At least 29 students were killed in the incident, local media reported. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Department of the Interior Authorizes $31 Million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for Oregon Counties

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the Department of the Interior announced that more than 1,900 state and local governments across the country will receive a total of $644.8 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes program (PILT) of which $31 million dollars is designated to Oregon counties. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help defray the costs associated with maintaining community services including firefighting, policing, education, and road construction.

    PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction, and the population of that area.

    Said Congressman Cliff Bentz: “Since PILT payments began in 1977, the U.S. Government, through the Department of Interior, has distributed more than $12.6 billion dollars. PILT makes sense, since the Government collects more than $20.7 billion in revenue ANNUALLY from commercial activities on public lands. Millions of acres of federal land are located in Oregon counties, but this land cannot be taxed. Nonetheless, these counties and the people in them shoulder the multitude of costs that benefit this land such as maintaining roads, schools, first responders, law enforcement, and fire protection. This PILT program helps defray some of the cost associated with maintaining these crucial services.”

    Individual payments may vary from year to year as a result of changes in acreage data; prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments; and inflationary adjustments based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

    A full list of funding by State and county is available on the Department’s Payments in Lieu of Taxes page.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Celebrates 3 Years of Gun Violence Reduction Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday celebrated the third anniversary of his landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the first comprehensive gun safety legislation passed in three decades. The bill made significant investments in our background check system, boosted prosecutors’ enforcement capabilities, supported domestic violence victims by preventing abusers from purchasing guns, and invested billions of dollars into schools, mental health, and community-based violence intervention programs. 

    “Three years ago, after the horrific tragedies in Uvalde and Buffalo, Democrats and Republicans came together to address a gun violence epidemic that has devastated families and communities across the country. The gun violence prevention movement beat the gun lobby, and we found compromise on common sense solutions supported by the American people. And it worked. In the last two years, this country has seen significant drops in violent crime, gun deaths and injuries, and mass shootings. Now, President Trump is trying to gut the very mental health and violence prevention programs that have helped save countless lives. But our movement is stronger than this President and the congressional Republicans who enable him, and we will keep fighting to make all of our communities safer,” said Murphy.  

    Since BSCA’s passage, there has been a historic decrease in gun violence, including a 24% drop in mass shootings and a 12% reduction in gun violence-related deaths.

    BSCA’s accomplishments include:

    • Expanding background checks and cracking down on loopholes that allowed domestic abusers to buy guns.
    • Creating stiff penalties for “straw purchase” gunrunners that buy weapons on behalf of criminals.
    • Investing over half a billion dollars towards increasing the number of mental health personnel in schools.
    • Providing millions in grants to community-based nonprofits that directly provided counseling and support to at-risk youth and families traumatized by gun violence.
    • Expanding mental health service for thousands of students in rural communities.
    • Supporting implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

    On day one of his presidency, President Trump shut down the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention responsible for coordinating efforts across the federal government and working with states and local governments to identify available resources for impacted communities. On April 30th, the Department of Education (ED) notified grant recipients of the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Grant Programs, which BSCA funded, that their funding would not be continued after this fiscal year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Colleagues Introduce AUKUS Improvement Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a group of seven of his Senate colleagues in introducing the AUKUS Improvement Act. Building upon the bipartisan, AUKUS-enabling legislation in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act, the AUKUS Improvement Act will further streamline defense industrial base collaboration and co-production between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

    “AUKUS is a historic partnership that helps protect U.S. national security interests in the Indo-Pacific. This legislation will strengthen our alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom and keep the submarine production AUKUS depends upon on track. The bill will also further the work of Electric Boat, its unparalleled workforce, and the many innovative small businesses across Connecticut and the United States that power our submarine industrial base,” Murphy said.

    The AUKUS Improvement Act would:

    1. Exempt State Department-vetted entities that have been approved as AUKUS Authorized Users from the requirement to obtain Third Party Transfer approvals under Foreign Military Sales. 
    1. Exempt Australia and the United Kingdom from the need for Congressional Notification for overseas manufacturing.

    In the last five years, Australia has placed $23 billion in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) orders, making it one of the biggest users of the FMS process. FMS ensures Australia is procuring the exact same variant that the U.S. military uses, enabling greater interoperability. It also supports American deployed forces operating in Australia through access to spare parts. Australia is often required to transfer elements of equipment procured through FMS to industry for further development, operation, maintenance, and sustainment. In order to do this, it must obtain written consent from the State Department in the form of a Third Party Transfer (TPT) request. However, the TPT process can be slow, with applications often taking many months before being approved. By making TPTs made under FMS subject to similar export controls to those made under AUKUS for Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), the AUKUS Improvement Act will get capability in the hands of our allies faster.

    In March 2021, Australia established the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO) Enterprise to expand its munitions and missile stockpiles, establish domestic manufacturing of guided weapons, and supplement international partners’ supply chains. As part of this announcement, Australia and the U.S. agreed to collaborate on a flexible guided weapons production capability in Australia, with an initial focus on the potential for co-production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) by 2025, and eventual co-production of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).

