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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A company says it could turn mercury into gold using nuclear fusion. Can we take this claim seriously?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adrian Bevan, Professor of Physics, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London

    RHJPhotos / Shutterstock

    The alchemist’s dream is to make gold from common metals, but can this be done?
    The physics needed to explain how to change one element into another is well
    understood and has been used for decades in accelerators and colliders, which smash sub-atomic particles together.

    The most notable present-day example is the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, based in Geneva. But the costs of making gold this way are vast, and the quantities generated are minuscule.

    For example, Cern’s Alice experiment estimated it produced only 29 picogrammes of gold while operating over four years. At that rate, it would take hundreds of times the lifetime of the universe to make a troy ounce of gold.

    The Californian startup company Marathon Fusion has proposed a very different approach: to use the radioactivity from neutron particles in a nuclear fusion reactor to transform one form of mercury into another, called mercury-197.

    This then decays into a stable form of gold: gold-197. This process of particle decay is where one subatomic particle spontaneously transforms into two or more lighter particles. The team from Marathon Fusion estimates that a fusion power plant could produce several tonnes of gold per gigawatt of thermal power in a single year of operation.

    Bombarding the isotope mercury-198 with neutrons leads to the creation of the
    radioactive isotope mercury-197 – which subsequently decays to the only stable
    isotope of gold.

    The key is to have energetic enough neutrons to trigger the mercury decay sequence. If this could be made to work, then it is an interesting idea. But whether it could make a tidy profit is another matter.

    To do this, a large neutron flux (a measure of the intensity of neutron radiation) is required. This can be generated using a standard fuel mix for fusion reactors, deuterium and tritium (both of which are forms of hydrogen), to create energy in the plasma of a fusion reactor.

    Neutrons penetrate material easily and scatter off the nuclei (cores) in atoms, slowing down as they do so. Neutrons with energies above 6 million electron volts are required to transform mercury-198 into gold.

    To come up with its estimates, Marathon Fusion has been using a fusion reactor’s “digital twin” – a computer model that simulates the physics of the fusion reaction and the resulting radioactive processes. A limitation of this type of work is that the digital twin needs to be validated against a real commercial fusion reactor – but none currently exist.

    There are many challenges to overcome before scientists can realise a commercial fusion reactor. These include the creation of new materials for its construction, and understanding the science required both to operate the system to continuously extract power, and to develop AI systems that can help keep the plasma fusion reaction running.

    Even some of the most advanced fusion experiments, such as the UK-based JET (Joint European Torus) project, could only generate relatively small amounts of energy. However, researchers in the UK have devised a new way to shrink the size of fusion reactors by changing the way the exhaust plasma is controlled. A prototype of this novel fusion reactor concept, called Spherical Tokomak for Energy Production (Step), aims to be ready by 2040.

    Radioactive waste

    On paper, it is possible to make gold from mercury in a fusion reactor. However, until commercial fusion reactors are realised, the assumptions used by Marathon Fusion in its digital twin studies will remain untested.

    Furthermore, any gold produced at a fusion reactor would initially be radioactive, meaning it would be classified as radioactive waste – and thus need to be managed for quite some time after production.

    As nuclear and particle physicists know well, it is very easy to forget to include important physical effects and critical details when creating a digital twin of an experiment. But while the processing of that waste into usable forms of pure gold would be a further challenge to address, it will not necessarily deter long-term investors.

    For now, this remains an attractive proposition on paper – but we’re still some way off from kickstarting a new kind of Californian gold rush.

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

    – ref. A company says it could turn mercury into gold using nuclear fusion. Can we take this claim seriously? – https://theconversation.com/a-company-says-it-could-turn-mercury-into-gold-using-nuclear-fusion-can-we-take-this-claim-seriously-261891

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How poetry can help to fight polarisation and misinformation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Hubbard, Associate lecturer in English Literature and Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University

    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    People are becoming more divided and ill informed. In January 2024, a report by the World Economic Forum identified misinformation and disinformation as “the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years”.

    As a result, it predicted “perceptions of reality are likely to also become polarised” – and that unrest resulting from unreliable information may cause “violent protests … hate crimes … civil confrontation and terrorism”. Many people would agree that something is needed to bridge the ever-widening gaps between ourselves.

    In my view, this is not just a problem of alternative sets of facts, but a failure to perceive and empathise with that which is outside of our own experiences.

    While the smartphone, with its capacity to provide users with sources from across the world, can provide endless opportunity to learn about other perspectives and experiences, research suggests social media increasingly cocoons users within their own interests.

    This algorithmically encouraged self-importance means we are stuck in a feedback loop – the echo chamber – where our own experiences, values and desires are seen as the norm.

    In contrast, by encouraging people to imagine beyond their own experience, reading poetry can serve as an exercise in seeing things from a different perspective.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Poetry has always been political. The writer and civil-rights activist Audre Lorde argued it produces “a revelatory distillation of experience”. In other words, by distilling aspects of an experience, poetry can reveal powerful truths about reality.

    Lorde’s poem Afterimages (1981) records her memory of turning 21 in the same year that 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched in Mississippi. The poem’s revelation is a simple one. For black Americans, coming of age means coming to terms with the constant threat of extreme racial violence.

    Poetry’s success often relies upon showing people aspects of the world which they might otherwise have ignored, repressed or simply missed.

    Some poetry experiments with form itself to produce this revelatory effect. Estate Fragments (2014) is a long poem written by Gavin Goodwin, exploring the Bettws council estate in Newport. It juxtaposes quotations from academic writing alongside interviews with residents – a practice referred to as “found poetry”.

    Goodwin attempts to consider the effect that seemingly abstract political decision-making and discussions have on a particular place and community. Take this stanza:

    Increased inequality

    ups the stakes

    ‘People that were younger than you

    were more dangerous.’

    The first two lines quote Common Culture by Paul Willis (1990), a sociological study in the cultures of young people. The latter are from an interview with a resident of the Bettws estate. Together, they tell a story: national economic inequality causes people in a working-class community to fear each other.

    Looking closer and looking deeper

    More conventional lyric poetry can still reveal sociopolitical realities. Canadian Métis Nation writer katherena vermette’s collection North End Love Songs (2012) explores the North End in Winnipeg, Canada. In a CBC interview, vermette discussed how the local community are:

    The people that get picked on [and] blamed … but what I’m trying to do in my work is to go into looking closer and looking deeper … and seeing that they’re not what they seem.

    Misinformation and polarisation cause social tension, as particular groups are generalised and blamed. Vermette’s poem indians explicitly explores the devastation caused by preconceptions of peoples and places.

    Red River in Winnipeg.
    Teng Guan/Shutterstock

    The poem recalls vermette’s brother going missing, before being found in the Red River, a powerful body of water that moves through Winnipeg. It focuses on the apathy of Winnipeg’s police service, who tell the family that there is “no sense looking”, as the man will return when “he gets bored/or broke”. The authorities come to this conclusion not through investigation, but by reducing the speaker’s brother to racist stereotypes.

    This is then contrasted with what the family “finds out”. Not only has the brother drowned, but the “land floods/with dead indians”. The speaker discovers the fate of her brother is also the fate of many other Métis people in Winnipeg. This personal experience of loss comes to speak for many other loses:

    indians get drunk

    don’t we know it?

    do stupid things

    like being young

    like going home alone

    like walking across a frozen river

    not quite frozen

    Vermette links grief to struggles against systematic apathy and oppression. The poem’s sense of politics, people and place are a central part of its poetics.

    Audre Lorde in 1980.
    Wiki Commons, CC BY

    Such explicitness means the poem meaningfully connects to important political issues – drawing attention to the startlingly high number of missing people found and suspected to be in the Red River. As such, it can also link to important grassroots initiatives like Drag the Red, which aims to “find answers about missing loved ones” which might lie in the river.

    While North End Love Songs was published two years before Drag the Red’s formation, the poem and initiative are clearly formed by the same kind of traumatic, sociopolitical events.

    Newsfeeds increasingly silo us into comfortable ways of thinking and perceiving. Forty years on, Lorde’s declaration that poetry “is not a luxury” takes on a whole new meaning. Now, it might be a political necessity.

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

    Alex Hubbard is formerly affiliated with the Labour Party, and Aber Food Surplus, a community hub.

    – ref. How poetry can help to fight polarisation and misinformation – https://theconversation.com/how-poetry-can-help-to-fight-polarisation-and-misinformation-255567

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why you can’t judge health by weight alone

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachel Woods, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of Lincoln

    Pratchaya.Lee/Shutterstock

    How much does your weight really say about your health? Probably less than you think. You could eat your five-a-day, hit the gym regularly, have textbook blood pressure and cholesterol levels – and still be dismissed as “unhealthy” based on the number on the scale. Meanwhile, someone with a so-called “healthy” weight might be skipping meals, running on stress and caffeine, and rarely moving their body.

    We’ve been taught to equate thinness with wellness and excess weight with illness. But the science tells a more nuanced story – one where weight is just a single data point in a far more complex picture. So if weight alone doesn’t reflect how healthy we really are, what does?

    Body weight is one of the most measured aspects of health. Society places huge emphasis on it, and criticism of a person’s weight is often framed as a health concern. So how much meaningful health information does weight actually offer?

    Simply put, body weight measures exactly that – the total weight of a body. Changes in weight over time can give an indication of a person’s calorie intake. If they are gaining weight, they are eating more calories than they burn. If they are losing weight, they are burning more than they eat.



    Read more:
    The body mass index can’t tell us if we’re healthy. Here’s what we should use instead

    It is perhaps more useful to consider the health information weight doesn’t give us. Important health indicators, such as cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate are not visible on the scales.

    Neither does weight reflect the quality of someone’s diet. A person could be eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole foods, getting the vitamins and minerals needed for good energy, bone strength and immune function. Or they might not. They might be eating mostly healthy fats, like those found in olive oil, nuts and fish, which are linked to better heart health. Or they may get their fat from processed foods, high in saturated and trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease. They may be getting plenty of fibre to support digestion, regulate their blood sugar and maintain healthy cholesterol, or they may be getting very little. Weight alone reveals none of these important dietary details.

    Weight also doesn’t accurately reflect how much body fat someone carries, or more importantly, where that fat is located. Visceral fat (which surrounds the internal organs) is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, whereas subcutaneous fat, found just beneath the skin, poses fewer health risks .

    Weight doesn’t give details about how much exercise someone does, which improves health even if it doesn’t lead to weight loss. Nor does weight reflect other major influences on health, like sleep quality or stress.

    All of these factors are harder to measure than body weight, and far less visible at first glance, but they provide a much more meaningful picture of someone’s health.

    This is not to say that there is no association between weight and these factors, but the link is not clear cut. Details such as someone’s diet quality or their activity patterns cannot be found by simply looking at their weight.

    At a population level, there is a clear association between higher body weight and increased risk of disease. For instance, studies show that people classified as overweight or obese using body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight relative to height, tend to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

    Some people who are classified as overweight or obese have healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This is often referred to as “metabolically healthy obesity”. On the other hand, someone with a “healthy” body weight might have high visceral fat, poor diet quality, or a sedentary lifestyle – increasing their health risks, despite appearing thin. Terms like “Tofi” (thin outside, fat inside) or “skinny-fat” have emerged to describe this.

    These examples highlight how health cannot be judged accurately by weight alone. Someone eating a fibre-rich diet, high in vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats – all of which are linked to better health outcomes, might still fall into the “overweight” category, and be perceived as unhealthy simply because they eat more calories than they burn.

    Conversely, a person eating a diet low in nutrients but not exceeding their calorie requirements may be considered a “healthy” weight. Which of these people would be viewed as healthy by society, and which by a doctor?

    Why we think weight matters

    So, why is so much emphasis put on a person’s weight? In truth, it probably shouldn’t be. However, it is a cheap and easy thing to measure, unlike blood tests, dietary assessments or body scans, which require more time, money and expertise. It’s not to say that more detailed tests are never carried out, but cost is usually a consideration.

    Weight is also very visible. It is one of the few aspects of health that’s apparent to others at a glance. This makes it easy for society to pass judgement. But what is visible isn’t always what matters most. Societal ideas about what a “healthy” body looks like are deeply ingrained and not necessarily evidence based.

    While losing weight as a result of healthy lifestyle modifications improves health, these modifications, such as increasing exercise and improving diet, have been shown to benefit health even if weight is not lost.

    It has also been shown that the societal stigma surrounding obesity is not helpful in achieving weight loss, and can actually undermine it.

    Therefore, if health really is the main concern, attention should shift away from weight as the primary focus and towards factors such as diet quality, physical activity, sleep and stress. Improvements in these areas can offer health benefits to people of all sizes.

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

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

    – ref. Why you can’t judge health by weight alone – https://theconversation.com/why-you-cant-judge-health-by-weight-alone-260659

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: As the UK reviews the pension age again, could more time off when you’re young compensate for later retirement?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Malte Jauch, Lecturer in Management and Marketing, University of Essex

    The retirement age keeps creeping up. In the UK, the state pension is currently paid to people at 66, but that’s set to rise to 67 in the next couple of years, and a move to 68 might come sooner than previously planned after the government launched a review.

    Gradually increasing the working lifespan is never going to be popular. But one way of making this policy more palatable could be to give people early access to some of the free time that retirement promises.

    After all, sometimes that promise fails to deliver, because many people die before they reach retirement age.

    Globally, about 27% of men and 18% women die before the age of 65 (although this proportion also includes deaths before working age). In wealthy countries, the number of people who die prematurely is lower than the global average, but still significant. In the EU, 16% of men and 8% of women die before 65.

    For these people, the promise of free time and leisure in old age never materialises. There will also be many whose physical and mental health will have deteriorated by the time they retire, so that they are less capable of enjoying their free time.

    So perhaps slogging away until retirement is not an ideal arrangement.

    But what if you could transfer some of the time off that retirement promises to an earlier stage of your life, when everything is a rush, crammed with the demands of work and domestic responsibilities?