    However, the Arms Export Control Act requires Congressional Notification (CN) 15 days prior to approving a commercial technical assistance or manufacturing license agreement to manufacture significant military equipment abroad, regardless of the value. Currently, the State Department excludes any transfer of defense articles, technical data, or services that requires a CN from the license-free environment and expedited processing provisions under AUKUS. Therefore, Australia is required to obtain a Manufacturing License Agreement to receive the technical data and manufacturing know-how for each component of a precision-guided munition. This adds complexity, time, and cost, thereby limiting munitions co-production cooperation that benefits both the U.S. and Australia.

    U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) also cosponsored the bill.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten, Booker Reintroduce Legislation Banning Inequitable Calculations of Civil Damages

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    June 26, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act, legislation to prohibit the consideration of race, ethnicity, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation when calculating damages in civil lawsuits.

    “It is unacceptable that our courts often award less in damages to women and people of color than white men in comparable civil cases,” said Congressman Casten. “In doing so, our courts are declaring that some Americans’ lives are worth less based on lifetime earning potential statistics borne of racism and sexism. I’m proud to join Senator Booker in introducing the Fair Calculations Act to outlaw discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts. This bill takes a major step in ensuring justice and equity in our civil courts.”

    “Nobody should be granted lower civil damages because of their gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation,” said Senator Booker. “However, studies show that women and people of color often receive less in damages in comparison to their white, male counterparts. The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act will work to ensure equal justice under the law by banning discriminatory practices that prevent victims in civil cases from receiving fair compensation.”

    Concerning studies and news reports have shown that state and federal courtrooms across the country consider race, ethnicity, and gender when calculating damages. Courts often award women and people of color significantly less than white men, even in comparable civil cases. In these instances, a person of color may, for example, be presumed to have less lifetime earning potential than a similarly situated white counterpart, leading to the low and unfair appraisal of damages. 

    The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act makes our legal system more just and equal by outlawing discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts and preventing courts from determining that victims in civil cases should be awarded less in damages on the basis of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. 

    This bill is endorsed by the American Association for Justice and Equal Justice Under Law.

    This bill is cosponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $40 Million to Launch Empire AI Beta Supercomputer

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Empire State Development (ESD) Board approved $40 million to launch Empire AI Beta, the second phase of the supercomputer powering New York’s nation-leading Empire AI initiative. Empire AI Beta will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, allowing hundreds of researchers from the now 10 member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, including up to $340 million in state capital funding secured by Governor Hochul.

    “With Empire AI, New York is leading in emerging technology and ensuring the power of AI is harnessed for public good and developed right here in this great state,” Governor Hochul said. “The launch of Beta will supercharge our efforts to advance responsible AI development by some of our brightest minds at research institutions focused on purpose, not profit.”

    The funding approved today by ESD will allow the Empire AI consortium to purchase the equipment needed to power the second-phase supercomputer, housed at the University of Buffalo. Empire AI Beta will use NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI supercomputing platform. The new Beta system will dramatically accelerate Empire AI’s computing performance from the current Alpha system: 11-fold in AI training, 40-fold in AI inference, and an 8-fold increase in data storage. Empire AI Beta also is expected to be among the first academic deployments of NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX GB200 systems. While both the Alpha and Beta systems are running only fractions of Empire AI’s eventual computing power, the new Beta system will propel Empire AI to become one of the most advanced academic computers in the world.

    Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, and made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. As part of Governor Hochul’s FY26 Budget, the Governor secured $90 million in new capital funding to substantially increase the computing power of Empire AI, expand access for SUNY researchers, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They join the seven founding members of Empire AI, SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, NYU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.

    The new Beta system builds on the successful 2024 launch of Alpha, which was made possible by philanthropic support from the Simons Foundation. Planning and development of the full-scale Empire AI computing center is underway. Empire AI Alpha and Empire AI Beta allow member institutions to conduct critical AI research as soon as possible until the full-scale system is complete.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “As AI research, development and usage grows, New York tech leaders are exploring new ways to utilize these advancements in ways that will generate solutions to complex issues and support positive growth. The $40 million in funding approved today by ESD’s Board of Directors represents a significant step forward that will increase the capacity of Empire AI and further enhance the AI research happening throughout our state.”

    Empire AI Interim Executive Director Robert Harrison said, “With the launch of Beta, Empire AI is unleashing a game-changing level of computational power to serve researchers across New York. From cancer diagnostics to climate modeling, this system will accelerate innovation across fields — while putting New York at the forefront of responsible AI development. Thanks to the vision of Governor Hochul and our expanding roster of top-tier academic partners, we are building something truly unprecedented: a public AI research powerhouse designed to benefit everyone.”

    NVIDIA Head of AI State Initiatives Michael Isadore said, “Democratizing access to accelerated computing for academic research creates economic growth and scientific discovery across industries. The team at Empire AI aims to empower researchers across New York State with leading-edge NVIDIA infrastructure, enabling groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.”

    Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Governor Hochul’s nation leading Empire AI Consortium depends upon increased computing power to serve the academic institutions and researchers that are part of this initiative. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise with funding supported by the Governor and the Legislature in this year’s budget. Our Assembly Science and Technology committee has visited the AI team in Buffalo and was very impressed with the public purpose, focus of the AI initiatives already undertaken. There is no doubt that new advances are on the horizon thanks to the work of the Empire AI Consortium.”

    Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across New York State
    Access to the computing resources that power AI systems requires significant investment, making it difficult to obtain. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI is bridging this gap and accelerating the development of AI centered in the public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development is also helping educational institutions nurture the next generation of talent that will create AI-focused technology startups, driving job growth.