    Luckily, the stark contrast between a time-poor middle age and a time-rich old age is not unavoidable. Governments can choose different approaches that directly affect how free time is distributed across our life stages.

    Japan, for example, is a country which has opted to focus on delaying leisure time, and encourages workers to postpone that enjoyment of free time until old age. It does this in part by rewarding workers with wage increases – known as “seniority-based pay” – if they don’t take career breaks.

    Japanese employment law also permits companies to force employees to retire at the age 60. As a result, on average, Japanese workers work 1,680 hours per year and retire at 63.

    In the Netherlands by contrast, people work less (1,433 hours per year) and retire later – at 67. Labour laws make it easier for employees to decrease their hours, by going part time, for example.

    Discrimination between workers based on work hours is prohibited, so that those who opt for part-time work are guaranteed equal treatment with regard to wages and other benefits. But the high legal age of retirement discourages Dutch workers from early retirement.

    So how should we assess these different approaches?

    Time on your side?

    One way to look at retirement is that it compensates us for our previous hard work. The prospect of compensation might lead us to adopt a relaxed attitude toward long work hours. Once we’ve stopped work, we’ll be rewarded with a large chunk of leisure.

    But for those who don’t make it to retirement, this promise of a life of leisure turns out to be a cruel joke. Early deaths are also more prominent among those who have already suffered from poverty and other disadvantages.

    The right time for time off?
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    The same is true for ill health. The disadvantaged are much more likely to suffer from a variety of conditions that prevent them from being able to fully enjoy retirement.

    Another risk for those who are healthy when they retire is that relatives or friends may have died. This reduces the value of the retirees’ free time because the loved ones they hoped to share that time with are no longer around.

    So perhaps some of that free time could be better used when workers are younger. Raising a family, for example, is extremely time consuming, and there can’t be many parents of young children who don’t wish for a few extra hours a week to call their own.

    Even devoting time to hobbies when we’re younger might be considered more efficient than waiting until we have retired. After all, if you learn a new language or how to paint when you’re in your 40s, you may have much more time to enjoy your new skill over the ensuing decades.

    My research suggests that for all these reasons, the state should help people take some of their retirement early.

    None of us knows how long we will live, or how healthy we will be in the future. Faced with this uncertainty, it makes sense not to gamble with our opportunities for free time and leave it until it may be too late.

    Even those who enjoy their work have strong reasons not to postpone a large proportion of their time off, and governments should help us access more of it while we’re younger.

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

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

    – ref. As the UK reviews the pension age again, could more time off when you’re young compensate for later retirement? – https://theconversation.com/as-the-uk-reviews-the-pension-age-again-could-more-time-off-when-youre-young-compensate-for-later-retirement-259464

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: As the UK reviews the pension age again, could more time off when you’re young compensate for later retirement?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Malte Jauch, Lecturer in Management and Marketing, University of Essex

    The retirement age keeps creeping up. In the UK, the state pension is currently paid to people at 66, but that’s set to rise to 67 in the next couple of years, and a move to 68 might come sooner than previously planned after the government launched a review.

    Gradually increasing the working lifespan is never going to be popular. But one way of making this policy more palatable could be to give people early access to some of the free time that retirement promises.

    After all, sometimes that promise fails to deliver, because many people die before they reach retirement age.

    Globally, about 27% of men and 18% women die before the age of 65 (although this proportion also includes deaths before working age). In wealthy countries, the number of people who die prematurely is lower than the global average, but still significant. In the EU, 16% of men and 8% of women die before 65.

    For these people, the promise of free time and leisure in old age never materialises. There will also be many whose physical and mental health will have deteriorated by the time they retire, so that they are less capable of enjoying their free time.

    So perhaps slogging away until retirement is not an ideal arrangement.

    But what if you could transfer some of the time off that retirement promises to an earlier stage of your life, when everything is a rush, crammed with the demands of work and domestic responsibilities?

    Luckily, the stark contrast between a time-poor middle age and a time-rich old age is not unavoidable. Governments can choose different approaches that directly affect how free time is distributed across our life stages.

    Japan, for example, is a country which has opted to focus on delaying leisure time, and encourages workers to postpone that enjoyment of free time until old age. It does this in part by rewarding workers with wage increases – known as “seniority-based pay” – if they don’t take career breaks.

    Japanese employment law also permits companies to force employees to retire at the age 60. As a result, on average, Japanese workers work 1,680 hours per year and retire at 63.

    In the Netherlands by contrast, people work less (1,433 hours per year) and retire later – at 67. Labour laws make it easier for employees to decrease their hours, by going part time, for example.

    Discrimination between workers based on work hours is prohibited, so that those who opt for part-time work are guaranteed equal treatment with regard to wages and other benefits. But the high legal age of retirement discourages Dutch workers from early retirement.

    So how should we assess these different approaches?

    Time on your side?

    One way to look at retirement is that it compensates us for our previous hard work. The prospect of compensation might lead us to adopt a relaxed attitude toward long work hours. Once we’ve stopped work, we’ll be rewarded with a large chunk of leisure.

    But for those who don’t make it to retirement, this promise of a life of leisure turns out to be a cruel joke. Early deaths are also more prominent among those who have already suffered from poverty and other disadvantages.

    The right time for time off?
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    The same is true for ill health. The disadvantaged are much more likely to suffer from a variety of conditions that prevent them from being able to fully enjoy retirement.

    Another risk for those who are healthy when they retire is that relatives or friends may have died. This reduces the value of the retirees’ free time because the loved ones they hoped to share that time with are no longer around.

    So perhaps some of that free time could be better used when workers are younger. Raising a family, for example, is extremely time consuming, and there can’t be many parents of young children who don’t wish for a few extra hours a week to call their own.

    Even devoting time to hobbies when we’re younger might be considered more efficient than waiting until we have retired. After all, if you learn a new language or how to paint when you’re in your 40s, you may have much more time to enjoy your new skill over the ensuing decades.

    My research suggests that for all these reasons, the state should help people take some of their retirement early.

    None of us knows how long we will live, or how healthy we will be in the future. Faced with this uncertainty, it makes sense not to gamble with our opportunities for free time and leave it until it may be too late.

    Even those who enjoy their work have strong reasons not to postpone a large proportion of their time off, and governments should help us access more of it while we’re younger.

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

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

    – ref. As the UK reviews the pension age again, could more time off when you’re young compensate for later retirement? – https://theconversation.com/as-the-uk-reviews-the-pension-age-again-could-more-time-off-when-youre-young-compensate-for-later-retirement-259464

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Swatting Charges

    Source: US FBI

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Evan Strauss, 27, of Moneta, Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

    According to the guilty plea, Strauss helped create and operate an online group known as “Purgatory.”  The group used multiple online social-media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan swatting and doxxing activities and to announce and brag about swats that they conducted.  

    “Swatting” is a term used to describe a criminal incident in which an individual contacts emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, often involving an act of violence that reportedly has or will occur at a particular location to elicit an armed law enforcement response to that location.  “Doxxing” is a term used to describe the practice of — searching for and publishing on the Internet — personal, private, or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent, such as providing the information for the purpose of facilitating the swatting of the individual.

    From December 10, 2023, through January 18, 2024, Strauss and his co-conspirators, including a co-conspirator who resided in Hagerstown, Maryland, and made calls from Maryland, placed swatting calls to police and other emergency response departments. One or more of the conspirators, acting with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and harass individuals and entities, falsely reported emergencies in the form of violent acts at particular locations to cause armed law enforcement responses.

    Strauss and his co-conspirators often used shared scripts to plan and coordinate their conduct. They then called police departments using Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services to obscure their phone numbers and identities.

    As part of the scheme, Strauss called the Newark Delaware Police Department and falsely claimed that he heard a man firing shots in a school hallway. Moments later, the Maryland co-conspirator called the department again, threatening to shoot a specific Newark High School teacher and kill students. As a result of these calls, which occurred in the middle of the school day, authorities placed the school on lockdown as police officers rushed to respond. Later the same day, Strauss and other conspirators bragged about the incident and posted images from the resulting news coverage onto their group’s social media accounts.

    Strauss encouraged a Purgatory conspirator to “shut down” an airport. Following Strauss’ urging, the conspirator used a VOIP number to call the Albany Police Department in Albany, New York, stating he was going to the Albany International Airport to “shoot everybody up” and that his “friend” was going to set off bombs in the airport. Police units then rushed to respond to these threats.

    Additionally, as part of this scheme, the Maryland co-conspirator called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office in Dothan, Alabama, and threatened to burn down part of a residential trailer park and kill any law enforcement officers who arrived to respond to the threat.

    Strauss faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening to damage or destroy by fire or explosive and a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threats.  Co-conspirators Brayden Grace, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, and Owen Jarboe, 19, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty earlier this year and are awaiting sentencing.

    Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, at 10 a.m.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Additionally, Ms. Hayes praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Columbus; Ohio Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department; Albany, New York Police Department; Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department; Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department; Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department; Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department; Boston, Massachusetts Police Department; Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert I. Goldaris and Patricia C. McLane who are prosecuting the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ivey Announces Appointment of Deborah Tillman as Mobile County District Judge

    Source: US State of Alabama

    MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday announced the appointment of Deborah Denise Tillman as Mobile County District Judge.

    “Deborah Tillman possesses a tremendous background in the law spanning 35 years, beginning with her service as a Staff Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force to subsequent decades of experience in the Mobile County District Attorney’s office,” said Governor Ivey. “As a former state, federal and military prosecutor, her legal knowledge will serve the Court and the people of Mobile County well.”

    “I am extremely honored, humbled and grateful to Governor Ivey for appointing me to be the next District Court Judge in Mobile County,” said Tillman. “While my role will change in the courtroom, my commitment to the rule of law and to serve the great people of Mobile County with honor and integrity will not. I look forward to joining the distinguished group of Judges who comprise the 13th Judicial Circuit of Mobile County.”

    Tillman will fill the vacancy on the Court left after the resignation of District Judge Spiro Cheriogotis.

    Tillman began her legal career in the U.S. Air Force rising to the rank of Captain and was Honorably Discharged in 1995. Afterward, she devoted several decades as Assistant District Attorney and Chief District Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Mobile County. She also held the position of Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Over her extensive career, she prosecuted thousands of felony and misdemeanor cases in state and federal courts. Additionally, she taught criminal law, contracts and civil procedure as an adjunct professor in the paralegal studies division at the University of South Alabama.

    A Mobile native, Tillman is a 1985 graduate of Spring Hill College. She received her Juris Doctorate from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia in 1989.

    Tillman’s appointment is effective immediately.

    Tillman’s official photo is attached.

    Governor Ivey made 36 other appointments. A list of those appointments is attached.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval Loan Scams Exposed and Debunked While GreendayOnline Proves There’s a Better Way

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Dallas, TX , July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As millions of Americans continue seeking loans for bad credit, a comprehensive analysis reveals concerning trends in the no credit check loans space while highlighting how responsible lenders like GreendayOnline are providing genuine alternatives. This educational initiative aims to help consumers understand personal loans for bad credit while making informed borrowing decisions about bad credit loans guaranteed approval options.

    Chapter 1: The “No Credit Check” Deception – What Bad Credit Borrowers Really Face in 2025

    The promise of “guaranteed approval” has become increasingly common in online advertising for example phrases such as “personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval”. However, consumers researching urgent loans for bad credit often discover that these marketing claims can be misleading, according to industry experts and consumer advocates studying the loans with bad credit marketplace.

    GreendayOnline, a transparent lending platform specializing in online loans for bad credit, reports that many borrowers seeking “no credit check loans guaranteed approval direct lender”options encounter unexpected terms once they begin the application process.

     “We’ve seen too many consumers disappointed by the gap between advertising promises and actual loan terms,” explains Tarquin Nemec, GreendayOnline’s representative. “That’s precisely why we focus on clear, upfront communication for example in California about all aspects of our online $255 payday loans on the same day. We go into explaining the same day is only possible if you apply early enough.

    Common Pricing Structure Challenges in No Credit Check Loans:

    • Misleading flat-fee advertising – While some lenders advertise loans for people with bad credit using attractive structures like “$15 per $100 borrowed,” the actual APR can reach 300-400%

    • Hidden calculations for payday loans online same day – True costs often remain unclear until after application submission

    • Delayed disclosure in bad credit loans- Many lenders reveal actual terms only during final approval stages

    • Complex fee structures that make installment loans for bad credit difficult to compare accurately because of obfustication.

    GreendayOnline addresses these challenges in the loans with no credit check market by providing clear APR disclosures from the initial application stage, ensuring borrowers understand exactly what they’re agreeing to before signing any documentation. This transparency stands in contrast to some industry practices where the true cost of emergency loans becomes apparent only after approval.

    The term “direct lender” has also evolved in meaning across the bad credit personal loans space. While consumers searching for quick loans for bad credit often prefer working directly with the actual lender, some companies marketing themselves as loans “no credit check direct lenders” actually operate through complex networks. GreendayOnline maintains a straightforward model for no credit check loans with not always granting “guaranteed approval” , eliminating confusion about who provides the funds and services.

    Chapter 2: Bad Credit Borrowers – The Perfect Target for Financial Predators

    The small loan and  bad credit market serves consumers who often cannot access traditional banking products due to credit challenges. Research indicates that borrowers seeking best loans for bad credit typically include individuals recovering from financial setbacks, those with limited credit history, and consumers facing temporary cash flow issues in the bad credit loan marketplace.

    Marketing strategies in this space often focus on speed and accessibility, emphasizing terms like “hardship loans for bad credit” and “payday loans no credit check.”

    While speed can be valuable during financial emergencies, GreendayOnline emphasizes that borrowers benefit most when they can quickly access both funding and comprehensive information about their bad credit loan approval terms.