    By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI is creating efficiencies of scale not achievable by any single university, empowering and attracting top notch faculty, expanding educational opportunity, and enabling responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.

    The initiative is currently funded by over $500 million in public and private investment, including up to $340 million in State capital grant investment and $25 million over ten years in SUNY operating funding. The project will also receive more than $200 million from the founding institutions as well as philanthropic backers such as Tom Secunda and the Simons Foundation. Empire AI has positioned New York as the national model in responsible AI innovation, with its leading research institutions pioneering safe, equitable, and accessible AI research and development that is benefiting every corner of New York. For more information about Empire AI, visit empireai.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamestown, New York, Man Going to Prison for Assisting in the Burial of a Murder Victim

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew Rudy, 43, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of accessory after the fact, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on May 27, 2014, Anthony Neubauer kidnapped Joseph Anthony and traveled from Jamestown to property in Pennsylvania owned by Matthew Rudy. Neubauer tricked Anthony into traveling by offering him cocaine. After arriving in Pennsylvania, Neubauer and Rudy told Anthony they did not have any cocaine, before shooting and killing him, and then burying him on Rudy’s property. Neubauer and Rudy took Anthony to Pennsylvania because they believed he was a cooperator.

    Anthony Neubauer was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. Additional assistance was provided by the Warren County, PA, District Attorney’s Office.

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trefusis Park Flood Relief Scheme – June update

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Here is the latest update on the progress of the Trefusis Park Flood Relief Scheme which, started on site earlier this year.

    The first thing that contractor Kier have done is secure the site and remove the topsoil from the park, ready for the heavy earthworks to begin later in the year. They have also employed security staff, so someone is on site round the clock.

    Kier have also installed a gate to close the boundary of the children’s playpark to prevent dogs from gaining access.

    Residents who live nearby have attended a Meet the Team event. There will be several more of these events over the course of the build with residents being given the opportunity to get involved with some of the plans for planting later on in the project.

    Meanwhile, following feedback from residents, teams from the Council have cleared the paths in the woods to the north-east of the park, so that whilst the main recreational space is out of action, this canopied area can still be enjoyed.

    Work has also started at the Compton Vale end of the park where a new sewer is being laid.

    To ensure that everyone is kept safe during these works, but to avoid closing off access from Compton Vale, a temporary path through the community orchard has been established. This work will continue until the end of July.

    Over the next few weeks, work on the main seasonal wetland basins will begin.

    This will involve filling in the stream that runs down the western side of the park.

    The lovely irises that grow here have been carefully removed and replanted in Central Park.

    More information on the scheme can be found here: Trefusis Park Flood Relief Scheme | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Opening Remarks During Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

    Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

    “Thank you very much. I had comments in our markup, but I’m going to repeat some of them. The Legislative Branch is supposed to deliver, at least, for the Legislative Branch. This bill, however, is designed to deliver, in my view, for the Administration and its mission to consolidate the power of the federal government within the executive. That is clearly their objective and the articulated policy of the Office of Management and Budget. It does so, of course, at the expense of our Congress’s status as an independent, co-equal branch of government under the Constitution.

    “The Administration and many of my colleagues across the aisle talk a big lot about government efficiency and about the power of Congress, then why in heaven’s name do we back this bill’s 50% cut in the GAO? That nonpartisan, independent agency’s entire purpose is to ensure the Executive Branch is using federal funds efficiently and effectively and absent waste, fraud, and abuse, as the Congress intended. The GAO is currently conducting, as the Chairman has said, over 40 investigations into the White House’s efforts to illegally and unconstitutionally impound funds. My Republican colleagues, surely, that is not of interest of us, only if it is the other Administration. If that’s the case, then it is a empty power that we have in the Congress.

    “The GAO is the only entity – I appreciate that one of you is paying attention, because these are not partisan issues. This is about whether the Congress can act as it should, as it was designed to do, as democracy demands that it does. It’s the only entity capable of taking legal action to compel the Administration to spend impounded funds. This bill, astonishingly and wrongly, takes that power away from them. In other words, nobody can sue unless they’re personally affected. Taking that power away from the GAO and thus from the Congress and the American people. My Republican colleagues, the Congress is not a suggestion box. We are the Congress, we are the deciders, we are the ones who set policy. We are the one who appropriate money. Nothing can be spent unless we act. Don’t give that up lightly. This action, however, allows the President to divert or stop congressionally directed funding without accountability or legal consequences. Is that what you want? [It’s] very frustrating, two of you are now paying any attention to what I have to say. The rest of you are reading.

    “This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. This is about the Congress of the United States. Since 1949, we’ve had 76 years. 40 of those years, Republicans have been presidents. 36 years, Democrats have been president and if you look at the record, it sort of passes back and forth. And in passing, bouncing back and forth, the perspectives change. If our guy is a Democrat or your guy is Republican, your perspective seems to change — both sides. But it ought not to change, because the power of the Congress makes this country unique in the world. And that is why, I suggest you, our democracy has survived since 1789. The oldest democracy in the world not by chance, but by design. Article One of the Constitution makes it clear that Congress has the power of the purse. All of you know that, all of you articulate that, all of you say that but we need to protect that power because power unprotected will be lost.

    “Chairman, can I have a little bit of leniency here. I’m trying not to speak… Okay. Thank you very much. I think we will rue this day on both sides of the aisle, depending upon whose president is in charge. So I have other things to say, but my time is up. But I would hope that you would look at this not from a partisan standpoint, but as a patriot. A patriot that believes that the Congress’s unique status in our government is what makes us a great democracy. I yield back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UN Charter remains one of our greatest accomplishments: UK Statement at the UN General Assembly

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UN Charter remains one of our greatest accomplishments: UK Statement at the UN General Assembly

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly meeting on the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.

    Eighty years ago today, fifty nations gathered in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter.

    In doing so, they proved that rights could triumph over force; that hope could triumph over despair.

    The United Kingdom is proud to have helped shape that vision.

    Eighty years on, “we the people” are an international community of 193 Member States; of 8.2 billion people around the world; from megacities to rural plains, from rainforests to deserts, from islands to landlocked nations.

    Together, the Charter remains one of our greatest accomplishments.

    Let it unite us now, as it did then, in the pursuit of peace, security, development and human rights.

    In pursuit of the Charter’s enduring principles of sovereign equality, peaceful dispute resolution and the dignity and rights of all people.

    We look to the UN as the touchstone of those rights and hopes.

    But today, we see war and conflict stalling the progress that perhaps once felt inevitable.

    But progress is not inevitable. It takes resolve. It takes hard work. It takes negotiation and compromise.

    So on this 80th anniversary, let us turn towards the Charter and remind ourselves of the hard-won gains and the hard-learned lessons of the past.

    The UK will work with the Secretary-General and Member States to deliver meaningful reform at UN80 for a more efficient and effective UN – that delivers what the Charter promises and that allows every one of us to realise our enshrined rights and hope for a better future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal: June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal: June 2025

    His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of six Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal.

    His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of six Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal.

    His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointments of Mrs Justice Cockerill, Mr Justice Dove, Mr Justice Foxton, Mrs Justice May, Mr Justice Miles and Mrs Justice Yip as Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal.

    These appointments will fill vacancies within the Court of Appeal.

    Further information

    The appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of the Court of Appeal are made by His Majesty The King on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel.

    Background

    The selection panel was chaired by the Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr (Chair). The other panel members were the Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos; Helen Pitcher OBE (Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission); and two lay Judicial Appointments Commissioners, Susan Hoyle and the Rt. Rev. Dr Barry Morgan.

    In accordance with section 79 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013, the panel determined the selection process to be followed. In accordance with s10(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, the selection exercise was open to applicants that satisfied the judicial eligibility condition on a 7-year basis or were Judges of the High Court.

    Biographical notes

    Mrs Justice Sara Cockerill: was Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1990 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a s9(4) Deputy High Court Judge (King’s Bench Division) in 2016 and as a High Court Judge appointed to the King’s Bench Division in 2017. She was Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court between 2020 and 2022.

    Mr Justice Ian Dove: was Called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1986 and took Silk in 2003. He was appointed as a Fee-Paid Immigration Adjudicator (now a Fee-Paid Judge of the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)) in 2000, a Recorder in 2003 and authorised as a Deputy High Court Judge to hear cases under section 9(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 in 2008. He was appointed as a High Court Judge to the King’s Bench Division in 2014, and as a Member of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in 2015. From 2018 to 2021 he served as a Presiding Judge on the Northern Circuit. He was appointed the President of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber in October 2022, and in February 2025 he was appointed the Deputy Senior President of Tribunals.

    Mr Justice David Foxton: was Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1989 and took Silk in 2006. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009, as a s9(4) Deputy High Court Judge (King’s Bench Division and Chancery Division) in 2016 and as a High Court Judge to the King’s Bench Division in 2020.

    Mrs Justice Juliet May: was Called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1988 and took Silk in 2008. She served as a part time judge of the Mental Health Tribunal (England) between 2002 and 2008. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2000, a Circuit Judge in 2008, authorised to hear cases under section 9(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 in 2013 and as a High Court Judge in the King’s Bench Division in 2015.

    Mr Justice Robert Miles: was Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1987 and took Silk in 2002. He was appointed as a s9(4) Deputy High Court Judge in 2006 and as a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division in 2020.

    Mrs Justice Amanda Yip: was Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1991 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2008, authorised to hear cases under section 9(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 in 2013 and was appointed as a High Court Judge to the King’s Bench Division in 2017. She has been the Deputy Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of the Chancellor of the High Court: June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Appointment of the Chancellor of the High Court: June 2025

    His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss as the Chancellor of the High Court with effect from 1 November 2025.

    His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss as the Chancellor of the High Court with effect from 1 November 2025. This appointment follows the retirement of Sir Julian Flaux.

    Background

    Biography of candidate

    The Rt Hon Lord Justice Colin Birss was called to the Bar in 1990 and took Silk in 2008. He started his judicial career as a Deputy Chairman of the Copyright Tribunal in 2009. He was appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge in 2010, as a High Court Judge assigned to the Chancery Division in 2013 and as a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2021. He is currently the Deputy Head of Civil Justice and Lead Judge for Artificial Intelligence.

    The Appointment

    The appointment of the Chancellor of the High Court is made by His Majesty The King on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel chaired by Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice. The other panel members were Lady Rose (Justice of the Supreme Court), Helen Pitcher OBE (Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission), The Rt. Rev. Dr. Barry Morgan (Lay JAC Commissioner) and Mr Tom Cross KC (Professional JAC Commissioner).