    Diverse Customer Demographics Seeking Payday Loans for Bad Credit:

    Industry data shows that consumers searching for “no denial installment loans direct lenders” or loans for people with poor credit often come from diverse backgrounds:

    • Working professionals experiencing temporary cash flow gaps
    • Students managing educational expenses through best online loans instant approval
    • Retirees on fixed incomes facing unexpected costs via instant payday loans online guaranteed approval
    • Small business owners handling seasonal revenue fluctuations
    • Military families dealing with deployment-related financial challenges
    • Single parents managing childcare emergencies
    • Healthcare workers covering certification or continuing education costs

    GreendayOnline has observed that effective lending with customers looking for “no denial payday loans” involves understanding each customer’s unique situation rather than assuming that the borrower is broke.

     Their approach focuses on providing same day emergency loans for borrowers across different income levels and credit situations, recognizing that one-size-fits-all solutions rarely meet individual needs

    The concentration of best online payday loans in certain communities has drawn regulatory attention in some states. However, many industry participants, including GreendayOnline, view this as an opportunity to demonstrate responsible lending practices.

    Chapter 3: Guaranteed to Fail – Why Bad Credit Loan Defaults Are Built Into the Predatory System

    Industry statistics reveal that default rates for loans for bad credit vary significantly based on loan structure, borrower screening, and customer support practices. While some segments of the bad credit market experience default rates exceeding 40%, responsible lenders like GreendayOnline report significantly lower default rates through careful underwriting and customer support for personal loans.

    Some urgent bad credit loans are structured with balloon payments or compressed repayment schedules that can challenge borrowers’ ability to repay “guaranteed approval loans” successfully. GreendayOnline addresses this by offering flexible repayment structures designed to work with borrowers’ actual financial situations.

    Critical Factors Contributing to Loan Success in Online Loans for Bad Credit:

    • Appropriate loan sizing – Matching for example $255 payday loans online same day amounts to realistic repayment capacity
    • Income-aligned payment schedules for no credit check loan lender products
    • Transparent communication about all payday loans online and

    Consumer advocates note that sustainable lending practices benefit both borrowers and lenders over time in the bad credit loans online marketplace. When borrowers successfully repay installment loans without experiencing financial strain, they’re more likely to become repeat customers and recommend services to others. GreendayOnline has built its business model around this principle with focusing on long-term customer relationships rather than short-term transaction volume.

    The industry continues evolving toward more sophisticated underwriting models that consider factors beyond traditional credit scores for emergency loans for bad credit. This evolution benefits consumers seeking bad credit personal loans up to $5,000 by enabling lenders to make more accurate assessments of repayment ability while expanding access to credit.

    Chapter 4: Hidden Costs and Buried Terms That Destroy Bad Credit Borrowers

    Transparency in pricing represents one of the most significant differentiators among lenders offering quick loans for bad credit. Industry practices vary widely, with some lenders disclosing all costs upfront while others reveal additional fees only during the final stages of the loans no credit check application process.

    Common Fee Categories in No Credit Check Loans Guaranteed Approval:

    • Origination fees – Processing charges for small loans
    • Administrative costs – Account setup fees
    • Processing charges – Application review costs
    • Late payment penalties – Additional costs for missed hardship loans for bad credit payments
    • Prepayment charges – Early repayment fees for payday loans(where applicable)
    • Document fees – Charges for loan agreement preparation
    • Funding fees – Costs associated with bad credit loan disbursement

    GreendayOnline maintains a policy of full fee disclosure before borrowers commit to any payday loan agreement, ensuring no surprises during the funding process. The company’s transparent approach helps borrowers accurately compare options when researching from multiple sources.

    The complexity of loan documents can sometimes obscure true borrowing costs. While regulatory requirements mandate certain disclosures, the presentation and timing of this information can vary significantly between lenders offering best instant approval.

    For consumers comparing multiple direct payday lenders, creating a standardized comparison becomes essential. Industry experts recommend focusing on the APR as the most comprehensive measure of same day emergency loans cost, as it incorporates both interest rates and fees into a single, annualized figure for instant loans online guaranteed approval products.

    Chapter 5: The Bad Credit Debt Trap – Rollover Loans and Endless Fee Cycles

    The topic of loan renewals and extensions generates significant discussion with the best online payday loans. Some states have implemented regulations limiting the number of times borrowers can renew or extend certain types of online loans with no credit check, while others allow more flexibility.

    GreendayOnline approaches loan extensions in the bad credit loan space with a focus on borrower benefit rather than fee generation. When customers face temporary difficulties meeting their original loan repayment schedule, the company works to find solutions that avoid additional financial strain while fulfilling obligations.

    Strategic Approach to Loan Extensions for No Credit Check Loans:

    • Root cause analysis – Understanding why payment difficulties arose with the urgent loan with bad credit
    • Alternative solution exploration beyond simple term extension for bad credit loans guaranteed approval
    • Complete fee transparency for any personal loan modifications
    • Realistic payment plan development based on actual borrower circumstances

    Industry best practices suggest that loan renewals should address underlying financial challenges rather than simply postponing payment obligation.

    This approach requires lenders to invest in customer service and financial counseling capabilities beyond basic transaction processing

    For borrowers understanding renewal policies becomes particularly important. Some lenders structure their no credit check loans products specifically to generate renewal fees, while others, like GreendayOnline, design their loans for people with bad credit to minimize the need for extensions through appropriate initial term selection.

    Chapter 6: When Bad Credit Loans Turn Criminal – Illegal Collection Tactics

    Debt collection practices in the bad credit installment loan  industry operate under strict federal and state regulations designed to protect consumer rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and state-specific regulations establish clear boundaries for legitimate collection activities in the loans with no credit check space.

    GreendayOnline emphasizes respectful, helpful communication throughout the entire customer relationship for emergency loans, including any necessary collection conversations. Their approach focuses on problem-solving and payment plan development rather than aggressive collection tactics for poor credit loans of up to $5000

    Essential Consumer Rights in Debt Collection for Quick loans for Bad Credit:

    • Debt verification rights – Requesting written confirmation of details
    • Communication restrictions – Limits on when collectors can contact borrowers
    • Dispute procedures for challenging incorrect small loan claims
    • Privacy protections regarding credit information sharing

    Consumers should understand that legitimate lenders cannot threaten criminal prosecution for unpaid loans, as these represent civil debts rather than criminal matters. While some states maintain criminal penalties for writing bad checks, these laws typically require proof of intent to defraud, which doesn’t apply to good-faith hardship loans for bad credit arrangements.

    The distinction between criminal and civil debt matters becomes particularly important for borrowers seeking payday loans or similar short-term products. Legitimate lenders like GreendayOnline ensure their collection practices comply with all applicable regulations while maintaining respectful customer relationships

    Chapter 7: Guaranteed Approval Scams That Specifically Target Bad Credit Customers

    The growth of online lending has created opportunities for both legitimate businesses and fraudulent operators. Consumers researching no denial installment loans direct lenders only benefit from understanding key indicators that distinguish reputable lenders from potential scams.

    Legitimacy Indicators for Loans for People with Poor Credit:

    • Valid state licensing for best online loans instant approval operations
    • Transparent physical addresses and accessible customer service for instant payday loans online guaranteed approval
    • Upfront cost disclosure for all no denial payday loans direct lenders only no credit check products
    • Standard application procedures rather than unusual upfront payments

    Critical Warning Signs in Same Day Emergency Loans Marketing:

    • Upfront fee demands before instant loans online guaranteed approval or funding
    • Artificial urgency creation to prevent careful consideration of best online payday loans terms
    • Vague cost information about online loans no credit check products
    • Universal approval promises regardless of financial circumstances for easy loans for bad credit

    GreendayOnline addresses these concerns by maintaining transparent communication throughout the loans for bad credit application process and providing comprehensive information about personal loans for bad credit terms before requiring any commitment from borrowers seeking no credit check loans.

    Verification of lender credentials provides another layer of consumer protection. State banking departments and attorney general offices often maintain databases of licensed lenders and known fraudulent operators in the bad credit loans guaranteed approval space.

    Chapter 8: Red Flags Every Bad Credit Borrower Must Recognize Before Applying

    Educated consumers make better borrowing decisions across all credit categories, including personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval products. Understanding common warning signs and protection strategies helps borrowers avoid problematic lending relationships before they begin in the loans with bad credit marketplace.

    Critical Warning Signs for Online Loans for Bad Credit:

    • No creditworthiness evaluation – Lenders who don’t assess ability to repay $255 payday loans online same day
    • Asset requirement demands – Requiring access to bank accounts for no credit check loans guaranteed approval direct lender products
    • Documentation refusal – Unwillingness to provide written agreements for loans for people with bad credit
    • Unrealistic marketing claims – Guarantees that seem too good to be true for payday loans online same day

    Consumer Protection Strategies for Bad Credit Loans Online:

    • Thorough lender research with state regulators for installment loans for bad credit
    • Comprehensive cost comparison across multiple loans with no credit check options
    • Complete document retention for all emergency loans for bad credit communications
    • Alternative exploration of all available bad credit personal loans guaranteed approval $5,000 options

    GreendayOnline addresses these concerns through comprehensive application processes and clear documentation practices for quick loans, ensuring borrowers have adequate information and time to make informed decisions about their no credit check loan needs.

    Consumers should also be cautious of marketing that seems too good to be true, such as universal approval claims for “no credit check loans guaranteed approval” regardless of financial circumstances. Responsible lenders like GreendayOnline evaluate each application individually while maintaining realistic approval standards for small loans for bad credit.

    Chapter 9: GreendayOnline’s Promise to Bad Credit Customers – Real Help, Not Exploitation

    GreendayOnline has built its reputation on providing genuine transparency in the best loans for bad credit space. Unlike some competitors who reveal important terms only after application submission, GreendayOnline provides comprehensive cost information and loan terms upfront for loans for bad credit online, allowing consumers to make informed decisions before committing to the application process.

    GreendayOnline’s Transparency Commitments for Hardship Loans for Bad Credit:

    • Complete upfront cost disclosure for all payday loans no credit check products
    • Plain-language term explanations for loans bad credit guaranteed approval
    • Realistic approval standards rather than false payday loans for bad credit guarantees
    • Comprehensive lifecycle support for no denial installment loans direct lenders only

    The company’s approach to loans for people with poor credit reflects their commitment to realistic underwriting standards. Rather than promising universal approval for best online loans instant approval, GreendayOnline evaluates each application based on the borrower’s actual ability to repay, resulting in higher success rates for approved instant payday loans online guaranteed approval borrowers.

    Customer service represents a core differentiator for GreendayOnline in the competitive landscape of no denial payday loans direct lenders only no credit check. The company maintains accessible customer support throughout the entire loan lifecycle, from initial inquiry through final payment, ensuring borrowers have access to assistance when needed for same day emergency loans.

    GreendayOnline’s technology platform streamlines the application and approval process while maintaining security and privacy standards that protect customer information for instant loans online guaranteed approval. This approach enables quick processing of best online payday loans requests while safeguarding sensitive financial data.

    Chapter 10: The GreendayOnline Difference – The Right Way to Serve Bad Credit Borrowers

    Modern lending technology enables better customer experiences while improving risk assessment and customer service capabilities for online loans no credit check. GreendayOnline leverages advanced systems to provide fast processing of easy loans for bad credit applications while maintaining thorough evaluation of each borrower’s situation.

    Technology Benefits in Modern Loans for Bad Credit:

    • Rapid automated processing for personal loans for bad credit applications
    • Bank-level security protection for sensitive no credit check loans information
    • Mobile-optimized accessibility for urgent loans for bad credit applications
    • Real-time status updates throughout the bad credit loans guaranteed approval process
    • Integrated customer support for personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval management
    • Secure document storage for all loans with bad credit agreements
    • 24/7 account access for online loans for bad credit customers

    Automated underwriting systems can process applications for $255 payday loans online on the same day within minutes, but GreendayOnline combines automation with human oversight to ensure appropriate lending decisions. This hybrid approach provides speed while maintaining the flexibility to consider unique customer circumstances for no credit check loans guaranteed approval direct lender products.

    Mobile accessibility has become essential for consumers seeking loans for people with bad credit options. GreendayOnline’s mobile-optimized platform enables customers to apply, monitor applications, manage accounts, and access customer support from any device with internet connectivity for payday loans online same day needs.

    Innovation in the bad credit loans online industry continues focusing on improving customer outcomes rather than simply increasing transaction volume. GreendayOnline participates in industry developments that enhance borrower success rates and overall customer satisfaction with the installment loans for bad credit experience.

    Chapter 11: Breaking the Cycle – GreendayOnline’s Hope for Bad Credit Borrowers in 2025

    The ultimate goal of responsible alternative lending extends beyond individual transactions to supporting borrowers’ long-term financial stability in the loans with no credit check space. GreendayOnline recognizes that successful lending relationships contribute to customer financial resilience rather than creating additional challenges for emergency loans for bad credit borrowers.

    Components of Financial Resilience Support for Bad Credit Personal Loans Guaranteed Approval $5,000:

    • Educational resources about money management and credit building for quick loans for bad credit borrowers
    • Flexible loan structures designed to work with loans no credit check borrower circumstances
    • Ongoing customer support beyond initial no credit check loans guaranteed approval transactions

    Education and financial literacy support represent key components of effective lending relationships in the small loans for bad credit market. While immediate funding addresses urgent financial needs, helping borrowers understand money management and credit building creates lasting value. GreendayOnline provides educational resources alongside best loans for bad credit services to support customer financial development.

    Community impact considerations influence responsible lending practices across the loans for bad credit online industry. When lenders like GreendayOnline operate transparently and ethically, they contribute to positive economic outcomes in the communities they serve, creating sustainable business models that benefit all stakeholders in the hardship loans for bad credit space.

    The future of alternative lending depends on demonstrating genuine value to consumers and communities seeking payday loans no credit check options. GreendayOnline’s approach focuses on building long-term customer relationships based on trust, transparency, and mutual benefit rather than short-term profit maximization in the loans bad credit guaranteed approval marketplace.

    Chapter 12: Final Thoughts & Contact Information – GreendayOnline’s Long-Term Commitment

    GreendayOnline maintains its commitment to serving consumers seeking reliable access to credit, regardless of their credit history or current financial circumstances in the payday loans for bad credit space. The company’s customer-first approach continues evolving to meet changing consumer needs while maintaining the highest standards of ethical lending practices for no denial installment loans direct lenders only.