    The Chancellor of the High Court (CHC) is one of the most senior judges in England and Wales and holds day-to-day responsibility for the operation of the Business & Property Courts (B&PCs) in London and seven city centres across the country, in consultation with the President of the King’s Bench Division. The B&PCs are a global centre of excellence for the resolution of business disputes and hear some of the most complex and high-profile domestic and international specialist civil claims in the world.

    The CHC has full responsibility for the Chancery lists of the B&PCs, which includes the Business List, the Insolvency and Companies List, the Intellectual Property List (including IPEC), the Property Trusts and Probate List, the Competition List, the Financial List (jointly with the Commercial Court) and the Revenue List. Those responsibilities include the deployment of the specialist judges who conduct the hearings and the allocation of cases.

    Originally created as the office of Vice-Chancellor in 1813 and having undergone a number of changes in role since then, the CHC also presides in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) and sits at first instance in the B&PCs.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Hosts Immigration Shadow Hearing on Trump’s Efforts to Erode Due Process

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, today hosted a Shadow Hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Weaponization of Immigration Courts. This hearing examined the disturbing trend of broad efforts to erode access to legal services and due process in immigration proceedings, especially as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been targeting immigrants showing up for legal proceedings – following the requirements set for them by courts. 

    “Republicans like to talk about how they support immigrants who quote ‘do things the right way,’” said Jayapal. “Now that they control Congress and the White House, they should be putting their money where their mouth is and ensuring that the legal immigration process remains open to those who pursue it—but that’s not what’s happening. They have arrested people at their citizenship interviews, their check-in appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and increasingly, at immigration court. These actions are a direct attack on the legal immigration system and the people who are trying to follow all the legal steps. These actions only serve to make the immigration system even more chaotic and unjust than it already is. Just when you think this administration cannot sink any lower, they get out a shovel and keep digging.”

    The witnesses at this hearing included The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, a retired Immigration Judge, Azadeh Erfani the Director of Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center, Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff at the Acacia Center for Justice, and Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs at Immigrant ARC. 

    The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, Immigration Judge (ret.) said, “Due process in a courtroom means that every part of the system functions fairly and in concert. That requires an independent judge, a level playing field, and a safe, accessible forum for all participants. Yet noncitizens have no right to appointed counsel—even in life-or-death matters. Now, the Trump administration claims that immigration judges are effectively at-will employees, directly undermining their independence. At the same time, immigration courts are being transformed into enforcement zones, deterring participation and eroding public trust. As a former judge, I can tell you: when even one part of the machine breaks—when judges are undermined, when legal support disappears, or fear keeps people from appearing—the entire system collapses. And when that happens, it doesn’t just fail immigrants. It fails all of us.”

    Azadeh Erfani, Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center, said, “Nothing is off the table for ICE to meet Trump’s arrest quotas and build the largest mass detention system in recorded history. First, they took away all legal services so no one could represent themselves. Next, they raided the courts and took away access to judges. And lately, they have set traps at ICE check-in appointments, where individuals with pending cases trying to comply with their proceedings are shackled and disappeared into remote jails. As ICE tramples all semblance of due process and the rule of law, they are terrorizing our communities.”

    Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff, Acacia Center for Justice, said, “The Trump administration’s attacks on due process have upended the lives and futures of our families, neighbors, and friends. In addition to the profound impact on our communities, ending legal access programs has further exacerbated the limited capacity of the immigrant legal services field. Alongside our inspiring network of legal service provider partners, we will continue to fight for these lifesaving programs to be restored so that families, children, and adults aren’t forced to navigate our country’s increasingly dehumanizing immigration system alone.”

    Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs, Immigrant ARC, said, “This is more than a policy shift. It’s a coordinated effort to sideline due process and deport people without giving them the opportunity to present their case. What should have been a space for due process is instead a site of fear. Masked and armed federal agents are arresting and intimidating people who attend court. Volunteers and attorneys are being surveilled. Every day, our members are in those courtrooms—often the only ones there to stand beside immigrants facing an unjust system. We will continue to do our work and to push back.”

    The hearing was attended by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

    Issues: Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Prior Authorization Reform Leads Applaud New Prior Authorization Announcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA), co-leads of the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, released the below joint statement following a series of commitments from some of the largest private health insurance companies to ease the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process.

    “We applaud these commitments, which aim to improve health care access for millions of Americans by easing the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process,” the lawmakers said. “We encourage our House and Senate colleagues to carry this momentum forward and to pass our life-changing legislation, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, to ensure this progress becomes law.”

    Under the announcement, participating health plans commit to:

    1. Standardize electronic prior authorization submissions using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)-based application programming interfaces.
    2. Reduce the volume of medical services subject to prior authorization by January 1, 2026.
    3. Honor existing authorizations during insurance transitions to ensure continuity of care.
    4. Enhance transparency and communication around authorization decisions and appeals.
    5. Expand real-time responses to minimize delays in care with real-time approvals for most requests by 2027.
    6. Ensure medical professionals review all clinical denials.

    In May 2025, the lawmakers reintroduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene, Baldwin Resolution Marks June 26 as “Equality Day”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) introduced a resolution to designate June 26 as “Equality Day.” The resolution commemorates the anniversary of three historic Supreme Court victories that have played a pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ equality.

    “In the face of active attacks and restrictive Supreme Court judgements, we must commemorate the monumental rulings that advanced LGBTQ+ equality over the past twenty-two years,” said DelBene. “By honoring our past victories, we remember why we fight for freedom and justice in the first place. There is much more work to be done. The violence and discrimination that LGBTQ+ Americans still face are why I continue fighting for the rights everyone deserves.”

    “Today, we honor the giants who came before us in the fight for a more equal country and celebrate the progress we have made. But, we cannot mistake our progress for victory,” said Baldwin. “Still, too many LGBTQ+ Americans face violence, harassment, and discrimination simply because of who they are and who they love. I will never stop fighting for a future where everyone has the freedom to live their true, authentic self and has an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

    Over the past two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued three landmark rulings on June 26 that helped eliminate LGBTQ+ discrimination, affirm the dignity of same-sex couples and move our country toward a more perfect union:

    • Lawrence v. Texas (June 26, 2003). Twenty-two years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that states could no longer criminalize the private intimate conduct of same-sex couples, invalidating hateful and discriminatory laws in more than a dozen states.
    • United States v. Windsor (June 26, 2013). Twelve years ago, the Court overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26 and ruled that legally married same-sex couples deserve all of the rights, benefits and protections provided by marriage under federal law.
    • Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26, 2015). Ten years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, putting the United States on the right side of history and ending marriage discrimination once and for all.

    Congresswoman DelBene and Senator Baldwin’s resolution is supported by the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Human Rights Campaign.

    A copy of the resolution can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins the Megyn Kelly Show

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson sat for a wide-ranging interview on the Megyn Kelly Show – his first appearance on the show.

    Watch the full interview here

    On the One Big Beautiful Bill benefitting hardworking Americans:

    in that first Trump administration, we had the greatest economy in the history of the world. Job participation rate was an all-time high. Poverty hit an all-time low. Wages rising for every demographic in America. We’re going to do that again, but this time on steroids, because this is a larger bill with more of those pro-growth policies, and everyone will feel it. We’re excited. The proof will be in the pudding.

    This bill is written for and geared to lower-and middle-income families. It is the opposite of what the Democrats were saying. In fact, people who make more than a million dollars are going to benefit least from the tax policies here. It’s geared for hardworking Americans. We’re the party of hardworking Americans and we will demonstrate that in what we do in our legislation. 

    On President Trump’s strength on the world stage:

    I genuinely believe that this is going to solve the problem, at least for the foreseeable future. And as long as Donald J. Trump is in the White House. Why? Because he has sent a message. You see our allies at the NATO summit. I mean, it’s like the Lion King, right? Donald Trump walks in and they all sort of bow again, America’s back. And let me tell you something, a strong America is good for everyone around the world, and they all know it. And that is peace through strength. That is the policy that we have always believed in. And it’s a core principle of the Republican party. Donald J. Trump knows how to use it.

    They have to believe that you are capable. And we are. We are the most capable military in the world, the most capable military in the history of mankind. We don’t want to use it. President Trump wants to be a peacetime president. He believes that, he doesn’t want us to be involved and nation building and interventional and you know, having wars around the globe, he wants to stop them. And every now and then, you have to show that that force is real. We did that. Everybody’s on notice, and the terrorist and tyrants around the globe are terrified. That’s the position we need them to be in.

    On Congressional Democrats still lacking a message or leader:

    I would like Jasmine Crockett to have the platform everywhere to talk all the time. She’s the best gift to us possible. I want her to be the face of the Democratic Party. She and AOC can lead them into oblivion. That’s fantastic. More Jasmine, okay? Because it puts on display what these people actually believe, where their party is headed. They have no leader. They have no platform that they can run on. All of their policies have been repudiated. All they have, they’re a one trick pony. All they can do is criticize Trump and the Republicans. And that’s not going to sell. Right?

    The reason we’re going to make history and win the midterms and grow the majority in the House, so we can do more of this good work, is because we’re going to demonstrate for all these new demographics of voters that came into our camp in 2024, that they made the right decision. They didn’t come reluctantly, Megan. We had a record number of Hispanic and Latino voters, black and African American voters, Jewish voters, union workers. They did not come to us reluctantly. They came with hopeful anticipation. Why? Because the woke progressive, crazy left, left them behind. This is not your father’s Democratic party. And Jasmine Crockett is a perfect illustration of that. And I want to turn her microphone up, let her talk every day. I want to bring her to the floor and just share her heart, because that helps us.

    On New Yorkers electing a socialist as Mayor:

    The best commentary was I think Ron DeSantis and Florida leaders were trolling New Yorkers saying, this is the best thing for property buyers in Palm Beach, Florida in history. Because more New Yorkers are going to move to states that exercise common sense, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and I hope they come to my state of Louisiana because it’s madness in New York City. What’s the problem there? I think these guys and AOC and those types, they figured out how to trigger these young, uninformed people using social media and these other avenues. And I guess a lot of common-sense voters are not going to the polls. This is dangerous stuff. And so this guy’s now the nominee of the Democratic Party. He is an open antisemite socialist. They will destroy New York City. It is a nightmare. So, I mean, hey, go vote for Eric Adams. Like, he’s the best alternative now. He’s going to be saving New York from this madness. And I hope they don’t do it.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Peters Reintroduces Resolution to Raise Awareness of Veterans’ Post-Traumatic Stress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-1) reintroduced a resolution to reduce the stigma that prevents veterans and servicemembers from seeking mental health care. The resolution also encourages leadership of the Armed Forces to support appropriate treatment for servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress. The legislation would designate June as National Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) Awareness Month and June 27th as National PTS Awareness Day.