    Available Resources and Support for Loans for People with Poor Credit:

    • Website information with detailed explanations on the company’s official website.
    • 24/7 customer service for best online loans instant approval support
    • Educational materials covering financial literacy for instant payday loans online guaranteed approval borrowers
    • Transparent application process for no denial payday loans direct lenders only no credit check products
    • Secure account management for same day emergency loans customers

    Consumers interested in learning more about GreendayOnline’s instant loans online guaranteed approval services can visit https://greendayonline.com/ for comprehensive information about available loan products, application processes, and customer support resources. The company’s website provides detailed explanations of all best online payday loans terms and costs before requiring any personal information or commitment from potential borrowers.

    Customer support remains available throughout the borrowing relationship and beyond for online loans no credit check customers, reflecting GreendayOnline’s belief that lending relationships should support customer success rather than creating additional financial stress. The company’s support team helps customers solve challenges that arise during the application or repayment process for easy loans for bad credit.

    GreendayOnline encourages consumers to compare lending options carefully and choose providers that demonstrate genuine commitment to customer success and transparent business practices in the loans for bad credit marketplace. The alternative lending industry serves an important role in providing financial access, and responsible lenders help ensure this access benefits consumers and communities seeking personal loans for bad credit solutions.

    About GreendayOnline

    GreendayOnline provides transparent, customer-focused lending services for consumers across the credit spectrum, specializing in no credit check loans and urgent loans for bad credit. The company’s commitment to ethical lending practices and customer education has established it as a trusted resource in the bad credit loans guaranteed approval industry. For more information about personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval options, visit greendayonline.com.

    Compliance Statement:
     All GreendayOnline loan products are subject to credit approval and state regulations. Loan terms, rates, and availability vary by state and individual creditworthiness. Borrowers should carefully review all loan terms before accepting any loan offer and should borrow responsibly based on their ability to repay.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tiffany Introduces Bill to End Visa Loophole for Universities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tom Tiffany (WI-07)

    The CAP Act Seeks Fairness in Visa Program, Encourages Universities to Hire American Professors

    WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Reps. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Andrew Clyde (GA-09) introduced the Colleges for the American People Act, also known as the CAP Act. This legislation would remove the H-1B visa cap exemption for institutions of higher education.

    Under today’s Immigration and Nationality Act, the Department of State may issue 65,000 H-1B specialty-occupation visas each year. However, employees of higher-education institutions are exempt from that limit, which allows universities to hire unlimited foreign workers. The CAP Act would require all prospective university hires—from administrative staff to professors—to compete for an H-1B visa under the standard 65,000-visa cap.

    “American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas,”said Congressman Tiffany.“The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers.”

    Background:

    This legislation follows a report by Wisconsin Right Now, which revealed that the University of Wisconsin System is currently employing 495 foreign nationals on H-1B visas, with total salaries approaching $43 million annually. At the same time, the UW System has raised tuition for students, citing increased operational costs. 

    The CAP Act eliminates the current exemption that allows colleges and universities to bypass the H-1B visa cap. Under this legislation, nonimmigrants seeking employment at higher education institutions would be required to go through the standard H-1B visa application process, just like applicants in other industries.

    The bill does not retroactively affect current visa holders. Extensions for existing H-1B employees at universities will not count against the cap and may continue until the normal six-year limit, after which the standard rules would apply. This commonsense reform ensures schools prioritize training and hiring Americans first.

    The text of the CAP Act can be found here. Click here for the Fox News exclusive. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Channel crossings: life in ‘microcamps’ on the French border, and how they are changing crossing attempts

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie Watt, Lecturer, School of Languages and Cultures, University of Sheffield

    I have spent the past two years examining the living conditions in informal refugee camps along the northern coast of France as part of an ongoing research project on borders. These sites are where people gather before attempting to cross the Channel to the UK.

    The UK government recently announced a returns agreement to discourage people from making the crossing and economic sanctions
    against people smugglers, following an increase in funding for border control and a decision to use counter-terrorism tactics in an effort to “smash the gangs”.

    But from what I have observed, such policies appear to do little to stop people from making the journey. Quite the opposite – the more police crack down, the more the smuggling networks take risks to get around difficulties.

    My fieldwork has been primarily conducted through volunteer work with Salam, a grassroots organisation that provides hot meals and clothing to the main informal camps in Calais and Dunkirk. I have also collaborated with other groups such as Alors on Aide and Opal Exil.

    In the past few years, smuggling networks have adjusted their tactics to evade police. While smugglers used to inflate boats on the beaches between Calais and Dunkirk, they are now mostly using “taxi boats”. These leave further north or south on the coast, as far as Le Touquet. They then pick up groups of refugees waiting in the water along the coast, avoiding police intervention.

    A microcamp in Ecault Forest.
    Sophie Watt

    In response, and in order to intensify the crossings, “microcamps” have emerged – smaller temporary settlements closer to the beach, along the coast between Hardelot and Calais. These microcamps act as connecting points between the larger camps and the coastal departure locations where taxi boats pick them up. They allow for people to make several attempts at crossing without having to return to the large camps, where living conditions are more difficult.

    The larger camps (such as Loon Plage and Calais) are the epicentre of the smuggling operations. The camps are evicted at least once a week (every 24 hours in Calais) due to France’s official “zero fixation point” policy. This policy, which bars people from forming long-term settlements, was implemented after the dismantling of the Calais “Jungle” refugee camp in October 2016.

    Camp conditions

    Police efforts to uphold the zero fixation point policy entail frequent evacuations, restrictions of humanitarian aid and physical site disruption. At Loon Plage, I saw that the sole access to water is a livestock trough.

    Official guidance from the UN’s refugee agency states that, irrespective of the informality of these camps, their residents should have access to water, sanitation and shelter.

    Access to water is limited to troughs.
    Sophie Watt

    The non-profit watchdog group Human Rights Observers has documented instances of police violence and seizures of people’s belongings and tents at the camps.

    In addition to regular evictions of the larger camps, the microcamps have recently seen more brutal police action. There have been reports of police using teargas, puncturing life jackets and tents, contributing to untenable living conditions. Violence and shootings between smuggling groups have also been reported in Loon Plage camp.

    While working with Alors On Aide and photographer Laurent Prum we met around 50 people, including seven children (ages one-17), in a microcamp on the edge of the Ecault forest near Boulogne-sur-Mer. We immediately noted a tension between the group and the gendarmes who were standing watch.

    Most of this group had spent a few years in Germany before being refused asylum. They told me they felt they had been forced to come back to France, because of the deportation measures currently being implemented by the German government.

    A few confided that this was their fifth and final try at crossing the Channel. This is a new tactic the smuggling organisations use to make more money more rapidly: while refugees used to be able to try as many times as they needed, they now have to pay again after five failed attempts.

    The previous day, this group told us they had been chased out of another part of the forest. There, we had found several empty canisters of tear gas – consistent with reports that French police have deployed tear gas in operations against informal camps.

    This group had wanted to stay there because they could use a dilapidated shed to shelter themselves and their children from the rain. Eventually, the gendarmes evicted them, forcing them to spend the night in the rain – the field in question was privately owned. Following the eviction, we witnessed that the landowner had covered the area with manure to stop them returning.

    A young Sudanese man showed us videos of the altercation. The exchange, during which five people were arrested, was violent. The children were terrified and the video showed the gendarmes using teargas against the group. A Palestinian mother was arrested and taken into custody, forced to leave her two young daughters. Her husband asked me: “Why did they arrest her when they could see she had two children with her?”

    Alors on Aide mobilised several of its members to bring clothes, blankets and food for the group, and got the Palestinian woman released from custody, as she had not been charged with any offence.



    Read more:
    I’ve spent time with refugees in French coastal camps and they told me the government’s Rwanda plan is not putting them off coming to the UK

    Slashing boats

    While living conditions in camps and the capacity of the French asylum system make staying in France difficult, police are also taking firmer action against boats attempting the crossing.

    As part of a coastal patrol (helping refugees after a failed crossing attempt), we arrived on the beach in Équihen at around 7am on July 4 to find that French police had just punctured a boat in the water.

    The UK government praised French police for this action, performed in front of international media. The UK and France have also discussed allowing coastguards to intercept taxi boats up to 300 metres off the coast.

    This would be a marked change from current regulations, which prohibit French police from intervening offshore except when responding to passengers in distress. Even the border police have doubts about the legal basis for this measure and its practical implications at sea, particularly given the heightened risk of accident.

    Trapped between hounding by police on the beaches and constant evacuations from the informal settlements, the refugees have no choice but to try to cross the Channel at any cost. A record number of 89 refugees died at the Franco-British border in 2024. Thirteen deaths at sea have already been recorded in 2025.

    In my view, the recently announced French-British measures to intensify policing and border enforcement are unlikely to deter people from attempting dangerous crossings. Instead, they will create an incentive for more dangerous tactics by smugglers, putting more lives at risk and violating human rights. Any agreement to return asylum seekers, restrict their access to asylum or force people back across borders will exacerbate the dangers already experienced by those seeking refuge.

    Sophie Watt receives funding from the University of Sheffield and the British Academy / Leverhulme Small Research Grants.

    – ref. Channel crossings: life in ‘microcamps’ on the French border, and how they are changing crossing attempts – https://theconversation.com/channel-crossings-life-in-microcamps-on-the-french-border-and-how-they-are-changing-crossing-attempts-260843

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Essay: “Remembering the Past, Creating the Future” — a photo exhibition in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War as a reflection of the history of friendship between China and Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 25 (Xinhua) — A photo exhibition titled “Remembering the Past, Creating the Future” in honor of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held at the Chinese Embassy in Moscow on Thursday. Sixty-one unique photographs from the archives of the Xinhua News Agency were on display, depicting key events of the war years and the heroic feat of the Chinese people in the war, and also reflecting the contribution of China and the Soviet Union to the victory over fascism and militarism. In addition, visitors were able to see modern photographs telling about the development of Russian-Chinese military and cultural-humanitarian cooperation in recent years.

    Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui, who visited the photo exhibition, said that 80 years ago, China and the Soviet Union, as the main theaters of military operations in Asia and Europe in World War II, played a key role in the fight against Japanese militarism and German Nazism and in achieving Victory. “The countries made a great historical contribution. The Chinese and Russian people fought side by side, at the cost of their lives and blood, accomplished a great feat that went down in history, defending human dignity and restoring peace throughout the world,” he noted.

    The diplomat stressed that as the main victorious countries in World War II and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia will firmly uphold the victory in World War II, maintain the post-war international order, resist any attempts to interfere in history, safeguard international justice and fairness, jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work tirelessly to create a better future for mankind.

    The guest of honor at the photo exhibition was State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Anna Tsivileva. She looked at the archival photographs with interest. Her attention was drawn to a black-and-white photo from 1945, which captured the touching moment of farewell of the residents of the city of Luida /now the city of Dalian, Liaoning Province, Northeast China/ to Soviet soldiers and officers returning home after the victory.

    A. Tsivileva also stopped at a bright color photograph taken 10 years ago on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It shows the long-awaited meeting of Chinese and Russian veterans. The already very elderly men, dressed in military uniforms, hug each other tightly. There are tears in their eyes. “Such warm photographs, and a very emotional message of sincere joy from the meeting. Thank you for such a wonderful exhibition,” A. Tsivileva said after viewing the exposition.

    Andrey Vinogradov, head of the Center for the Study of Modern China at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, called the exhibition very timely in an interview with Xinhua. As a researcher of 20th-century Chinese history, he was interested in looking at the photographs — historical evidence of World War II and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

    “China took part in the war longer than any other coalition country, since 1931. For 14 years, China courageously resisted and thus tied down Japanese forces and contributed to the coalition’s victory, which took place in other theaters, in particular, in the Pacific theater, in Southeast Asia. China contributed to the overall victory throughout this time,” he emphasized.

    Professor of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation with Countries of Asia and Oceania of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Vadim Saltykovskiy believes that today’s unprecedented level of relations between Russia and China is based on the historical experience of interaction that the peoples of the two countries had during the joint fight against fascism. “The basis is still in those 30-40s, when our peoples, our countries really created the basis of our relations,” he noted, adding that preserving historical memory plays an important role in strengthening relations between China and Russia and confronting external challenges.

    Roskino employee Ivan Buzko admitted to a Xinhua correspondent that the exhibition is very emotionally charged. “Looking at these photographs, you can feel how hard it was for the Chinese people in those years, you can feel the pain, the trials that they had to overcome. At the same time, the heroism of the Chinese people is reflected here. It also shows how, through the joint efforts of China, the Soviet Union, the allies and all the movements that fought fascism, they managed to defeat the common enemy. The exhibition is breathtaking,” he shared his feelings. According to him, this exhibition is an important element in the formation of intercultural ties between Russia and China through the prism of those great historical events.

    The exhibition was prepared by the Xinhua Asia-Europe Bureau, the Xinhua Hubei Bureau, and China Image Group. The co-organizer was Angel Yeast Co. Ltd. The event was held with the support of the Chinese Embassy in the Russian Federation. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The Lafayette Fellowship

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    1. Home
    2. Latest News
    3. The Lafayette Fellowship

    Published on July 25, 2025

    A New Opportunity for Graduate Studies in France

    The French Embassy in the United States is launching the Lafayette Fellowship, a new scholarship program designed to support the next generation of young leaders with a strong interest in the transatlantic relationship.

    Launching on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and celebrating the French-American friendship, the Lafayette Fellowship will fund one year of master’s level study in France for up to 30 outstanding American students.

    Open to both Francophone and non-Francophone candidates, the initiative will partner with top French higher education institutions that offer programs across STEM, the humanities, social sciences, and the arts, either in French or entirely in English.

    In addition to their academic studies, fellows will take part in the French-American Leadership Program, a dynamic, year-long experience featuring lectures, masterclasses, site visits, and mentorship support, offering a 360-degree immersion into European innovation, culture, and policy.

    This annual program aims to deepen academic and cultural exchange between France and the U.S. and nurture future leaders committed to strengthening the transatlantic relationship. It also strives to spread awareness about France’s many internationally ranked universities and academic excellence programs taught in English.

    The Fellowship will encourage reflection on major global challenges, such as environmental challenges and sustainable transition; health and biotechnology; peace and security; social equity and democratic issues; digital technologies; and artificial intelligence.

    Learn more about the program here.

    Applications open in late August 2025 for the 2026-2027 academic year.

    Questions?

    E-mail lafayettefellowship@villa-albertine.org

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Volleyball Coach Sentenced to 33 Years for Using His Position to Sexually Abuse More Than a Dozen Victims

    Source: US FBI

    MINNEAPOLIS – Dorian Christopher Barrs, 33, was sentenced yesterday to 400 months in prison for production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

    “Barrs didn’t just break the law—he shattered the trust placed in him by parents, schools, and the girls he coached and was supposed protect,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This was a deliberated and calculated abuse of power. And it is part of a broader crisis we are facing in Minnesota. Coaches, state troopers, daycare workers, federal agents, and state senators—case after case of people who hold positions of trust and authority preying on children. It is the ultimate betrayal of power and it demands the full force of federal prosecution. To be clear, while I am tired of seeing these cases, this office will not slow down. If you hold a position of trust or authority and harm a child: we will find you, we will expose you, and you will see federal justice.”

    According to court documents, for nearly a decade, Barrs used his position as a volleyball coach to prey on and sexually abuse his players and other victims, as young as 14-years-old.

    Barrs coached volleyball for Maple Grove High School and club volleyball programs and also coached players in private lessons. Barrs used social media to groom, sexually exploit, and abuse young, impressionable, and vulnerable girls for his sexual gratification. Often, Barrs used another minor’s identity to “catfish” his unsuspecting victims, wearing them down or removing their defenses. Barrs sent hundreds of messages to his victims, frequently steering conversations to sexualized topics in a short amount of time. Barrs was a master manipulator. His scheme was simple and horrible. He built relationships with his minor victims with one goal in mind: his sexual gratification. His gratification came in both the production and receipt of sexually explicit images and videos, as well as sexual acts with at least five of the minor victims. Unfortunately, as he took advantage of his position as a volleyball coach—and ultimately these girls—Barrs’s scheme was frighteningly successful. To date, the government has identified at least 19 minor victims who Barrs victimized in his scheme, 14 of whom were being coached by Barrs.

    U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced the defendant to 400 months—33 years—of imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In handing down her sentenced, Judge Brasel said, “This case represents every parent’s nightmare.”  She noted that “The defendant abused a position of trust for both the victims and their families.”  Judge Brasel explained, “Sometimes sports are the only lifeline for a child with a bad situation at home, which is ironic because the defendant knows how important sports were in his own life, so it’s even more unfathomable what he did in this case.”

    “The 33-year prison sentence in this case serves as a stern warning to those who prey upon and sexually exploit children for their own gratification,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Dorian Barrs, a youth volleyball coach, egregiously abused his position of trust for over a decade, coercing vulnerable young girls into sexual activities. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting children within our communities. We take great pride in our collaborative efforts with local authorities  throughout this investigation.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the bravery of the victims in this case. In 2024, one victim told her parents what was happening and then contacted law enforcement. This was the first step in unraveling Barrs’s crimes. More victims then came forward, which allowed law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to piece together the scope of this horrifying scheme and bring Barrs to justice. To the survivors: your courage in coming forward is the reason this predator was held accountable. And your strength protected other girls from ever experiencing Barrs’s abuse.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Carver County’s Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Northern Cape a province making strides

    Source: Government of South Africa

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the Northern Cape a province “on the move”. following a Presidential engagement between national and provincial leaders in Kimberley on Friday.

    The President spoke to the media following the engagement which was held at the province’s Sol Plaatje University.

    The President was accompanied by various Minster, Deputy Ministers and senior government officials. 

    “We were very impressed with the presentation that they gave us and the vision that they have for the Northern Cape, [and] various projects, which they are hoping would turn around the economy of the province — from Boetgooebaa,i which is the port, water projects, roads and a whole number of projects. 

    “This is the province that’s on the move. And… as you know, when it comes to renewable energy, it is the one province that has attracted more investment,” he said.

    President Ramaphosa said the province is seen as a future leader of industrialisation and manufacturing.

    “We’re looking at setting up an SEZ and making sure that manufacturing does come here which will be underpinned by the natural resources that the province has.

    “The [irradiation] in this province are second to none in the world and that is why we’ve been able to attract so many investments to come to this province,” he said.

    In a statement, the Presidency explained the key issues discussed at the engagement with the Northern Cape’s executive.

    “The meeting discussed the ongoing roll out of catalytic economic development projects that require the deepening of cooperation between the national and provincial governments.

    “These include the Boegoebaai Harbor and SEZ development, revitalisation and expansion of Vaalharts, Namakwa SEZ and the development of the infrastructure masterplan. The meeting further affirmed closer cooperation on issues of climate change mitigation considering the province’s vulnerability to erratic weather conditions.

    “The national executive pledged to continue working closely with the province in areas of Transport and Logistics, Basic Education, Water and Sanitation infrastructure development, Human Settlements, Tourism and Energy and Electricity,” the statement read.

    The engagement with the Northern Cape’s provincial government is the sixth such following meetings with executive councils of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.

    According to the Presidency, the sessions have resulted in “strengthening cooperative governance, breaking down silos and cooperative project planning that leads to collaborative execution”.

    “As President Ramaphosa said during the Budget Debate last week, when the three spheres of government work together, the lives of the people of South Africa are improved.

    “The President emphasised the importance of structured engagements between the national and provincial executives that assist government coordinate more efficiently, resolve challenges together and to plan smarter.

    “The meetings are also meant to facilitate innovative ideas and proposals to address service delivery and skills challenges,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo

    Villa Named Interim Director of North Carolina Zoo
    jejohnson6

    Diane Villa, deputy director and chief communications officer for the North Carolina Zoo, has been named interim director of the Zoo following the passing of Director and CEO Pat Simmons. The Zoo is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Villa will lead the N.C. Zoo during a national search for a new director.

    “Diane’s many years of experience at the Zoo and her role as a member of the senior leadership team make her uniquely qualified to lead the North Carolina Zoo through this transition period,” said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “I am grateful for her willingness to take on this important role at one of North Carolina’s most beloved institutions.”

    During her 31 years working at the North Carolina Zoo, Villa has served as the Zoo’s director of communications and marketing, curator of design, and art director. In her current role of deputy director and chief communications officer, she leads the Zoo’s communications section, which includes marketing, public relations, social media, graphic design, guest services, special events, and park security/emergency operations. She is also involved in the community, serving on the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors.

    “I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the North Carolina Zoo in this interim period,” Villa said. “Under Pat’s leadership, the Zoo built a thoughtful and creative community that I will continue to nourish as we move forward to opening Asia in 2026.”

    Villa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from East Carolina University and served for five years with the United States Air Force prior to working at the North Carolina Zoo.

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

    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Jul 25, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: New polling: Reform is winning over Britain’s Christian support

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stuart Fox, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Exeter

    When we look at how people vote in elections and why they choose certain parties, analysis often focuses on age, education, location or socioeconomic status. Less discussed in Britain is religion. But close to two-thirds of its adults are still religious – expressing either a religious identity, holding religious beliefs, or taking part in religious activities.

    For the one-in-three adults in Britain who are Christian, this identity remains an important influence on their political behaviour. New polling, published here for the first time, shows how Reform UK is disrupting our previous understanding of how Christians vote in British elections.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    The relationship between Britain’s Christian communities and the major political parties goes back centuries. The Conservative party has been very close to English Anglicanism since its emergence in the mid-19th century. Catholics and free-church Protestants (such as Baptists and Methodists) have tended towards the Labour and Liberal/Liberal Democrat parties. Even as Britain has become more secular, these relationships have persisted.

    Anglicans, for example, have tended to vote Conservative even when the party was in dire straits. In the 2024 election, 39% of Anglicans voted Tory even as the party’s national vote share fell to 24%.

    Since the 1980s and particularly in elections since 2015, however, we have started to see changes to the Christian vote. The traditional Catholic attachment to Labour has deteriorated, as has Labour’s appeal to other Christian communities such as Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians.



    Read more:
    Britain’s changing religious vote: why Catholics are leaving Labour and Conservatives are hoovering up Christian support

    Instead, driven by the rising salience of social values (attitudes towards immigration, social change and national identity) as a determinant of political support, the socially conservative leanings of some Christians of all stripes has led to increased support for the Conservatives. And those who traditionally did so – the Anglicans – have become even more supportive. The result has been a steady coalescing of the Christian vote behind the Conservatives.

    But now, new polling by YouGov (on June 23-24 2025) for the University of Exeter reveals that this realignment is being disrupted by the growing popularity of Reform UK.

    Instead of asking who people would vote for tomorrow, a nationally representative sample of 2,284 adults was asked how likely they were to ever vote for each major party, on a scale from zero (very unlikely) to ten (very likely).

    While not the same as a direct question about how someone would vote in an election, the likelihood question provides a much richer measure of the strength of their support for all of the major parties.


    Stuart Fox, data by YouGov for the University of Exeter

    Among Anglicans, Labour remains deeply unpopular: over half gave the party a 0. In contrast, the Conservatives still enjoy strong support among Anglicans, with 35% giving them a vote likelihood of seven or higher – the kind of support associated with voting for the party in an election.

    Reform, however, has caught up. Despite only 15% of Anglicans voting Reform in 2024, 38% now rate their likelihood of voting for the party as high. That’s the same as the proportion who are strongly opposed to Reform – showing that while the party polarises Anglicans more than the Conservatives, Reform could win as much Anglican support as the Tories in an election.

    Catholics show a similar trend. Labour’s traditional support is eroding: 40% of Catholics said they had zero likelihood of voting Labour, while 29% are strong supporters. As with Conservatives for the Anglican vote, Reform is almost level-pegging with Labour for the Catholic vote at 28%. It has even supplanted the Conservatives, of whom 22% of Catholics are strong supporters.

    It is not yet clear why this is happening. The distinction of Christian (and non-Christian) voting patterns is not an artefact of age – there are many studies that prove this is the case.

    It may be that Reform’s stances on issues such as immigration resonate with Christians’ concerns to the extent that they are willing to set aside their historic party loyalties. Or it may be that Christians are as prone as other British voters to turn to Reform out of frustration with the performances of Labour and the Conservatives in office.

    Swing voters and party competition

    This data also shows the extent to which voters’ support for parties overlaps or is exclusive. In other words, which voters have a high vote likelihood for only one party (and so are likely committed to backing that party in an election), which do not have such high likelihoods for any party (and so will probably not vote at all), and which have similarly high likelihoods for more than one party (effectively swing voters, persuadable one way or the other).

    Among the religiously unaffiliated, 29% aren’t strong supporters of any party. For Catholics, it’s 26%. Anglicans are more politically anchored, however, with only 20% in this category.

    While traditionally, we would have expected this to reflect Anglicans’ greater tendency to support the Tories, only 17% of Anglicans are strong supporters of only that party, compared with 21% who are firmly behind Reform. These aren’t swing voters; they’ve switched sides.

    A further 12% of Anglicans have high vote likelihoods for both the Tories and Reform. These are swing voters that the two parties could realistically expect to win over.


    Stuart Fox, data by YouGov for the University of Exeter

    Catholics are even more fragmented. Only 13% are strong supporters of Labour alone, along with 12% and 17% who are strong supporters of the Conservatives and Reform alone, respectively.

    Few Catholics are torn between Labour and the other parties, but 5% are swing voters between the Conservatives and Reform: the Tories’ gradual winning over of Catholics over the last 50 years is also being challenged by the appeal of Reform.

    The party has provided a socially conservative alternative to the Conservatives, with the result that the Christian vote has become more fragmented. The Tories are no longer the main beneficiaries of Labour’s loss of its traditional Catholic vote.

    In addition, Reform is as popular as the Conservatives among Anglicans, and as popular as Labour among Catholics. This suggests it is appealing across the traditional denominational divide more successfully than either of the major parties.

    If there is to be a single party that attracts the bulk of Britain’s Christian support, at this point it is far more likely to be Reform than anyone else.

    This article was based on analysis by Dr Stuart Fox (University of Exeter), Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya (University of Exeter), Dr Steven Pickering (University of Amsterdam) and Prof Dan Stevens (University of Exeter), connected to the research project Investigating the individual and contextual role of religion in British electoral politics, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Stuart Fox also receives funding from the British Academy.

    – ref. New polling: Reform is winning over Britain’s Christian support – https://theconversation.com/new-polling-reform-is-winning-over-britains-christian-support-260751

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Gray, Assistant Professor of Criminology, University of Warwick

    “We’re actually facing, in many parts of our country, nothing short of societal collapse.” This was the dire warning from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, in setting out his party’s goal of halving crime.

    In an op-ed in the Daily Mail and a press conference, Farage framed Britain as a nation in crisis from rising crime and lawlessness. But, he said, Reform had the solution: mass deportation of foreign offenders, the construction of prefabricated “Nightingale” prisons, and a wholesale crackdown on offending.

    He insisted that British streets were out of control (although recent rises in crime come mainly from online fraud and shoplifting, according to the latest data), pledged to simultaneously increase prison sentences and reduce overcrowding, and vowed to restore order with a “higher and physically tougher standard of police officer”.

    Speaking after a weekend of violent anti-immigration protests in Epping, Farage also tied Britain’s supposed lawlessness to migration: “Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation.”

    Invoking crime as a threat, and the politician as its solution, is a tried-and-tested political manoeuvre. We’ve seen it deployed from both left and right, in many parts of the world, for decades. Stuart Hall and colleagues famously examined this phenomenon in the 1970s in their seminal book Policing the Crisis.

    Our own analysis suggests that the accuracy of crime statistics often matters less than how politicians frame public anxieties – through media, public rhetoric and policy initiatives. In short: the public often responds to emotion as much as evidence.