    “Ask servicemembers about their injuries, and they will likely show you the visible scars sustained from their service. What they are more reluctant to share are mental scars – the less visible but equally harmful injuries,” said Rep. Peters. “When 18 of our nation’s heroes die from suicide each day, it’s evident we must break the stigma associated with accessing mental health treatment and embolden our veterans to seek help when they need it.”

    “Our Nation has a duty to recognize and respond to the lasting impact of trauma on our Veterans and Service Members,” said Rep. Bergman. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan resolution recognizing June as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month. Raising awareness is a crucial step toward breaking the stigma and ensuring our heroes get the care and support they’ve earned.”

    Read the full text of the resolution here.

    Background:

    Rep. Peters first introduced the bill during the 115th Congress with the late Rep. Walter Jones (NC-03) and has introduced the legislation in every Congress since. Rep. Peters previously served on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

    Representative Peters authored the Veteran Peer Specialist Act, which expanded the peer support specialist pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It passed Congress and became law as part of the FY 2022 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Steube and Hill Introduce RISE Act)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    June 26, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON —  U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) this week introduced the Revitalizing Investment, Savings, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Act to reduce risk on capital investments in American industries by establishing a 15% cap on federal capital gains.“American businesses rely on investment to grow and thrive. Yet, our current tax code burdens entrepreneurs and start-ups by taxing federal long-term capital gains at nearly 24%, creating a costly barrier to investment,” said Rep. Steube. “Investing in America should never be a high-risk, expensive gamble. True long-term prosperity and economic security start when Washington unlocks more capital for U.S. industries. Our bill will cap the federal long-term capital gains tax rate at 15%, empowering investors to fuel economic growth and create good-paying American jobs.”“To build a stronger, more prosperous future, we need policies that unlock capital, reward risk-taking, and drive real growth for all Americans. That is exactly what the RISE Act delivers,” said Rep. Hill. “My bill restores the proven, bipartisan capital gains tax rate that encourages long-term investment in Main Street businesses and drives innovation across our country. With greater access to capital, startups can turn ideas into reality, small businesses will expand and hire, and hardworking Americans will have more opportunity and higher wages.”The RISE Act has the support of the National Taxpayers Union, National Venture Capital Association, and Americans for Tax Reform. Background:

    The RISE Act will establish a 15% cap on the federal long-term capital gains tax rate. Under current law, American investors pay nearly 24% in federal capital gains taxes—almost 5% more than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. This includes the 3.8% Medicare surtax on estates, individuals, and trusts.
    Both Republicans and Democrats have endorsed lower tax rates on capital gains. Three successive administrations, two Democrat and one Republican, approved reduced top capital gains tax rates in 1997, 2003, and 2010.
    In 2012, the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation recognized that reducing taxes on capital gains provides investors with the resources necessary for “starting, building, and selling new businesses.” 

    Read the full bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union Transportation Conference Closes with Energy and Enthusiasm

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The IAM Union wrapped up its 2025 Transportation Conference in Las Vegas today. Over 800 IAM Union delegates, who work primarily in the airline and railroad industries, participated in the democratic process to attend committee meetings and vote on reports that set the agenda for the near future for IAM transportation members.

    View photos here.

    Members heard from speakers who spoke to the current state of the labor movement, the public popularity of unions, and threats to steal the power of organized workers.

    Watch a video recap here.

    “When it comes to this economy, and the corporations, and the richest people, they want to do one thing – divide us,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “That’s how they win. But to the workers that make things, move things, and serve things – we could not be more united in the things that matter to us.”

    The opening session included remarks from IAM International President Brian Bryant, Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, and Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez, among others.

    Follow continuous updates on X, formerly Twitter, here.

    Tuesday through Thursday speakers also included:

    • Jason Ambrosi, Air Line Pilots Association President
    • Greg Regan, Transportation Trades Department President
    • David Heindel, Seafarers International Union President
    • Stephen Cotton, International Transport Workers Federation General Secretary
    • David Massiah, Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union
    • Avital Shapira-Shabirow, Histadrut Union International Relations Director
    • Carla Siegel, IAM General Counsel
    • Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
    • Hasan Solomon, IAM National Political and Legislative Director
    • Jonathan Battaglia, IAM Communications Director
    • Mary McHugh, Winpisinger Center Director
    • Julie Frietchen, IAM Women’s and Young Workers Director
    • Nicole Fears, IAM Human Rights Director
    • Richard Evans, IAM Veterans Services Coordinator
    • Connie Vallas, IAM Associate General Counsel
    • Peter Greenberg, IAM International Affairs Director
    • Sean Marcil, IAM Membership Assistance Assistant Coordinator
    • Derrick S. Monk, Divine Covenant Outreach Center Senior Pastor
    • Mitchell Buckley, IAM District 141 Assistant General Chairperson
    • Daniel Schwarz, Schwarz and Schwarz Managing Attorny
    • Tony Blevins, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines President and Director
    • John Bragg, Railroad Retirement Board Labor Member
    • Damien Anderson, IAM National Benefit Trust Fund Education Director
    • Eloiza Rosales, IAM National Benefit Trust Fund Education Manager
    • Galen Bullock, Employee Benefit Systems Vice President
    • Catherine Cortez-Mastro, United States Senator, Nevada
    • Jacky Rosen, United States Senator, Nevada
    • Dina Titus, Congresswomen, 1st District, Nevada
    • Paul Raymond, National Group Protection Co-CEO