    One tension in England and Wales is that there are two major sources of crime data. The first – on which Farage leans heavily – is police-recorded crime. But, as is widely understood, that data provides only a partial picture of the true extent of crime. Many people, especially those from marginalised or vulnerable groups, choose not to report their experiences of crime.



    Read more:
    Most crime has fallen by 90% in 30 years – so why does the public think it’s increased?

    Moreover, the consistency and accuracy with which police forces record these offences has been questioned over time. Indeed, police-recorded crime statistics are not designated as official national statistics.

    The other (and more robust) source is the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which asks a representative sample of the public about their experiences of crime over the past 12 months. Notably, it includes those incidents that were not reported to the police.

    Running since the early 1980s, the CSEW has demonstrated long-term declines in incidents of theft, criminal damage and violence (with or without injury) since the mid-to-late 1990s. Curiously, Farage told reporters that the CSEW was “based on completely false data”, without providing any evidence.

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS), and most criminologists, regard the CSEW as the more accurate metric of long-term crime trends. (The Conversation asked the CSEW to comment but hadn’t received a response when this article was published.)

    The political weight of crime

    Crime has electoral value. It allows parties and political campaigners to project strength, decisiveness and control. Farage’s rhetoric is designed to provoke urgency and anxiety. It’s a well-worn script. Margaret Thatcher’s government leveraged fears of law and order. New Labour made “anti-social behaviour” a central point of focus at a time when crime was, in fact, falling.

    In research conducted with colleagues, we examined how people’s fears about specific crimes are shaped not just by actual crime rates, or by the person’s age, gender or ethnicity, but also by the political context in which they grew up.

    Using data from the CSEW and a method called age-period-cohort analysis, we explored how different “political generations” developed and retained distinct concerns about crime.

    We found clear patterns. Those who grew up during the James Callaghan era in the mid-to-late 1970s – when politicians repeatedly warned of “muggings” – were more likely to report anxieties about street robbery over time.

    Thatcher’s generation, who came of age during a sharp rise in property crime, were more likely than other groups to express long-term fears about burglary. And those who grew up under New Labour – during the height of the “anti-social behaviour” agenda – reported persistent concerns about neighbourhood disorder, even as recorded incidents declined.

    Is crime on the rise? Depends who you ask.
    Loch Earn/Shutterstock

    In other words, the political rhetoric people are exposed to during their formative years leaves a lasting impression on their relationship to crime. Debates about crime become embedded in personal and generational memory.

    Crime is real and victims suffer. But distorting its nature and prevalence can erode public trust in the institutions tasked with protecting us. It can foster punitive and ineffective policy responses. And it can leave whole communities feeling targeted, criminalised or unsafe, based on selective and often sensational narratives.

    We absolutely need to talk about crime. But we also need to talk about how we talk about crime. Who frames the debate, which statistics are used, who and how many are left out of the official records, whose fears are being amplified, and who is looking to exploit crime?

    Emily Gray has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Stephen Farrall has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up – https://theconversation.com/fear-of-crime-is-a-useful-political-tool-even-if-the-data-doesnt-back-it-up-261777

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Gray, Assistant Professor of Criminology, University of Warwick

    “We’re actually facing, in many parts of our country, nothing short of societal collapse.” This was the dire warning from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, in setting out his party’s goal of halving crime.

    In an op-ed in the Daily Mail and a press conference, Farage framed Britain as a nation in crisis from rising crime and lawlessness. But, he said, Reform had the solution: mass deportation of foreign offenders, the construction of prefabricated “Nightingale” prisons, and a wholesale crackdown on offending.

    He insisted that British streets were out of control (although recent rises in crime come mainly from online fraud and shoplifting, according to the latest data), pledged to simultaneously increase prison sentences and reduce overcrowding, and vowed to restore order with a “higher and physically tougher standard of police officer”.

    Speaking after a weekend of violent anti-immigration protests in Epping, Farage also tied Britain’s supposed lawlessness to migration: “Many break the law just by entering the UK, then commit further crimes once here – disrespecting our laws, culture and civility. The only acceptable response is deportation.”

    Invoking crime as a threat, and the politician as its solution, is a tried-and-tested political manoeuvre. We’ve seen it deployed from both left and right, in many parts of the world, for decades. Stuart Hall and colleagues famously examined this phenomenon in the 1970s in their seminal book Policing the Crisis.

    Our own analysis suggests that the accuracy of crime statistics often matters less than how politicians frame public anxieties – through media, public rhetoric and policy initiatives. In short: the public often responds to emotion as much as evidence.

    One tension in England and Wales is that there are two major sources of crime data. The first – on which Farage leans heavily – is police-recorded crime. But, as is widely understood, that data provides only a partial picture of the true extent of crime. Many people, especially those from marginalised or vulnerable groups, choose not to report their experiences of crime.



    Read more:
    Most crime has fallen by 90% in 30 years – so why does the public think it’s increased?

    Moreover, the consistency and accuracy with which police forces record these offences has been questioned over time. Indeed, police-recorded crime statistics are not designated as official national statistics.

    The other (and more robust) source is the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), which asks a representative sample of the public about their experiences of crime over the past 12 months. Notably, it includes those incidents that were not reported to the police.

    Running since the early 1980s, the CSEW has demonstrated long-term declines in incidents of theft, criminal damage and violence (with or without injury) since the mid-to-late 1990s. Curiously, Farage told reporters that the CSEW was “based on completely false data”, without providing any evidence.

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS), and most criminologists, regard the CSEW as the more accurate metric of long-term crime trends. (The Conversation asked the CSEW to comment but hadn’t received a response when this article was published.)

    The political weight of crime

    Crime has electoral value. It allows parties and political campaigners to project strength, decisiveness and control. Farage’s rhetoric is designed to provoke urgency and anxiety. It’s a well-worn script. Margaret Thatcher’s government leveraged fears of law and order. New Labour made “anti-social behaviour” a central point of focus at a time when crime was, in fact, falling.

    In research conducted with colleagues, we examined how people’s fears about specific crimes are shaped not just by actual crime rates, or by the person’s age, gender or ethnicity, but also by the political context in which they grew up.

    Using data from the CSEW and a method called age-period-cohort analysis, we explored how different “political generations” developed and retained distinct concerns about crime.

    We found clear patterns. Those who grew up during the James Callaghan era in the mid-to-late 1970s – when politicians repeatedly warned of “muggings” – were more likely to report anxieties about street robbery over time.

    Thatcher’s generation, who came of age during a sharp rise in property crime, were more likely than other groups to express long-term fears about burglary. And those who grew up under New Labour – during the height of the “anti-social behaviour” agenda – reported persistent concerns about neighbourhood disorder, even as recorded incidents declined.

    Is crime on the rise? Depends who you ask.
    Loch Earn/Shutterstock

    In other words, the political rhetoric people are exposed to during their formative years leaves a lasting impression on their relationship to crime. Debates about crime become embedded in personal and generational memory.

    Crime is real and victims suffer. But distorting its nature and prevalence can erode public trust in the institutions tasked with protecting us. It can foster punitive and ineffective policy responses. And it can leave whole communities feeling targeted, criminalised or unsafe, based on selective and often sensational narratives.

    We absolutely need to talk about crime. But we also need to talk about how we talk about crime. Who frames the debate, which statistics are used, who and how many are left out of the official records, whose fears are being amplified, and who is looking to exploit crime?

    Emily Gray has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    Stephen Farrall has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Fear of crime is a useful political tool, even if the data doesn’t back it up – https://theconversation.com/fear-of-crime-is-a-useful-political-tool-even-if-the-data-doesnt-back-it-up-261777

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Major Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Supplier Sentenced to 145 Months

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

    Andora Smith Conspired with Others to Traffic Drugs From Kentucky into Southwest Virginia

    ABINGDON, Va. – A major supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl, who conspired with others to traffic over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 145 months in federal prison.

    Andora Lee Smith, 62, of Whitesburg, Kentucky, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

    Smith conspired with others, including Eric Coffey, Daniel Hafemeister, Michael Hicks, Cody Rose, and Ashley Beverly Jr., to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Southwest Virginia.

    Most of Smith’s distributions took place at her Kentucky residence, where she kept multiple pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl and distributed ounce-plus quantities at a time to her customers.  Smith also delivered drugs to Virginia and routinely traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to obtain quantities of xylazine and fentanyl (“black”) for distribution.

    Smith worked as a teacher at Norton Elementary School and John I. Burton High School in Norton, Virginia, for 15 years prior to committing her crimes.

    C. Todd Gilbert, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Kentucky State Police, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 25th, 2025 Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of Over $69 Million for New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Investments Heinrich championed support homeownership & homebuilding, rental & homelessness assistance, Tribal health & education, Southwest Border Regional Commission, & more

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Bills. With Committee approval of these bills, Heinrich secured support for over $65 million for New Mexico, including $52 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for 39 local projects between these bills and their House-companions.

    “While these Appropriations bills aren’t perfect, they include resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will fund Tribal health care and education, help Tribal law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, and continue funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts for the 2026-2027 school year,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This legislation will help over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent, build new housing, and invest in border communities through the Southwest Border Regional Commission. Additionally, the bill protects the Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico, restores waterfowl habitat, and builds on my work to clean up abandoned hardrock mines. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for investments that put New Mexico first.”

    Additionally, Heinrich offered an amendment to require the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees in order to manage wildfire preparedness, suppression, and other mission-critical support, in the FY26 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Heinrich’s amendment would have also required the National Park Service to hire and maintain a minimum number of Full Time Employees for the operation of national park units, including administrative services. Despite Heinrich’s attempt to include the amendment in the Appropriations bill, the amendment was rejected by Republicans on the Committee.

    Heinrich is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

    Next, the two bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee will be considered by the full United States Senate.

    Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $7.1 million in investments for the following ten local projects in the bill:

    • $1,075,000 for the City of Truth or Consequences to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $1,000,000 for Zuni Pueblo to make improvements to their drinking water system.
    • $1,000,000 for Pueblo of Tesuque to remove Siberian elm trees to restore the Rio Tesuque bosque to its natural vegetation.
    • $1,000,000 for the Village of Questa to construct a well house to prevent contamination of their municipal well.
    • $1,000,000 for Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to conduct wastewater system improvements in Carnuel.
    • $700,000 for the Mescalero Apache Tribe to restore coniferous forest and promote aspen stand growth along the Rio Ruidoso to prepare for the reintroduction of beavers, a culturally significant species.
    • $525,000 for Taos Pueblo to purchase wildfire preparedness equipment.
    • $500,000 for Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council for a Caja del Rio Ethnographic Study.
    • $150,000 for the Desert Tortoise Council to work on Bolson tortoise recovery efforts.
    • $150,000 for the Bureau of Land Management to work with existing partners to replace barbed-wire fences with wildlife-friendly fences on the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $3.39 million for the following three projects:

    • $2,090,000 for the City of Rio Rancho to expand their aquifer reinjection system.
    • $800,000 for the Enchanted Forest Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association to develop a new water source pump house and appurtenances and to replace distribution lines.
    • $500,000 for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs to make water system improvements at the Fort Selden Historic Site.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $2.18 million for the following two projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $1,092,000 for the Town of Bernalillo will rehabilitate their current wastewater facilities.
    • $1,092,000 for the City of Belen to rehabilitate their wastewater treatment plant.

    Heinrich also successfully included three amendments into the Manager’s Package. These include:

    1. An amendment for a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study comparing the per-patient funding levels for health care services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Additionally, the study would analyze potential recruitment and retainment strategies utilized by the VA that could be extended to IHS.
    2. An amendment ensuring that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is included in reference to the reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund to address deferred maintenance.
    3. An amendment for a Fish and Wildlife Service report on staffing levels and positions at National Wildlife Refuge System units and complexes.

    Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act Implementation: Heinrich successfully included $500,000 to implement the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bipartisan law that Heinrich championed and passed in 2022 to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking Tribal cultural patrimony. Representing the first dedicated funding for this program, it would be used to halt the trade of culturally significant items and repatriate stolen pieces to the Tribal communities where they belong. Heinrich first introduced the STOP Act in 2016 after he helped halt the auction of a shield, stolen from the Pueblo of Acoma. Heinrich played a role in the effort to bring the shield home to Acoma by working with Governors Kurt Riley and Brian Vallo to call for its return.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich fought for and successfully included $13,482,000 to the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development (IAIA). After the administration threatened to withhold IAIA’s funding earlier this year, Heinrich secured the release of FY 2025 funds earlier this month. This bill will ensure continued investment for IAIA through FY26, supporting its mission to advance Indigenous arts, culture, and education for future generations.

    Heinrich also successfully included funding to protect several Tribal programs, including $23,750,000 for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $2,658,289,000 for Indian Health Services (IHS) Hospitals and Health Clinics, and funding for IHS Facilities and Construction. He also protected funding for Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Law Enforcement and included report language to ensure the continuation of the Tribal law enforcement training program in New Mexico.

    Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program: Heinrich successfully included continued funding for the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program, after championing the creation of the program in the Infrastructure Law. Hardrock mines and mining features are related to the extraction of metals like copper, gold, silver, and uranium. When not reclaimed, many hardrock mines pose a hazard to public health and the environment. This funding will be used to clean up federal, state, Tribal, and private land and water resources affected by abandoned hardrock mines.

    Southwest Ecological Research Institutes: Heinrich fought for and successfully maintained funding for the Southwest Ecological Research Institutes (SWERIs). Last month Heinrich pressed the U.S. Forest Chief on the Administration’s plan entirely to cut funding for the program in FY26. SWERIs offer unique opportunities for dedicated research in forest science and watershed health and represent the future of science in forest management. New Mexico Highlands University houses one center along with Colorado State University and Northern Arizona University. This funding would ensure the continuation of valuable research in southwestern forest and fire management.

    Conservation: Heinrich successfully protected funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, which leverages private dollars to restore waterfowl habitat across the country. Senator Heinrich led the reauthorization of this fund last congress. He also protected core wildlife management and science capabilities at the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey from the steep cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

    Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Key Points and Highlights

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $17.1 million in investments for the following 11 local projects in the bill:

    • $4,000,000 for Homewise to help moderate-income, first-time homebuyers purchase entry-level homes.
    • $2,300,000 for the City of Socorro to replace aged and damaged waterlines.
    • $2,073,000 for the City of Raton to upgrade its municipal airport infrastructure.
    • $1,500,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of San Juan County to renovate a community center.
    • $1,500,000 for DreamTree Project to complete the final phase of renovations to the Navigating Emergency Support Together (NEST) building and purchase land for on-site permanent supportive housing.
    • $1,000,000 Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center to expand their facilities to support increased substance use crisis stabilization, treatment, and housing for adolescents and young adults.
    • $850,000 for the Albuquerque Housing Authority will invest in necessary upgrades at public housing properties.
    • $692,000 for the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area to conduct an affordable housing pilot project.
    • $440,000 for Deming Silver Linings to provide emergency temporary housing for unhoused individuals.
    • $200,000 for Mesilla Valley Community of Hope to support individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness by providing affordable housing and wraparound services.

    Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $16.3 million for the following nine projects:

    • $3,000,000 for Youth Development, Inc. for an early childhood development center.
    • $3,000,000 for the Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network and La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture to create a Food Hub at the Sacred Roots farm site to create economic development opportunity in the local food system, provide education to students and community members, and increase access to healthy foods.
    • $2,500,000 for Santa Fe County to develop a Permanent Supportive Housing project designed to meet the urgent needs of the region’s unhoused population.
    • $1,800,000 for the Town of Mountainair to rebuild, repave, and upgrade approximately two miles of downtown Mountainair’s roadways.
    • $1,600,000 for the City of Raton to conduct an interchange alignment study as part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning process.
    • $1,500,000 for Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation to complete the first phase of construction for an affordable housing project in Vado, New Mexico.
    • $1,210,000 for the City of Bloomfield to plan, design, and construct the expansion of East Blanco Boulevard in Bloomfield.
    • $1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to construct new single-family homes for low-to-moderate income families on the Housing Authority’s waiting list.
    • $700,000 for Cuidando Los Niños of Albuquerque to expand its facility to house early childhood education and family wraparound services.

    Heinrich also successfully worked with his colleagues in the N.M. Delegation to include $8.4 million for the following four projects in the House-companion bill:

    • $2,900,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma to repair housing for senior community members and provide ADA accommodations.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque Health, Housing and Homelessness Department to improve security and accessibility at the city’s largest homeless shelter.
    • $2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque to establish a modular Shelter Stability site for seniors.
    • $1,512,000 for Jemez Pueblo to demolish hazardous buildings within the Pueblo.

    Rental Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured increased funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (Housing Choice Vouchers) and Project-Based Rental Assistance, despite the administration’s attempts to completely defund both programs. The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program helps over 11,000 families in New Mexico afford rent. Heinrich also secured language urging HUD to expand resources to train public housing staff on how to use housing choice vouchers to make homeownership an attainable goal for residents of public housing.

    Tribal Programs: Heinrich successfully included a $25 million investment for Tribal Transportation Program High Priority Projects, a set-aside that provides funds to Tribes or a governmental subdivision of a Tribe whose annual allocation of funding received under the Tribal Transportation Program is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Tribe. Heinrich secured an increase in funding for Tribal housing programs. Heinrich also secured a legislative proposal that would make certain home loans on Tribal lands easier to keep if homeowners are delinquent on payments.

    Southwest Border Regional Commission: Heinrich successfully included a $5 million investment in the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) for transportation infrastructure planning to support supply chain connectivity and economic development in southern New Mexico and along the southern border.

    Homelessness Assistance: Heinrich successfully secured an increase in funding for grant programs that address homelessness through emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing, rapid re-housing, rental assistance and prevention, and supportive services. Heinrich successfully pushed back against the Trump administration’s attempts to curtail homelessness assistance funding by making grant match requirements overly burdensome for New Mexican service providers.

    Homebuilding and Homeownership: Heinrich secured funding for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), a critical program that helps New Mexicans purchase or rehabilitate homes. The Trump administration also sought to cut all funding for this program. In New Mexico, HOME also provides gap funding for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects, which increases the supply of affordable rental units.

    Amtrak Southwest Chief: Heinrich secured language that protects existing Amtrak Southwest Chief train service in New Mexico from cuts and closure.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE – Appointment of the Bishop of Quelimane

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 25 July 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On July 25, 2025, the Holy Father appointed His Eminence Osório Cîtora Afonso, IMC, as Bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane (Mozambique), currently Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maputo, simultaneously releasing him from the titular see of Puzia in Numidia.His Exc. Msgr. Osório Citora Afonso, IMC, was born on May 6, 1972, in Ribaue (Nampula, Mozambique). He attended the Christ the King Preparatory Seminary in Matola (Maputo) and studied Philosophy at the Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Matola and Theology at the Saint-Eugène de Mazenod Institute in Kinshasa. He made his solemn profession in 2001 at the Consolata Missions Institute in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and was ordained a priest on November 3, 2002. He has held the following positions and completed further studies: parish vicar and treasurer of St. Hilaire in Kinshasa (2002-2005); regional councilor for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2005-2006); a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (2006-2010); studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2008-2009) and at the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem (2010-2011); member of the Council of the General House in Rome (2008-2010); local collaborator at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kinshasa (2011-2013); Formator and Treasurer of the Theological Seminary of Kinshasa (2011-2013); Superior of the Missionary Center of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto (2014-2016); Superior of Casa Milaico in Treviso (2014-2016); Regional Councilor for Italy, Treviso (2016-2017); Formator at the International Theological Seminary of Bravetta, Rome (2016-2017); Official at the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches (2017-2023).On September 21, 2023, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo, receiving episcopal ordination on January 28, 2024. He is currently Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 25/7/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Master classes on phytodesign and lectures on the life cycle of products. RUDN University held the Agropicnic in Gorky Park for the second time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peoples’Friendship University of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The RUDN Agrarian and Technological Institute held the Agropicnic in Gorky Park for the second time. About 250 guests of the event were able to “touch science with their hands”: conduct experiments with soil, create a composition of succulents and learn from lecturers how potatoes, carrots and cocoa appeared in our country.

    “The agropicnic became a real celebration of unity, exchange of experience and inspiration for our institute. We brought together students, teachers, our partners – JSC Rosselkhozbank and X5 Group – and all those who are not indifferent to the development of agricultural science and production. In a friendly atmosphere, we discussed the latest achievements, shared practical knowledge and ideas, received a charge of positive emotions and confidence in the future. I am convinced that such events strengthen the professional community, contribute to the popularization of modern agricultural technologies and create a solid foundation for new achievements,” – Elvira Dovletyarova, Director of the Agrarian and Technological Institute of RUDN.

    Moss and the Mysterious Box

    Among the guests of Agropicnic were not only students and adults, but also schoolchildren. They took part in creative master classes with great pleasure. For example, the children tried on the role of phytodesigners and, together with experts, created mini-compositions from succulents, moss and natural materials to decorate their home or classroom. At the same time, they learned how to properly care for plants.

    The importance of tactile contact and attention when caring for pets was discussed by RUDN University veterinary students. To do this, they played a game with the guests of the Agropicnic, in which they had to identify an object hidden in a mysterious box by touch. Delicacy is important when checking the ears, eyes, fur and skin of pets for diseases and parasitic insects.

    Experiments in the Park

    Participants of the practical lesson, which was held in the format of a mini-experiment, were able to visit the place of students of the RUDN Agrarian and Technological Institute. First, children and adults learned about the soil indicators that scientists evaluate. These are color, structure, humidity, acidity and fertility. After that, everyone tried to independently select a soil sample and conduct simple tests with it. For example, roll a soil ball and describe its structure, determine the pH level using indicator strips.

    At the RUDN lecture hall, guests of the Agropicnic were introduced to the life cycle of food products, told about quality control of products at all stages of production and about the history of the appearance of potatoes, beans, carrots and cocoa in our country. In addition, the participants of the event learned a lot about modern technologies that are used in the agricultural sector.

    “Before this event, I was unsure about which direction to take my future career. After attending the master classes and learning about real examples of modern agricultural professions, I felt genuine interest and internal motivation. And I discovered an amazing fact: professions in the agricultural sphere today are not only about physical labor, but also about science, technology, caring for the environment and human health. I was inspired by how smart developments can not only make hard work easier, but also really change something for the better for humanity and nature. Now I have definitely decided: I want to do something that is useful, develops new areas of knowledge and promotes harmony between people and the planet,” – Yaroslav, a student at School No. 1570.

    A bridge between theory and practice

    During the Agropicnic, schoolchildren and applicants also asked questions about studying at RUDN in the areas of “Biotechnology”, “Bioengineering and bioinformatics”, “Landscape architecture”, “Land management and cadastre” and others. In total, the Agrarian and Technological Institute has 25 higher education programs and 5 joint master’s programs with foreign universities.

    “Agropicnic is a bridge between theory and practice. Here, professionals, students and schoolchildren can see how science makes agriculture efficient, environmentally friendly and promising. For RSHB, such projects are an investment in the future of the industry and in the people who create it. This is part of our strategy to support agricultural education and popularize professions in the agro-industrial complex,” Lyubov Belesku, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Rosselkhozbank.

    The general sponsor of the event is Rosselkhozbank, the project partners are Gorky Park and X5 Group.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Navy and Polytechnic: an inseparable link

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Russian Navy Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of July, and each time these are different dates. But in 2025, we have the opportunity to congratulate the sailors on the day established by the founder of the Russian fleet, Emperor Peter the Great, after whom the Polytechnic University is named. During Peter’s reign, it was on July 27 that they honored the sailors in memory of the great victories of the Russian fleet at Cape Gangut in 1714 and Grengam Island in 1720. On this day, ships were decorated with flags, fireworks were fired, and parades were held.

    The creation of the fleet was one of Peter’s main achievements. The first ships were built in Voronezh. And on December 1, 1699, Peter approved the St. Andrew’s naval flag. In 1702, they began building galleys on the Syas, Luga and Svir rivers. In 1704, the tsar founded the Admiralty shipyards in the future capital. Ships were built all over Russia: in Voronezh, Kazan, Pereslavl, Arkhangelsk, Olonets, St. Petersburg and Astrakhan. By 1725, the Russian fleet numbered 130 sailing ships, 253 galleys and 143 brigantines.

    Peter not only created the Russian navy, but also laid the foundation for engineering in the country. Years later, the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute became a prominent representative of engineering education. One of the first departments opened there was shipbuilding. It was headed by a talented engineer Konstantin Boklevsky.

    In 1930, the shipbuilding faculty was transformed into the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, which became the ancestor of the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University, the famous Korabelka.

    Strong ties with the Navy have always been an important part of Polytechnic University’s activities – from the creation of the first submarines to marine robotics today. A special place in the life of the university is occupied by friendship with the crew of the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy – the flagship of the Northern Fleet. And the first congratulations on this day are to them, those who serve today, and those who are waiting on the shore. Happy Russian Navy Day!

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung Launches Galaxy Hangouts: A Fresh, New Pop-Up Experience for Galaxy Fans and Mobile Tech Enthusiasts

    Source: Samsung

    Get ready, South Africa! Samsung is redefining the way you meet your tech. With the launch of its brand-new Galaxy Hangouts pop-up café experience, Samsung is inviting Galaxy fans, and the simply curious, to relax with a complimentary coffee, connect with friends, and get hands-on with the ground-breaking new Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and Galaxy Watch8 Series devices. The first stop will be at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, from 25 to 27 July 2025. This is not just a product demo—it’s a new kind of hangout, where AI-powered innovation meets everyday lifestyle in the coolest way possible.
     
    Whether you’re a long-time Galaxy supporter or just want to know about the devices revealed at Galaxy Unpacked on July 9, this immersive experience is your invitation to hang out, play, explore, and win.
     
    Where Innovation Meets Everyday Chill
    Galaxy Hangouts is more than just a product showcase – it’s a whole vibe. Set in popular local hangout spots, these experiential locations are designed for visitors to unwind with their crew while getting hands-on with Samsung’s latest design-forward, AI-powered devices. From iconic public spaces to local lifestyle and business venues, Samsung is taking innovation to where people live, work, and play.
     
    “Galaxy Hangouts is a reflection of where we are today as a brand – dynamic, immersive, and deeply connected to how people actually experience technology,” says Kgomotso Mannya, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Africa. “With our new Galaxy Z Series and Galaxy Watch8 Series, all powered by Galaxy AI, we’re not just showcasing innovation, we’re placing it directly in the hands of the people, in places they already love.”
     
    Unfold the Ultra Level of Your Creativity
    At Galaxy Hangouts, visitors can experience Galaxy AI and try out Gemini Live, the personal AI assistant that seamlessly helps you stay organised across your calendar, messages, emails, and apps – without needing to app-hop. Whether you’re planning a trip, coordinating a perfect outfit from your wardrobe, or juggling business, Gemini understands your style and schedule. You can also explore next-gen cameras including the Galaxy Z Fold7’s new 200MP camera, as you capture your hangout in new ways with advanced photo and video features like Audio Eraser (that removes unwanted background noise) and Object Eraser (that cleans up your shot with a tap). You can also see for yourself how the Galaxy Watch8 Series is transforming wellness, style, and connectivity with intelligent design and health insights.
     
    Stand a Chance to Win Big
    Every visitor can complete fun and interactive challenges for the chance to win exciting prizes, including the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Fit3 (Terms and conditions apply).
     