    The post IAM Union Transportation Conference Closes with Energy and Enthusiasm appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WAYNE COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Proposed Federal Cuts to Medicaid on Rural Communities

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 27, 2025 – Honesdale, PA

    ADVISORY – WAYNE COUNTY – Shapiro Administration to Highlight Devastating Impacts of Proposed Federal Cuts to Medicaid on Rural Communities

    Officials from the Shapiro Administration will join rural health care leaders at Wayne Memorial Hospital to highlight the dangers of proposed federal Medicaid cuts and their negative impact on rural health care providers and residents across the state.

    Proposed federal funding cuts could jeopardize health coverage for over 300,000 Pennsylvanians, drive up health care costs, and put hospitals at risk of closure, especially in rural communities. The loss of coverage is likely to result in Pennsylvanians delaying necessary health care and could significantly increase medical costs over time.

    Ensuring rural Pennsylvanians have access to quality health care is a top priority for Governor Josh Shapiro. His proposed 2025-26 budget makes common-sense investments in rural health aimed at keeping rural hospitals open and recruiting more high-quality professionals to these facilities.

    WHO:
    Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen
    Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys
    Department of Human Services Special Advisor Sara Goulet
    Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO Jim Pettinato
    Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers Chief Quality Officer Kara Poremba
    Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania CEO Nicole Stallings

    WHEN:
    Friday, June 27; 11:00 AM

    WHERE:
    Wayne Memorial Hospital
    David Katz Conference Room (2nd Floor)
    601 Park Street
    Honesdale, PA 18431

    MEDIA RSVP:
    Media interested in attending must RSVP with the name of the reporter and photojournalist to ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Woman Arrested After 20 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at New Mexico Checkpoint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Texas woman is facing federal charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 20 pounds of cocaine from her vehicle during a checkpoint inspection south of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

    According to court documents, on the afternoon of June 16, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Aurelia Madrid-Marquez, 51, at the Highway 54 checkpoint located South of Alamogordo, New Mexico, driving a minivan with Illinois license plates. During routine questioning, agents conducted a canine inspection of the vehicle, which resulted in a positive alert for narcotics. A subsequent search revealed seven vacuum-sealed bundles containing a white powdery substance concealed in the driver-side floorboard area. Field tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine.

    Madrid-Marquez is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Madrid-Marquez faces up to 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former HUD Employee, Who Moonlighted for Two Other Federal Agencies, Admits Making False Claims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Caused an Estimated Loss to the U.S. Government of $225,866

               WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.

               The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with Office of the Inpsector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

               Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866.

               Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work fulltime as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health. 

               Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month.   

               Baker teleworked in all three positions, so she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contarctors from each other.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025.

               This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies:  AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

               The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman.

    25cr172

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to Over 26 Years Imprisonment for String of Commercial Armed Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    STATESBORO, GA:  A Waynesboro resident was sentenced to federal prison for 10 commercial armed robberies that he committed in Bulloch, Burke, Chatham, Emanuel, Glascock, Jenkins, and Ware Counties.

    Cordell Cobb, 24, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 318 months in prison after pleading guilty to ten counts of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Cobb to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $12,081 in restitution to the various victimized businesses.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, on ten different occasions from January 2023 through June 2023, Cobb entered commercial establishments throughout the Southern District of Georgia and brandished weapons before demanding money. Employees in all ten locations provided United States currency to Cobb to avoid physical harm and Cobb left the locations with his ill-gotten proceeds. Following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Glascock County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Waycross Police Department (WPD), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Cobb was apprehended and ultimately admitted to committing all ten robberies.

    “This sentencing reflects the serious consequences of violent crime and the strength of coordinated law enforcement” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Communities across Georgia are safer today because of the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partner agencies in bringing this armed robber to justice.”

    “We applaud the collaborative efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation. Together, we have sent a strong message that armed robbery will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” said Thomas Crawford, ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

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

    This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

    The case was being investigated by the ATF, GBI, CCPD, GCSO, JCSO, WPD, BCSO, ECSO and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Henry W. Syms, Jr.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Boston Gang Member Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges.

    Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 33, of Dorchester was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Lewis was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation that began in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    Lewis was a long-time H-Block gang member and daily street-level dealer with a regular roster of customers. Over the course of the investigation, Lewis sold cocaine to an undercover officer on several occasions and coordinated other drug trafficking criminal activities with H-Block gang members.

    On April 5, 2023, Lewis was arrested with approximately 250 grams of cocaine in his vehicle. In addition, in March 2024, Lewis was involved in an altercation with a Boston Police Department officer, leading to the officer being struck by a bullet fired by a concealed gun in Lewis’s possession resulting in state charges. Lewis was sentenced to seven to nine years in state prison in that matter.

    According to court records, Lewis’ criminal history includes a 2017 cocaine conviction for possessing 86 bags of cocaine inside his apartment as well as a 2013 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  

    Lewis is the first defendant to be sentenced in the case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

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