     
    Where to Find Your Hangout
     
    Johannesburg

    25 – 27 July – Nelson Mandela Square
    1 – 3 Aug – Good Food and Wine Event
    02 Aug – Padel & Social Club James and Etholl Grey
    04 Aug – Vega Campus
    7 – 10 Aug – Melrose Arch
    8 Aug – Business Park Woodlands Woodmead
    12 Aug – Padel Lab Ruimsig Tournament
    20 Aug – Wits Campus
    22 – 24 Aug – Mall of Africa
    29 – 31 Aug – Rosebank – The Zone
    06 Sep – Galaxy Joburg Day

     
    Pretoria

    15 – 17 Aug – Menlyn Maine
    27 Aug – Tuks Gibbs Campus

     
    Cape Town

    11 – 12 Aug – Vega Campus
    12 – 14 Aug – Canal Walk Sports Scene Court
    19 – 21 Aug – Tygervalley Mall
    23 – 24 Aug – Stellenbosch University
    26 – 28 Aug – V&A Waterfront Silo District
    29 – 31 Aug – V&A Waterfront Pop-Up

     
    Durban

    31 July – Vega Campus
    08 – 10 Aug – Hilton Art Festival
    29 – 31 Aug – Midlands Mall
    02 Sep – Ballito Padel

    So whether you’re folding, flipping, or simply vibing, Galaxy Hangouts is your chance to try the tech everyone’s talking about in the places you love most.
     
    You don’t want to miss out!

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Notice to improve: Mowbray Education Trust Limited

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Notice to improve: Mowbray Education Trust Limited

    A notice to improve issued to Mowbray Education Trust Limited by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Letter to lift a notice to improve: Mowbray Education Trust Limited

    PDF, 103 KB, 2 pages

    Notice to improve: Mowbray Education Trust Limited

    PDF, 205 KB, 7 pages

    Details

    The notice to improve relating to financial management and governance for Mowbray Education Trust Limited was lifted on 25 July 2025.

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Notice to improve: Langley Hall Primary Academy Trust

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Notice to improve: Langley Hall Primary Academy Trust

    A notice to improve issued to Langley Hall Primary Academy Trust by the Department for Education.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Notice to improve: Langley Hall Primary Academy Trust

    PDF, 680 KB, 12 pages

    Details

    This letter and its annex serve as a written notice to improve financial governance and financial management at Langley Hall Primary Academy Trust.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House GOP Passes 50 Trump Executive Orders

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

    WASHINGTON — Six months into the Trump Administration, Republicans in the 119th Congress are delivering on President Trump’s America First agenda. With the historic passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill and many more separate pieces of legislation, House Republicans have already voted to codify 50 of President Trump’s executive actions. 

    “The American people gave President Trump a clear mandate to enact his America First agenda – and House Republicans are answering that call. To date, we’ve voted to codify 50 of the President’s Executive Orders into law, from reining in waste, fraud, and abuse, to cutting bureaucratic red tape that has strangled America’s innovators, job creators, and entrepreneurs,” said Speaker Johnson. “The last four years under President Joe Biden made painfully clear how quickly progress can be undone unless Congress steps in. That’s why House Republicans are working around the clock to codify President Trump’s executive actions and enshrine his historic agenda into law.”

    Executive Actions Passed by the House in the 119th Congress listed below and can be found here:

    1.      Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections

    2.      Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government

    3.      Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation

    4.      Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court

    5.      Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production

    6.      Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness

    7.      Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens

    8.      Small Business Administration Overhaul of the Reckless Biden-era Lending Program

    9.      Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders

    10.  Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful

    11.  Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations

    12.  Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements

    13.  Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending

    14.  Withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization

    15.  Withdrawing the U.S. from and Ending Funding to Certain U.N. Organizations and Reviewing U.S. Support to All International Organizations

    16.  Reevaluating and Realigning U.S. Foreign Aid

    17.  Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship

    18.  Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

    19.  Securing Our Borders

    20.  Protecting Children from Surgical Mutilation

    21.  Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity

    22.  Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization

    23.  Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance

    24.  Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the U.S.

    25.  Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry

    26.  Unleashing American Energy

    27.  Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential

    28.  Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with the Garden of Heroes

    29.  Declaring a National Energy Emergency

    30.  Enforcing the Hyde Amendment

    31.  Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production

    32.  Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats

    33.  The Iron Dome for America

    34.  Clarifying The Military’s Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States

    35.  Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

    36.  Unleashing American Drone Dominance

    37.  Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative

    38.  Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities

    39.  Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education

    40.  Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy

    41.  Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission

    42.  Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports

    43.  The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal (Global Tax Deal)

    44.  Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

    45.  Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos

    46.  Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology

    47.  Honoring Jocelyn Nungaray

    48.  Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media

    49.  Restoring America’s Fighting Force

    50.  Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA President issues update on 2025 Representative Assembly

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “At the recent NEA 2025 Representative Assembly, a recommendation was sent to NEA’s Executive Committee that the National Education Association not partner with the Anti-Defamation League. As the NEA does not currently have a partnership with the ADL, this would have constituted a forward-looking declaration. 

    “Today, following the culmination of a thorough review process as governed by NEA rules, including a vote by NEA’s Executive Committee earlier this week, NEA’s Board of Directors—representing the broad and diverse membership of the NEA, including representatives from every state—voted not to implement this proposal. 

    “In our review, NEA considered multiple factors, including the rationale and concerns behind the proposal, its relationship to our policies and values, and how this would affect students, our members, our work, and our mission to champion excellence and justice in public education. We consulted with NEA state affiliates and civil rights leaders, including Jewish American and Arab American community leaders, and we also met with ADL leadership.

    “After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals. Today’s vote by the NEA Board of Directors to not adopt this proposal completes NEA’s process.

    “There is no doubt that antisemitism is on the rise. Without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism. We always have and we always will. Our Jewish students and educators deserve nothing less.  

    “As NEA members debated this issue on the floor of our Representative Assembly, they spoke about a variety of painful, frustrating, and dehumanizing experiences related to antisemitism and anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bigotry. We know antisemitism and anti-Arab bigotry are very real and urgent problems in this country and around the world. They are insidious forms of hate, which is why NEA and our members actively work to fight them in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities. 

    “We have increased our efforts to combat all forms of hate because we know freedom and safety for any of us depend on the freedom and safety of all of us. As educators, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring our schools and campuses are safe and welcoming for all students, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or identity—with no exceptions. That is fundamental to who we are as educators and the core of who we are as a union.

    “At our core, NEA’s work and mission are rooted in social and racial justice, and we have a long, proud history of fighting against hate in all its forms. In this time of division, fighting antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and other forms of discrimination will take more resources, not fewer. We are ready.

    “Public education is vital to building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our diverse society. Our democracy depends on freedom of speech, and a great education depends on academic freedom, and inclusive and respectful debate. NEA opposes efforts to shut down debate, to silence voices of disagreement, and intimidation. We recognize the underlying concerns of the authors and supporters of the proposal, and we are committed to ongoing discussion with our community.

    “Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL’s full body of work. We are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators. We strongly condemn abhorrent and unacceptable attacks on our members who dedicate their lives to helping their students thrive. Our commitment to freedom of speech fully extends to freedom of protest and dissent, whether in the public square or on college campuses.

    “NEA will continue our work to combat discrimination against all people, pursue justice inside and beyond our schools, and we will always ensure our members are supported in these efforts. Along with this vote, we commit to continue our ongoing work to stand strong against oppression and hatred, a prerequisite for a thriving public education system consistent with our core values. Even with passionately held views on emotionally charged issues, the moment calls for us to use care and grace with each other and to ensure we refrain from actions that harm vulnerable communities. 

    “Going forward, the NEA will use a diverse and knowledgeable group of NEA practitioners to review materials that we use in relation to antisemitism curriculum and tools to combat antisemitism.

    “As a union, our diverse backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, and our interconnected safety comes only through solidarity. In light of the near-daily direct attacks being made against public education, our work together has never been more important. No amount of bullying can force us to abandon our commitment to our members and our values. And there is too much at stake to rest for even a moment.” 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    # # #

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Swift Approaches Stage 1 Presale Deadline with $1 Token Price Set to Double in Next Phase

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AI-Enabled Blockchain Protocol Activates Proof-of-Yield Rewards Ahead of September Launch Schedule

    LUXEMBOURG, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Swift (BTC3), a programmable blockchain protocol that integrates artificial intelligence and decentralized identity, is nearing the final 24 hours of its Stage 1 presale. The project’s token remains fixed at $1.00 until the transition to Stage 2, at which point the price will increase to $2.00. Bitcoin Swift’s full 64-day presale period will conclude on September 18, 2025, with a confirmed launch price of $15.00.

    The conclusion of Stage 1 marks the first key milestone in the project’s presale cycle, offering early participants access to live staking rewards through the platform’s Proof-of-Yield (PoY) mechanism. According to project materials, PoY rewards are automatically distributed at the end of each presale stage, providing participants with functional utility prior to full network deployment.

    Programmable Infrastructure with AI Integration

    Bitcoin Swift is designed to serve as a modular financial infrastructure for decentralized finance (DeFi), combining smart contract adaptability, real-time governance, and compliance-friendly privacy.

    The protocol leverages a hybrid Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus model to secure network activity. In addition to this foundation, the system incorporates AI agents that manage contract logic, reward algorithms, and governance proposal validation.

    Technical features include:

    • Federated AI Oracles – Monitor chain activity and detect anomalies in reward cycles
    • Learning-Enabled Smart Contracts – Adjust behavior based on usage data and transaction types
    • Decentralized Identity (DID) – Enables user verification without exposing private data
    • Quadratic Voting with AI Oversight – Ensures balance in governance participation by weighting votes according to verified identity credentials

    These systems are supported by recent audits from Spywolf and Solidproof, and the project team has completed KYC verification to support transparency.

    Roadmap Highlights and Timelines

    Bitcoin Swift’s roadmap sets out a phased development and deployment strategy from mid-2025 through late 2026:

    • Q3–Q4 2025: Launch on Solana network with immediate PoY activation and on-chain governance beta
    • Q1 2026: Integration of AI-powered contract engine and smart reinforcement modules
    • Q2 2026: Deployment of zk-ledger for shielded transactions and privacy-enhanced DeFi features
    • Q3 2026: Expansion of DAO voting with AI-simulated governance tools
    • Q4 2026: Native chain mainnet release, institutional onboarding, and transition from Solana via 1:1 bridge

    Each milestone corresponds to a functional deliverable and is accompanied by developer documentation and user onboarding resources.

    Final Hours of Stage 1 Presale

    As of July 25, Bitcoin Swift’s Stage 1 presale is in its final day. Tokens are priced at $1.00 with an APY of 143% for staking rewards under the Proof-of-Yield model. When Stage 2 begins, the token price will rise to $2.00, and the staking terms will be recalibrated to reflect updated issuance and network participation.

    The presale is structured across multiple stages over 64 days, with each stage introducing incremental pricing and adjusted yield distribution. Participants in Stage 1 also gain early access to key features including staking dashboards, governance voting modules, and beta smart contract interfaces.

    Governance and Community Participation

    Bitcoin Swift offers users the ability to engage with governance mechanisms prior to mainnet launch. The governance model includes identity-weighted quadratic voting and AI-based proposal risk scoring. These tools aim to encourage responsible participation and reduce the impact of token-weighted centralization.

    The project’s compliance-focused structure also makes use of decentralized identifiers (DIDs) to facilitate KYC-compatible user onboarding without compromising data privacy. These systems are intended to support both retail and institutional use cases once the mainnet goes live in 2026.

    About Bitcoin Swift

    Bitcoin Swift (BTC3) is a decentralized blockchain protocol designed for adaptive finance. The project integrates artificial intelligence, modular smart contracts, zk-privacy, and governance by verified identity. It is built to support on-chain programmable staking, AI-based automation, and secure protocol-level participation through DID infrastructure.

    The BTC3 token serves as the native utility asset for staking, governance, and fee payments across the Bitcoin Swift ecosystem. Current presale participants gain early access to live features, with future milestones set across phased rollouts through 2026.

    To learn more and access the presale dashboard, visit:
    https://bitcoinswift.com

    Contact:
    Luc Schaus
    support@bitcoinswift.com

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

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

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd63504a-58a2-4ad1-bc23-f62015040ec7

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6ab4e95-7452-49f8-b1a2-fa71914a5303

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5fcd292-e354-44e4-8cfb-649e7021491e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston Parks awarded coveted Green Flag awards

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston Parks awarded coveted Green Flag Awards as they are officially recognised as some of the country’s best parks

    Preston City Council is delighted to have retained the following Green Flag Awards for the city’s green spaces this year:

    • Ashton Park
    • Avenham and Miller Parks
    • Fishwick Recreation Ground and Local Nature Reserve
    • Haslam Park
    • Winckley Square

    Winckley Square has also retained its Green Heritage accreditation, supported by Historic England, and Haslam Park has retained the Green Flag Community Award courtesy of the Friends Group.

    The sites are some of the 2,250 in the UK to achieve the award, which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

    Missing from the list this year is Preston’s oldest park, Moor Park, which is currently undergoing its own transformation. An important project includes de-silting and extending the historic lake, as well as the reinstatement of the Serpentine Bridge, alongside wider park enhancements to the play area and football pavilion. We’re hoping Moor Park will make the list for Green Flags again once the project is complete.

    Councillor Freddie Bailey, Cabinet member for environment and community safety, said:

    “The news that Preston’s parks and green spaces have once again met the standards required for the accreditation is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that care for our parks and green spaces so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them.”

    Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, added:

    “Congratulations to everyone involved in Preston who have worked tirelessly to ensure the high standards required for these Green Flag Awards.

    “Quality parks and green spaces make the country a healthier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.

    “Crucially, Preston is offering vital green spaces for communities in residents to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis it is a free and safe space for families to socialise. It also provides important opportunities for local people and visitors to reap the physical and mental health benefits of green space.”

    The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

    More information

    The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

    Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award.  Awards are given on an annual basis, and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag Award status.  A Green Flag Community Award recognises quality sites managed by voluntary and community groups. Green Heritage Site Accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation. 

    Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably. We run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Eco-Schools, Love Parks Week (25th July – 3rd August 2025), Buy Nothing New Month, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces, the Blue Flag/ Seaside Awards for beaches and blue spaces, and the Green Key for sustainable tourism and hospitality.

    About Historic England

    We are Historic England, the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –